Things that are making me happy today

First up...FOOTBALL SEASON IS UPON US!!!!  We received our season tickets in the mail today, and I am beyond pumped to head back to Lexington for tailgating, air raids, and the first look at Stoop's Troops!  Here's to a decent season, even though our first home conference game is against Bama!  Dear Lord, please don't let them crush us (or our spirits)!

{Check out this awesome book of tickets...so much easier than the little ticket packets!}

Numero dos...  I am at a full week of not smoking!!!  This really isn't that long in the grand scheme of things, but it possibly the biggest accomplishment of my adult life.  That's pretty sad...  Anyway, I'm pumped!  And I spent all day yesterday with my family.  Don't get me wrong, I love them more than life itself, but they drive me to drink sometimes.  Just kidding.  Sort of.

Nombre trois.  It's a short work week for me!  I leave Wednesday for vacation, so today is really my Thursday!  Woot to the woot!

That's all that I have right now, but for a Monday, I'd say that's a pretty good list.  Hope your first day of the week is going well!!!

Five on Friday!

Thanks again to the lovely bloggers above for continuing the Five on Friday link up!  You can find them over here, here, here, and here!  

This Friday I'm going to focus my five on two topics...my upcoming mini vacay and my recent foray into taking my health seriously.  So here we go!

1.  Last night I was super edgy and bored, so Riley and I went for a long walk around the neighborhood.  That walk turned into a (short) run.  And that made me realize that I desperately need new tennies!  What do you think about these?  They kind of make me want to eat sorbet.  Not exactly the result I'm looking for, but super cute.

2.  So, I'm super edgy and bored because I am currently on day 5 of not smoking.  DAY 5!!!!!!  That is huge for me since the longest I've gone without some sort of nicotine in the past few year has been about eight hours.  And that's only because I was asleep.  So, yay for me!!!  I can tell that this time is going to be the real deal.  No looking back!

3.  Have I mentioned that I'm going to the beach?  Yeah, I'm pretty excited.  I've been dying to get my toes in some sand lately, so next week I'm heading down to my Dad's place in Sarasota for a long weekend.  I cannot wait for some seafood, outlet shopping, and some sun!

{Beach at Siesta Key.  Not my photo, thanks Google Images!}

4.  New beach gear...and it's monogrammed!!!!  Can you tell I have a problem with crustaceans and the color navy???

5.  Super organized (for me) pantry (cabinets, I have no pantry...ugh)!!!  I finally broke down and bought a ton of different sized storage containers from the Container Store to keep dry goods in.  Now I don't have fifteen different kinds of half opened bags of rice falling on me every time I open our food cabinet.  One of these days, I'll have a house with a pantry.  So frustrating!  Also, FYI, those Swanson Flavor Boost packets shown below are gross.  Don't waste your money.

So many other good things that I want to share, but I'll save those for another day!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!  I'll be spending mine preparing for a family visit on Sunday.  It will be the first time I've been able to host them since I've lived in Louisville!  By then I will have not smoked in seven days, so wish me luck that they don't push me over the edge, ha ha!  I'm kidding, sort of.

A quick game of catch up...

I really need to start connecting the dots a little better and remember to finish all of my stories on here.  Like the recipe for the cucumber tomato salad...no, I still haven't posted it!  Maybe in this post if I don't get too carried away with other random topics.

Topics like, what's going on with Herman Melville, Eileen?  Well, I am happy/slightly upset to report that Herman has been detained via glue trap. He now resides in the Herbie and will go on to live out his days at the city dump once the trash is collected this morning.  Bon Voyage, little friend!  

Yes, I know I'm I'm kidding myself if I think that poor little mouse is still alive.  When Robbie took him out a few mornings ago, he was barely still kicking.  I feel awful.  I promise that I tried every humane way possible.  That damn mouse was too smart for his own good.  RIP, little buddy.  I know all you wanted was to spend the rest of your days hiding in my kitchen and eating our crumbs.  But, gross.

Unaddressed item number two: Mary's Baby Shower.  SOMEONE (ahem, Jamie) has not sent me the pictures yet, so I have no photos to post with all the cute decor and food!  If I could remember to bring my camera places, that would be nice.  I'm the worst amateur photographer ever.  On Friday when we went to the fair, I actually remembered my camera, only to discover that the battery was dead.  I swear I charged that thing not too long ago.  Oh well.  

Topic three.  I am very embarrassed to admit to the rest of the blog world, that at the age of 32, I am finally quitting smoking.  It's about damn time.  It's pretty awful that I'm this old and haven't given it up yet.  So, a few days ago I announced on Facebook that I was quitting via the pic of me smoking my last cigarette ever.  Yes, I know it's naive to think that it will be the last one I ever have, but if I go into it with the caveat that it won't be, I'll never make it.  So far I'm on day three, and despite some very testy responses and horrible moods, I'm still cigarette free!  And no one has died.  Yet.  If traffic on I-64 doesn't stop being so asinine, that may change.  Anyway, here's to healthier lungs and more toned abs!  Because my alternative to smoking is either gum, flossing, or some form of a quick workout, such as crunches or jumping jacks.  God help me.

Moving on to number four.  How's the house coming, Eileen?  We haven't seen any updates in awhile!  Yeah, that goes back to that whole camera thing.  And the fact that I can't make up my mind about how to finish the last touches in most of my rooms.  We are in the process of painting the family room.  Yes, the family room that I just paid lots of money to be painted before I moved in.  Turns out, I hated it and it was the opposite of the look I was trying to achieve.  Currently, there are approximately fourteen swatches of navy painted on my walls.  Yes, fourteen.  Possibly sixteen.  I can't even remember at this point.  I finally decided on a color yesterday and bought a full gallon for Robbie to start with today.  I think we are only going to do two accent walls and see what happens.  This story will be continued later.  

As for the rest of the house, I finally received the shower curtain I had custom made yesterday.  It is absolutely adorable!!!  I can't wait to get some wallpaper for the master bath and check that room off as completed!   

For now, that's all the details I'm going to bore you with today.  Looks like we're out of time and I won't be sharing that recipe after all!  Maybe tomorrow!

Weekends are for fun

This weekend was an absolute blast, with tons of visits from friends, and some super cute toddler love!  I'm going to start with Sunday and go backwards.

We started out the day with breakfast from Hillbilly Tea down in NuLu.  It was delicious, as always.  I had a pot of Earl Grey and Robbie had whatever the fancy coffee was.

To eat, this time I got the Hillbilly Scramble, which comes with cheesy corm mush (grits) and grilled toast.  Soooo yummy!!!  After breakfast, we ran errands for the house and picked up six more samples of navy paint to test in the family room.  Yes, I said six MORE.  We already had eight swatches up on the wall.  I don't even know where to start with that story...I'll continue it another day.

After tooling around the house, painting swatches, putting away massive amount of toilet paper from Costco, and catching up on some laundry, I headed over to my mom's to have dinner.  My stepbrother is in town on leave from the Army, so all the grand kids were over.

Mom, in her usual attempt to teach and play, bought a bunch of musical instruments for the kiddos.  Eli was obsessed with this recorder.  So stinking cute, that one!

Sharing his musical gift with me.  I have no idea why all the pictures I take with my Nikon J1 turn out all blue in natural light.  Does anyone else have one of those cameras?  I have yet to figure it out and always revert back to my D5100.  Maybe I should read the manual.

{Emily shaking in out}

{Very excited to be playing with cousin Luke's big boy truck}  

Okay, now back up a day to Saturday.  Beth and JD came over for breakfast around 9:00 am.  I made two sets of homemade scones, although only one of the recipes turned out how I wanted.  And that recipe was totally wrong as well and in the end, I pretty much made the recipe up on my own. I just based it off of the two that I had printed.  I'll keep everyone posted if I ever find a recipe that turns out better than the mix I buy at fancy cheese shops.  For now, that's what I'm sticking with. 

After breakfast, Robbie and some Lexington friends headed out on the boat leaving me and Herman Melville to clean up the kitchen.  More on him in another post.  That afternoon my friend Rachel, her hubby and sweet little boy, Tripp came by to drop of their gear since they were staying the night with me.  

After Rachel and Tripp's return from the birthday party they were in town for, we spent that evening being entertained by the cutest toddler I know and having a glass of champagne.  Good times.

So, backing up even further to Friday night, Robbie and I discovered that En Vogue was playing for free and the state fair and decided to check it out, just for fun.   While we weren't very impressed with the concert, we had a great time checking out the agriculture show and the midway.  Always great for people watching.

{Baby Chicks}

{Ferris Wheel}

{At the free concert}

{Goat!!!}

{Carny games}

It was a great, relaxing, and productive weekend, and I'm glad I got to do all the fun things we did.  I know part of it is the newness of a new city, but I really enjoy having so many options of different types of things to do.  I was a little sad that I missed Woodland Art Fair back in Lexington, though.  Until next time, when I share all sorts of new and exciting news, enjoy the week!

Friday Five!

It's Friday!!!  I am soo excited for this weekend, not for any reason in particular.  I have some fun things planned, and I'm ready to get to doing them!  Only seven hours until the weekend officially starts!  This Friday I chose my five based on my upcoming beach vacation over Labor Day Weekend.  I need to get my toes in some sand soon, and there's no better place than a free cheap long weekend at my dad's place in Sarasota.  So in an attempt to stay wrinkle free in my old age, I thought I could use some cute cover-ups and beach gear!

1.  Beach Cover-ups with crabs.  I mean, could my nautical obsession go any further?  I got this exact cover-up at a boutique in Lexington called Caught Ya Lookin'.  Not the greatest name, but how can I care when they carry stuff with my favorite crustacean on it???  Also, I can't find the website I pulled this picture from, but this photo is not my own.

2.  Eating more vegetables.  I've vowed that I will eat more vegetables and less carbs.  As in, 2/3 of my plate will be full of vegetables and fruit.  It's going pretty well, especially since I've been on a cucumber tomato salad kick.  It's such a light and fresh summer salad, plus it's so easy!!!  I'll post the recipe next week.

3.  In keeping with the nautical beach themed accessories, I also picked up some wine tumblers for the beach.  These will be the perfect disguise for mimosas on the beach in a few weeks!

4.  Cute UK game day garb!  There is no better time in the Bluegrass than the fall!  From tailgating to Keeneland, the weekends are packed with fun events, and proper attire is a must!  I picked up this exact dress from Monkee's in Lexington, but you can find it here!

5.  And just for fun, an easy craft project that I'm going to try on a rainy day.  This is an easy way to add a little personal touch to any mug, plate, ceramic platter.  I found this idea on Pinterest, but here's the link!

Thanks to the Friday Five ladies for continuing the weekly link up!  You can find them here, here, here, and here!

Have a great weekend!

A Haiku for Herman Melville

oh little brown mouse

bane of my existence

please leave my home soon

The mouse is still at large.  We have tried various methods for extermination.  Humane, quick but lethal, homemade or store bought.  This mouse is smarter than the average bear mouse.  He must go.

I am running out of bleach.  And out of sanity.  

I named him Herman Melville, after the author of Moby Dick. He is my great white whale.  I fear that he will end up killing us both in the end.  Or maybe I'm being a tad bit dramatic.  But, EWWWW!  Mouse in my house!  Gross!

And this is all that a certain squirrel hunter extraordinaire has done to help...

What a bum.

Friday Fives

Hey, it's my third week linking up with the Five on Friday!  It's been a rough week stress wise, so this is the perfect way to remind myself of all the good things I've got going on in my life.  Check out one of the great blogs that started the link up here! 

1.  Up first...trying new things!  More specifically, trying a new (old) hair color.  I recently switched stylists when I moved and have been overjoyed with the results!  She convinced me to go back to my natural hair color and start over with darker blonde highlights.  I just went all the way back to my natural hair color, and man is it shocking!  But I really like it!  I haven't been a brunette for over 16 years, kinda crazy!

2.  Impromptu parties with surprise guest appearance.  My friends Drew and Tim (and Isabella and baby Tobias) came back to Lexington yesterday for a surprise bachelor party for another high school friend of ours.  We all were able to get together last night for a few drinks and some tacos.  It was awesome, especially since they usually only come home once a year for Christmas!

3.  Secret Surprise Sales at Kate Spade.  Yes, I broke down and ordered the business card holder I posted about the other day.  But only after much debate and rationalization.  I really do need a new one.

4.  Babies and everything baby.  It's no secret that I've had baby fever for years.  I mean YEARS.  It's the only thing I've ever actually been 100% sure that I know I want.  One day it will happen, but in the mean time, I love, love, love celebrating my favorite ladies as they embark on motherhood.  This Sunday, we're hosting a baby shower for our friend Mary and her soon to arrive little girl!  I can't wait to see how all the decor and food turns out, as well as see my girls!

5.  Friday.  Enough said.  I need this Friday work day to be over quickly so I can get to party planning and relax a little.  It's been a chaotic week, primarily because of technical issues and bad driving skills (or no driving skills, if you ask my friends and family).  It's going to be great to go home after work today and turn on the TV with a glass of wine and get to crafting!

Sorry for the lack of picture eye candy, I lost all my photos when my phone crashed Wednesday.  And I haven't gotten my real camera out in awhile.  I must remember to bring it to Lexington this weekend.  I"m really craving some good, high resolution, well lit photos.  Until next time, ciao bella!

Things that I don't need...

So, according to a blog I read, Kate Spade is having a 75% off sale.  This is not a good thing.  I usually get these emails, but since I decided to unsubscribe from almost all shopping websites in order to not be tempted, I didn't get this one.  Apparently, Kate Spade will find me.  So in the interest of "not buying of the all the things," I'm going to show you what I'm not going to be buying.  And then, if you see me out with them, you are welcome to smack me.  Or at least scold me.

I've been looking for a cute shoulder bag that isn't huge, but will still fit enough of my stuff that I won't feel naked.  This fits the bill, and is super cute!!! Not to mention, really inexpensive.

Okay, so this actually something I need.  My business card holder is on it's last leg. I've had in since 2003.  I'd say it's not that big of deal if I spend $25 to replace it, right???  Does that sound like a rationalization?

This guy above would be super functional and go with almost everything.  But I'm just not in the mood to spend the money.  Am I?  NO, I AM NOT.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  Just keep telling yourself that mantra.

Okay, I'm going to go empty my shopping bag now and close the browser.  Ugh.  Damn being responsible.  

I Just Like Boxes...

So, I should probably explain the post title.  The first night that my friend Alison and I spent living together in the dorms at UK, we went out and when we returned back to campus, there was a really drunk student running and diving into the huge stacks of empty boxes on the side of the building.  We both kind of looked at him funny, and he just responded with "I just like boxes."  It pretty much set the tone for the next year of dorm living.  Lots of ridiculous nights and stupid decisions, but having a blast while doing so.

The past couple months I have found myself repeating that line over and over again because of the moving process.  Between moving out of the Chinoe house, into Dad's basement, out of Dad's basement, and into the new house, I feel like my life has been overtaken with boxes.  There always seems to be one more to unpack, pack, move to the basement, bring up from the basement, etc.

So when my best friend and her husband bought a house, I knew I could continue to develop my love for boxes and send some their way as well as share my expertise in packing.  And by expertise, I mean organization skills that are something along the lines of "put all that semi-related stuff in one box and just label it really well."  Yeah, I'm no guru.  Just well versed in the theory that no matter how well you organize and pack things, you still aren't going to have a clue where anything is for the next six months.  Good luck.

Moving day was this past Saturday, and honestly, it was one of the more easy moves I've ever participated in.  Obviously, I'm not a damn bit of help lifting things.  But I'm more than happy to provide spacial planning for loading a truck.

Okay, I'm not really a huge cat person, and this cat was not my favorite.  He kept trying to get me to pet him.  I just politely showed him that there were no pets allowed in that area.  He didn't care.  Anyway, I digress.

A nice reward after moving was a much needed trip to Lakeside to cool off.  Pictured on the floating dock, JD, Curt, and Randall.  After swimming, dinner and drinks were up next.  We headed to Cumberland Brews for dinner and drinks at the Bonnycastle Club.  After drinks, we went back and watched some movies at my house.  Sunday morning was spent lying around and eating brunch.  I took two golf naps yesterday.  I love a good golf nap.

Because I knew that I had to be up early on Saturday, I spent Friday night in getting some projects completed that had taken the back seat to having fun and exploring Louisville.  The biggest one was getting the basement organized and cleared out.  Before I went to work, this space pictured above had boxes and random odds and ends spread all the way out to where those columns are.  Looks much better, if I don't say so myself!

I'll eventually get more shelving to put all the boxes on, but this is pretty good progress.

Unfortunately, now that I can see that I have plenty of storage space, I'm already remodeling the basement in my head.  Darn you Pinterest, and your cute house ideas!  That's a project that I can guarantee won't happen for years...first a fence.  Anyway, that's how I spent most of my weekend.  

I had a great time with friends and was super productive!  Happy Monday!

Another Friday Five Link Up!

I enjoyed writing about the five things I'm loving lately last week so much, I'm doing it again!  Wow, that was a lot of consonance for one sentence...  Anyway, here's this weeks picks!

1.  bareMinerals Neutralizing Prime Time Primer.   I found this this past spring when a crop of zits and scaly, dry skin popped up on my chin while out of town.  I wasn't sold on it at first, but after taking it back to normal lighting and using it under my bb cream, I was 100%.  I have super oily and sensitive skin with random dry patches, which is a weird combo to fix.  This helps even out some of my red patches and acne scars with out messing with the integrity of my bb cream.  I picked mine up at Nordstrom's, but you can also get it online here.

2.  Homemade mouse traps that look like they came from a Wile E. Coyote cartoon.  I'm not necessarily loving that I came home to find a mouse under my garbage can in the kitchen last night, but Alison and I laughed all night over our homemade mouse trap contraptions.  Thankfully, she was awake when I got home last night around 11 p.m. and could come over and talk me out of burning the house down.  Riley, squirrel hunter aficionado, was none to helpful in the process.  He took one look at the mouse, looked and me, and promptly took the above position in the family room.  All bark and no bite, that one.  Unfortunately, when I got up and went downstairs this morning, the trap did not catch the mouse, so I'll be heading to Home Depot at lunch to buy every (humane) trap they offer.  Gross.  Then I'm going to bleach everything I own.

3.  Newly refinished floors.  I love, love, love hardwood floors.  Who doesn't???  These are Beth and JD's newly refinished floors at the house I will be helping them move into this weekend.  And by helping, I mean, lifting small boxes and making sure nobody gets dehydrated.  I'm so excited for the two of them to finally get settled in their awesome new house and neighborhood!

4.  No malignant melanoma!!!  As lax as I am about using sunscreen (shame on me, don't tell my mom), I am very vigilant about having moles checked.  We have a history of skin cancer on my mom's side (seriously, Eileen, sunblock!!!), so I need to be extra careful.  I do kind of miss my cute little tummy mole, though.

5.  Yummy champagne cocktails!  There is no beverage I love more than champagne.  Nope, not even Diet Coke.  Last Wednesday I had some new cocktails at The Dish that I'm going to have to try and recreate at home.  Courtney, sounds like you need to come to the Ville and have a girls night with me (hint, hint)!!!

So, there are my five faves of the week!  Click the linked logo above if you want to join!  TGIF!