Wednesday, January 23, 2008

A+ for Disney's "High School Musical"


Ah, high school... I can almost recall a few of my lines as Rosie Alvarez in Bye Bye Birdie now.


On Sunday afternoon, Mom and I attended the performance of High School Musical at the Orpheum in Memphis. It was so cute! What was even better is that Russell had gotten us third row seats!!! ( We love you, Hubby)


I’m pretty sure we were some of the only people there either not under the age of twelve or parents with several screaming and overly-excited children! But it was great to see so many young people falling in love with the theater. I really think it's important to produce shows that bring a new generation to the Orpheum. I also loved seeing so many little men there, interested in the sports theme.

Of course Mom and I couldn't leave without visiting Blues City Pastry, only a block away, for the perfect after-theater treat. They have some of the best chocolate mousse around! Stop by before or after your next show and try one of their popular Mud Island Mud Squares or Symphony Squares. You won't be dissappointed!


Oh! And if you're interested in season tickets to the Orpheum, they're still available. They're now offering a mini-season with three shows starting with The Wedding Singer in February. Who knew that you could get season tickets for as little as $65.25? That's less than $22 per show!


Check their blog out if you're interested... www.theorpheumtheatreblog.blogspot.com or you can sign up for their newsletters here! That's actually how I keep up with what's going on. Often times, they give away free tickets for comments as well. Good luck!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Happy Birthday, Stacey Kay


Meet our best friend, Stacey.
And that handsome guy is her fiance, Ray. Whom we all really adore.

Today is Stacey's birthday. Hubby and I think the world of her. She truly is a best friend to the both of us. She and Hubby are close, like brother and sister. Because of her advice, I've received many wonderful surprises and gifts through the years. One in particular would be the fine diamond on my left hand.

I've been trying to get her to start a blog but she just started her new job as a Nurse Practitioner and she's also planning a wedding for May. I think it's something to do with being too busy. I mean, she's just playing doctor and planning a big party for the whole town of Tupelo! I don't see why she doesn't have time.

Actually this isn't her first time to debut on my blog, I've posted about how wonderful she is on several occasions. This time, I want YOU to wish her a Happy Birthday and to tell her how cute, smart, and sweet she is.

Go ahead, leave her a comment. Even if you don't know her. Wish her well with her new job, wedding planning, or just another year of life. She'll see it 'cause she stalks my blog all of the time.

And one last thing, tell her to start her OWN BLOG! I want her to see how friendly everyone is in the blog world.

We love you, Stace!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Too Little, Debbie


Oh, the disappointment today when I opened my new box of 100 Calorie Triple Fudge Brownies! Who knew they were so little??? I mean 1.75" x 1.75" little! You really fooled me this time, Deb.


I know what you're thinking... I should have known they'd be tiny since they're only 100 calories. I guess you can call it wishful thinking.

I've included a picture to compare the size to my hand. And no, I do not have giant size hands.

I've always been a big fan of two particular Little Debbie snacks, the Peanut Butter on Toasty crackers and the Be My Valentine & Christmas Tree Vanilla Cakes. (The last two are actually the same item in different shapes and are seasonal.) Hence the reason I grabbed the $1.59 box of "moist, fudge brownies with fudge frosting and ribbons of fudge icing." Wait, I didn't realize until now just how many times they used the word fudge to describe them! Should that have been the red flag?




So, I just thought I would share with you a glimpse into my diet on Day 14. Oh yeah, and I threw up twice in a one hour workout session with my trainer last week. Nice!

How's "getting in shape" working out for you?

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Wedding Cake Ornament

I almost forgot to post my new Christmas ornament that I'm in love with! It's a replica of my wedding cake...



Camille from Pretty Girl Things runs an Etsy Shop with many beautiful replicas of wedding cakes. She is an incredibly talented artist who can take a picture of your cake and turn it into a thoughtful keepsake ornament or figurine. Intricate miniature cakes are made of polymer clay and are approximately 1.5 - 2 inches tall, depending on your cake design. They can be glazed or unglazed and have a small hook for placing them on your tree (note: they're substantially heavy). Such a cute idea for a wedding, anniversary, new baby announcement, or even personalized birthday cake!




Well, what are you waiting for? I have mine sitting out on my bookshelf for year-around. Besides, she's getting more famous by the day. So e-mail her a picture of your cake right away and she'll send you a quote...

Edited to add -
Camille's contact information and additional pictures of her creations...




Sunday, January 6, 2008

Lucky Latte

Drum roll, please.... Katie's the lucky winner of the Starbucks gift card! Just shoot me an e-mail with your address and I'll get it out to you this week.


So, I must say that I know there are still a LOT of you out there stalking that are too shy to say hey! It's okay, I was just hoping to find out who you were. With over 500 hits just this week, I guess you do care that I'm still blogging a year later. Anyway, I'll try to keep it going. Cheers to 1 year of bloggin'!

Eight for 2008

It's really late, or better yet, it's really early. Either way, I can't sleep. Hubby took Bailey on her first duck hunt this morning for about six hours and they are both cutting some serious zzzz's. I guess they're "dog tired." I'm left wide awake to think...

I've been trying to come up with my resolutions for the upcoming year. To be honest, I hate 'em because I never stick to them, therefore I don't like to make them. Isn't it the same thing every year? Lose weight, save money, spend less, take a vacation, be nice, etc. blah, blah, blah.

Below are eight personal resolutions that I would like to attempt to stick to (in no particular order)...

1. Become more involved in the community
Hubby is doing well with his job so it doesn't look like we'll be moving anytime soon, hence the reason to get involved. I've already accepted an invitation to Bunko that starts next week; we've found a church that we really enjoy and they're already hitting me up to keep the nursery; and I suppose I'll be joining the Junior League soon enough.

2. Say "No" to magazines
Now don't get me wrong, my subscriptions are fine to keep. It's the weakness I have of buying them last minute in the check out line at the grocery. I've even been known to buy a magazine I already subscribe to just because it hit the news stands before my copy was delivered. This should really save me some money.

3. Cook at least three nights a week and eat at home at least four
I believe this is a big part of the reason I've put on so much weight this year. It seems like all we do is eat out. I don't even get excited over going to eat at a restaurant anymore because it's so routine for us. I know, I agree it's my duty as a wife to feed my husband a home cooked meal. This is something we both want to do.

4. Get in shape, stay committed, and enjoy it
Do you like how I re-phrased "lose weight"? It sounds so much better to say "get in shape." I hate to work out. I really do want to enjoy it. I was almost enjoying it right before we got married. I was at least in shape and committed but then we went to Italy, and then we moved from Tupelo, and then there was excuse after excuse after excuse. No more excuses! I start with Brooke, my personal trainer, at 8:30 sharp on Monday morning.

5. Keep the creative juices flowing by trying new hobbies
I love my business and it keeps me busy but I get bored very easily. I hop from one hobby to another. I'd love to take some classes to learn more about... smocking, photography, calligraphy, sewing, etc.

6. Stop biting my nails
I've done this my entire life. This is a terrible habit. I somehow found a way to stop during our engagement! I also had pretty nails again prior to the holidays. I can do this is just takes a lot of conscious effort on my part. I just can't let the stress get to me.

7. Continue to "live it up" with Russell in 2008
By this, I mean to continue going places and experiencing things together. We've been very fortunate to be able to travel a lot in 2007. Our family has been really great to keep Bailey so we can take off whenever we please. Whether it was just to Starkville for a game, to the beach with the family, or a fishing trip to Arkansas with friends, we've created so many memories during our first year of marriage. I believe this will be a fun and easy resolution for us since we've already planned a ski trip to Taos, New Mexico during my birthday and Valentine's!

8. Work hard for a successful 2008
Hard work is the key to success. We both must continue to work diligently at our jobs. If we truly want to be successful, we must be prepared to give up our leisure time and work past 5 PM and on some weekends. Russell has truly been a testament to this. I suppose this is the reason the partners just gave him a raise. I'm so proud of him. Have I told you just how great he is? On the same day of his review, I also found out some good news with work. As of this week, I will be adding the states of Florida and Georgia to my territory. I'm really excited and flattered by the increase of responsibility. Hopefully I won't have to worry about my dialect for these new southern accounts!

Two of Russell's resolutions include...

1. Only eating lunch out once a week
(Unless he's with a client or one of the partners is footing the bill!)

2. Leave the office by 6pm
This is one I'm personally excited about since that means more time with me & Bailey. Hubby's a very important man, billing $200+ an hour for his time. He would tell you that it's a privilege to get to spend free time with him. Oh, do I know! Don't worry, he's not vain. It's just the attorney in him- always thinking of billable hours.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Liberty Bowl Blast



We had an absolute blast at the Liberty Bowl! I met Russell at his office for the parade on Friday afternoon to kick off the festivities. It was surprisingly pretty long. Note to photographer- watch out for the flying beads!

We met my parents early Saturday morning at the Peabody and then we set off to tailgate at the stadium with the Lamptons and the Walkers. You can see the collage of pictures above.

After the Bulldog Victory, we had dinner at the Rendezvous with my parents. The ladies proceeded to sip on chocolate martinis at the Peabody while the men gulped who knows what. Russell and I carried on to Beale Street with Dustin & Ashley Williams to meet up with Truitt Taylor for the night. And the rest is history, with a few incriminating pictures...Me & Ashley at the PeabodyNez, Lyndsey, & Myself Walking home from somewhere... to commemorate my Christmas present, season tickets
Ashley, Truitt, and I at EP's
Mollie Walker & Russell
Lastly, does anyone know who this stud is???