Summer songs

What are the songs that simply remind you of summer the moment you hear them? I thought it would be fun to list my top 10 and see if you ladies had any to add!

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes
2. Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett
3. Waterfalls – TLC
4. Boys of Summer – Don Henley
5. Tennessee – Arrested Development
6. Toy Soldiers – Martika
7. Love Will Never Do Without You – Janet Jackson
8. Ants Marching – Dave Matthews Band
9. Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
10. Shimmer - Fuel

I am sure that I could probably think of about 50 more, as these are some of the first one's that came to mind.

Barefoot Wine giveaway winner!

I used Random.org's number generator to pick a winner. There were 35 entries and I assigned each entry a number.

Here are the results:

Min: 1
Max: 35
Result: 25

Entry #25 belongs to Miss Sweet Tea @ Sweet Tea Diaries

Congratulations, Angela!

Thank you to everyone that entered!

Tuesday tidbits

Lunch

Today, my girlfriends from work and I went to Seasons 52 for lunch. I’ve wanted to try it for awhile and it was delicious. I didn’t really know what it was all about other than the food was supposed to be healthy and fresh. I learned that all of the items on the menu are less than 475 calories and the menu changes weekly. I thought that was kind of fun and different. I need to go for dinner because they have about 60 wines that are available by the glass.

For lunch, I had the Grilled Portobello Turkey Burger with a small side salad and we also had some Rosemary & Parmesan Cheese Crispbread for the table. At the end, they bring over this dessert sampler and you can pick what you like right from it. I couldn’t have just one, so I tried the Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse and Key Lime Pie. It was decadent!



Nails

Ever since I took off my acrylic nails in the fall, it seems that my nails have never truly bounced back. They have been peeling and break very easily. I had enough and got a recommendation from a lady at the nail salon I go to. She told me to get a bottle of Nailtiques in Formula 2 (treatment for soft, peeling, bitten, weak or thin nails). You put on a coat each day until your nails bounce back and then you should be on your way to having healthier nails. I’ve only applied this the past 2 days, but I must say that they already feel thicker and stronger. It was on the expensive side, but I think it was worth it.




After The Final Rose

I think Jillian and Ed are really in love, so I’m happy for them. They just seemed real when they were together tonight and I didn’t think it was an act. I guess time will tell! When Reid came out, it was kind of awkward and Kiptyn seems like he will be just fine.

I have to say that I am getting a little sick of the twists at or towards the end of these shows. It seems the producers are trying to up the drama factor and I get it (ratings), but let’s keep it as real as we can for reality TV, okay ABC?

Weekend recap

I was able to take some comp time for all of the long hours I’ve been putting in at work. I took Friday and today off and now I feel like a new person (until I’m pulling my hair out for the next wave of craziness at work ;). Seriously though, I’m really glad that I got to relax.

Friday, Kelly and I went to The Deck. I know this seems to be a reoccurring theme, but with the weather being so nice and not having to skate in the summer, it makes for a good time. I just love being outside and the fact that it is built right on the water. It feels so tropical! Geof went out with his friend Dan and we all met up later to grab a bite at Alfredo’s.

Saturday, Geof and I took the dogs and met up with my mom and her dog (Happy) and went to my aunt & uncle’s house. They have a pool and welcome us over anytime. We love going there and it’s a perfect excuse to catch up with the family. We have only taken Chase swimming once before and he loved it. Mandy never swam before Saturday and we were worried. Everything was fine and I swear that both of them are natural born swimmers, because they were so cute swimming around the pool. It was also 90 degrees out, so it was nice for them to get cooled off. Happy is a black lab and looked like a baby bear trying to swim around the pool. It was so sweet and I just wish I remembered my camera.

Saturday night, we had dinner with my mom and our friend Cory met up with us. He came back to our house and brought his girlfriend Laura over. Kelly also came by and the girls’ stayed upstairs and chatted while the boys played video games in the basement.

Sunday, Geof and I went to our favorite Indian restaurant, Spice because they have a buffet on the weekends that mixes Indian and Thai food. We had wanted to try it and I have to say that it wasn’t that great. I prefer going for dinner and ordering what I know I like. It was worth a shot. After lunch, we met up with Cory and Laura and went to the movies to see Orphan. It was more of a thriller than a scary horror movie, but it was so good. I have to say it was refreshing to see a movie in this genre that is original and not a remake or a sequel. The actress that played Esther should get some kind of award. She was so creepy!



Sunday night, Geof and I got to watch our favorite shows (True Blood, Hung and Entourage). I thought True Blood and Entourage were great last night! It was nice to be home with just the two of us and relax after so much running around.

Today, I got some things done around the house and ran some errands. I also checked the mail and received a belated birthday surprise from Angela at Sweet Tea Diaries. It made my day and was so thoughtful. She sent me some goodies from Bath & Body Works in Rainkissed Leaves and had remembered that I wanted Red Velvet Cupcakes and sent me some Red Velvet Cookies. I cannot wait to try them!




Don’t forget to enter my giveaway!

Barefoot Wine Summer Goodies Giveaway

I was contacted by Barefoot Wine to host a fabulous giveaway for all of my readers. One lucky winner will receive the following goodies: beach bag, corkscrew, beach towel, and stemless wine glass. There is still plenty of time left this summer to enjoy all of these things while sipping on a glass of Barefoot Wine!

The thing I love most about Barefoot is that their philosophy is all about relaxing and joining the fun. They have an entire community called the Barefoot Republic where wine lovers can connect, chat, watch videos, get recipes, and enjoy the laid back lifestyle. I signed up a few weeks ago and think it’s great.

Here are the rules for entering the giveaway:

1 entry - please visit the Barefoot Wine website and tell me your favorite flavor of their wine or bubbly and also tell me what food you would pair it with. For example: I would love to have a nice glass of Barefoot Wine Chardonnay with Shrimp & Angel Hair Pasta.

Comments without this information will be deleted.

2 entries – comment on this post with your favorite Barefoot Wine and food pairing and let me know if you’re already follower or become a follower

3 entries – comment on this post with your favorite Barefoot Wine and food pairing, follow and post this giveaway on your blog or write a post about it.

Please let me know in one comment how many entries you should receive based on the criteria above.

This giveaway will end on Thursday, July 30th at midnight. I will announce the winner on Friday, July 31st.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents ages 21 and up only.

Laptop Cart winner!

I used Random.org's number generator to pick a winner. There were 102 entries and I assigned each entry a number.

Here are the results:

Min: 1
Max: 102
Result: 86

Entry #86 belongs to Brittany Ann @ Living in the Moment

Congratulations, Brittany! Please contact me with your information and I will get this shipped out right away.

Thank you to everyone that entered and please stay tuned for a new giveaway that starts tomorrow!

Aloha…we’re going to Hawaii!

I cannot wait and I am beyond excited. Geof and I have been discussing this potential trip for at least 3 months and finally flipped the switch over the weekend and booked it. We aren’t necessarily rolling in dough right now, but we just came to the decision that with rates still low (but slowly creeping up) and the fact that we don’t have anything tying us down right now, it’s the perfect time.

We leave in mid-September and we’re staying on Oahu in Waikiki at The Royal Hawaiian, otherwise known as “The Pink Palace” (how fitting, right?). The hotel is absolutely gorgeous and with all of Geof’s travel for work, we were able to cash in some free nights to offset the cost of the entire trip. We will be there really close to our 1st anniversary and plan on celebrating while there.

I have lots of research to do, but I am asking you my trusted blog lovelies; Have you been to any of the Hawaiian Islands and if so, what is a must see/do while we’re there?

Here are some photos of our hotel:

A. Tierney review & reader discount

I was recently given the opportunity to review the Geometric Travel Jewelry Tote in Lime Green from A. Tierney. I have always loved their items and was so pleased when this arrived in the mail. The pattern is very modern and I really like the lime green color (it also comes in light blue and dark pink). Once you open the tote, there is a large circular space for all of your jewelry such as bracelets, necklaces, etc. It has 8 side pockets that are perfect for storing rings or other items that you want separated from the rest. You can also have the tote personalized with your monogram, name or initials for an additional fee.

I cannot wait until I travel again and I’m able to use this. It is always a problem trying to figure out where to store my jewelry when I’m packing. Now that I have this tote, I won’t need to worry about it anymore. I also know that my items are safe and in one place.

A. Tierney has been gracious enough to offer my readers a 20% discount for orders placed on their website from now – July 31st. All you need to do is enter the code “CNP” at checkout. Happy shopping!

Top view of tote

Side view with zipper that goes all the way around

Inside of tote with 8 side pockets

Photo off A. Tierney website

Weekend recap

This past weekend was one of the best of the summer. Friday – Kelly, Jessica and I went to The Deck and met up with a bunch of friends. It was very humid out, but we still had a nice time. My friend Tim came out that I haven’t seen in forever and it was nice to catch up. We all went to Denny’s afterwards and didn’t get home until very late. I don’t do nights like that very often, so I was exhausted. I’ve also been trying to play matchmaker for my single friends this summer and we’ll see if things work out. I have already set Jess up with someone and they’re doing great. Geof likes the guy too, so that is always a plus.

Saturday – Geof , Kelly and I went to the pool and the weather was great. We laid out and swam. After we left the pool, we got ready and went to Spice for dinner. It was the first time that Kelly had Indian food and she really liked it. I’m so happy that Geof convinced me to try it awhile back, because I would have really been missing out. The manager at the restaurant always comes up and ensures that we like our food and that everything is okay. That extra little bit goes a long way. After dinner, the three of us went to see Bruno and it was another shocking Sacha Baron Cohen flick. I definitely think that Borat was better, but this was good for some laughs. All in all, I wouldn’t watch it again.

Sunday – Kelly and I got up early and headed to Atlantic City to go to the beach for the day. I wish I brought my camera because it really was the perfect day. The weather was nice, the ocean was cool and we just had a good time. About a year ago, they built a bar on the beach outside of Bally’s called the Bikini Beach Bar. It is so much fun! They played great music all day long and you can come and go as you please. I had the tastiest lemonade drink and it was very refreshing. The sun wiped us out and we were starving, so we grabbed some pizza on the boardwalk and then headed home listening to Lady GaGa on repeat.

P.S. I know it is late in the day, but please stop over and wish my sweet friend, Lis a very Happy Birthday!

P.P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Time for a Giveaway!

I was offered an exciting giveaway opportunity that I wanted to share with all of my lovely readers from CSN Stores. CSN offers a wide variety of office furniture for your home or business. The site is so easy to navigate and they offer free shipping and hassle free returns on all of their items.

I will be giving away the Techni Mobili - Adjustable Laptop Cart in Espresso. I thought this would be the perfect item for all of us who love blogging. You can set this up on the couch or wherever you like and just relax, have a cup of tea and go about your blogging business (at least that’s what I would picture myself doing if I had one!).

Here is how you can enter:

1 entry – leave a comment on this post
2 entries – comment on this post and let me know if you’re already follower or become a follower
3 entries – comment, follow and blog about this giveaway or post this giveaway on your sidebar
Please let me know in one comment how many entries you should receive.

This giveaway will end on Wednesday, July 22nd at midnight. I will announce the winner on Thursday, July 23rd. Good luck!

The magic of primer

I received a sample of facial primer from Sephora with my last order because I had wanted to try it. I’d always passed it off as another beauty item that wasn’t necessary and felt that I had no use for it. This stuff is a miracle product! I may be finding this out way late, but I had no idea how flawless it makes your complexion look. It evened everything out and made my skin look so fresh. This is definitely not something I would use everyday, but certainly for a night out or an event.

I went on Sephora’s website and the sample they sent, they don’t sell (which makes no sense). I googled and found it here. My question is; do any of you use primer and if so, what brand would you recommend? I need a full-size bottle of this little gem and fast!

Birthday weekend recap

I had an overall decent weekend, but ended up working both days and nights from home. I’m not trying to have a pity party over here or anything, but it's really starting to wear on me. I was up until 1:30am last night and that was my birthday. Not a great way to end the day if you ask me.

I did get to go out on Friday night with Kelly and we went to our usual summer spot…The Deck. I ran into a bunch of people that I know and the weather was perfect. They had an 80’s theme going and we heard some great music that brought back fun memories.

Saturday, I worked on and off and went to the pool for about an hour with Kelly and Geof. Saturday night we went out and met up with some of our other friends. We didn’t stay out for long.

Sunday, Geof and I met up with my mom and her boyfriend for lunch. We decided to go to Olive Garden because it would be fast, since I had work to do and Geof had to travel to Virginia. I received some fabulous gifts and it was nice to be around my family. Later that afternoon, I went to the pool and relaxed for a little. It was kind of nice to clear my head for a few hours. After that, I met up with Kelly and we grabbed a bite to eat and then went back to my house to watch True Blood. I had to say goodbye as soon as it was over, since I had work to do.

I also wanted to mention that Gwen sent me the sweetest birthday surprise! I went to the mailbox on Saturday and inside was the cutest OPI summer nail polish set, a citrus lotion and pink nail file. I thought it was so sweet of her to think of me and I appreciate it very much. I swear you ladies in blog-land are the best! I don’t mean that because of getting cards or presents, but it’s just the thought and sweet wishes that count. I have friends in real life that don’t even remember my birthday, so it means a lot that people I have never met care enough to stop by and wish me a happy day.

Last but not least, the gifts! Geof surprised me in a major way and got me the Kooba Blake bag that I wanted. The leather is so buttery soft and the color is perfect. It is also huge and I cannot wait to start using it. I found out that is was named after Blake Lively and being that I’m a huge Gossip Girl fan, I thought that was kind of fun. He also got me the Dior Lip Glow that I wanted and the book, Pretty in Plaid.

A few things

I received the Social Butterfly Blogger award from Kathie @ My Net Finds and appreciate it very much. I always enjoy meeting new people and love commenting and reading the sweet comments that you ladies leave for me!

"Love is like a butterfly, it goes where it pleases and it pleases wherever it goes."Author Unknown
Please take this award, put it on your blog and share it with whomever you wish. There are no instructions for taking this award today.

I would like to pass this award to:

Gwen @ Confessions of a Control Freak
Mrs EyesCanSee @ The Juice is Worth the Squeeze
a H.I.T. @ A NYC Housewife-In-Training
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The dogs had their second trip to the groomers yesterday and came back even cuter than the first time they went. They cut them a little shorter for the summer and they look adorable. Mandy has pink and Chase has blue gingham ribbons tied onto their ears.

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I had to order these polos from Old Navy. They were on sale for $7.99 and couldn’t pass a deal like that up.



I also ordered this scarf from Banana Republic. I’m kind of a scarf junkie and always looking for new styles and colors. I think this will be nice for the fall.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Cupcakes!

Geof brought me home cupcakes as an early birthday present and it really made my day. He went to a favorite place of mine, called Cupcakes Gourmet. All they do is bake cupcakes and they do it well. They have so many mouth-watering flavors.

He got us zesty lime, lovely lemon, red velvet, chocolate and vanilla. Yum!

Time to say goodbye

I worked from home today and had the Michael Jackson service on in the background. I thought it was beautiful and done quite tastefully. There were a few touching moments, but the one that tugged at my heartstrings the most was at the end when Michael’s daughter, Paris spoke. She broke down while trying to speak and it was painful to watch the sadness that she feels now that she has lost her father. What a brave young lady and I wish the entire family peace in this time of mourning.

Michael – you left us too soon. We will never forget your impact on our lives, the music or the memories you left behind. Rest in peace.

Weekend recap

I had to work all day on Friday, which was a huge bummer. It would have been nice to just go to the pool and relax. I’ll get the day back at some point, I suppose. We also had neighbors partying since Wednesday night and it lasted until Saturday night. It got old Friday and then really got bad on Saturday when they were setting off fireworks close to our house. When we took the dogs out, we found what was left of a roman candlestick in our yard and we were not pleased.

Onto the positive; last Tuesday was Geof’s birthday, so we saved the celebration for this weekend. Friday night, some of our friends came over and we had a few cocktails here and then headed out for the evening. We had a nice time and hubby really enjoyed himself, which was the most important thing to me.


Getting ready to head out


Pregaming

I also received a package on Friday and wasn’t expecting anything, so I was surprised to see that it was for me. It turns out that my sweet friend, Lis sent me the most adorable tote bag and had my monogram embroidered on it in pink! I love it so much and it is absolutely perfect. It was an early birthday gift and so very thoughtful of her.


Cute bag!

Saturday, I gave Geof his gifts and had a cake for him. I got him the Kindle since he travels a lot and likes to read. He loved it and was so excited. It always makes me feel good when I know I did well on the gift selection. Saturday evening I took him out for a birthday dinner at an Indian restaurant that we wanted to try. The food was really good and the place wasn’t crowded considering it was the 4th of July. After dinner, we walked around town and talked. The weather was perfect and we had a nice night with just the two of us.


Geof's cake


Gifts


After dinner at Shere-E-Punjab

Sunday, I wasn’t feeling so hot and we just laid low. Our friend Kelly came by for a little while and we caught up. Later that night, Geof and I took the dogs to the park and wore them out. We came back home, relaxed and had a quiet night.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! What did you do?

9 Month Anniversary

Another month down, I cannot believe how the time flies. Our first year of marriage will be here before you know it. This month, I thought I would share the second (and final) strange thing that happened on our wedding day.

One of our best men (we had 2), Cory was getting ready the morning of the wedding and fell out of the shower and caught himself with his hand. Unfortunately, he caught himself on a medicine cabinet that came crashing down and cut his hand pretty badly. He tried to clean himself up and get it together and went straight to the hotel where the guys were getting ready. He played some Rock Band with the guys, got dressed and took some photos. This all happened as his hand got progressively worse. Everyone convinced him to go to the hospital and he finally did.

Both bridal parties met to take the formal photos before the ceremony and Geof and I had a special moment where I had my back to him and he came up, tapped me on the shoulder and we saw each other for the first time. It was so special and calmed both of our nerves. After this moment and everyone greeted each other, I noticed that someone was missing. Everyone said they were afraid to tell me what happened because they thought I would be really upset. I was fine, but worried about Cory.

We spent about an hour or two taking the photos and then headed to the church still unsure if Cory would be able to make it in time or not, as he was still at the hospital getting stitches. Once we arrived at the church, he called and said he was on his way. We delayed the beginning of the ceremony about 15-20 minutes to wait for him.

As I was walking down the aisle I felt so relieved that everyone was okay and present and accounted for! If you knew Cory, this would not surprise you at all. I have never seen anyone more prone to injury than him. I’m just happy he was alright!

Here are some more photos taken by Cindy Guessford.


Us


Geof with the ladies


Ah, love


Our baby cake that matched the big cake


My dad and I


Geof getting ready to toss the garter


Hearts!

I couldn't help but include some shots of poor Cory!

At the hospital


All patched up and ready to party!