Memorial Day Weekend Recap

Friday, I took the day off to extend the weekend even longer. The afternoon was filled with errands and then I made a stop at Target and got some cute things for summer (I’ll share them tomorrow). Geof met me at Alfredo’s for dinner and then I went back out to yet another Target. When I got home he had a surprise waiting for me from a place I’ve been dying to try near his job called Dixie Picnic. They make everything fresh and simple. One of their signature items is called “Upcakes” and it’s basically like an upside down cupcake. I tried one right away and it tasted like something my grandmother would have made. They were completely homemade from the cake to the frosting and absolutely delicious. We ended up staying in for the evening and made it a nice and peaceful night at home.


Delicious "Upcakes"

Saturday, I somehow convinced Geof to go with me to the outlets and he actually came along and didn’t complain. The outlets opened 2 years ago and it was the first time that we have ever made the trip. They’re close to Geof’s old job and he showed me around his old stomping grounds and took me to lunch at The Trappe Tavern. They’re famous for their chili, so I had to get some even though it was hot out. We finally made it to the outlets and it was very crowded. The deals couldn’t be beat though. We went to Kate Spade and I got a bag and necklace both of which I fell in love with from Blair’s blog. I was ridiculously happy when the total tab was under $125 for everything. Geof and I got a few things at J.Crew and then I got some tops from Ann Taylor Loft. We did a little bit of browsing around and headed for home. On our way back, we stopped at Macy’s and I got some Lipstick and Lipglass from the new MAC “To The Beach” collection and then we got some frosty beverages for the Flyers game that night. I got some sort of Strawberry Wheat beer, but it was a little heavy for me. We watched the Flyers lose and called it a night. I wasn’t that broken up about it since I’m not a big hockey fan.


New Kate Spade bag and necklace


I love these flip flops from J.Crew. They have little pink seahorses on them! The bib necklace was on clearance and I think it will look really cute with a plain tank. The pearls are classic.


Tops from J. Crew and Ann Taylor Loft


MAC Lipstick in Beachbound and Lipglass in Easy Lounger

Sunday, we got my mom and went to a BBQ at my aunt and uncle’s house. It was nice to see everyone and catch up with the family. The weather was gorgeous and all of my little cousins were playing in the pool. I was tempted to get in a few times. Instead, Geof and I played a few games of corn hole, ate way too much food and headed home early in the evening. We ended up staying in and watching a few season finales of our favorite shows. I was shocked at how Gossip Girl ended and I cannot wait for the next season of How I Met Your Mother.


Geof and I at my aunt & uncle's


Playing "corn hole"

Monday, we spent the entire day at the pool. It was over 90 degrees outside, so we were in the water most of the day. It felt so refreshing and it was fun to go down the slide a few times, jump off the dive and splash around. We also got to catch up with our pool crew and we cannot wait for beach volleyball season to start up later in June. When we came home, Geof made tacos for dinner and we watched the Flyers game again.

We had a great weekend and I hope that you did too!

Workout Wednesday

Inspired…or should I say thin-spired. That’s how I feel after watching the finale of last night’s Biggest Loser. If you’re a fan, then you know by now that Michael Ventrella was the winner. He lost a staggering 264 pounds, with a starting weight of 526 and then weighted in last night at 262. To say that he looks incredible would be an understatement. He has an energy about him and it was wonderful to see his transformation.


Michael before at 526 and after at 262

This got me thinking. I sit around and complain from time to time (okay, a lot) about how hard it is to lose weight, but then I see something like this and think that if he can lose the weight of an entire obese person, I can certainly get to where I want to be. I know I don’t have Bob and Jillian screaming at me and a Ranch that’s a workout playground at my disposal. It doesn’t matter though and it’s no excuse not to keep going.

As an update, this is week 19 for me and I am down a total of 19.4 pounds. That is slightly over a pound a week that I’ve been averaging. It’s not some astonishing number, but it’s what I have accomplished and I’m proud of it. I’ll update again in another 10 weeks.

Weekend recap

Friday, Geof and I had a date night and headed to the King of Prussia mall for some shopping. Usually he is really bad about being at the mall with me, but he was patient and we made it a fun trip. I got a new Glossimer from Chanel at Nordstrom. It’s a limited edition shade called Bikini Peach (love the name). It was the last one they had in stock, so I was happy to get my hands on it. I also had a really good coupon for NY&CO, so I got a comfy pair of yoga capri pants, a cute scarf and pair of earrings. We also went to Lilly and I got a really cute tunic on sale and also got the new spaghetti strap McKim in daiquiri pink. I can’t wait to wear both to the pool!


New purchases!

After shopping, we went to dinner at Rock Bottom. We were seated where we could watch the Phillies game and had some microbrews and the most delicious soft pretzels as an appetizer with cheese/spinach dip. I had a really good flatbread pizza and Geof got a burger. After dinner, we went to the movies to see Iron Man 2. For a sequel, it was surprisingly good. The special effects were so cool and it had an interesting storyline. I remember when the first one came out and I didn’t even want to see it. I’m such a fan now.


Iron Man 2

Saturday, Geof and I went to the gym and got in an awesome workout. It’s been so long since we’ve been able to go together because of our schedules. As a side note, I took on a second job and it’s making it harder to stay on a normal schedule. It will take some getting used to, but it was necessary for right now.

We came home, relaxed a bit and then got ready for our date night with Trish and Matt. I had been anticipating this for such a long time and couldn’t wait to finally meet in person. We met for dinner at Generations and I was giddy with excitement to see both of them. When they walked in, Trish and I just grabbed each other and hugged for the longest time. She was just as sweet as I had always imagined. Matt was so friendly and I knew right off the bat that it was going to be a wonderful night. We were seated and basically took all of the server’s recommendations with regard to wine/beer, appetizers and entrees. Conversation was easy and we chatted about everything from the silly to the serious. They are a beautiful couple and overall incredible people. I’m sincere when I say that Geof and I feel lucky to have connected with another couple that is that wonderful. To think that if it weren’t for blogging, we never would have met.


Me, Geof, Trish and Matt before dinner at Generations


Trish and Matt at Jack's Tavern


Love this girl!

After they practically kicked us out of the restaurant (just kidding), we headed across the street to a dive bar called, Jack’s Tavern. It was funny because Geof and Matt had both made comments about wanting to check the place out, so we were all on the same page there. We had a few drinks, some more laughs and finally called it a night. This is definitely not the last time that we’ll be seeing the two of them.

We got home and our neighbors invited us over to play Rock Band. It was the first time that we’ve played with enough people to do all of the instruments. I was laughing so hard as the finger pointing ensued as to who screwed up and got us kicked out of our virtual show. We stayed up way too late, but had a nice time.

Sunday was a much needed laid back day. I slept in and then did some baking. Geof got me some Sprinkles cupcake mix from Williams-Sonoma and I made vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. I have to say that they’re the best cupcakes I have ever made at home. We watched The Hangover and then Geof made us dinner while we caught up on Friday Night Lights and watched the season finale of Celebrity Apprentice.


Yummy cupcakes!

Pink & Green Thursday

My sweet friend Trish over at Pink Preppy Lilly Lover hosts this each week and it’s so fun to see what everyone has come up with in their different posts. I thought it was time that I play along!

MAC Lipstick in Plink. Normally I'm a lipgloss girl, but when I went to MAC to get my makeup done this is the shade that they used on my lips with a smokey eye. It was perfect. They did a little clear gloss over top for some shine and it gave off the best shimmery nude pink tone.

I saw this simple Betty Crocker recipe for Pink Champagne Cupcakes. I'm planning to try this very soon.



I love the combo of these cute pink & green strawberry motif flip flips from L.L. Bean and this cheap chic cover-up from Old Navy

I'm still in love with this Stella & Dot Starfish necklace. I have the Boca one, but cannot wait to add this to my collection. I also wanted to mention that Stella & Dot started a new collection for little girls too. The designs are precious.

For good measure, I've been dreaming of those Hawaiian sunsets and had to post one from the last day on our trip.

Sex and the City 2 Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Sex and the City 2 Celebration giveaway is…

living well

There were a total of 68 entries and I used Random.org to select the winner

Min: 1
Max: 68
Result: 30

Congrats! Please contact me with your information so I can get the prize out to you.

Tasty Tuesday

The weather has been less than stellar the past few days, so I decided to whip out the crockpot. I saw a recipe for Chicken and Dumplings over at The Juice is Worth the Squeeze and knew that it would be a hit.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 TB butter
2 Cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used 1 cream of chick/1 cream of celery)
1 Can chicken broth
1 Small onion, finely chopped
1 12 oz tube refrigerated biscuit dough torn into pieces
2 Cans peas/carrots drained (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
Place chicken, butter, soup, chicken broth, veggies and onion in crockpot.
Cover and cook 5 to 6 hours.
About 60-90 minutes before serving shred the chicken and place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker.
Cook until dough is no longer raw in center. (I kept the cooker on low until I added the dough, then switched to high for the last hour).

Another tip that I must give is that I love using Reynolds Slow Cooker liners. You just throw the bag out when you’re done and clean up is so easy.



I also made a Strawberry Shortcake using the Bisquick recipe that my grandmother used when I was a child. It was tasty, but I forgot the whipped cream!

Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:
2 1/3 c. Bisquick mix
1/2 c. Milk
1/2 c. Sugar
3 Tbsp. Butter (melted)
4 c. sliced Strawberries
Cool Whip

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425
In medium bowl, mix together the strawberries and ½ cup sugar.
In another medium bowl, mix together the Bisquick, milk, butter, sugar until a soft dough forms. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet 6 spoonfuls (I put all of the batter into a cake pan and spread it out)
Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Remove and split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and top with whipped topping (I don’t split it, I just cut it like pie pieces).

Weekend recap

Friday, I made Geof and I a steak dinner and then did some work. Gwen called me later in the evening and we had another great conversation. She is such a wonderful person and it just reminds me that I need to try my hardest to get out there to visit her. After both of our husbands hollering at us, we finally managed to get off the phone. I realized Geof only wanted me off the phone to be his Rock Band partner in the basement. I agreed because we bought the microphone for it and I got to sing Lady GaGa.

Saturday, I got up and worked for a few hours and then we got ready to head off to a wedding at the Adventure Aquarium in NJ for our friends Greg and Alison’s special day. The venue is right on the Delaware River and has a magnificent view of Philadelphia. The actual room that the reception was in was part of the other side of the aquarium with great views of the shark tank. It was filled with many fish and of course lots of sharks. It was definitely one of the most unique venues that I’ve ever been to a wedding in. They did such a nice job tying the whole aquarium theme together and had turquoise and orange as their primary colors. We had a really nice time and it was a beautiful night.


Geof and I at the wedding with sunset over the city


Kind of blurry, but there is the shark tank in in the backgrond.


Loved the cakes, even if Greg is a Mets fan!


Night shots of the Ben Franlin bridge and Philadelphia skyline


Candy buffet and pretty blue decor


Greg and Geof


Geof being silly with the sharks


After they cut the cake


Fireworks when we were leaving that were going on at the Riversharks game

Sunday, I worked for another few hours (things are crazy with work right now) and then headed off to the gym. I don’t usually go on Sundays, but was glad that I did. It wasn’t crowded and actually somewhat cool in there for a change. I came home, caught up on some blogs and Geof cooked us dinner. We watched some baseball and hockey and called it a night.

I’d like to thank the Academy...

It’s that time again. Time for me to catch up on awards that have been so graciously passed along to me. This is going to be one giant post and you may learn more about me than you ever wanted to know, or skip this post altogether (I wouldn’t blame you).

The always adorable BLC from The Company She Keeps gave me the Beautiful Blogger Award and the lovely Ashley from Sweet Southern Prep gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. I grouped these two together since the rules are the same:



Rules:
1. Say 7 interesting things about yourself
2. Pass it on to 7 more bloggers

7 Interesting Things:
1. I’m a lefty when it comes to writing, but play most sports, eat, cut, etc. with my right hand.
2. I’m an only child, but I have a huge family because of my mom’s siblings. We also have three sets of twins in the family and one set of triplets. My aunt and uncle have more than a full house every holiday.
3. I could be part fish, because I love being in the water or by the water. I don’t care if it’s the ocean, pool or lake. I think this has to do with the fact that I’m a summer baby (Cancer to be exact).
4. I used to think I’d live in PA forever, but lately I’ve been feeling like I could get out of here. Ideally I’d love to live in the South or in California (just a little afraid of Earthquakes).
5. I may or may not have originally wanted a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel because Charlotte from Sex in the City had one. Later, I read about the breed and Geof and I realized these were the perfect pets for us.
6. This August I will have had my car for 11 years. I’m still on the fence if this is something to be proud of or depressed about…ha!
7. My dream would be to own my own business that is super girly. Something along the lines of a cupcake shop or boutique.

I will pass both of these awards onto the following bloggers:
1. Join The Gossip
2. Just A Happy Housewife
3. Vynuss Vision
4. The Pink Chick
5. BonBon Rose
6. The Juice is worth the squeeze
7. living well

I was also given the Honest Scrap Award by my sweet friend Vy at Vynuss Vision. This is one that I have actually done before, so if you’re interested in reading it, you can do that here.



Next up is the Master of Karate and Friendship Award from Trish at Pink Preppy Lilly Lover. She is so wonderful and I look forward to our double date next weekend! This award also cracks me up, because it’s from the show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which is absolutely hysterical).



Rules
1. List 6 things you are the master in.
2. Pass it on to 6 bloggers you think are masters at friendship, and make blogging so awesome.

6 Things I am the master in:
1. Ice skating. I took lessons for many years and then started coaching in my late teens. I still teach lessons during the winter months and I love every minute of it.
2. Fun. Ask my friends. I try to be the life of the party and ensure that everyone is having a good time. Seeing my friends smile makes me smile.
3. Talking. I just asked Geof what I’m the master at and this was his response. No comment.
4. Dancing. I’ve been known to shake my tail feather a time or two. Seriously though. I took dance up until I started skating and was on dance team in high school while I was skating. It has always been a passion of mine.
5. Baking. When I have the time, I love to bake and try new recipes. The past year or so, I’ve gotten more into cooking. It must have something to do with me getting married or something ;)
6. Blogging. I love this blog and the friendships and fun things of learned from reading other peoples blogs.

I now pass this onto:
1. Handbag Obsessed
2. Biology Gal
3. Beach Bum & Baby
4. ETMC
5. The Non-Review
6. Classy in Philadelphia

I was also given the “Every Blog Needs A Little Bling” award from Kathie at Just a Happy Housewife. Please pay her a visit if you haven’t already. She is always mixing it up and it one of the nicest bloggers I know.



Last, but not least, I was awarded the I Love Your Blog Award from Brittany Ann at Living in the Moment. This is an honor coming from her. She can make you laugh, make you cry and above all write. She is not only super nice, but also very intelligent and she knows her stuff.



Rules:
1. List 10 Things I Love (I obviously love Geof, friends, family, dogs…I’m listing some random things for fun).
2. Pass it onto 10 other blogs I love

10 Things I Love:
1. Diet coke – this is my coffee. I’ll take any diet beverage.
2. A good handbag – Coach, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade. They’re my favorites.
3. Chapstick – I couldn’t live without the stuff and probably put it on at least 5 times a day.
4. Gossip/Fashion Magazines – they’re so fun to flip through on a lazy afternoon.
5. Hoodies and sweatpants – I love coming home after a long day and getting into comfy clothes.
6. Music – certain songs bring back memories or spark a certain emotion. I couldn’t live without good music.
7. Lipgloss – Dior, Chanel, Clinique. A swipe of any of those 3 will bring a smile to my face.
8. Reality TV – The Bachelor, Real Housewives of Orange County, The Apprentice, Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s…love them all.
9. Pizza – probably the one food I’ll never get tired of.
10. Flip Flops – The best feeling is when you know that spring is here for good and you can break out the flippers.

I now pass this onto the following bloggers:
1. Peeptoe Pumps and Pearls
2. Sweet Tea Diaries
3. Social Climbers
4. Same Sweet Girl: Memoir of a Southern Belle
5. Pink Preppy Lilly Lover
6. Nautical By Nature
7. My Chihuahua Bites!
8. Simplicity in Baltimore
9. The Adventures of Katie and Josh
10. Chapters of our Life

Wow…that was a lot to post and a lot of linking. If you made it all the way through this post, then you deserve some other sort of award! I hope that everyone has a great weekend!!

Weekend recap

I know this is very late, but I didn’t want to break my streak of posting about each weekend. Since we had a "midweek weekend", the real weekend was much more laid back. Friday, Geof and I went to dinner at Outback and then came home for a night in front of the TV and played with the dogs.

Saturday, I got together with my friend Barb who is expecting her 2nd baby boy in September. I’m thrilled for her and Nate! We headed off to the mall to browse around and grabbed a quick lunch at Ruby Tuesday. I dropped her off, came home and then my mom came over to visit Geof and I. Since it was her weekend, I picked a movie that I knew she would love. We watched A League of Their Own. I knew a picked a winner as soon as it was over because she kept going on and on about it. It really is a great movie.



Sunday was Mother’s Day and we took my mom to brunch at a restaurant in Media called, Generation’s. This place blew me away. We went into the room with the buffet and my eyes popped out at all of the food. You could also order fresh pancakes, omelettes and waffles from the server and it was all included. We left completely stuffed and didn’t eat much the rest of the day. We got my mom a purse that she wanted as her gift and she absolutely loved it. She was so cute toting it around.


This is the purse we got for my mom

The weather was beautiful all weekend and it was nice to take it easy for a change.

Celebrate Sex and the City 2 Giveaway!

I was thrilled when I was contacted to do a giveaway for a gift certificate for two to the Sex & the City Hotspots Tour in New York City operated by On Location Tours. Like most ladies, I’ve always been a huge fan of the show and have been more than a little curious about visiting the spots where our four favorite ladies, Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda frequented.

The tour makes the following stops as well as many more:
-Stop at "Scout," the bar owned by Aidan
-Enjoy cupcakes like Carrie and Miranda at Magnolia Bakery
-Go on location to the art gallery in SoHo where Charlotte worked
-Shop at the hottest boutiques & stores in Greenwich Village
-Visit Buddakan, site of Carrie and Big’s wedding rehearsal dinner
-See new locations from Sex and the City: the Movie



The best thing about this gift certificate for two is that it never expires! That’s right ladies. If you’re planning to visit New York City in a few weeks or a few years, you can still use this prize. I know that the next time I visit the NYC, I am certainly going to be taking advantage of this tour.

To sweeten the deal, I am personally going to give the winner a copy of the first Sex and the City movie on DVD.



There are several ways to win:
1. Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
2. Follow my blog or let me know that you’re already a follower (1 entry)
3. Blog about this giveaway or post a link on your blog (2 entries)
4. Twitter about this giveaway @ChicnPink (2 entries)

Rules:
1. This giveaway is open to US Residents only
2. This giveaway will close on 5/17/10 and the winner will be chosen via Random.org
3. Once the winner is announced, please email me with your name and shipping information

Good luck!