ITS OK Thursday!

I’m linking up with Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber from Brunch with Amber for another edition of “ITS OK Thursday”

For me, ITS OK

That catching up on my stack of magazines involved little reading and lots of ripping out pages that looked appealing.



That I did happen to read one article from an old issue of Glamour about turning 30. At 33, I can say that it was spot on. If you’re in your 30’s or about to be 30…READ IT!

That I’m so behind on my personal life because work has me swamped.

That I spotted a scarf I just had to have but didn’t buy because it wasn’t on sale. I got a coupon, went back for it and it was gone. That’s just the fashion gods telling me I don’t need another scarf.

To find the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center completely magical



That I made chili the other night and added an extra can of diced tomatoes by accident…oopsie. It ended up surprisingly good.

To be dragging out Mockingjay because I don’t want it to end.

And to have gotten as excited as a schoolgirl when I saw the trailer for The Hunger Games on the big screen before Breaking Dawn.



That's all for now!

2 on Tuesday: Christmas Wish List

Today, I’m linking up with Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites for 2 on Tuesday. Please pay her blog a visit (if you haven’t already). She’s been one of my blog friends for over 3 years and pretty much rocks.



The question today is…

What’s your Christmas wish list? What do you hope to receive from Santa?

Questions like this are easy to answer. I have a wish list ready and waiting when Geof asks me what I want. Easy for him and easy for me. I usually keep track of things I like either on Pinterest or on Amazon.

If money were no object I’d love to have this


Apple iPad 2

Or this...


Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Since these are extravagant items, I’ll bring it back down to reality with some things I’d love to have that are a little more realistic.


Tarte Limited Edition LipSurgence Collection


Marley Lilly Monogrammed Pashmina in Leopard


Michael Kors Watch MK5263


Witches of East End


Case Mate iPhone 4 Bling Case


OPI Rainbow Connection from The Muppets Collection

What's on your list?

I’m baaaaack!

That’s right everyone. My unofficial blog hiatus is over and I’m glad to be blogging again. Leaving wasn’t planned and there were many times I wanted to come back, but just didn’t have it in me. Between work and life, I lost my mojo. The creative juices weren’t flowing and I didn’t want to just blog for the sake of blogging. For those that are reading this, I sincerely thank you for not deserting me and I hope you’ll continue to stay along for the ride.

Here are some of the highlights and interesting tidbits of the last 2 ½ months!

Chad & Amy (our friends from BCE 1 & BCE 2) came out to visit us and we took them down to the Jersey Shore. Our other friends Tracy and Stephanie came later on in the weekend the whole gang got to sightsee in Philadelphia. We did everything from Reading Terminal Market to the “Rocky Steps” at the Art Museum.


Survived my first and hopefully last Earthquake

Spent as much time as possible at the pool


Read…a lot. I’ve definitely discovered a new hobby (this book was also really good btw).


Made it through Hurricane Irene

Chester Count Restaurant Festival


Lots of dinner and movie dates!


That’s about it. We also just get back from Chicago over the weekend and I cannot wait to share all of our adventures from while we were there!

The Murderer’s Daughters

This is a book that I bought on a whim while browsing around Target. I saw that it had the Target Book Club seal, so I figured it had to be pretty decent. This is the first book I’ve ever purchased blindly without reading any reviews and I’m going to have to do it more often, because this book was very good and it pleasantly surprised me.

Review from Target:



The Murderer’s Daughters follows two sisters, Merry and Lulu, left on their own after their father murders their mother, and how the tragedy that changed their lives in an instant haunts each of them distinctly and profoundly as they make their way in the world together. Lulu and Merry's childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father drives them into a nightmare. He's always hungered for the love of the girls’ self-obsessed mother; after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly. Lulu had been warned to never to let her father in, but when he shows up drunk, he's impossible to ignore. He bullies his way past Lulu, who then listens in horror as her parents struggle. She runs for help, but discovers upon her return that he's murdered her mother, stabbed her five-year-old sister, and tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself. Lulu and Merry are effectively orphaned by their mother’s death and father’s imprisonment, but the girls’ relatives refuse to care for them and abandon them to a terrifying group home. Even as they plot to be taken in by a well-to-do family, they come to learn they’ll never really belong anywhere or to anyone—that all they have to hold onto is each other. For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, shadowing every choice they make. One spends her life pretending he's dead, while the other feels compelled, by fear, by duty, to keep him close. Both dread the day his attempts to win parole may meet success. A beautifully written, compulsively readable debut, The Murderer's Daughters is a testament to the power of family and the ties that bind us together and tear us apart.

The book wasn’t one of the happier stories that I’ve read, but it was so honest. The author did a wonderful job of telling the story from Merry and Lulu’s perspectives. It was broken into parts and showed the progression through their lives of coming to terms with the untimely death of their mother and having an incarcerated father.

Book in a nutshell: Great book that makes you appreciate the family you have!

{mid} Summer Bucket List

It’s hard to believe that we’re already into July. Summer is flying by and I need to hang on tight before it’s gone. With that said, I wanted to make some goals for myself and fun ones at that. Most of the time we’re always setting goals to better this and improve that (which is great, don’t get me wrong), but sometimes we need to just let go and have a little fun. Isn’t that what summer is all about?

Here is what I intend to do before Labor Day weekend:

Amusement park


Water park


Read more


Watch a sunset or two


Wine tasting


Beach day


I’ll let you know how it all works out!

Is there anything you have your heart set on doing before the end of summer?

Images via weheartit

Right now I’m loving…

Spring flowers


My garden is in full bloom and every time I walk outside it makes me smile.

Vacation - VH1 Best Cruise Ever


I leave for vacation soon and will be cruising the Caribbean with some of my favorite people and bands. The Script, Train, Lifehouse, SafetySuit and many others will be on board rocking the boat. Pun intended.

Water for Elephants


I finished the book the other night and what an amazing story (with the exception of the animal abuse parts). This will go down as one of my favorite books. Not that I’m a huge bookworm, but it really was so good. Now I’m looking forward to seeing the movie.



And how gorgeous does Reese Witherspoon look in the May spread for Vogue?!

My new Michael Kors sunnies


These will be great for vacation and I know I’ll wear them all summer long. I haven’t bought anything for myself in awhile, so this was quite a treat.

What are you loving?

Bergdorf Blondes

My sweet friend, Lis sent me a few books last summer and I finally finished one of them! I know I’m horrible and it took me forever. As a side note, I have a goal to read a lot more this year. Work has been getting in the way of a lot of things since last May and I partially blame that on the reason why it took so long.

Back to the point. Bergdorf Blondes was funny and entertaining. This has been out for awhile, so I may be one of the last people to read it, but I’m really glad I did. It started out a little slow and I didn’t know if I would be able to get into it, but after the 2nd chapter I was hooked. The book primarily takes place in NYC and focuses on the life of a group of shallow, self-absorbed Manhattan socialites. The thing about them though is that the ladies were charming and there was a likable quality to the two main characters (Julie Bergdorf and the unnamed narrator). It was a light read and very tongue-in-cheek. One of my favorite conversations in the book was when the main character said, “Actually, I call it my Homicide Dress because it’s so dangerous, thank god for Azzedine Alaia”. After that, a conversation went on about the scene with Cher in Clueless in her Alaia dress. There were just a lot of cute and witty references throughout the book that brought a smile to my face.

One of the other things I loved about the book would be when something semi-serious was happening, such as a crying session and the thought of how much Bobbi Brown eyeliner had been wasted on that crying and then the main character would digress and say how that particular eyeliner is “the best for smoky eyes”.

The end became somewhat predictable (in my opinion) towards the middle and that was fine, especially since this isn’t a James Patterson mystery or anything like that. It’s a perfect beach read or something to cozy up with on the couch on a lazy day.

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.

Birthday Wish List

This is the cake hubby got for my 30th birthday last year!

My 31st birthday is right around the corner – July 12th to be exact. Since I’m such a list maker, I thought it would be fun to make a wish list of all the things I would love for my birthday. Some are reasonable requests and some are not! I thought I would list them all for the fun of it...a girl can dream, right?

Kooba Blake Leather Shoulder Bag in Patent Pink

I really love everything about this bag

Lilly Pulitzer Beachy Perfume

I love the scent of this and this it would be so nice to have for summer

Mikimoto Akoya Cultured Pearl Perfect Match Set

So classic and timeless

Tory Burch Silver Revas

These would go with pretty much everything and look very comfortable

Tiffany & Co. Twist Knot Earrings in Sterling Silver

I think these are very pretty

Ray-Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses

These were very popular in the 80’s and are making their comeback. It might just be a trend, but I would love them

Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

I keep hearing good things about this book and really want to start reading it

Dior Addict Lip Glow

This product gets great reviews and develops a natural shade based on your body chemistry

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I love red velvet cake!

BBF (Best Bloggy Friends)

I have formed friendships with many bloggers out there and I feel very lucky to have met some of the sweetest and nicest ladies from all over. One person that always comes to mind is Lis from Lis Loves. We have a lot in common and I always say that I wish we lived closer.

We got to talking about books and she offered to send some my way that she had read and liked. On Saturday, I received a package and inside contained the following books: Bergdorf Blondes, Everyone Worth Knowing and Cocktails For Three. Now, I have lots of good reading to look forward to this summer! Also inside the package were some extra special surprises. We both have July birthdays coming up and she sent me a sweet card along with the best smelling candle from Bath & Body Works in a scent called Vanilla Coconut. It smells so fresh and just like summer. She also sent the cutest OPI nail kit. Inside the kit were two bottles of OPI polish. One was a topcoat and the other a fantastic pink color called “Shorts Story”.

This was so unexpected and incredibly sweet! Thanks, Lis!!

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I just finished reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and I would say that it was a light, fun read. I did like it and laughed out loud in some parts, but I thought it was a little predictable, almost like watching a chick flick where you know what you’re getting yourself into. Not that there is anything wrong with that! I would rate it as a great summer read, nothing more and nothing less.

I really liked the fact that Rebecca Bloomwood worked in the world of finance, but had so much trouble managing her own money. There were definitely certain parts of the book I could relate to and felt embarrassed for her. I think my favorite was when she would say that if she gets this certain outfit or accessory, “she’ll be known as the girl with the green scarf”, or the girl with “this” or “that”. It almost seemed as if buying certain tangibles would make her life complete. I thought it was funny only because I think that if I get a certain handbag, I’ll be so happy. And I am, until the next thing comes along!

I never ended up seeing the movie that was made from the book, but I look forward to watching it on DVD. From what I have heard, the movie is a lot different from the book. I guess I will find out soon.

There are so many books on my must read list and my question to you is, are the other books in the Shopaholic series worth reading? Before I read the Twilight books, I only used to read magazines. So I look forward to reading lots this summer with this new found hobby!

Breaking Dawn

I finally finished! This has been a running joke with my girlfriends. I got through the first three books in no time and this one has taken me forever. I’m glad I took my time and read when I was able to though. I must say that reading these books made me want to read. I have never been a bookworm or someone that reads as a hobby. I can see why people do now. It is a fun escape from reality and it lets you use your imagination. I already have more books lined up that I want to start.

The entire Twilight series has been wonderful. I enjoyed each book so much and loved reading about the love between Edward and Bella. Some things in the books were foreshadowed and predictable, but it didn’t make them any less entertaining. To me it truly was a kind of modern day Romeo and Juliet.

I look forward to the making of the next three movies, but I am sure they won’t compare to the books. Robert Pattinson is such eye candy, so that makes it much more entertaining. He definitely brings out my inner “tween”.

Things I’m looking forward to this weekend…

Free Rita’s Water Ice

Yep, that’s right…it’s the first day of spring and my favorite water ice place is giving them away for free. Sugar-free Root Beer for me, please!

Twilight

Finally comes out on dvd! I will definitely be picking it up this weekend. I saw it in the movies twice and am hanging on to the last 30 pages of Breaking Dawn. I think I’ll be sad when I finish. Pathetic, I know.

Going food shopping

Our kitchen is pretty empty. We’re in some serious need of food. Our goal is to save some money and eat better by cooking at home more.

Going out with hubby and friends on Saturday

I need a night out and hopefully we will have some fun!

Happy Friday & happy first day of spring! I hope everyone has a great weekend.