1. What are some of your family traditions? Since it is getting close to Christmas (who else is already listening to Christmas music besides me?!?!), I will go with some Christmas traditions...Ever since I was little, we have gone to the family service at church on Christmas Eve. It is my favorite service of the year, aside from Easter. After church we always go to my aunt's house for dinner with the whole family, and on Christmas morning we always go to my grandmother's house for breakfast.
My parents used to torture us kids every Christmas morning by making us sit at the top of the stairs while they yelled out things like "Wow, it is a toyland down here!" or "Boy, Santa sure went all out this year!" We would be dying to get downstairs to tear into our gifts, but we weren't allowed down until Mama had her coffe, the tree was lit, and the Christmas music was playing. I am happy to say that The Farmer and I have kept that tradition with our kids!
2. Do you know how to change a flat tire? Um, no. Right after The Farmer and I got married, I got a flat tire on the way home from my parents' house. At the time, The Farmer and I were living an hour-and-a-half away from my parents, and the flat tire ocurred about halfway home. First I tried to fix the tire myself, but I couldn't get the darn bolts loosened even a tiny bit. I tried to call The Farmer but couldn't get in touch with him, so I finally called my dad. I had to wait in this gas station/Subway shop for 45 minutes until he could get there. It was no fun. Seems like I would have learned after that, but I still haven't...
3. Do you subscribe to any magazines? What are your favorites? I subscribe to Parents, Parenting, Southern Living, Coastal Living, and InStyle. I have also asked for subscriptions to a couple of home magazines for Christmas. My faves are InStyle (I have been subscribing to that one since college) and Southern Living.
4. What are your top three favorite office supply items? Oh, boy, do I love office supplies! My favorites have to be planners (do those count?), pens (I am always searching for the best ones -- I love the Sharpie pens), and highlighters in pretty colors.
5. Are you a good public speaker? Hell no. I am shy, shy, shy. And, I have the unfortunate ability to turn beet red if all eyes are fixed on me. Yuck.
6. How do you feel about acronyms? Just fine, FYI.
7. What’s the most creative things you’ve ever done? Creativity and I don't really belong in the same sentence. However, Muffie, my sister, and I hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law a week ago, and I think we were pretty creative in that. And, I shamelessly copied Muffie and made myself a fall wreath like she did. But coming up with something creative on my own? Not gonna happen, folks.
8. I’d rather jam a pen in my eye than…speak in public, lose to my alma mater's rivals, change clothes in front of other girls (or boys, really)...I could go on.
9. What company has the best advertising? Like Lola, I like Bud Light commercials -- and, hey, I just like Bud Light. I also think Mac has some good ones. For the most part, I try to avoid advertisements.
10. When is your birthday? May 31. I used to really like this birthday until I met The Farmer, and he told me that I was born at a really inconvenient time of the year (he is really busy with harvest season then). I pretty much never see him on my birthday. Luckily I have good girlfriends who make up for The Farmer's absence!
Okay, Muffie and HoneyBun (I can't believe we are calling her that...), it is your turn!
Trixie
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Ten Things on Thursday
I love these little Q&A posts, and I thought it'd be fun for yall to comment with your answers!!
1. What are some of your family traditions? My family has a tradition for just about everything, but my favorite would have to be Christmas Eve. Every year after all of our family parties have ended, my family has dinner at The Steak Knife. And just before we go to bed, my dad reads The Polar Express to us. We have been doing this for as long as I can remember, even after Doc and I got married. I can't wait for the day when we all have kids and my dad is reading it to them. As for Doc and me, we stay at the Le Pavillon Hotel every year for one night around the weekend of our wedding anniversary to celebrate our special day and the special place where we had our reception. It was spectacular!
2. Do you know how to change a flat tire? Hmmm... Once at a slumber party in high school after we had stayed up all night I helped three girls change our friend Katie's flat tire. I've never done it since, so I don't know if I could.
3. Do you subscribe to any magazines? What are your favorites? I sure do! I love getting magazines in the mail!! I am a People, Everyday Food, Southern Living, and In Style subscriber. In Style is my fave!
4. What are your top three favorite office supply items? Oh my goodness, is there anything better in the whole world than the supply closet at work? I love how neat and organized everything is, and it reminds of going to work with my mom when I was little. She would let us play with colored white out - fun! My faves would be, Bic No. 5 clicky pencils, thin tipped Sharpies in every color, and colored 3M tabs.
5. Are you a good public speaker? I absolutely love public speaking. I always have. I find it exciting and exhilirating. I have always dreamed of being a speech writer, but let's be honest, I'd want to grab that speech right out of the reader's hand and say "Here, just let me give it."
6. How do you feel about acronyms? Considering I worked for KPMG for a while, and it in and of itself is an acronym, I got really attached to them. There was one for everything!! And now being married into the military, our use of acronyms has doubled. I think acronyms are great if you know what they mean, but when you don't, it makes you feel like an outsider.
7. What’s the most creative things you’ve ever done? Aside from making fabulously glittery shoes for the Mardi Gras parade I ride in, for our first engagement anniversary I created a puzzle for Doc and sent him around NOLA to find various gifts at different stops across town. At each location he found another puzzle piece attached to a wrapped gift with a rhyme that led him to his next gift. His last stop was a table at Commanders Palace where we had brunch for our anniversary.
8. I’d rather jam a pen in my eye than… be at an away game when the Saints lose. It is so painful to hear all of the smack talk that 65,000 fans will spout out to you.
9. What company has the best advertising? I like Bud Light's advertsising because it is clever and funny and doesn't exploit women (remember the Miller Lite "twins").
10. When is your birthday? November 2nd. It just passed and is on All Souls Day. Growing up, I always thought I special because it fell on a "holiday." I didn't realize that was just a Catholic thing until college! This year I have decided, I will be celebrating my birth year not my birth day. I plan to enjoy every last minute in my 20s.
Have a fabulous day,
Lola
1. What are some of your family traditions? My family has a tradition for just about everything, but my favorite would have to be Christmas Eve. Every year after all of our family parties have ended, my family has dinner at The Steak Knife. And just before we go to bed, my dad reads The Polar Express to us. We have been doing this for as long as I can remember, even after Doc and I got married. I can't wait for the day when we all have kids and my dad is reading it to them. As for Doc and me, we stay at the Le Pavillon Hotel every year for one night around the weekend of our wedding anniversary to celebrate our special day and the special place where we had our reception. It was spectacular!
2. Do you know how to change a flat tire? Hmmm... Once at a slumber party in high school after we had stayed up all night I helped three girls change our friend Katie's flat tire. I've never done it since, so I don't know if I could.
3. Do you subscribe to any magazines? What are your favorites? I sure do! I love getting magazines in the mail!! I am a People, Everyday Food, Southern Living, and In Style subscriber. In Style is my fave!
4. What are your top three favorite office supply items? Oh my goodness, is there anything better in the whole world than the supply closet at work? I love how neat and organized everything is, and it reminds of going to work with my mom when I was little. She would let us play with colored white out - fun! My faves would be, Bic No. 5 clicky pencils, thin tipped Sharpies in every color, and colored 3M tabs.
5. Are you a good public speaker? I absolutely love public speaking. I always have. I find it exciting and exhilirating. I have always dreamed of being a speech writer, but let's be honest, I'd want to grab that speech right out of the reader's hand and say "Here, just let me give it."
6. How do you feel about acronyms? Considering I worked for KPMG for a while, and it in and of itself is an acronym, I got really attached to them. There was one for everything!! And now being married into the military, our use of acronyms has doubled. I think acronyms are great if you know what they mean, but when you don't, it makes you feel like an outsider.
7. What’s the most creative things you’ve ever done? Aside from making fabulously glittery shoes for the Mardi Gras parade I ride in, for our first engagement anniversary I created a puzzle for Doc and sent him around NOLA to find various gifts at different stops across town. At each location he found another puzzle piece attached to a wrapped gift with a rhyme that led him to his next gift. His last stop was a table at Commanders Palace where we had brunch for our anniversary.
8. I’d rather jam a pen in my eye than… be at an away game when the Saints lose. It is so painful to hear all of the smack talk that 65,000 fans will spout out to you.
9. What company has the best advertising? I like Bud Light's advertsising because it is clever and funny and doesn't exploit women (remember the Miller Lite "twins").
10. When is your birthday? November 2nd. It just passed and is on All Souls Day. Growing up, I always thought I special because it fell on a "holiday." I didn't realize that was just a Catholic thing until college! This year I have decided, I will be celebrating my birth year not my birth day. I plan to enjoy every last minute in my 20s.
Have a fabulous day,
Lola
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A dilemma for Honeybun
Hello! I am Honeybun. This is the name I aspire to use when I am a grandmother (in hopefully no less than 25 years). I have a seven month old daughter, Duck(a nickname that we stole from Lola & Doc), and she needs to have some brothers and sisters before we start thinking about all of that!
Here is my dilemma. My husband, ACP, loves to cook (praise the Lord), but is a little bit of a monster in the kitchen. We have very nice dishes but they are chipped and cracked. I'm completely type A and I can't look at cracked dishes anymore. My new vision is "french cafe" something hearty and white that won't break easily but still looks nice.
I found this set at Crate & Barrel and it received fabulous reviews. People said they had the set for 20 years without a break! I thought it was perfect. We bought the set, it arrived today, and I hate it. That is the downfall of online shopping but what do you do when the nearest C&B is hundreds of miles away? You take a chance. Well, I'm at a loss. If anyone out there has some good suggestions as an alternative please send them my way!
I found this other set at Target but it just isn't quite as substantial as I would like. Do you think I should sit with the current set I have and maybe it will grow on me or do you have better ideas?
Love,
Honeybun
Here is my dilemma. My husband, ACP, loves to cook (praise the Lord), but is a little bit of a monster in the kitchen. We have very nice dishes but they are chipped and cracked. I'm completely type A and I can't look at cracked dishes anymore. My new vision is "french cafe" something hearty and white that won't break easily but still looks nice.
I found this set at Crate & Barrel and it received fabulous reviews. People said they had the set for 20 years without a break! I thought it was perfect. We bought the set, it arrived today, and I hate it. That is the downfall of online shopping but what do you do when the nearest C&B is hundreds of miles away? You take a chance. Well, I'm at a loss. If anyone out there has some good suggestions as an alternative please send them my way!
I found this other set at Target but it just isn't quite as substantial as I would like. Do you think I should sit with the current set I have and maybe it will grow on me or do you have better ideas?
Love,
Honeybun
Leftie's name change
Hello again! I didn't actually introduce myself yesterday, so I will follow Trixie and take a minute to do that today. I am going to change my blogging name from Leftie to Lola! It was Trixie's idea, and I love it. Lola from Nola! As you might have figured out, I am of course the only leftie in our group, a position I take seriously, but hope not to be defined by. My hubby, we'll call him Doc, and I have been living in the same town as the three lefts for over three years now and we love it here. Doc is an OBGYN and loves delivering little ones. As Trixie mentioned, we don't actually have any of those yet, but we do have two dogs - Annie and Beignet. Annie is almost 16 and Beignet is newly adopted and we think 5 months. I am a fan of all things fashion, particularly shoes and purses because they always fit and never give you muffin top. I am an avid sports fan who will stay up until midnight to watch MNF or a Hornets game and who listens to NFL radio all day at work. I am a Saints season ticket holder who flies to at least half of our games (six this season) and already has flights booked for home playoff games - please football gods don't let this curse our magical season!! And most importantly, I am a New Orleanian. It defines how I live and how I love. It it not where I am from, it is who I am. I hope you enjoy our unique perspectives on things, and I hope you bare with my bleeding heart!!
Lola
Lola
A few of my favorite things....
I thought I'd begin with a little post about a few of my current favorite things. Aside from these three monkeys who occupy pretty much every second of my life, of course...
...my new obsession is this amazing bathroom cleaner. Our countertops and shower walls are white tile and white (or previously white) grout, and are incredibly hard to keep clean. I love trying new products so I probably have been through at least ten different bathroom cleaners in the 18 months that we've lived in this house. A few days ago I finally found a cleaner that not only works, it works really well, AND there is no scrubbing involved. Seriously. I sprayed it on the walls in the shower, let it sit for 15 minutes, rinsed, and what was once pink/brown/black...hiding in shame admitting this (gross, I know, but keep in mind we live in a very humid climate and there's not much you can do to prevent the growth of mildew around here) is now WHITE. Love, love, love this stuff!
I found Glowology "The Balm" (by Noodle and Boo, if any of you are familiar with their baby products) a few weeks ago and it quickly became a favorite. I have a slight addiction to hand lotion and this is one of the best I've ever used. It smells divine---just like the beach---and does a great job at keeping my hands moisturized. I keep it in the drawer by my kitchen sink and use it about 4,000 times a day.
I read about the HoMedics SoundSpa Lullaby on one of my favorite blogs, Urban Grace Interiors, and ordered one that day because one of my monkeys' sound machines had quit working and we just happened to need a new one ASAP. We have three young children and hardwood floors throughout our house (very attractive but they don't do much to muffle the pitter patter of little feet and/or screams and other noises that my monkeys tend to make when siblings are napping), so we're huge fans of sound machines. I put the SoundSpa in my 4-month-old's nursery and can't say enough good things about it. It plays several different sounds ("rain" is our favorite) along with three lullabies, and also has a rotating projector that projects images onto the ceiling or wall for the baby to watch as he/she falls asleep. I really like the way the volume is much higher than other sound machines we've used. I do have to say that the rotator is a bit finicky and has to be messed with sometimes to start, but from the reviews I've read online, HoMedics is good about sending a replacement if you contact them regarding any issues. I'm considering doing this but I don't want to go even a day without it!
Now this has been a favorite of mine for years: Lancome Definicils mascara. Unfortunately, I was not blessed in the eyelashes department, but Definicils makes up for the lack of thickness and length. This stuff is AMAZING!!!! Absolutely worth the higher price tag, and I pray that they never stop making it because I have no clue what I would do without it!
Lastly, the Hot Apple Cider candle by Beanpod Candles is a big favorite of mine this time of year. It makes your house smell just like hot apple cider, even hours after you've blown it out. It burns for a really long time too, and is made from soy so it's not bad for the environment either! Love it.
Muffie :)
No Aha! Just Blah-blah...
Hi!
I just wanted to take a minute to stop in and introduce myself. I'm going to be known around here as Trixie. No, that is not my real name; however, it is a nickname that I wound up with at a Christmas party a couple of years ago that seems to have stuck around. So, in an attempt at anonymity, Trixie it is!
I would also like to introduce you to my family. I am married to The Farmer (coincidentally, my father is also a farmer, as is The Farmer's father, my brother, and our brother-in-law; it is obviously in the genes.), and we have three beautiful, wonderful (most of the time) children: Miss Priss (6), Sassy (4), and Bubba (2 -- after all, we are from The South!). I can't wait to tell you more about all of us later on!
I am really excited about this new blog. As our profile states, the four of us are friends who all have our own personal blogs. But, we thought that it would be fun to all combine our blogging talents (and I use that term very loosely) to see what we come up with. After all, we are all good friends, but we do have our own different styles and tastes. For instance, our 1 left (who posted yesterday -- I am not 100% sure on all of our nicknames yet) and I are probably the farthest apart politically (I feel safe saying that I am the rightest of the rights), but we probably are the two who are the most into fashion. Leftie is also the only one of us who isn't a mommy yet; two of us moms work, while the third is a stay-at-home mom. As you can see, we are not all cookie-cutter copies of the same person, so it will be interesting to see what we get!
Anyway, I have a lot of work that I should be doing now, so I am going to sign off for today. Thanks for reading -- hopefully we will entertain you!
Trixie
I just wanted to take a minute to stop in and introduce myself. I'm going to be known around here as Trixie. No, that is not my real name; however, it is a nickname that I wound up with at a Christmas party a couple of years ago that seems to have stuck around. So, in an attempt at anonymity, Trixie it is!
I would also like to introduce you to my family. I am married to The Farmer (coincidentally, my father is also a farmer, as is The Farmer's father, my brother, and our brother-in-law; it is obviously in the genes.), and we have three beautiful, wonderful (most of the time) children: Miss Priss (6), Sassy (4), and Bubba (2 -- after all, we are from The South!). I can't wait to tell you more about all of us later on!
I am really excited about this new blog. As our profile states, the four of us are friends who all have our own personal blogs. But, we thought that it would be fun to all combine our blogging talents (and I use that term very loosely) to see what we come up with. After all, we are all good friends, but we do have our own different styles and tastes. For instance, our 1 left (who posted yesterday -- I am not 100% sure on all of our nicknames yet) and I are probably the farthest apart politically (I feel safe saying that I am the rightest of the rights), but we probably are the two who are the most into fashion. Leftie is also the only one of us who isn't a mommy yet; two of us moms work, while the third is a stay-at-home mom. As you can see, we are not all cookie-cutter copies of the same person, so it will be interesting to see what we get!
Anyway, I have a lot of work that I should be doing now, so I am going to sign off for today. Thanks for reading -- hopefully we will entertain you!
Trixie
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Aha Moments!
Well hello world! I am the "left" in our little foursome. I have been trying to think about a good topic for today, and while there are some doozies out there right now (Going Rogue, anyone??), I thought it be fun to open with something upbeat and hopeful.
I was getting my hair done recently, and the only magazine available at the chair where I was seated was O. I am not the biggest Oprah fan, but I thought I'd glance over a few articles. I came to one with Juliana Marguiles in which she described her "aha moment." She was writing about one night when her infant was crying inconsolably and she says "I worked myself into a complete state of anxiety about how I wasn't going to get enough sleep, how I was going to be late for work, how I'd be tired when I got there…all of which only made things worse. And just then, I heard my mother's voice in my head saying what she'd always told me: "Honey, this is only a moment; it's not the rest of your life."
I have been unable to get that phrase out of my head lately. It was as though in describing her "aha moment," I had mine. I have always found difficulty in challenging myself to start a task at which I think I will not succeed. I have always envied people who were able to jog and run at will. Recently, I start working out with a personal trainer and he challenged me to jog for 5 minute increments six times with two minute walking breaks in between. I had convinced myself that it was simply impossible for me to do this - I have bad knees, my toes fall asleep in my tennis shoes, I work late today and it gets dark before I can run. I would find any and every excuse not to even try to accomplish this goal. Until Sunday. On Sunday, hubby and I decided he would help me keep pace and at least make an attempt at my trainer's request. It was not easy, but each time I started to give up I repeated "this is only a moment; it's not the rest of my life." And what do you know, I did it! I feel like I can accomplish anything now. It was amazing and exhilarating and so rewarding to push myself beyond what I perceived were my capabilities. Aha!
So I am wondering - have you had an "Aha moment?" And does my new favorite mantra have any meaning to you? Do you think you'll find yourself thinking of it?
LEFTIE
I was getting my hair done recently, and the only magazine available at the chair where I was seated was O. I am not the biggest Oprah fan, but I thought I'd glance over a few articles. I came to one with Juliana Marguiles in which she described her "aha moment." She was writing about one night when her infant was crying inconsolably and she says "I worked myself into a complete state of anxiety about how I wasn't going to get enough sleep, how I was going to be late for work, how I'd be tired when I got there…all of which only made things worse. And just then, I heard my mother's voice in my head saying what she'd always told me: "Honey, this is only a moment; it's not the rest of your life."
I have been unable to get that phrase out of my head lately. It was as though in describing her "aha moment," I had mine. I have always found difficulty in challenging myself to start a task at which I think I will not succeed. I have always envied people who were able to jog and run at will. Recently, I start working out with a personal trainer and he challenged me to jog for 5 minute increments six times with two minute walking breaks in between. I had convinced myself that it was simply impossible for me to do this - I have bad knees, my toes fall asleep in my tennis shoes, I work late today and it gets dark before I can run. I would find any and every excuse not to even try to accomplish this goal. Until Sunday. On Sunday, hubby and I decided he would help me keep pace and at least make an attempt at my trainer's request. It was not easy, but each time I started to give up I repeated "this is only a moment; it's not the rest of my life." And what do you know, I did it! I feel like I can accomplish anything now. It was amazing and exhilarating and so rewarding to push myself beyond what I perceived were my capabilities. Aha!
So I am wondering - have you had an "Aha moment?" And does my new favorite mantra have any meaning to you? Do you think you'll find yourself thinking of it?
LEFTIE
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