everything happens for a reason

Last night I arrived home to find a notice taped to my door. It was from the management at our apartment. Lovely. Apparently, we had missed the notice {which I'm pretty sure never got to me} about lease renewals and rate increases. Unbeknown to us, our rent has increased nearly $150 as of August 1, 2009 {umm. that's tomorrow people}. Keep in mind that we've been on a month-to month since our original lease ran out nearly a year ago!

I was angry at first, but after I calmed down, I realized that this is just what we needed to get out of our current apartment. We have known for a long time that we pay nearly $400 more than other neighbors in my complex {due to the time we originally moved in and the lack of nationwide recession} who are getting in for much less, and apartments in the same neighborhood are also much less. But we've been lazy and haven't wanted to deal with the hassle of moving so we've stayed.

NO.NO.NO.

Today, we started looking for a new place.

And I *think* I found us one one so if you could just send good thoughts our way, we would truly appreciate it!

Have a great weekend my lovelies!

PS - Go check out Giveaway Month over at The Design Girl! It's big - you won't want to miss out!

Winner!

Hi lovelies!! I'm so glad to see so many of you excited about Julie and Julia and the possibility of winning the book that inspired the movie!! There were 94 entries and some favorite actresses among all of you:

Reese Witherspoon (definitely the TOP contender)
Julia Roberts (a close second)
Rachel McAdams

I entered all 94 comments into Random.org list randomizer and the winner of the Julie and Julia book is:

Shoshanah
From L.A. to LA

Congratulations! Please e-mail me as soon as possible {you have 48 hours before I draw a new winner} with your shipping information so I can get the book to you before the movie debuts!

Thanks to everyone who entered and if you still want to read the book and need to buy it, check out Barnes and Noble!!

behind the times {plus a small giveaway}

I will be the first to admit that I am addicted to celebrity gossip. The checkout line at any store is my enemy, with all of the brightly colored magazine covers with juicy headlines just waiting for little old me to add one to my grocery pile. However, in an attempt to save money, I have cut out these worthless magazines {because buying one really only brings me an hour (tops) of enjoyment...then it's old news}. BUT I didn't realize how behind I am when it comes to celebrity gossip and news!

Here are some of the things I can't believe I missed:

1) Sarah Michelle Gellar is pregnant! Where have I been? I absolutely adore Sarah and Freddie. I have always thought their marriage is one to be admired because they are able to keep their lives out of the public eye, despite being major celebrities.

(source)

2) I missed out on hearing that Heidi Montag is going to be performing at the Miss Universe Pageant. I refuse to put a picture of that "celebrity" on my blog, but why in the world is she signed up to perform...in public?! Thoughts?

3) This isn't something I've missed, but I have to say that I am so excited about Julie and Julia! This looks like such a great movie and the added bonus is that Nora Ephron is behind it. She is AMAZING [hello - You've Got Mail]!!

{giveaway alert}

If you want to read the book, but haven't picked it up yet,
here is your chance to win your very own copy!

Just leave a comment on this post
telling me your
favorite female actress.

Comments need to be received by Thursday, July 30 at 8 pm.
The winner will be announced the next day!

Nantucket Knotworks

Many moons ago when the boyfriend and I started dating, we were in a long distance relationship. As a thoughtful present, the bf sent me a bracelet similar to the yellow one below:

This bracelet is known as a "sailor's bracelet" because sailors used them to wipe their brows while swabbing decks or as a "friendship bracelet" because sailors brought them back for their sweethearts. He had one as well, so whenever we were apart and I was missing him all I'd have to do is look at my wrist and I was reminded that I was someone's sweetheart. I never took this bracelet off - it became so dirty over the months that I eventually had to remove it {just for appearance sake, as the condition was still good}.

I was looking through the most recent Martha Stewart Living magazine and I was delighted to see the Nantucket Knotworks bracelet featured on one of the pages. While my bracelet wasn't this brand, I am so happy to have found the makers of the authentic Nantucket rope bracelet. I know that I will be ordering a pair of these for the bf and I so we can renew our matching bracelet tradition yet again.

Check out Nantucket Knotworks if you have some free time. These bracelets can also be ordered from The Sunken Ship!

Company Picnic = FUN?!

(I actually made this flyer...names and locations blacked out)

Today, my entire office will
be outside {under the hot sweltering sun}
to spend time together and participate
in "team-building" activities.

Sounds fun...

The good news?

We don't have to go back to the office
once the picnic is over!

Here's to a long{er} weekend!

ebay etiquette

UPDATE
Thank you for all the advice and letting me know I am in the right! I emailed the seller to let her know that I wouldn't be accepting a partial refund and also that if we weren't able to resolve the issue, I would be filing a dispute. Guess what?! She issued the refund within moments of that email, but she didn't refund my SHIPPING COSTS!!!!! I'm not going to bother with this anymore, but I'm definitely going to be avoiding this seller from here on out. The thing is, she is a reputable seller/buyer with over 300 positive feedback. I want to believe that she did ship the skirt, it really was lost and she wasn't trying to pull one over on me, but what are the chances of that actually being the truth?

Lovelies, I need advice.

On June 25, I purchased an item on ebay. I had contacted the seller to ask how long I had before payment was due as that information wasn't included in the item description. She requested that I pay within 4 days. I paid less than 2 days after the purchase via PayPal. The seller never once contacted me to let me know that my item had shipped {which I think is bad seller etiquette - you should always send an e-mail after shipping}.

On July 8, I sent my first email to the seller asking if she had shipped the item:

Hi there!

I am curious to know if you have any additional shipping information for the Lilly skirt I won. Knowing my luck, it will arrive tomorrow because I am writing you this email, but I thought I would check in and see if you could confirm that it has been shipped.

I'm eager to receive the skirt, but I'm assuming the 4th probably slowed shipping down.

No response. On July 13, I sent the following message:

Hi there. I still haven't received my skirt. Could you please check the confirmation number given to you when you shipped the item?? It has been 16 days since my PayPal payment cleared.

I am worried it got lost!!

Sorry to bother you again and thanks for your time!

Still no response. On July 21, I sent this message:

Hi there.

This is the second time I have written about the LP skirt, size 6 that I paid for on June 27. I have still not received my skirt and would appreciate if you could let me know when you sent it and perhaps provide a tracking number.

I believe that I paid well within the time frame and kept excellent communication with you, on my part. I understand that the 4th of July holiday may have slowed shipping down some, but it has been 24 days since I have paid.

I'm concerned that the skirt was lost in transit.

Please let me know what carrier you used and any other information you can provide so I can look into it.

After this last email I {finally} received a response from the seller saying she assumed the package must have been lost in the mail and that she didn't have record of a tracking number.

Of course I would like to clear this up, so I sent an email to the seller letting her know that I would look into filing a dispute. As I have never done this before, would she let me know if there was another way to handle the situation? I made it clear that I don't want her profile or ebay reputation to be negatively impacted.

I received an email back saying that filing a dispute was not necessary and could I just be a little more understanding and patient {which I think I have been, it's been a month}?! She asked if I would accept a half refund. Again, what?!

I feel that I shouldn't accept a half refund because I have done nothing wrong! As a seller, you take the risk of something like this happening and you are ultimately responsible for the costs associated with the lost item. I feel horrible because I don't want to make enemies, but at the same time, I really do think that I'm in the right. I am such a pushover, but I think this is one time to stand my ground.

Thoughts? Am I right or wrong? Should I compromise?
Please advise...this whole ordeal is stressing me out!

*thanks* are in order :)

It's time to say
THANK YOU!

Annie from Aprons and Bags by Annie G. recently sent me a surprise for hosting the apron giveaway! She is too sweet and I am so grateful for the beautiful and fun waist apron! Isn't it darling??! The quality is top notch as well and the vintage button detailing is tres chic! I love it - thank you Annie! If you are in need of an apron, please consider Annie's store.

I am a very bad blogger for not mentioning this next thing sooner. My friend Jill from Peeptoe Pumps and Pearls sent me the cutest Vera Bradley photo book - I love the pink elephants! The book is already residing in my purse, filled with my very favorite pictures. Thank you so much Jill!

I recently won a giveaway from Miss Muddy Paws at The Wet Nose. I should actually say that YoYo won this giveaway since it was for Claudia's Canine Cuisine Cookies! My little pal was super excited to have won these treats! He says a big thanks {woof woof} to Miss Muddy Paws!

And FYI: Miss Muddy Paws is currently holding another giveaway for these fab dog treats! So if you have a little fur(baby), you should head over to her blog and enter to win {by July 24}.

I hope everyone is having a great day!

Questions and Answers, Part IV

Okay, here are the last of the questions!!

Michelle from Stuttering Shell asked,
What is your favorite food?
What do you miss most about being a child?
How did you and the bf meet?

What a loaded first question. I absolutely CANNOT pick a favorite food. I love so many things that it's ridiculous. I wake up and obsess over what I will eat that day. My weekends are planned around where to eat lunch, dinner and snacks. My mom always jokes that I have to be fed every 2 hours, like a baby. It's true though, I LOVE food! Some favorite foods would be BBQ, french fries, chicken tenders, anything fried, cupcakes, snickers, steak, any kind of starch or carb, shrimp, lobster, popcorn, chips, dip...see, I can't choose just one thing! Obviously I don't eat this stuff every day so for more healthy favorites I stick to sliced turkey, fruits, salads, Laughing Cow cheese, Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, and sweet potato fries. I guess what I miss most about being a child is just being a child. We're always so anxious to grow up and get out to see the world, but I've realized that home is where it's at. I wish I had appreciated my parents more and known how hard they worked to provide for me. As for me and the bf, we met at flight attendant training. He was living in Las Vegas and I was still in Atlanta. We were friends for awhile and we went on a trip to Los Angeles for my 23rd birthday. After that, we were "in a relationship" and have been going strong ever since.

Danielle from Well, That's Just Fabulous asked,
What's your favorite tv show?
If you could go on vacation anywhere right now, where would you go?
If you had $5,000 and had to purchase something for yourself, what would you buy?

Danielle and I are both obsessed with television! I have too many favorite shows, but currently these are on my top 3 list {keep in mind I'm not including shows that have already ended for the season}: Burn Notice, NCIS and The Next Food Network Star. As for primetime shows, I enjoy Gossip Girl, CSI: Miami, One Tree Hill and 30 Rock. If I could go on vacation right now I would probably head up to Seattle to visit a couple of friends that live there now or go someplace like Aruba. And if I had $5,000 and had to buy myself something, I might get a really nice watch or piece of jewelry. Or maybe just $5,000 worth of clothes, purses and accessories!

Donna from Loving Married Life asked,
What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy Sunday?

Rainy Sundays are my favorite! I love to sleep in, stay in bed, and read a book with the window open so I can hear the rain. Or just watch movies all day. These are also the days I tend to munch on junk food!

Tracy-Girl from Then I got to Thinking asked,
What is your favorite place to blog from?

I really like to blog from work. I have dual widescreen monitors and can easily access all the information I need. Plus the uploading of images is super quick. I really don't like using the desktop computer at home because the keyboard's space bar gets stuck {vodka tonic spilled on it one night} and it's tres annoying. And the computer chair faces away from the tv and we all know how much I love my tv shows.

Piper Jacquelyn from Steak and Cakes asked,
What is your go to/daily skincare regimen?

I like to use the Neutrogena Wave in the shower because it makes my face feel so smooth and clean. If I'm washing my face, but not taking a shower, I use Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash. I have skin that breaks out a lot if I'm not strict with my skincare schedule. As for makeup, I wear Pur Minerals. It's simple, clean and takes so little time. I like the look and feel of mineral makeup over regular foundation.

Rachel asked,
What's your favorite type of pet?
What's your favorite type of perfume?

I have always been a small dog person. I don't really care for cats {though I do love my kitty}. I think having a dog can enhance your life so much. You are their person and they love you even when you don't love yourself. I can't tell you the number of times YoYo has brightened my spirits. He truly is a blessing. As for perfume, I currently wear Lilly Pulitzer Wink. It's perfect for summer!


That concludes Miss Sweet Tea's question and answer segment.
I hope you all enjoyed learning more about me!!

My Near Death Experience {of sorts}

Since the bf worked the graveyard shift before we left for Las Vegas, I ended up driving the entire way there. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get a lot of rest on the road so when we checked into our hotel the bf took a nap {this is when I went out shopping}. We hadn't eaten since Chick-fil-A and I was STARVING so I stopped off at the grocery store on the way back to the hotel and grabbed a bag of Doritos {so healthy I know}. When I got back to the hotel, I was sitting in the living room area watching Ocean's 13 and reading Mating Rituals of the North American Wasp {which Kate was kind enough to loan out to me}. I started snacking on my bag of chips and before I knew it, I had inhaled a piece and it was lodged in my throat! Oh.my.god...it was such a scary moment. I could still breathe, but at the same time, I could feel the chip stuck somewhere in my esophagus. The bf woke up when he heard me panicking and running around like a crazy woman. Luckily, the chip started moving and a little water helped it become unstuck.

I know this event may seem silly, and the bf and I joked about it later, but it's actually quite serious. It made me realize I need to know how to give myself the Heimlich Maneuver and you should all know how to as well in case you are in a similar, scary situation {click the link to read how}!

And I am NEVER eating Doritos again.

Have any of you ever had a scary experience like this?

My Mini Vacation Recap!

Hello Lovelies! I was so glad to have been able to take Friday off of work! It was the opportunity for a much needed three day vacation to LAS VEGAS! It's one of my favorite destinations for relaxation and fun and it's a mere four hours away from Los Angeles. However, it was incredibly HOT {I mean, of course I knew it would be hot, but it is still always a shock to the system to step out into what feels like a 500 degree oven}. Seriously, it was 114 degrees over the weekend! But the bf, YoYo and I had a wonderful time anyway!

Plus, there was the added bonus of being able to stop at the Chick-fil-A on the way there. Yum!

Once in Las Vegas, I didn't take very many pictures. I know, I know...I said I would {and I thought I would}, but I was usually so sweaty or my clothes were too wrinkled or I was too busy throwing $20's away that I didn't really have any good photo ops!

These pictures are from Friday night at Ellis Island Casino. It's a little dive casino off the strip by the Sahara, but their restaurant has the most delicious steak dinner that I've ever eaten...for $6.95. The bf has been going there for years. Honestly, it's better than those fancy steakhouses where they serve $100 steaks. The special comes with mashed potatoes, gravy and garlic green beans {plus a house salad and a pint of their own brewed beer}. Oh and I always have good luck at the Little Green Men slot machine! So fun.

Last time I was in Vegas I won over $300 on a nickel slot machine at Harrah's. I went back to see if I could have the same luck and I did pretty well. It was a Price is Right machine and I hit the bonus round within the first few spins...and on a max bet. I won $200 off that round {I only put $20 in}. And I lost it all {well I never cashed out so it wasn't really mine in a sense}...that's the beauty of Vegas I suppose. It was fun while it lasted though! After that, we went to have a couple of drinks at The Artisan. It's a crazy little bar/hotel with the most odd and ecletic decor. I found this lion outside of the entry and of course I had to take a picture with it {Phi Mu's love Sir Fidel}.

On Saturday we did some shopping {I scored some amazing deals at the TJ Maxx, Marshall's and Stein Mart}. I found some great clearance items {mainly cardigans and polos} and three new dresses. Oh, and I had read about Desert Daisy on Muffy's post about Vegas, but I'm sad to say that when I went searching for it I discovered that it was no longer in business {at least not at Green Valley's District}. We also watched Harry Potter so the bf could see it. I have to be honest and say that it was much better the first time around - probably because I was so excited. I found it kinda boring and slow the second time. Also, it deviated from the book too much.

Saturday night we headed to Green Valley because we didn't want to go back to the strip. We decided to eat at Elephant Bar. I ordered a raspberry lemon drop martini and just had to take a picture with the green and pink concoction. Cute {and tasty too I might add}!!

Overall, we had a great time. It was a fun and quick trip, but just what the bf and I needed to get us out of our day to day rut.

How was everyone else's weekend?!

PS - Beth and Life of a Savannah Wife, please check out my last post. I would love to send a little treat your way, but need your addresses first! Thanks!

How Sweet You Are!

As a way to say thank you to all of my followers, I am going to randomly pick names from my followers list to receive a little treat from yours truly {from time to time}!







One of my favorite shops on Etsy is Sugar and Flour. The most beautiful sugar cookie creations come from this store - you should definitely check it out!

I'm sending 3 followers a bag of "Itty Bitty Bite Size Sugar Cookies," a perfect little way to sweeten your day!

So I seriously took everyone's name from the followers list and put it into an Excel document. I then randomly chose 3 numbers and the followers who will be receiving these yummy cookies are:

Beth Dunn of Social Climbers

Life of a Savannah Wife

MRM of Prep in the Big Apple

I hope you three ladies are surprised and delighted to see your names here!

If you could, please e-mail me at sweetteadiaries {at} gmail {dot} com with your shipping address [please try to do this by Sunday] and I will have Sugar and Flour send these sweet treats directly to your doorstep!

Of course, MRM, I already have your shipping address so no need to e-mail me!

Thanks again to everyone following me, and I guess you never know when you may see your name up here on one of these {follower appreciation} posts!!

Questions and Answers, Part III {and some random musings}

Some Random Musings:

• I can't believe I forgot to mention this, but Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was AMAZING! I couldn't get over how good it was! Definitely one of my top 2 favorites of the entire series and I can't even imagine how great the last two movies will be. I love seeing Harry and his friends grow up.
• I wouldn't be awake right now if it weren't for my McDonald's Iced Coffee {with hazelnut syrup}...these things are so delicious.
  
• I also can't believe that I made it past 500 followers! Thanks for all of your sweet comments and believe me, I wouldn't be writing this blog if it wasn't for the love and support from all of you!
  
• I'm cashing in my free day tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited! The bf and I have a fun little mini vacay planned so I will be MIA until Sunday. But you know me, I never go anywhere without my camera {except when I met Kate and Danielle and I didn't have the stupid thing} so there will be plenty of pictures!

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

Now, I hope you all aren't tired of learning more about me! One thing is for sure, you're a curious bunch...and I love it! HA! Without further ado, more answers to those creative questions!!

Miss Madras from Madras and Pearls and Preppy in New England both asked,
How did you get from Georgia to California?
Do you ever want to move back East?

{insert big sigh here} How did I end up in CA? It all started back when I was a flight attendant and I was visiting the future bf in Las Vegas right around my 23rd birthday. We decided to drive to LA from Vegas and from my first moment in Hollywood, I knew that I wanted to live here. The future bf and I had so much fun {our first kiss too} sightseeing, finding fun bars and restaurants, shopping, eating Pinkberry, and going to the beach. Once the bf and I were seriously dating, it was hard and stressful to do the long distance thing. Over the next few months we went to Los Angeles 3 more times. In September I had a random layover in LA and the bf came to meet me. I impulsively quit my flight attendant job on the spot (probably not the best way to handle the situation...oops) and we decided to make the move to LA the next month. He had been accepted to film school here and moved out in September. The next month, my mom and I packed up my car {actually it was just me doing the packing, as my mom was way too angry and upset that I was moving} and headed West. We drove cross country and a week later I was moving into my new apartment.

As for moving back - that's the plan anyway. I am currently in graduate school and after I get my MBA we will see where my career takes me.

Mrs. W from Keeping up with the Westmorelands asked,
What is your favorite band/singer?
What does your morning routine consist of?
Favorite accessory?

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved U2. Still do. I also like Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Muse, and the Silversun Pickups. My morning routine consists of {hopefully} waking up on time, showering, spending way too long in front of my closet wondering what to wear, putting on some makeup, brushing my teeth, feeding the cat and dog, and racing to work like a maniac. I am ALWAYS late by at least 15 minutes. My favorite accessory is my watch. I have to know what time it is and I feel naked when I don't have it on my wrist. And it's not a pretty one either. It's a Timex Ironman watch set to military time {that's what I grew up using} and it still has 3 time zones programmed on it because I needed that when I was working as a flight attendant {ATL, Ireland, Kuwait}.

Jill from Peeptoe Pumps and Pearls asked,
What is your favorite clothing store?
What is your favorite cocktail?
What's your middle name?

Hi Jill! I would have to say my favorite clothing stores are J Crew and Gap. I like to spend my hard earned money on pieces that will stay in my wardrobe for a long time and these two stores really allow me to do that. I think the styles provided by these stores are both timeless and classic. My favorite cocktail varies on where I happen to be. If I'm at home, I like to make a mimosa {champagne and oj} or wine spritzer. If I'm out, I'll order a mojito, margarita or vodka tonic. However, my all time favorite way to hydrate is with an ice cold ice water. My middle name is Lynn. No significance, my dad just liked it.

Preppy in New England asked,
What is your favorite place in New England?

It's funny because even though I have traveled A LOT, most of my travels have been outside of the United States. Of all the states that make up New England, I have only been to the airport of Bangor, Maine. But the lobster rolls at the airport restaurant were delicious! I'll have to be sure to plan a trip to some more areas of New England and I'll definitely come to you for sightseeing recommendations!

Holly from Pink is My Signature Color asked,
If you were given the opportunity to live one day over,
what day would it be or would you even do it?

Hmm...interesting question! I am not sure that I would want to live any of my days over. I have made mistakes in my life, but would never erase them because they've made me who I am today. However, when I was working as a flight attendant, I was on a quick Friday trip to Dallas and I was supposed to be home that same day. The next morning my Little from my sorority was getting married and I really needed to be at the wedding because she had included me in a special event at the reception. My trip ended up getting delayed and I was stuck in Dallas all weekend. I missed the wedding and it was really unfortunate because my relationship with my Little has never been the same. If I could change that, I definitely would.

One more round of questions and answers
next week!!

Have a *fab* weekend everyone :)

Who will be my 500th...

follower??!

How exciting that I have almost 500 followers! I never thought I'd see the day that I had 1 follower, let alone 500!

I am in the process of planning something very fun to show my appreciation to all of you, and I think it will be ready to be unveiled in the next couple of weeks.

Until then, thanks for everything!

Questions and Answers, Part II

Continuing from yesterday's Question and Answer post...

MrsEyeCanSee from The Juice is Worth the Squeeze asked,

What's the one food you absolutely detest?
If you had to choose, would you rather be blind or deaf?

Okay so I pretty much made it obvious that I love food in yesterday's post, BUT there are some foods that I can't stand {very few, but some}. Let's see, I can't stand mayonnaise. Ick. I get nauseous just thinking about it. I also don't care for rice pudding, bananas, low-fat yogurt, or ketchup. If I had to choose between blindess and deafness, I think I would choose to be deaf. There is so much beauty in the world that can only be seen with your eyes {even though blind people experience other heightened and extraordinary senses} that I would hate to miss it. Perhaps I could read lips or use sign language to communicate if I were to be deaf.

Jules from Chic & Pink asked,
What is your biggest pet peeve?
What are 3 things you would bring to a deserted island besides people and pets?

I'll be honest, I have A LOT of pet peeves. I get irritated so easily because I have such little patience and tolerance. This is a negative aspect of my personality. One of my biggest pet peeves happens when I'm out at a restaurant with my mom. I hate when the server asks if we would like separate checks because we share no common resmemblance to each other. This hurts me more than it irritates me I suppose. Another pet peeve is when the bf rubs his feet on the carpet because "he likes the way it feels." Stop doing it because "I hate the way it sounds." If I were to be on a deserted island and I already had my favorite people and pets, I would bring a board game {probably Monopoly}, a fluffy pillow and an endless supply of toilet paper.

Queen Bee Swain asked,
What was the best birthday present that you ever received?

I think this would be my 21st birthday when my parents surprised me with my first trip to Las Vegas with my two best friends! It was funny because I had absolutely no idea that we were going to Vegas {I thought we were going to Biloxi, MS}, but when we were going through airport security the guard said to me, "Have fun in Vegas!" I was SHOCKED!

Dollface from Inner Workings of a real-life barbie doll asked,
What are the little things in life that make you happy?

I'm a generally happy and optimistic person. I get excited and happy over the littlest things like my pup greeting me at the door after a long day of work, an unexpected text message, a conversation with an old friend, no traffic on the way to work, an iced coffee before heading into the office, falling asleep with a favorite movie on, a clean apartment, freshly washed sheets, scoring a deal at the grocery store or the mall, a handwritten card in the mail, my favorite show on tv...

Katie from My first year as a Wallace asked,
What do you do for your job?
What do you hope to do when you finish school?

If you're familiar with CPA's or CFA's then you have probably heard of Bec*ker Profess*ional Edu*cation and Sta*lla {joint company}. I work as an editor and work mainly on producing and editing review materials for students that are preparing for the exam. I'm enjoying my job now because I've been given more responsibility in the managing area. At the same time it's one of those jobs that has a lot of down time, but when we're busy, there seems to be no end in sight. I don't really have any career goals for after I get my MBA, but I can only hope it involves some sort of project management position with a higher salary!

Summer from b is for brown asked,
Favorite ice cream flavor and topping?
Favorite color nail polish?
Favorite brunch meal?
Favorite cartoon?

I am a sucker for strawberry ice cream. I also love plain vanilla soft serve with strawberry sauce. My favorite nail polish right now is Essie's Mod Squad. It's a great summer color! As for brunch, I love french toast and ANY kind of potato! I said this before, but I am addicted to starch {potatoes being my favorite source of it}. And of course a glass of champagne is always a nice addition to brunch! Growing up, I loved Scooby Doo! I had Scooby Doo everything and this is embarrassing to admit, but my first car had Scooby Doo floor mats and a steering wheel cover...yes, I was 16...no, I didn't care! HA! Oh, and I even named my cat Velma!

Summer also asked,
What do you do when you are alone and your fave song comes on the radio?

I'm guilty of singing VERY loudly {and badly} in the car!

Jenny from Lucky in Love asked,
What do you like most about California?

This is a tough one. I have to be honest and say I loathe more than I like. HA! Just kidding! Please don't get mad at me if you are from California!! It's just very different than what I am used to.

I guess I like the weather. Except summer in the Valley is pretty dreadful. I like that I've had the opportunity to drive to Santa Barbara, San Diego, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas. I like looking at the ocean {but not swimming in it}. Oh, I love the 2 pools at my apartment complex. I also have met some great people!!


More answers tomorrow...this is exhausting :)

Questions and Answers, Part I

So many questions!
I hope my answers are interesting...here goes!

J from The Look for Less asked,
What is your favorite movie? Your favorite book?
What is your favorite thing about where you live?

Well J, my favorite movie changes often, but I have a few that I enjoy on a regular basis, such as You've Got Mail, Ocean's 11, Peter Pan, and Harry Potter. As for my favorite book? I enjoy The Mitford Series by Jan Karon. I have the entire collection and have read each book numerous times. There's just something about the small town charm and unique characters that keeps me coming back. I highly recommend the books if you haven't read them before! My favorite thing about where I live is that there is a Target less than half a mile from my apartment. Growing up, I was nearly an hour away from the next big town so going shopping was an all day event and planned out ahead of time. Now, I can go to Target, the mall, the grocery store, PF Chang's (super important) and the movies all within a few miles of where I live. Even though I'm close to these places, my apartment is on a quiet, tree-lined street that doesn't feel like the city at all. I like that a lot.


Miss Honeydew from Life after I "Dew" asked,
What is your ideal outfit? Say for daytime and/or night.
What summer movie are you looking forward to?

I am ADDICTED to dresses. Honestly they are all I wear, both day and night. Since I wear them so much, I like to buy dresses that are work appropriate and good for the weekends as well. I look for ones that can be dressed up with a cardigan (a wardrobe staple for me!) and some heels, but look just as good when paired with bare shoulders and flip flops. So I guess that would be my ideal outfit! And there is absolutely no question that the summer movie I am most excited about is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! It's funny I'm so obsessed with HP because I didn't join the craze until 4 of the movies had already come out. When the bf and I started dating, he had the first 3 movies in his collection and I laughed at him. Well, one night we watched the first one and I was hooked! I read the entire series in less than a week {that week consisted of no sleep whatsoever...seriously} and have seen all 5 movies more times than I can count. My favorite is definitely the second one {Chamber of Secrets}.

Headbands and Hand Bags asked,
Where do you fit in your family? Brothers? Sisters?
Favorite vacation spot? (also asked by Rachel)

Okay, this is a long one {but totally worth the read} and I can't believe I haven't shared the story of how I came to be in the family before. I told Danielle when we met and she loved it! My father was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and in 1984, he along with my mom and 3 brothers, were living in South Korea. During that same year, my grandmother (mom's side) passed away. Before she died, she told my mom that she just had to have a little girl and experience the joys of having a daughter. Of course my mom brushed this off because she already had 3 boys and having another child naturally wasn't even an option. A couple of months later my mom accompanied her friend to the foster home agency in Seoul. Her friend was interested in filling out the paperwork to foster a child so my mom went along to keep her company, but had no desire to foster a child herself. At some point while they were at the agency, a woman came up to my mom and asked her what age child she wanted. My mom has always loved babies so that's what she said. Keep in mind that my mom wasn't even there for that purpose. The lady looked at her and said, "Come. We have baby for you now." My mom followed her to the basement and there I was, covered in blood and still with my umbilical cord. I was approximately 12 hours old. I was premature and weighed around 4 pounds. Well, my mom took me home and my dad had a fit! He thought I was going to die, but I somehow made it and after a week, my family voted on if they were going to keep me or not. I don't think it really would have mattered either way, but I'm glad the vote was in favor of adding me to the family. It was 3-2 and I found out just last year that it was my dad and middle brother that voted against keeping me!! HA! Don't worry, I made them love me :)

I have 3 older brothers - John, Bill and Todd. Needless to say, I am the much younger, very spoiled little sister and only daughter.

Me with my 3 brothers many moons ago!

As for favorite vacation spots, I'd have to go with anywhere but here! HA! But honestly, when I'm taking a vacation I just like to get away from work, traffic, bills, etc. that make real life so real. So whether it be a trip back home or a day drive to Santa Barbara, anywhere that gets me away from reality is a favorite vacation spot of mine. I particularly love a fun weekend in Las Vegas too!

Lucy Marie from Lucy's Life asked,
What is your dream job?
What is your most embarrassing moment?
What is your favorite place in the whole world?

My *dream* job is to open a cupcake shop at Atlantic Station. I love Atlanta and desperately want to get back so I'm hoping I can do this before someone else has the brilliant idea. HA! If not, I will settle for being a college professor or maybe a housewife. I've had many embarrassing moments in my life, and most include my mom! She has a funny and crazy personality so it was her goal as mom to embarrass us as much as possible. One thing she always did that made me turn red was ask our restaurant servers if they were single or not and to let them know I was available. This can be quite traumatic and mortifying for a 15 year old awkward teenager! And my favorite place in the whole world is wherever my friends and family are. Although, I've had the opportunity to travel to a lot of countries and some of my favorites would be Cyprus, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Hawaii (okay state too), Korea, and Switzerland. Oh and Lichtenstein, Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia and Spain are all awesome too! I've been lucky enough to visit many places.

More answers tomorrow!!

Earring Frame Winner

Thanks to Jen from Vintage Home Interiors for offering one of my readers the chance to win the beautiful pink earring frame! There were 151 total entries and the winner is number 38: Lindsay from Frugal and Fabulous!

Congrats Lindsay! Please e-mail me with your shipping information and I will ship out your frame this week!

two real life bloggy friends + my new look {come take a peek}

How sweet life is when a blog friendship turns into a real life friendship.

Kate {Nautical by Nature}, Danielle {Well, That's Just Fabulous} and I had a wonderfully fun Saturday afternoon. We noshed on chips and salsa, took a stroll under the beautiful California sun, and talked and laughed the evening away!

And FYI, they are both really as awesome as they seem on their blogs!

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

Now...

Do me a favor!

Click out of Google Reader for a second and come visit my blog.

See my amazing new look?! Danielle aka The Design Girl generously offered to update my look...and of course I accepted! She is my favorite blog designer out there {and I'm not just saying that because she's my friend either...she's awesome}!! Instead of working on something custom right now, I decided to do one of her pre-made templates! I thought they were all so cute, and I had trouble choosing which one to go with!

The pre-made templates are a great option for someone who wants to update their blog, but doesn't want to spend a ton of money. Plus, Danielle is offering the pre-made templates for $25 through the end of July! Be sure to check them out!

Fabulous Friday - Shopping!

Happy Friday Lovelies!

It's time to play along in Danielle's Fabulous Friday!

This week's theme:

Whenever I'm shopping for a gift, whether it's for a friend's birthday or a housewarming party, I always check out these places:
(click any image to be taken to website link)

Uncommon Goods has such creative and unusual products. I've found great little things here for the bf. I have loved Red Envelope since my days in high school. I purchased my first monogrammed ring from RE and I still have it. I once got an ex-boyfriend a beautiful wood valet for his wallet, watch, etc. It came wrapped in a red box with a big white bow. Quite the showstopper. There are great gifts here for your Mom too! And of course I had to include Paper Source because I am obsessed with paper products and I love to give them as gifts.

When I'm shopping for myself, a few stand-by's include:
(again, click any image to be taken to website link)

I like to consider my style "classic." Sure, I buy trendy pieces, but they are usually inexpensive and are donated by the end of the season. Many of my classic pieces come from J Crew and Gap. I love J Crew for their soft fabrics, delicate styles and durability. I still have a pair of kelly green shorts that I bought at least 6 summers ago. They are in great shape and are still a great fit. Gap is where I go for denim. Since I'm petite, it's hard to find jeans that fit right. Gap makes most of their regular styles in petite {well, they call it ankle} so I never feel like I'm sacrificing style for fit. As for Target, who doesn't love it? I buy everything from face wash to maxi-dresses and birthday cards to dog food here. It's my one stop shop!

Now inquiring minds want to know,
Where do you love to shop?

Don't forget to link your Fabulous Friday to Danielle's post here.
This way we can all visit and get the scoop on what stores we should be shopping at!

:)

Reasons to Smile this Week:

1. Great weather!

2. New shoes!

3. Advance tickets to the midnight screening of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince next Tuesday!


4. All new episodes of Burn Notice, Law and Order: CI and In Plain Sight!

(If you're not watching Burn Notice yet, you really should be.)

Tell me lovelies, what has you smiling this week?!

ebay listings are up

I have posted a few more of my Lilly Pulitzer dresses on ebay. Please go check it out and see if you may want to bid on one of my fabulous dresses! All auctions have a low starting price and $4 shipping. Plus, all the dresses are newly dry-cleaned and ready to wear!

Click here to see my ebay auctions.

And...

Enter my giveaway for a shabby chic earring frame here.

Want to know something about me? Now's your time to find out! Click here to ask me a question.

Ask Away!

I'm going to be honest lovelies. I've found myself in a blogging funk lately. While I love blogging, I haven't had the time {read: inspiration} to do much of it lately. I feel like my blog is turning into Giveaway Central, which is not in any means a bad thing, it's just not what I expected. I hope all of my readers enjoy the various giveaways I've been hosting lately though! I know I would sure love to win some of the things I've given away :)

At any rate, I have been incredibly busy with work and school so I'm left little {if no} time to blog.

In order to help provide filler for these uninspired days, how about I do a Question and Answer post? I've seen this on many of your blogs and have enjoyed learning more about all of you so maybe you guys would like to learn something new about me too!

Ask away and I shall answer {most things}.

::Hip Hip Hooray::

for earning the head honcho's approval!

Because of my hard work and dedication,
the bossman has surprised me with a
PAID day off,
to be taken whenever I choose
{though he highly recommends a Friday or Monday so I
can have a 3 day weekend - umm...duh}!!!

Doesn't this news make any day brighter?!

...off to plan a mini-vacay now...

enter my giveaway for a shabby chic earring frame here.

It's Time for a Giveaway!

Hello lovelies! I was supposed to post this yesterday, but time got the best of me! I had so much catching up to do after the holiday weekend. Work was so busy and my Google reader was almost maxed out. But now I'm caught up and I have a wonderful giveaway for all of you!

I was contacted by Jen from Vintage Home Interiors and she asked if I would consider hosting a giveaway for her. I quickly agreed because the item up for grabs is too darling to pass up!



Isn't this earring frame beautiful? The frame is a light pink and there is plenty of room to hang all of your favorite earrings! Jen was kind enough to send me one to keep and it is already hanging in my bedroom, adorned with my favorite jewelry. It makes accessorizing so much easier - everything can be seen in a quick glance. I love it!

If you'd like to win this earring frame, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment. (1 entry)
2. Be a follower of my blog. (1 entry)
3. Become a follower of Jen's blog. (1 entry)
4. Visit Jen's website, explore, come back and tell me what you found that you love. (2 entries)

You don't have to do all of the above, but just let me know in one comment how many entries you are eligible for.

Enter by Monday, July 13th at 12 PM EST.

Good luck!

Happy 4th of July!

All decked out in my new dress from Lulu's!

Isn't the front darling?!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

See you on Monday :)

Some Things Worth Mentioning...

Hi lovelies!

I am just in the *best* mood this week - it must be the three day weekend that's making me so happy! Plus my work usually gives us a half day the day before an official holiday, so I'm thinking I'll be tasting sweet freedom by 3 pm on Thursday! Fantastic!

Stick with me, this is a long post! I've got a lot of tidbits floating around in my brain today :)

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

My bloggy friend Preppy in New England has an amazing offer for her readers. As a way to celebrate her first month of blogging, she has teamed with Anna Street Studio to offer 20% off all online orders received by the end of July! Definitely check out this great deal and also start following Preppy in New England. She posts the cutest, preppy New England finds!

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

Remember when I posted about the website Cute Clips and More? I showed you all some adorable finds from the online store (click here and here to see old posts). Well, Karen has started a new blog for her store! She's new to the blogging community so please go welcome her!

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

I was pleased as punch when all of my Ebay items sold (for much more than I thought), but I have come to the sad realization that free shipping is a thing of the past. It's ridiculous how much I spent to ship these items! I will be listing 3 more Lilly dresses (the ones seen here, here, and here) after the 4th of July passes. I'll let you all know when those go up.

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

Oh and the news I am most excited about...last night I happened to stumble across an awesome website called Accent the Party. They sell all kinds of products to make your next event even better, whether it's your wedding, bridal shower, birthday, etc. Accent the Party also has a party blog that gives all kind of inspiration when it comes to entertaining. There are all sorts of categories such as cake ideas, table top ideas, and DIY instructions.

(images taken from Accent the Party blog)

I subscribed to their party blog via e-mail and this morning I woke up to find that I had won a $100 gift certificate to use on the website! How awesome is that?! The giveaway for another $100 shopping spree started today so head over and sign up...you could be the next winner!

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

I completely forgot to announce the winner for the Finders Keepers Jewelry giveaway! So without further ado, the lucky new owner of the beautiful cuff is Jen and Rob. Congrats! If you could e-mail me I will put you in contact with Barbara from FK. Thanks again to all who entered and to Barbara for making this giveaway possible.

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

Lastly, don't forget to check out my last post and consider lending fellow bloggy friend, Catrina a helping hand!

Have a great Wednesday!!!