Thirsty Thursday

This has been one of the longest weeks ever... and I am in desperate need of a cocktail and chocolate to successfully get to Friday. Thanks to Trish at Pink Preppy Lilly Lover, I have a new delicious drink to share with you on this gorgeous Thursday night. It has officially been added to my menu of cocktails to serve on girls nights this summer. Try it out and let me know if you enjoy!

Cocktail... check!

On to the chocolate. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a recipe that was nothing short of mouth watering... it simply tip toed on the brim of being sinful. Just the name of this chocolate sensation sounded beyond amazing... Brownie Covered Oreos! Two of my favorite things of all time put into one bite.

Simply take a box of brownie mix and follow the directions on the box to prepare the batter. Then dip individual Oreos (double stuff preferred) into the batter and place them in the cups of a muffin pan (make sure you grease your pan!) Cook at 350 degrees for about 16-18 minutes. So easy and out of this world! I've already eaten 4 of them and they just came out of the oven.

I'm the most awful photographer of food so I owe some credit for this one.

currents

Current Food:

 Soy Creamy Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

(complements of Trader Joe's)

Current Drink:

 Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi

Current Color:

Sand Tropaz- Essie

(yes... I know it's time for a change but I love it!)

Current Pandoras:

Gin Blossoms

Katy Perry

Justin Bieber (guilty) 

Current iPod play list:

Adele- Someone Like You

He Is We- Happily Ever After

The Band Perry- If I Die Young

Boyce Avenue- Teenage Dream

Current Website Obsession:

RueLaLa.com
Click the link above for a personal invite to this exclusive, invite only destination where you can shop private sales of designer brands at 50-70% off! Don't miss out... sales change daily!

Current book:

Love the One You're With

 (still attempting to finish it... but there's no time)

Current TV Shows:

Monday- How I Met Your Mother
Tuesday-Glee
Tuesday- One Tree Hill
Thursday- Grey's Anatomy

Current Need:

Someone to force me to go to the gym (down 2 flights of stairs!)

Oh and more hours in a day... unless summer break could get here sooner.

Current Search:
Summer Job

Current Success:

Finally started house hunting... and already sick and tired of the process. Hopefully once I start to decide what I'm actually looking for this search will be a complete success!

Current Celebrity Crush:

Ryan Reynolds

Gah... this might be beyond a crush. I'm in love.

Current Resolutions:

Stop eating dairy and start doing yoga again.

Current Mood:

Exhausted but Motivated

Femme Fatale

I've come to believe that females are born with a gene that compromises their self confidence. Even the most haughty of women have moments of self doubt. It is more likely than not that the majority of all conversations between females involves discussion of other female, good or bad.

We live in a media infused generation where beauty is predefined by those who hold the whims of social power in their hands. Little girls grow up playing with the perfect female, Barbie, with her 39" 19" 33" measurements and watching prince charming choose the fairest maiden in the land. Teens view movies that display expectations of the perfect size, shape and figure that encourages them to change their own image. Grown women swoon over pictures of females in magazine with hopes of achieving that envied physique.



Yet, we all have misconceptions of who the perfect female is. Does she have a foreign accent, captivating wit, divaesque persona? Does she take tequila shots with the guys or sip pinot with the girls? Is she skinny with long limbs or petite and well rounded? Does she dress like a photo straight from vogue or does she saunter around in jeans and a tshirt?

Who is to say that the perfect woman is a cross between Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston (what can I say... Brad Pitt has good taste)? And we all know that there will always be an ongoing battle between the world of blondes and brunettes. Who will win... we will never know. But one thing I do know is that an explicit description of the ultimately perfect female does not exist.

Has anyone ever realized that so often we jump to the conclusion that the perfect female is far from ourselves, when truly you fit the bill for the femme fatale in another person's mind? Hold your head high and know that there is no one definition of the perfect female. All you have to do is find the perfect female inside of you. In the words of Carrie Bradshaw, "And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous."

Have you visited Elsewhere?

I might have a new newly realized obsession. Lately I've grown to love the feeling of buying books... even books that I know I will never read. Just the act of owning them, makes me so happy. If you had told me a year ago that I would rather buy a book than a new dress, I'd probably laugh in your face and then go on a Lilly spree. But today, things have changed.

I am counting down the days until my summer vaca begins so that I can indulge my nerdy side every day by the pool. My "summer books to read" list is growing by the minute and it seems that every store I step foot in has a literary treasure lurking on the shelves.

I've contemplated buying a Kendle or Nook to suffice my reading hobby but it's just not the same. There is something about owning books and attempting to fill the gaps in my bookshelf. So this purchase has been put on the backburner for the time being... until I overcome this need to physically turn the pages of a novel (instead of tap a screen.)

My obsession with filling my bookshelf is encouraged every day as I drive by this great store front downtown on my way home. I've forever thought that it was a thrift shop but found out a few weekends ago that it is actually a living museum.

Elsewhere is a non-profit organization that provides a space for local artist and creative minds to come together in a very unconventional way. The store front is the remnants of an old furniture company/army surplus store of the 30s that became a thrift shop in the 70s. When the owner died, her grandson became the owner of this now cramped and cluttered space. He and his friends took this pile of junk and saw it a masterpiece. They did not remove a things but instead allowed artist to come into the space and arrange all of the nick knacks into masterpieces.

I highly recommend that you stop by and soak in the amusing history that lies within these walls. It was great to see toys and trinkets from my childhood sitting right beside my parents' childhood nick knacks. Name it, and it is somewhere on the walls. Trolls, Teddy Ruxpin, Glo Worm, Battleship, Puffalump (gah I loved my Puffalump), Rubik's Cubes, Mr. Potatohead, Barbie, GI Joe, Little People, Lite Brite, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Polly Pocket, Operation... and this list never ends.

Not only was I in awe of all the memories that these toys stirred up; my jaw dropped when I saw the color coded, floor to ceiling book shelves. I envy this masterpiece and want so badly to recreate it one day!

With outlooks of sunny weather and page turning by the pool,

Mimosas on Monday

Manic Monday Shopping Spree

I've come to the conclusion that couponing is no longer fun because crazy people with their coupon binders show up at Harris Teeter every day before 2pm and clean the shelves before I even get a chance to see what I can get for free. Seriously people, I only want one of each item... you can spare one of the 50 boxes of popcorn in your cart so that my couponing spree can be a little bit more of a success. Oh well, I did get a few things on this trip. This week was triple coupon week at Harris Teeter... they will triple any coupon up to 99 cent. And of course you know this was the perfect opportunity to see what I could actually get for free.

 I successfully bought got $30.33 worth of items for $3.33! 

Box of Puffs tissues, Croutons, Chocolate Chip Eggos, Italian seasoning, Salad Seasoning, Brownie Mix, Fajita Mix, Taco Mix, 4 bags of M&Ms, 2 toothbrushes, Crest 3D White toothpaste, Mustard

Gaga Madness

I will be the first to say that I more than often get caught up in singing along to some Gaga on my XM. Every song is so intoxicating catchy... how can one not get sucked in?! Even if you're not a fan, I would bet millions that you know all of the words to at least one Gaga hit.

Speaking of millions, Lady Gaga (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) has managed to rack up a net worth of more than $110 million in a drastically short period of time. She is this generation's Madonna and is practically worshipped by some.

I am not a die hard Gaga "Monster" fan (as they call themselves) so I was a little late in viewing her new Music Special on HBO, "Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden." But today for some reason, I stumbled across it while I was on the phone. After watching bits and pieces during my phone convo, too concentrated in catching up with my amazing college roommate to change the channel, I didn't realize what I was watching.

Once I got off the phone, I was so caught off guard by the provocativeness of her dancing and obscenities that I couldn't help but keep watching.

Now over an hour later... here I am still watching it! I actually caught myself sitting here wide eyed with my jaw dropped as I watched this concert that was nothing like anything I've ever seen before.
Has anyone else watched this special on HBO or even been to a Gaga concert? No question about it... she has an astonishing voice but her concert is nothing short of insanity!

Caffeine High

Warm weather means a slight change in my already hectic morning routine. I've officially done away with my 5AM wake up call at this point in the year. Counting down the days until school is officially out for summer, I am not so motivated to show up at work before the sun shows its face. But I am willing to wake up 20 minutes earlier than my now 6AM rise and shine so that I can fulfill my necessity for caffeine.

Starbucks will eventually empty my bank account if I continue this daily morning pit stop. But don't you worry... Starbucks, being the customer friendly corporation that it is, has helped to both save my wallet and my sleep.

Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee came about a while back, so it's not something new to the world. BUT, Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee is new. And I am addicted. Why would I not love a Starbucks quality drink that I can create in second within the comfort of my own kitchen!?

On top of being simple delicious, it is sensibly cheap. A box of VIA Iced Coffee comes with 5 servings which make up to 16oz. of coffee each (that would be a Grande for you coffee lovers.) Priced at $5.95 a box, that would be $1.19 per drink. That sure does beat the $5 a day I spend to wait for a barista to fix my coffee while I'm dancing around worrying that I'm going to be late to work.

I like to add a little almond milk or flavored creamer to my VIA to add that Starbucks touch. You'd never be able to tell the difference. Have you tried VIA yet? If not... what are you waiting for?

Better than Sex Cake

Procrastinating no more! I've been meaning to make this "to die for" cake for the past few weeks and tomorrow I am going to finally take the time to indulge. Why not treat myself to a fabulous Friday treat!? Try the recipe yourself and let me know what you think.

Better than Sex Cake
 24 servings

1 box Devil's Food cake Mix
10 oz Diet Coke
1 egg white
6 oz fat free caramel ice cream topping
7 oz RF or FF condensed milk (Eagles)
1 cup Heath Bar bits (found by the chocolate chips)
1 container of fat free cool whip


Mix cake mix, egg white and Diet Coke. Bake as directed in a greased 9x13 pan. During the last few minutes of baking, put caramel and condensed milk in a sauce pan and stir on medium low until smooth.  Take cake out of oven, and poke holes all over the top (easiest way is with a toothpick.) Pour caramel mixture over warm cake, filling in the holes. Sprinkle Heath bits over the top, reserving some for the top. Cool completely. Cover with container of FF cool whip and sprinkle with remaining Heath bits. Put in fridge until ready to serve.

WASP Wednesday

This week has been beyond stressful and it is only Wednesday! From EOGs to the beginning of house hunting... things just keep piling up. To keep from exploding with anxiety, I've preoccupied myself with future shopping lists. Yep... that's right... I shop when I'm stressed. What can I say?! At least it's better than stress eating (which I am also guilty of.) Here are a few items at the top of my "to buy (I wish I could buy) list."

1. Gold Monogram Necklace

As seen on Lauren Conrad:

2. Monogrammed Serving Tray

(I'm going to attempt to mimic this tray this week... we'll see how that goes...)

3. Armchair for my bedroom

perfect for summer reading

Marrying the Bartender

Saturday night was a great way to end my mini vaca in Charlotte. A night out downtown with amazing friends. What could be better than that? Rain or shine... we were sure to have a good time.

The night was filled with constant laughter, catching up with old friends, and of course a little time on the df (dance floor.) To top the night off, there happened to be a gorgeous bartender who not only became my main topic of conversation, but also was the cause of my incessant shenanigans.

The highlight was not his unbelievably good looks or his flirtatious smile. But when I ordered a Skinnygirl Margarita he got a huge grin and informed me that they had just got a new recipe... oh and it doesn't stop there... he proceeded to print off the recipe and ask for my approval (too good to be true.) Needless to say, I more than approved and proceeded to convince others that they must try this little sip of heaven.

Maybe this drink is going to bring me more than just an anecdote to a stressful day at work... maybe it will bring me a husband.

A girl's got to dream!

The One in Charlotte

I've always loved how the Friends episodes have such simplistic titles all beginning with "the one..." Well this weekend was far from an afternoon at Central Perk, but it was definitely filled with friends.

Even though I ended up having to rough it out in the rain at graduation... I almost made it through the whole thing without complaining. My only complaints came when I saw at least 4 other girls/women wearing my same dress. Usually this wouldn't  frustrate me except for the fact that one of those women was at least 30 years my older. Does this mean I am dressing too old or was this woman dressing much too young? Maybe I should go back to frequenting Forever21 on a weekly basis!

But beyond this fashion crisis, I was so proud to see my little sister in sorority walk across that stage, with diploma in hand. Time seems to have flown by but every day makes me appreciate these friendships more and more.

This was not the only moment of the weekend that I was beyond excited for my little. The night after graduation I was catching up with another sorority sister over much needed drinks and in this conversation I mentioned how I thought my little would definitely be the next to get engaged (speaking of engaged... I just counted 5 people I know closely that have gotten engaged in the past 2 weeks. It must be spring fever.)

Seconds after I discussed this with said sorority sister, we got a text letting us know that our friends had arrived downstairs. When we walked up to the group, my little held out her hand and there was a glistening diamond perched on her left ring finger. I couldn't contain my excitement and the irony of the conversation that I had happened moments earlier. I am so proud of this stunningly fabulous lady. Congrats M!

What a great surprise to top off an amazing weekend!

Habitual Over-packer

Habitual Over-packer? Right here! The countdown is finally over and I am heading to Charlotte for a much needed get away. On top of enjoying an amazing weekend vaca, I get to see my gorgeous little graduate from college (SO PROUD.)

I'm beyond giddy about getting to see college friends that I've not seen in what seems like forever (or really only a few months but in a 20something world, months seem like ages.)

In the past two days I was rudely attacked by the most awful cold but don't you worry, this gal has her priorities straight and there are 4 boxes of cold medicine and tissue in that green basket... right beside two bottles of margaritas!

Let the weekend shenanigans begin!

Wordless Wednesday- So Proud!

I Kiss Better Than I Cook

Note to self: I am not meant to cook.

Some people might say that they could use a few cooking classes... well I would say that I need a few cooking safety classes. I don't know what it is but I am destined to cause disaster when it comes to cooking. Don't get me wrong; I can cook some amazing things. But I might cause a fire (been there done that countless times) or break multiple dishes in the process of creating a scrumptious meal.

My family loves to tell all of our dinner guest the infamous story of my bonfire on the kitchen stove. It's not my fault that no one told me that the back burner had just been cut off. I was merely trying to straighten up the kitchen and happen to set a huge (understatement) stack of papers on the stove. I'm sure you can see what's coming next... yep... about 5 minutes later the smoke alarm is going off and there is a massive (once again understatement) fire blazing on the stove. I will never live this down.

Tonight was another one of those nights that I was reminded that I should not be unaccompanied in a kitchen when using anything other than the microwave. I was innocently trying to prepare a nice meal of tilapia. After taking the fish out of the oven I once again forgot which burner I had previously been cooking on and mistakenly sat my glass cooking dish (a Christmas present none the least) on top of the hot burner.

It took a few minutes for me to realize that this glass dish should not still be smoking after I removed the fish. That would be the moment when I realized my mistake. And the story does not end there... it just gets worse. I proceed... in a moment of stupidity... to put water on the hot dish to cool it off. You of course know that this would cause MORE smoke because you of course are not stupid.

Oh... I'm still not done. I then sat the GLASS dish back on the stove and it suddenly shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Now I was left with a smoke filled apartment, glass all over my kitchen and no one to help me clean up.

But at least I can solace my anger and embarrassment with another dose of Ginnifer Goodwin (thank you HBO for having a decent movie on for once) and thanks to Bethenny Frankel I can calm my nerves with a nice Skinnygirl margarita (want the recipe then check out this post.)

Lesson learned: Find a boyfriend who loves to cook and I can just wash the dishes!

IDed at 23!

Sorry for the delay on the movie review. This past weekend I did something that I never seem to have the time to do... went to see a movie in the theater. And not just one movie... but I went and saw two movies in one day. I know... big time! Now this might not seem like a major feat but if you were me, then going to a movie can involve immensely embarrassing moments... if you know me well then this shouldn't surprise you considering unlucky circumstancing tend to follow me everywhere I go.

I first went to see "Something Borrow" with my mom. My record when it comes to seeing movies with my mother is not so great considering every movie I end up taking her to has either a 20 minute sex scenes... obscenities every 2 seconds... or its a downright dud. But I can say without a doubt that this movie viewing was a success. I know. I know. You're waiting for the review but first I have to let you know what happened when I went for my second theater trip.

Later that night I went to see Fast Five with a group of friends. Needless to say I didn't pick the movie and could really have cared less what movie I was going to see. Well I arrived at the theater after the first of my friends and before two others. When I walked up to order my ticket, the ticket girl (who had to have been barely 16) asked to see my ID before I could purchase my ticket. You'd think this would surprise me, but it seems that I get IDed everywhere I go so I willingly handed over my license without questions.

After successfully finally getting my ticket I made it through the theater doors and into what seemed like an absurdly long line to get my ticket torn in half so I could finally make it to my flick. After standing there for what seemed like forever, I was pulled out of line by one of the managers (you know the guys in the nice suits that for some reason are always lurking around the theater.) I thought to myself, "well how nice... I finally get some respect around here and he's going to let me cut in front of all of these high schoolers."

OH WAS I WRONG! He proceeded to ID me AGAIN (yes this was the second time that I was IDed before I even made it past the red ropes.) I'm sure you already know that I was peeved beyond understanding because I now had to dig into my wallet to find my license once again when I had just put it up. What is this a night club?!?

The highlight of this story is not the fact that I seem to look like a 15 year old, it is the fact that when I got into the theater, my friends got a great laugh when they pointed out to me that this was in fact a PG13 movie!! Do I seriously look that young? And please do not answer this question!

Photo Credit

Sorry for the rant. Now on to the long awaited movie review:

Something Borrow: Perfect Girls Night Out Movie. Definitely lived up to my expectations and surprisingly didn't fall far from the fabulousness of the book. Not only was there a stunningly handsome, "young Tom Cruise" look alike lead male, Collin Egglesfield; but there was a genuinely perfect man of my dreams boy next door played by John Krasinski (who I wish had an identical twin... looks and personality... so that I could date/marry/have his babies.) I am by far an Ethan fan (the role that Krasinski plays) or you could say I'm head over heels in love with him. But I do have to admit to having a shallow lust for Dex (Egglesfield.) If you haven't read Emily Giffin's book series then you are sure to be in for a socking twist of events throughout the entire movie. For those of you who have read the books, don't worry, you will not be let down. I was still on the edge of my seat laughing hysterically and tearing up once or twice even though I knew what was coming.

The one thing that preoccupied my mind throughout the entire movie was my restlessness for the sequel Something Blue to rush into theaters as soon as possible.  Something Blue was by far my favorite book of the two, not only because Ethan (my pick) is the lead male role in the sequel, but it is also set in London. The rumor mill is already starting and there is sure talk about the sequel happening in the very near future. Some sources even say that filming has already begun. All I have to say is that I'm going to be impatiently waiting for the previews to pop up! And for those of you who have jumped on the Emily Giffin bandwagon after seeing the movie... you need to hurry up and finish Something Blue before it sneaks onto the screen.

Margarita Monday

Mondays are by far my favorite "work week" nights because I'm actually not exhausted (unlike every other night of the week) and I can enjoy cooking dinner (instead of ordering out) and have a drink while catching up on the enormous list of missed must see TV shows.

This Monday I will of course be watching the season finale of Bethenny Ever After (a show following the every day life of my favorite housewife)! I'm so sad that this season is coming to such a quick end... I mean what else am I'm supposed to do without Bethenny Frankel's crazy antics to provide my "ab workout" of the day from laughing nonstop for an hour straight?

Well this Monday I will be celebrating this brilliant show in good fashion... With a Skinnygirl Margarita in hand. I finally found it this week and what better occasion than this to break open the bottle!

Cheers from the Skinnygirl herself!
Photo Credit

So if you need a break from your manic Monday go grab a bottle of Skinnygirl or try the recipe below and whip up a pitcher in the comforts of your own kitchen:

Things You'll Need:

• Ice
• Blender (if you want it frozen)
• Fresh lime juice (about 1 tbsp.) and wedges for garnish
• 2 oz. white tequila (100 percent agave is very important--Patron Silver is a favorite)
• A tiny splash of triple sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau (about 1 tsp.)
• Margarita glasses

Instructions:
1- Make a Skinny Girl on the rocks by adding ice to a rocks glass, add 2 oz. (a two-count) of white tequila, the juice of four lime wedges and a splash of Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau. It's that easy!

2- If you're ordering a Skinny Girl at a bar, you can have it on the rocks, but replace the Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau with a splash of frozen margarita mix. You get the same great flavor and a little bit of a different texture.

3- If you want a frozen margarita, combine all of the ingredients in a blender; just make sure that there is 2 oz. of tequila per serving and you're ready to go. Serve in a chilled glass--and if you'd like to garnish the glass, rim it with a lime and dip in salt or sugar or both.

ENJOY... and don't miss the season finale of Bethenny Ever After on Bravo at 10pm.

Becoming My Mother

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. -Author Unknown

Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.

Proverbs 22:6

And that is exactly what my amazing mother has done... she taught me everything I know and no matter where life has taken me or will take me... I know that her wisdom will never lead me down the wrong path. It is my joy to know that I am truly becoming my mother with every day that passes. 

I love you mom... to the moon and back!

Happy Mother's Day

Temporary Lasp in Living in a 20something's World

Today I realized that I am slowing becoming an adult...something that I'm not looking forward to and slowly being the keyword here. This revelation came due to the following events:

So far this weekend I have managed to trade my late Friday nights out on the town for an early Saturday morning at a Fun Day Carnival at the elementary school I teach at.

I traded my shenanigans on the dance floor for a embarrassing dance competition against students... which of course included me dancing to the Cupid Shuffle, the Carlton, Thriller and Backstreet Boys "Bye bye bye." Needless to say the teachers won (I mean with my natch for dancing at weddings how could we not win! And I'm positive that I successfully proved that I'm a more than cool teacher.)
*sidebar: I noticed half way through this outburst of ridiculously classy sloppy flash mobbing that several of my student were holding their cell phones up in my direction... Yep! I was caught and will no doubt me on YouTube before the day is done. My question is... Why in the world do elementary school students have their own cell phones? I didn't get a cellphone until I had my driving permit (at 15)!?! What is the appropriate age to give a child a cell phone now a days anyway?

After being a Dancing Queen I cooled off with a nice mixed drink... Only joking of course because today I traded my margarita for a snow cone. And to top it all off... instead of being hit on by hot guys, I was now being dragged into endless conversations with the soccer mom parents of my students. Conversations that indeed did not include a date invitation but instead were full of "I know someone that I could definitely set you up with" invitations.

But don't you worry. My Johnny Depp fantasies were brought to an epic high today when I attempted to go down the Pirates of the Caribbean blow up slide.  *Insert me screaming like a little girl.

This picture does the slide no justice.

Now for those of you who are cringing in horror at my lapse in living in a 20something's world... Don't you worry, next weekend I will take the journey back to my alma mater and hopefully redeem this temporary lapse in my social life.

Salt. Tequila. Lime.

I spent the morning reminiscing of Cinco de Mayos of my past with a fellow teacher. Our flash backs started to run together and soon I wasn't sure if we had actually been at the same Mexican restaurant sharing a pitcher or what! Of course the story went a little like this:

College... margaritas... dancing... mariachi band... bad decisions... all in all a great time 

After about 5 minutes of story telling it quickly dawned on me that everyone (no matter who you are, where you're from or how old you are... that could be debated) celebrates Cinco de Mayo in the same fashion. Pretty amusing when you think about it... especially when I was comparing margarita memories with someone who was at least 20 years my older and we still had the same recollections of this fabulous holiday.

This year I was determined to celebrate Cinco de Mayo even though I had a little inkling that I might be on the verge of being too old... and the fact that I have to teach in the morning. Needless to say, my love of margaritas won over common sense.

Cinco de Mayo 2011 was definitely filled with more than interesting moments...

6:30pm- sitting in a Mexican Restraunt, waiting for a table, I look out the window and start to laugh out loud at these two little kids who are wearing sombreos and mustaches while dancing on the sidewalk

6:32pm- I suddenly realize that one of these kids is actually one of my darling students

6:33pm- I burst into laughter (which of course draws attention) because I am now trying to figure out how to avoid said student

6:35pm- said student (against my wishes) walks into the same Mexican restraunt

6:36pm- student recognizes me (and is equally shocked) and shouts out "Ms. Mashburn!! What can I say... we go all out on holidays!" *did I mention that this is the loudest student in my class*

6:37pm- insert utter embarrassment

6:30-9:30pm- Let the celebrating begin... the night was filled with laughter and loads of catching up along with discussion of a future Vegas trip with amazing friends over delicious margaritas (one of which was free... success!)

10:00pm- realize that there is going to be a jalapeno eating contest in the middle of the restaurant

10:00-10:15- watch crazy insane people eat jalapenos while subsequently fighting the urge to vomit

10:15- 4'11" girl wins this preposterous contest by eating 32 jalapenos... without vomitting



I had to have proof... this was unbelievable!



All in all... another successful Cinco de Mayo.

I hope your 5th of May was filled with friends, laughter and of course a lot of tequila.

Apples? Give me a gift card!

This week is Nation Teacher Appreciation Week so I thought I would share a few thoughts. Being a teacher, I was going to rant and rave about how unappreciated teachers are but I quickly realized that bickering wasn't going to get me anywhere but back in my classroom tomorrow.

Instead, I want to remind you of the fact that not one of us would be where we are today (with all of our successes) without the love of a teacher. So this week take a few minutes to think back to one teacher who left a special imprint on your life and send them a quick email of appreciation. You'd be surprise how much one thank you can make a teacher's day.

Now here's a little laugh for you me... see if you can answer the following question.

Questions: Looking at the picture below, which direction is the bus moving?

This same questions was asked to pre-schoolers all over the US.

90% of pre-schoolers got the right answers.

Can you??

Post your answer below in the comments and let's see if you're smarter than a pre-schooler.

Cinco de Mayo countdown: 1 day!

Romance + Comedy... What's Not to Love

 Coming to theaters near you this Friday, May 6th is a movie MUST SEE... Something Borrowed. 

Considering the majority of the population will be recovering from a massive hangover due to the over consumption of margaritas for Cinco de Mayo, (let the countdown begin) a movie night is more than a perfect idea for Friday.

Not only is the movie based on the book series written by my favorite author, Emily Giffin, the movie also stars two of my favorite actresses, Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin and an extremely good looking lead guy, Colin Egglesfield along side the boy next door, John Krasinski.

If you have not read the Emily Giffin books, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, and Love the One You're With... please get in your car and race to the nearest book store and snag them off the shelves. You will not be disappointed as these book delve into the truth behind real love stories with all of the ups and downs along the way. There are many lessons to be learned through Something Borrowed.

Life is not always neat and nice... sometimes endings are dirty and you have to risk everything to find out who you truly are. True love does not always come with fairytale ending but if you trust your heart you might find love in the most unexpected places.

Movie reviews to come this weekend.

Cinco de Mayo countdown: 2 days!

I Want More for My Money

Lately, I've found a new output for my incessant shopping addictions.... couponing. Please don't roll your eyes and immediately jump to images of that new show on TLC, Extreme Couponing. I will be the first person to say that those couponers are suffering from temporary insanity and way too much extra time on their hands. No normal human being needs 53 tubes of toothpaste or 78 bars of deodorant.

Couponing has become a game for me. Yes... I am in fact a 40 year old woman at heart. My mother even laughs at my new obsession and proceeds to embarrass me at the register(because I refuse to coupon on my own out of a slight guilt of making the poor cashier ring up hand fulls of coupons) by explaining my obsession with couponing to the decently good looking cashier.

This week is Super Double Coupon week at Harris Teeter... and needless to say this is the only week that I use coupons. Harris Teeter will double any coupon up to $1.98. Oh... and half of the store is buy one get one free. Put together, that means that you can buy one of those "buy one get one free items" and get it for half price... then use a coupon that is double and voila... free item. My goal is to make one trip to the grocery store and see how many things that I can buy get for free. Goal: a balance of $0.00!

Latest Grocery Trip:

Grocery Bill: $31.00

- Money Saved: $28.00

Money Spent: $3.00

SUCCESS!



And after savings like that...I can justify my other splurges... including the TOMS wedges I've been dying for... and wore to work today!!

My Sex and the City

Sometimes I feel like I could sum up the story of my life in "Sex and the City" quotes... A single girl living in the city; dabbling in the dating world while still maintaining an epic social life with her three closest friends. I am thinking about Carrie Bradshaw of course, not myself, because I am obviously lacking the epic social life at this current moment considering my life consist of entertaining 5th graders by day and tyring to avoid an early death by exhaustion at night. No matter what point in life, Carrie Bradshaw always seems to have the exact words to describe my current life situations, especially when it comes to walking in a single girl's shoes.

Lately, with May lurking around the corner, I've found myself constantly thinking and talking about "...when I was in college." With every college senior counting down the days until they finally get to walk across the stage and collect their hard earned and hardly paid for diploma, I can only think back to that final week before graduation when the only thought passing through my mind was... "what have I not done that I wanted to do before graduating from college."

 I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be looking back on my college days a few years down the road (like I am now) and wish that I had done more or even regret something that I wanted so badly to do and never found the time to. I can officially say that right now, 2 years after I've entered stumbled into the real world, I have not a single regret. 

From the relationships to heartbreaks and test cram sessions to outrageous nights out, I had the most incredible friends and sisters to share each and every moment with. It was these girls that taught me that "maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free til they find someone just as wild to run with them." And that is exactly what I am currently doing. Running free, with no strings attached; waiting for the day when I find that "someone" to run with me.

  

These same girls, were the ones that I ran to at 2oclock in the morning when some dumb guy had decided to try and break my heart (try being the key word because no guy is worth a heartbreak.) They were also the same ones that encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and dream big. Isn't it funny how “when you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious. You could break a bone or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes you don't leap at all because there's not always someone there to catch you. And in life, there's no safety net. When did it stop being fun and start being scary?” Well, luckily when life got hard, I had these girls to be my safety net. No matter what tried to come between us, we were always held together by a connection that was beyond that of friendship. We were sisters in ever sense of the word. Now, being at that point in life when things do start getting scary, I always turn to these fabulous ladies to keep the scary away and the fun still alive.

Now that we have all "grown up" and gone our separate ways, we have moved on to what seem like the bigger and better moments of life. We have successfully found jobs that not only pay the bills but also make us happy. Some have found the loves of their lives and their "I" has now become an "US." Some have even brought new lives into this worlds. And others are still living the life of independence. I mean, “It's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes -- that's why you sometimes need really special shoes!” And my shoes are pretty daggum special! 

Now don't get me wrong. My life has been no fairytale. I've had my fair share of mistakes and have learned many lessons the hard way. But “maybe mistakes are what make our fate... without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we had never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart... and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away.” And we are lucky that the only thing separating us is a plane (or bus) ride away. Miles have separated us but our memories bring us closer together every day.

Looking back on my college days has only brought back memories of how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life. They have shown me what true love is... and it too is not perfect. But, I am now at the point in my journey that "I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love." One day I will find that love, but for now I am happy living my life with no regrets.

Congratulations Class of 2011!

May all of your "must dos" be accomplished before you make that step into the real world.