Guess where I am?!

Headed home again!

But this time it's for a very short trip to celebrate...

MY BROTHER'S WEDDING!

Pictures and details to come later :)

*Please don't forget to participate in Go Public: Part 3! There haven't been any comments yet and I know we all have an opinion on health care and the current economic situation...are there any solutions? How can we support those who need it most while flailing under a trillion dollar deficit and gloomy recession? Can our society do anything to change the perception of cancer and cancer care?

Go Public Project: Part 3

Thanks for the responses to the last post. I really appreciate all of you sharing personal stories and my heart ached for all of you while reading the comments, but I am amazed by the strength and attitudes you have.

If you read the post yesterday, but didn't comment because you may not have had a personal or professional experience with cancer, please remember that you can still comment on the claim that cancer can be controlled. Do you agree with this? If so, why? Or why don't you agree? Any input is greatly appreciated, by me and by the Go Public team. If you don't feel comfortable writing for all to see, you can always send a private comment my way via e-mail at sweetteadiaries @ gmail . com.

Remember that each person who comments (multiple comments = multiple entries) will be entered to win a Lilly Pulitzer Rolling in it Jewelry Roll!

------------------------------------------------------------

Today's conversation focuses on identifying your vision and values for the cancer control system in the future.

What values do you believe should guide our society's response to cancer? Some examples may be quality, person-centered, compassion, accessibility, timeliness, cost, respect, evidence-based, etc.

How do you believe our society should control cancer across the continuum on care - from research, primary prevention, early detection, treatment, support to end-of-life care?

How do we balance the need for socially responsible health care policy with the needs of challenging economic times?

Thanks for your participation today!

Go Public Project: Part 2

If you haven't read the preface to the Go Public Project, please read this post first.

Welcome to the first of four conversations we will have together here in the blog community! I was excited to hear some positive feedback on yesterday's post, and I hope more of you choose to share your experiences and opinions with us. Every comment is important because at the end, our voices and thousands of others, will be put together to be presented at the Global Leadership Forum for Cancer Control this September.

I have already given the introduction to this project and the purpose of these conversations in an earlier post (click link for post). If you would like, please leave a comment here introducing yourselves and what reasons you had to join in the conversation.

Some facts:

• Cancer is the leading cause of death globally. The WHO estimates that 7.6 million people died of cancer in 2005 and 84 million people will die in the next 10 years if action is not taken.
• It doesn't have to be this way - cancer is to a large extent avoidable. Many cancers can be prevented. Others can be detected early in their development, treated and cured. Even with late stage cancer, the pain can be reduced, the progression of the cancer slowed, and patients and their families helped to cope.
• By applying what we already know about cancer control, we can cut the rate of cancer deaths by as much as half over the next generation worldwide.
  
• There are 6 key areas where we can focus our actions to help create a new response to cancer, fast. Everyone has a role to play - citizens, patients, medical professionals and government.

1. Prevention: Up to half of all cancers are preventable by reducing risk factors. Changing our lifestyles can reduce the chances of getting cancer - getting support to stop smoking, being more physically active, eating healthier and reducing sun exposure. Reducing exposure to cancer causing agents like pollution and pesticides can help lower the risk even more. We must do more to prevent cancer.
2. Early detection: By finding cancer earlier, lives can be saved. Screening programs for breast, cervical, colorectal and other cancers can reduce mortality.
3. Treatment: Cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment. The earlier you treat, the better. There is a severe shortage of cancer specialists around the globe.
   
4. Stigmas: In many countries, patients are ashamed of their illness.
   
5. Supportive Care/Survivorship: The right supportive care interventions can imporove quality of life and many increase survival. Patients are not getting the pain relief and rehabilitation they need. Any survivorship support is lacking. We must support the whole person.
6. Research: Getting breakthrough ideas and therapies from bench to bedside is taking too long. We need to get more knowledge of the frontlines faster.

Cancer control
aims to prevent cancer, cure cancer, and increase survival rates
and quality of life for those who develop cancer,
by converting knowledge gained through research,
surveillance and outcome evaluation
into strategies and actions.

-------------------------------------------------------

Now,

All of us bring a story to the table.

Our first conversation is geared toward sharing
our cancer experiences with each other.

Please feel free to share your personal or professional experience with cancer.

What has been the most difficult aspect of your cancer experience?

The most inspiring?

Regarding the cancer system, what do you think is working well / not so well?

Were you aware that cancer can be controlled?

If no, what is your reaction to this claim?

-------------------------------------------------------

Please feel free to leave your comments regarding the previous questions and claims. Don't forget to give us a brief introduction and let us know why you are joining the conversation!

Also, don't hesitate to add a response to a comment or ask a question of any person taking part in our conversation today. I want this to feel as much like a real face to face conversation as possible - debate is healthy and welcome here! Come back as many times as you'd like to add more to the conversation and to see if anyone has asked you questions about your own experience that you could answer!

Thank you so much for participating today.

Go Public Project: Part 1

"It is time to change the experiences and expectations

of cancer.
It is time to marshal our collective will, our passion,
our outrage, our insistence and our voices."
-Lance Armstrong-

Hi Lovelies!

I come to you today with a request. I was approached by Go Public: Global Leadership Forum for Cancer Control to host a blog community conversation on cancer control. This is a collaboration by the International Union Against Cancer, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Campaign to Control Cancer to uncover people's awareness, experiences and expectations about cancer and cancer control. By joining together in thoughtful conversation (or in this case, comments) we can help control cancer through knowledge, change and action. This is the first ever global opportunity to hear from people who care about, work on and live with cancer.

Our voices and words are going to be compiled with thousands of others and will be heard by global cancer leaders at the September 2009 Global Leadership Forum on Cancer Control. We don't need to be experts to participate. In fact, the strength of these conversations will be the breadth and depth of response received from those touched by cancer, either personally or professionally.

The agenda is split into 4 parts so I will be posting 4 separate conversations. All I ask of you is that if you feel comfortable or led to, please comment with a response to any or all of the questions. You don't have to be involved in each day's conversation, but I would really love to have a lot of participation for this project. It isn't every day that we can come together and really focus on a particular topic of this magnitude.

--------------------------------------------------------------

As a side note:
I hope that you all choose to participate because it's a good cause, but as a little extra incentive, I will award one randomly chosen participant to receive this Lilly Pulitzer Rolling in it Jewelry Roll. Each time you participate will be one entry so the more times you choose to comment, the more entries you will receive.

EDIT: I know that several of you are more than willing to share your personal stories with cancer and I hope you aren't offended by my offer of a giveaway prize at the end of our conversations. I hope this is only seen as a kind gesture and as a way to increase participation for a very good cause! Thank you :)

Thank you for reading and I will post the first series of questions tomorrow morning!

Bloggy ♥

A big thanks to Brandi and Celeste for awarding me with the Lemonade Award! What a surprise!

The Rules of Accepting and Sharing this Award

1. Put the logo on your blog or post 2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an attitude of gratitude 3. Link to your nominees within your post 4. Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award 5. Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award. 6. Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude

My answer to how I've come to have an attitude of gratitude: You know, life is good. To be alive, surrounded by people you love really makes you stop and think about how lucky you are. So I may not have an expensive car, a window office or a wardrobe full of couture clothes, but I do have friends, family, a job, a roof over my head, money for food, etc. To me, those are the things in life that matter. Every day I find myself thanking God for all that I've been blessed with.

I am going to pass this award on to: Holly, Carie, Donna, Torch Lake Prep, Lis, Niki, Sweet Tea Talkin', Mrs. Sitcom, Shell, and Ashley Pizarro. If any of you ladies have already received this award, then consider yourself extra loved :)

I'd also like to say thank you to BellaMartinelli for the Neno's Award! Check out her blog - Classic Girl in Pearls - for a fun and fabulous read!

Weekend Recap

Hi my Lovelies! I am TIRED! I had such a fabulous weekend - the only thing missing was my family and friends from back home. But I am incredibly grateful that my dear b.f. planned some amazing events for me and really, I hardly had time to think about missing anyone!!

After our amazing couple's massage we had very little time before our dinner reservations at Gyu Kaku, a Japanese BBQ place. So we rushed home to get ready and then back out again to the restaurant. If you've never been to a place where you grill your own food, you should definitely try it out! It was so much fun to cook at your own table!

You'll have to forgive me because I completely forgot to take any pictures Saturday night when we went to eat for my actual birthday. I did however, get a picture of my really cute birthday cake!

You probably won't believe this, but I am a huge fan of the Fast and Furious movies. Seriously. So when the latest one came out, of course I dragged the bf to see it with me on opening night. Okay, I'm kinda embarassed I just admitted that to 318 of you :)

And you may also know that my initials are not S.H. This is a funny little tidbit - the bf and I were picking on each other one night and he was saying that one minute I was cranky and the next I was all lovey-dovey. He nicknamed me B.P. for bi-polar (I'm not in any way making a joke of people that do have this disease. I know several people who do, including family members). So I decided to make him feel bad for being mean to me by being nice and calling him S.H. for Sweetheart. However, there is another less friendly name that S.H. could stand for and that is what he thought I meant! Needless to say, he didn't believe I really meant Sweetheart (even though I did!!) and decided to put it on my cake. Cute :)

On Sunday we had a lovely time at church. It was our first time to the early service and we enjoyed it much more than the later, more contemporary service. It's amazing how a sermon can speak directly to your heart and that is what Sunday's sermon did with me. Everything the Pastor spoke about was relevant to my life and what I'm going through right now.

Then last night, my bf's sister Danielle took us to eat at The Cheesecake Factory. Delicious!

Needless to say, I have had a lot to eat the past 3 days. My jeans are a *wee* bit tight today, but it was all worth it! I'm not sure my WW leader will think the same though...

I'll be back later with an award to share!

My Favorite Birthday Present!

Look what I got:

That's right...a Schwinn Roxie beach cruiser! I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I have wanted this bike for well over 2 years, but never got around to getting it. Granted, I haven't ridden a bike since I was approximately 6 years old (I fell off and busted my lip, subsequently swearing off bike riding for the rest of my life), but I have been obsessed with this one and know it's going to be sooooo much fun riding around California in it!

Oh and another favorite:

Many thanks to my darling boyfriend for the best birthday weekend a girl could ask for! And thank you to every single one of you who sent birthday wishes my way!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

The day has finally arrived and I am now 25!

Thank you ALL so much for celebrating my big day with me. I love all of you for entering my giveaways, leaving me comments, caring about what I write, making me feel special, and so much more!

I am so very grateful that I dared to enter the blogging world. If I had known so many wonderful people were already here I would have entered a long time ago!

We may never meet in person or whatever, but I feel lucky to call all of you my friends!

So many of you have already been so kind as to wish me happy birthday so please don't feel like you have to again!! I just thought I would history for myself...after all, a quarter of a century is quite the milestone (eek)!

Giveaway #4 Winner!

I can't believe the birthday bonanza is already over!! I really have enjoyed planning these giveaways and I've loved having all of you visit my blog! I've also loved being able to discover all of your blogs! Thanks so much for playing along with me and helping me celebrate the big 2-5!

Since I've been so busy this week I decided to use the random number generator. I haven't done it this way before, but one thing's for sure...it definitely saves trees! And since it was Earth Day this week that's just another excuse to do it this way and not be called lazy :)

Without further delay, the winner of the last birthday giveaway is entry #40:

Rob and Amy
(although I'm inclined to think Amy will enjoy this treat a little more!!)

Congrats! I think it's funny how Amy's comment says:

"Oh Please please Please let me win! Just once, LOL!!!"

Now you're a winner Amy!

-------------------------------------

Instructions for Winner

For the bag, please choose the regular or long strap option, color and choice of monogramming!
For the flip flops, please choose size and style. Please give me a back up option if your first choice is sold out when I go to purchase.

E-mail me the exact info (be precise) so I can place the order correctly!

sweetteadiaries @ gmail . com

Please e-mail Susie at susie @ myflipflopz . com and let her know you are the giveaway winner for Sweet Tea Diaries birthday giveaway. She will let you know what to do from there!

-------------------------------------

Like every time before, I really do wish that you all could win. But thank you to everyone for entering all of my giveaways this month! And don't worry, if you weren't a winner during the Birthday Bonanza, there's always another time! I already have the next giveaway in mind so stay tuned lovelies!!

Celebrate!

These beautiful flowers were sitting on my desk this morning! They are from my lovely co-worker Linda! So sweet.

At work, we normally celebrate an employee's birthday with bagels or donuts. Sometimes if I like my co-worker (which I do like most of them) then I will make cupcakes! Last year, I was the only one to be different and request a birthday cake! These pictures are from my 24th birthday.

My Birthday LAST YEAR!!!

Sometime after my birthday (I think in July) I became the person in charge of employee's birthdays, but you can't throw your own birthday party...so my friend Paula took charge and here's what happened today!!

My Birthday THIS YEAR!!!

Same pose as 2008, just one year older :)
and skinnier (thank goodness for WW)

My yummy birthday cake!

Me and Nick

Me and Paula

Me and Brent

I am blessed to work with some really great people! Two of my co-workers even took me to eat at Black Angus today for lunch :)

my tasty lunch

Tim, me and Brian at Black Angus

What a great start to my birthday celebration weekend! Thanks to everyone I feel quite loved and special (that's what a birthday should be about) and FULL! Seriously, I am so full and sleepy...I'm hoping my boss lets me leave early today. Hey, he did it last year so here's hoping!!

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to enter the last birthday giveaway by 8 pm EST! I'll draw a winner sometime tomorrow.

I was tagged...

...by MRM to do this question survey! Here goes!

1. Respond and rework: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
2. Tag other un-tagged people.

The Questions:

What is your current obsession? my birthday! stationery and snail mail! blogging!

What do you think your name says about you? that my brother thought that i was an angel sent from God
Who was the last person you hugged? YoYo

What’s your favorite dinner? i love too many foods - pizza, steak, chinese, bbq

What was the last thing you bought? stamps, expensive little buggers too

What are you listening to right now? the air conditioner at my work and someone typing on their keyboard a few cubicles down the row

What is your favorite weather? cold weather!
What is your least favorite season? summer for sure - i love sunshine but i hate to sweat!

What's in your bathroom cabinet? face wash, toothpaste, shaving cream, qtips, band aids

Say something to the person/s who tagged you. MRM has a fantastic blog that I love to read!

What is your favorite tea flavor? the sweet kind

What did you want to become as a child? a lawyer - i would line up all my stuffed animals and pretend they were a jury

What do you miss? my family and friends back home

What's your favorite brand of jeans? joe's jeans of course and express

What designer piece of clothing would you most like to own (new or vintage)? i don't really care about stuff like that...

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? NYC

Who do you want to meet in person? any of my wonderful blogging friends! or Abraham Lincoln.

What is your most challenging goal right now? finishing up the last half of grad school

What’s your 5 year plan? i don't really have one - hopefully be back in GA with the bf and a house

Why is today special? because it's thursday and that's my most favorite day
What is my favorite sport to watch? umm - figure skating? :)
To play? absolutely none of them
What is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own? the diamond ring that belonged to my grandmother and a pair of diamond studs my grandfather got me when i had my ears pierced

Wow, I'm BORING! I tag:

Mrs. N
Chloe
Bella Martinelli
The Luckiest Mrs.
Adrienne Leann

Boring Post - Package Update

(source)

Tomorrow is my day to go to the post office.

I will be sending things to:
BLC :0
Mrs. M
Adventures in Newlywed
Life of an Army Wife
Life as a Coaches Wife
Brittany from ASAP
Katie, your Philosophy treat will be shipped directly to you
Emily B, your little eggling will also be shipped directly to you

Other Package Updates:
Melly Lil - your cosmetic bag hasn't arrived yet so the minute it does I will ship it to you along with your Kate Spade Occasions book.
USC Emily - your framed memo board will be on it's way early next week (before Wednesday)!!
Bernadette, Whitney and Lucy Marie - shipped from PPG, same goes for Erin
Meagan, Katie, Cheri Rose, Rachel, Midwest Musings, Tara, Elizabeth, That's What We Said, Britt, and Adrianne - please be patient as I find the perfect little treats for you ladies!! I want you to know I haven't forgotten about any of you!!

The post office l♥ves me. Sadly, I do not love it back.

I'll be back later with a more exciting post - MRM tagged me in a fun questions game!

My 300th Follower

I honestly cannot believe that I now have over 300 followers! I started my blog in February, hoping to have just 1 follower and now I have 301! Thank you to all of you for clicking the follow button, commenting on my posts, entering my giveaways, etc.

My 300th follower deserves a special shout out because after all, it is a pretty monumental number for me!

EMILY B
from
One Preppy Day

You didn't even enter my last birthday giveaway so there must be something else you like about my blog and that delights me! Thanks for signing up to follow me and I hope you stick around for a long time!

As a thank you, I want to send you a little treat!

eggling crack and grow flower

The precious little eggling looks and feels like a real egg, but crack its top and discover a garden ready to grow! Cultivation is easy - seeds are already sown into eggling's fortified peat mixture, just crack its top, water, and place in sunny spot. Plants grow for up to five months in the eggling, after which it can be planted directly in soil. Made of porous shell-like ceramic, the eggling comes with extra seeds and a terra-cotta tray. (text taken directly from website)

How cute! There was something else on this website that caught my eye and I wanted to share with Emily B (because of her ♥ for her own chocolate lab, Daisy) and the rest of you:

le petite labrador soap!

Check out Uncommon Goods if you have some spare time. They have some very unique gifts for everyone on your list!

Emily B -
please e-mail me your shipping information and I will send the little eggling to it's new home! Thanks for being my 300th follower!!

e-mail - sweetteadiaries @ gmail . com

Wishlist Wednesday - Birthday Edition

Instead of telling you what I wish for, I'll just tell you my plans for the big 2-5 this weekend! I'm planning on keeping it pretty low-key (I'm an oldie now and can't keep up like I used to) and celebrating with the bf and some close friends.

I'm most looking forward to Friday night because we are going to get a couple's massage! I am so very excited about this because it's been approximately 3 months since my last massage and I am in dire need of one asap! I work in front of a computer all day long and when I'm not at work, I'm hunched over a textbook studying. Needless to say, my shoulders and neck are in so much pain.

After the massage I think we'll eat sushi. I'm not the biggest fan of sushi as much as I am the sake that goes along with it! Then if we have time I really want to see this movie:

Saturday is my actual birthday so initially I wanted to have my friends over to lay out by the pool and grill out. You would think that would be fine since last weekend and all of this week it has been 100+ degrees in LA. But I looked at the weather forecast and it is supposed to be significantly cooler this weekend (like low 70's). Too cool for the pool - so the plan now is kind of up in the air. I know a big group of us are going to eat at Red Lion Tavern in Silver Lake for some yummy German food so we'll probably just end up staying in that area all night - this probably means pictures from the photo booth here.

And at some point during my weekend I want to enjoy one of these:

Maybe during Saturday lunch, perhaps??

Then Sunday the bf and I are trying the Presbyterian church for their 10:00 service. We went to the 11:45 service this past weekend, but it was a little too contemporary and modern for both of us. We are still traditionalists and enjoy singing from the hymn book!

Afterward, we're going to Knott's Berry Farm! So excited because I haven't been before...and it just so happens to be the weekend of Fiesta Mexicana (whatever that is, it sounds like good food and drinks)!

Plans could change, but this is the general outline for the weekend!! I'm looking forward to it! And don't worry...all my birthday talk will be over soon!!!! haha :)

Perfectly Pleasant is Just That!

♥Hi lovies- happy Wednesday...only 3 days until my birthday♥

Upon waking up and checking my trusted Google reader, I discovered that Perfectly Pleasant awarded me with the Neno's Award! Thank you so much! Ashley is a semi-new blogger (since February of this year) and has a fun blog that you need to visit if you haven't already. In fact, Ashley is hosting a "pay it forward" where she will draw two random comments to receive a little something from her. But the deadline to enter is 5 pm today so scoot over there and show her some love! Thanks again Ashley for this award!

The goals of this award are: 1)As a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging. 2)To seek the reasons why we all love blogging. 3)Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it. 4)Don't forget to mention the person who gives you the award. 5)Answer the awards question by writing the reason why you love blogging. 6)Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like. 7)Don't forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.

So, why do I love blogging? I love blogging because it has opened the doors to so many new friendships. While I may never actually meet a blog friend, it doesn't make them any less of a friend because they are here when I need them; to celebrate with me, laugh with me, cry with me, and support me.

I don't know if the following ladies have had this award bestowed on them already, but if so, just consider yourselves and your blog extra loved!

Jules at Chic & Pink
Britt at Politics and Pearls
MRM at Prep in the Big Apple
Gwen at Confessions of a Control Freak
Sassy Pink Monogram
Karie at Wife of a Wounded Marine

Just a quick thank you to BLC :o for the Cute Blogger Award as well!! xoxo

Okay, I'm done...

thank you to 2 very special bloggers!

I have a final that I have to study for tomorrow, but I wanted to quickly say a huge THANK YOU to a couple of very special bloggers!

First, I won Lola Cupcake's giveaway and I received my package today. I love everything Lola included and must say the sea salt caramels were the first thing I opened...they are A-mazing! Not even exaggerating! She also put a cute cupcake candle that looks exactly like a real cupcake! But it has two little prizes hidden inside that are only visible after the candle is burned down!!! How cool - can't wait to see what's inside. Thank you so much Lola Cupcake! And if any of you aren't reading her blog yet, you really should head over there now and check it out :)

Then sweet Jules over at Chic & Pink sent me a birthday present! I was so excited to see an oversized latte mug, a notepad and pen, philosophy creme brulee 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath, a perfect for summer nail file, and the best smelling candle ever!! She also included the most thoughtful birthday card. This was honestly the nicest thing ever and such a surprise! Thank you so much Jules - you truly have made my birthday extra special!!!

Do I not have the bestest blog friends??! Thank you to both of you for a wonderful end to my typical Tuesday!!

Oh and Miss Katie of My First Year as a Wallace , be sure to read this post!

A Sweet Surprise for Someone Sweet

I wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who wished the bf well on his job interview last weekend. It means more to both of us than you can ever know! Especially in this economic climate - after all, it's not easy for a recent college graduate to find employment. After the interview, the bf felt very down and out because he didn't feel like he had done his best or portrayed his best self. Then again, I really do think everyone feels pretty crappy after an interview, right? I know I always replay all my answers in my head, get red-faced and sweaty, and pretty much assume I have blown any shot of getting the job! Well after a very anxious weekend and Monday too, the company called and the bf GOT THE JOB!

So blog friends,

so much for the good thoughts and prayers!

I wanted to extend a special thank you to the 15 ladies who took the time out of their day to comment on the post about the bf and the job interview! It means so much to me that you read my blog and comment! So thank you to all of you - emcr1229, Katie, Brandi, Perfectly Pleasant, Politics & Pearls, Prep in the Big Apple, Dollface, Jules, Bernadette, xoxo Sarahbeth, Mrs. Sitcom, Karie, Adrianne, The Cape House, and Sassy Pink Monogram.

As a thank you, I'd like to give ONE of you ladies the following:

philosophy fragranced shampoo, bath and shower gel duo

So I put all your names in a bowl and the winner of the sweet surprise for someone sweet is:

KATIE
from
My First Year as a Wallace

Katie, if you will please e-mail me your shipping information I will get this sent out to you! I sure hope you are delighted by this little surprise and that you know how much your sweet comment truly meant to me and the bf!

Who knew you could be rewarded for something as simple as commenting??!? Keep it up - we'll see who is next :)

The Birthday Celebration Continues - The Last Giveaway!

The winner of Birthday Giveaway #3 can be found here.

-------------------------------------

Hi Lovelies! I'm sad that this is the end to a wonderful month full of celebrating...well, ME! Thank you all so much for joining in on the fun! I hope that you winners are excited about your prizes and that those who haven't won give it one more shot! After all, this could be your lucky week :)

My weekend consisted of laying out a lot (poor bf's chest is so bright red!) and going to a Rock Band charity event. I humiliated myself trying to play the drums to Oasis' Wonderwall. Seriously, I was so embarassed, but I'm really glad I wasn't playing the guitar or bass or even worse, singing. All in the name of charity though!

This week we have corporate visitors at our work so it's dress up EVERY DAY! I like to think that my co-workers are dressing up for my birthday week! And we're having a company lunch on Friday (I like to think that's for me too)...I'm only this self-centered when it comes to my birthday I promise. I'm getting very excited...the bf and I already have all of our plans for this weekend. I will reveal later in the week!

-------------------------------------

I guess it's time to get to the real reason you're all here - my last giveaway!! I am very excited about this one (I say that every time though) because it's all about SUMMER! I welcome the warm weather in the beginning, but by June I'm already ready for winter again! Honestly I can't stand to sweat! Oh well, it's just the beginning so I'm still excited about it!

One of the first blogs I ever started following was my flip flopz. Susie creates the cutest handpainted signs that can say anything you want! She sells her work on her etsy shop, but I am giving one reader the chance to win a sign with the saying of her choice! Go check her blog out and her etsy shop too! You won't regret it. And if you don't win, you'll probably want to buy one for yourself. Perfect for summer, wouldn't you say??!

I thought and thought about what else to include in this giveaway. It was going to be a Tervis Tumbler and monogrammed beach towel, but the wonderful Emily over at From the Land of Cotton did that last week! And I saw that someone else was doing a monogrammed towel giveaway as well. Then yesterday I woke up and realized exactly what else I wanted to include.

The winner will receive an LL Bean Boat and Tote Bag, open-top, size Medium with their choice of color and monogram! These totes are perfect for a quick weekend getaway or a trip to the pool!

What else goes perfectly with summer? Why, flip flops of course! LL Bean Maine Isle flip flops to be exact! These come in a number of styles like lobsters, honey bees, anchors, sailboats, and watermelons. They will be the perfect addition to any casual summer day.

Enter by April 24 (the day before my birthday!) at 8 pm EST to have a chance of winning!

Rules are simple:

1 entry - comment on this post with your choice of flip flop style (link is above) - entries without this information will be automatically excluded

2 entries - follow me or let me know you're already a follower

3 entries - post about my giveaway on your blog or blog sidebar (make sure to link it back to my giveaway post!)

4 entries - add my button to your blog

And for 2 extra entries, become a follower of Susie's blog here or let me know you already follow her.

There are a total of 12 possible entries per person! Let me know in ONE comment what you have done and I will figure out how many entries you receive!

-------------------------------------

I will announce a winner on my birthday, April 25th!

Oh yeah - this is my 100th post! Who would have thought?? I will have a late 100th post giveaway next month :)

Giveaway #3 Winner

Thank you so much for the enthusiastic response to my latest giveaway - your excitement says it all - Preppy Paper Girl is incredible! I hope all of you remember her for your preppy paper needs when they arise. I can honestly say that PPG has to be one of the nicest and kindest people I have ever "met" in my entire life! Not only was she willing to work with me on hosting this giveaway, but she is also truly excited about putting together the winner's package!

Without further delay, the winner of my Birthday Giveaway #3 is:

Lucy Marie from Lucy's Life

Congrats! Please email PPG at lboriginals@gmail.com to let her know you were the lucky winner! She will work with you on choosing the perfect personalized items!

----------------------------------------------------------

I was so impressed with the enthusiasm for this giveaway that I just had to include a couple of small prizes! Two entries will win a notecard and matching notepad gift set. Choices of design are pictured below!

Available in the following:

Red/PinkDots -Font: Script Monogram

Turquoise/Brown Zebra-Font: Diamond Monogram

Red/Brown Giraffe-Font:Diamond Monogram

----------------------------------------------------------

The winners are:

Whitney from That Girl

and

Bernadette from Making Stuff and Doing Things

If you ladies could please e-mail me at sweetteadiaries@gmail.com with your choice of design and shipping address, I will pass it on to PPG. Thank you!

Thanks to all who entered. Last giveaway will be announced Monday morning! Have a great weekend!

I'm so glad it's Friday!

Hello my lovie dovies! I am so happy it's Friday. I haven't been able to get back into the swing of things since returning to work and school from my vacation. I'm walking around in a daze! I haven't even unpacked my suitcase yet...yikes! Hopefully this weekend I will wake up and realize it's time to get back to the routine. I haven't really been a very productive blogger either - sorry for the lack of comments! I am reading, but I'm too lazy to click out of google reader and comment. If only there was a way to comment from within reader then I would be a happy camper (if this application already exists, someone please tell me).

Tonight the bf and I are going to his sister's house to have pizza, watch a movie and let the dogs run around and play together. YoYo loves his cousin Roxy! They have the greatest time and wear each other out...which is great when it comes to bedtime! The bf has a very important job interview on Saturday morning so if you could be so kind and send some good thoughts his way, I would greatly appreciate it! In this tough job market it's going to be very competitive, but he deserves it and would do a great job!

Let's see, what else? Like I said before, my brain is mushy! Oh, remember how I said I wasn't entering any more giveaways?? Well, that might have been a small fib. Prep in the Big Apple is hosting a very unique giveaway in that the winner will get to choose a non-profit organization to receive an $18 donation. I think everyone should enter this giveaway because not only does it give us an awareness of what types of 501c3 non-profit organizations are out there, but also one of those organizations will recieve a much needed donation. Click here to enter by April 30. Thanks to MRM for hosting such a wonderful non-materialistic giveaway.

I also want to say thank you to all of my new followers! I really appreciate you taking the time to follow me! I hope you continue to find interesting things about my blog (although this post is definitely not one of those things) and stick around long after the birthday dust has settled. Which reminds me, enter my Birthday Giveaway #3 by tonight at 8 pm EST. The winner will recieve a number of awesome things from Preppy Paper Girl. I will announce a winner tomorrow! And I'm going to throw something in here as a little secret to see who is really reading - go follow Preppy Paper Girl's blog, come back and leave a comment on this post that you are, and I will give you 5 extra entries. Do it by 8 pm EST though for your entries to count.

Well well, let's see who is really reading :)

I've been spoiled...and I'm lovin' every minute of it!

Hello there my lovelies! I arrived back to California last night after a very long flight. I succumbed and paid Delta $2 for a pair of cheap earphones so I wouldn't have to listen to the kid crying in his seat in front of me. It was worth it.

BF and I went to eat some yummy Mexican food after he picked me up. I've already told you I'm obsessed with Mexi food - I was dreaming about margaritas, chips and salsa the whole time I was gone...to be honest, Georgia doesn't have anything on California when it comes to Mexican food. The only thing I like better about Southern Mexi is the white queso dip!

-----------------------------------------------------

I wanted to mention how lucky I have been lately in the blog-o-sphere! I was one of the lucky winners of Prep in the Big Apple's miller ribbons key fob giveaway! How awesome, right? Thank you MRM for this wonderful surprise! Remember that you have something coming your way from me - I do hope you enjoy it!

Then my week got even better when I found out that I had won The Monogrammed Nest's Tucker Blair headband giveaway! Not only did I get to give a TB headband away on my own blog, but I had now won my very own! I chose the green and white polka dotted headband and can't wait to wear it with my navy blue sundress this spring. Thank you so much G and Tucker Blair!

It's not like my week could get much better, right??? WRONG! I found out I had won Polka Dots and Cupcake's first giveaway! I won Kate Spade coasters, Sprinkles cupcake mix, sea salt caramels (yum!), and a cupcake surprise too! I am so excited about this because this blog happens to be one of my new favorites (and it should be yours too) - thank you Lola Cupcake!

AND in the middle of writing this post, I found out that I won Miss Janice's Gucci Shoe Giveaway! I am just so excited about these shoes. Thank you Miss Janice for this wonderful surprise!

Needless to say, I feel very lucky with all the giveaways I've won! I will not be entering anymore for awhile because I want others to have this excitement too! It's great to win something and it's great to give things away - don't forget to enter my Preppy Paper Girl stationery giveaway by this Friday at 8 pm EST!

Thank you again to everyone who I have won something from! I am very grateful and appreciative of all my lovely new gifts! xoxo

-----------------------------------------------------

So you and me both are thinking that my week has been pretty amazing, but it gets better! I checked my mail last night and I had some surprises waiting for me. I love mail and I especially love all the mail I received while I was gone!

First up, my spring swap partner Kirby from Good Gals Inc. was a good swap partner and actually sent her package on time...I however, did not. Bad swap partner Miss Sweet Tea! But don't worry Kirby, your items are on their way as I type this!!!! I hope it brightens your day, just like your sweet surprise did for me! Kirby included a sorbet scented room spray and candle (she must know I have a *stinky* doggy at home!), a fun flower shaped bath scrub with the body wash already in it - how cool!, and some yummy chocolate covered sunflower seeds in beautiful spring colors!

Then sweet Gwen from Confessions of a Control Freak had signed up for my snail mail weeks ago and finally received her surprise from me in the mail (sorry for the delay!). Well, she sent me a snail mail surprise too! Thank you so much! You didn't have to, but I sure am glad you did :) Gwen is now hosting her own Snail Mail so go check it out and get signed up!

I also had some lovely things from KAG over at Monograms and Martinis in Manhattan. KAG had signed up for my Snail Mail adventure as well, and she sent me a sweet thank you note and little wish bracelet - so cute! KAG also has her own snail mail going on! She sends the cutest notes! I had also won KAG's Cassie Adams Designs stationery giveaway and my notecards arrived. They are tres adorable and well made! I'm almost afraid to write on them because they're just so pretty.

And last but not least, some of my snail mailers wrote me back! Meagan and Brittany sent the sweetest little notes on adorable notecards! Thank you so much to both of you - it's so wonderful to get mail that isn't a bill! Those of you still waiting on a little treat from me, I haven't forgotten about you! I am finding things as I go along and sending them out one by one!

So as you can tell by the title of my post, I am spoiled!! But I love it!