No Rest for the Wicked

Boy oh boy, I'm pooped. 

 Did Christmas falling on a Tuesday throw you off this year?  Because it did over here... majorly so. 

I'm back at work today, and also working on something special...

Announcement: My Etsy shop is OPEN!!!!!!

I've only listed a couple of items because I haven't loaded my photos.  But take a look and let me know if you're interested in a purchase!

I've already made two sales since last Friday :)))))))
Happy Shopping!!

Merry Christmas!

Our cheeks are nice and rosy
and comfy cozy are we
We're snuggled up together
like two birds of a feather would be
Let's take that road before us
and sing a chorus or two
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a sleigh ride together with you.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
See you soon :)

Foolish Decisions

Have you read this article yet?
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Charleston woman charged after police find dog tied to bench downtown

"Charleston police arrested her after they say she left her dog tied to a bench on George Street. She was charged with cruelty to animals, according to jail records."

After I saw this yesterday afternoon, I couldn't stop thinking about it and found it hard to form a solid opinion.  I guess I felt torn because I myself made foolish decisions while drinking during my college years.  Granted, I knew that I was nowhere near responsible enough to care for an animal at that point it time, but it still resonated with me that this girl perhaps did not think before acting in this case and did not realize what she was really doing, from a sober perspective.  I am appalled by animal cruelty and can't bare to see them mistreated.  But I'm also curious if this situation escalated as it did partly due to the fact that this dog seemed aggressive and also that she was passed out from underage drinking... I'm not saying she wasn't very wrong.   I have a neighbor that leaves his dog  tied up outside his back porch sometimes, not to be cruel, but to let the dog take in a little sunshine.  With that I recognize this was very early in the morning and not in the dog's best interest.  Like I said, my opinion is up in the air.  She was very wrong but  I'm not sure that I agree to her face being on the front page of Post and Courier online (yesterday) and some of the heated comments.  I would not be suprised if this ruins her life here in Charleston and she will most likely drop out and leave town once all court matters are settled.  All I can say is that this is a news story that really made me think.  Perhaps also in part because I swear I saw this girl and her dog at Juanita's downtown last time we were there!  What do you think???

Well, speaking of foolish decisions...
I went out on a weeknight and I am paying for it!

We just can't seem to walk past Cypress without being sucked in for a martini, or 2.

And on a Tuesday!? 

There is way too much week left for me to have even the slightest alcohol induced headache.

But we had a great time celebrating K's birthday!

Happy Hump Day!

More celebrations tonight...all the way through the New Year!
P.S.
Happy Holidays from us :)

Happy Birthday to my Baby!

To quote Mark Twain:
"I am grateful- gratefuler than ever before- that you were born,
& that your love is mine & our  two lives woven & welded together"
It's you and me babe, together forever!

I love you!

I can't wait to celebrate tonight, with a little bit of this:



Christmas Traditions...

 Happy Holidays from me and my DEER friend :)

So, let's talk about Christmas traditions...

I absolutely love hearing about people's unique Christmas traditions. 

I was very inspired by Stephanie's post regarding her new tradition of paying for the next person in line's meal at some point this year...  what a simple and thoughtful gift to pass on!

At our house there are a couple traditions that are non-negotiables:
Every year my friend Abby and I make the time to get together to bake and decorate cookies.  It's a fun time to catch up, and enjoy a little creative therapy.  This past weekend was our fourth year doing it!

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One of my favorite traditions has to be Christmas Karaoke.  There is no denying that I love Karaoke, and so do my friends.  We make a point to, after all the family festivities are through, head to our Neighborhood Karaoke and carol it out on Christmas night!

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We also have the typical traditions: Decorating the tree while sipping champagne, Holiday Festival of Lights, Candlelight Service, etc...

K's family takes a shot of Rumplemintz together on Christmas Eve! 

Please share any non-traditional traditions with me!  I would love to hear...

Just a few words and then silence.

Ho ho ho!

I am taking my Lexus ladies out for tapas and drinks tonight at Barsa. 

Also, I won tickets on the radio to the Santa Pub Crawl this morning, which doesn't get me anything but the chance to win a larger prize, really.  But ok! My gf Abby will be coming in town to decorate cookies and then we'll head out for some holiday cheers tomorrow night, santa style. 

It's shaping up to be a fun filled weekend, huh?

But, my heart is so heavy.  I've spent too much time the past several hours learning more details on the horrific shooting in Connecticut this morning.  I have no more words for you today.

Give or Take, or both?

Happy Holidays friends! 

This weekend was spent Christmas shopping: running around town,  laughing all the way :) .

I buy a lot of my boxes, ribbons, tape, etc at Dollar Tree and on my trip Saturday I found the inspiration for some Holiday treats.  I typically give out treats to family/friends/neighbors with whom I'm not exchanging gifts but want to give a little something.  In past years I've given Chocolate Dipped Ritz, Pistachio Cookies, etc.. usually in a tin or on a home-made cake stand. 

This year I'm switching it up because I found the cutest popcorn containers:

I'm planning to fancy up some popcorn,dark chocolate and cherry popcorn anyone?, and wrap in these containers for a festive look! 

Also,  I'm looking for a new cookie recipe...does anybody have a must-bake recipe for me??

In other news, I know this is the season of giving but I just had to take a couple things for myself. 

I saw this sweater over on Tieka's blog and absolutely fell in love with it! 

 I bought it and wore it and felt like a little lambchop the entire time.

It is an unbelievable soft and cuddly sweater. 

I also picked up these snake hoops at World Market the other day. 

And golly, isn't that store just a dream?

Ok that's all I've got for you today.  I may upload some photos tonight, I may not.   I've got my Bible Study group coming over for dinner.  I'm making pulled pork sliders and fresh corn casserole!



Cheers and Fears

Wow, this past weekend was a doozy.
Friday night we went up the street to our Mexican spot and cheered to my last day at 26.

Saturday I scoured the streets for a Christmas Party dress to no avail (are stores just not doing them this year??) and then got snazzed up for a night out with K and friends... a fun night that resulted in feeling every bit of a year older the next day. and the next day.. oh and still today.
I have to admit it, I'm so exhausted.  If you recall, this time last year I had recently left my job at LCE and was enjoying every moment of decorating, baking, home-making.  And this year it's been hard because my work commitments and work outs and day to day home-maintenance kind of drains me, leaving such little energy for holiday spirit!
Now, let me make clear the difference in complaining, which this is not, and venting.  I am very blessed to have a wonderful full-time job, and a freelance contract with a charity that I am 100% passionate about.  Let me just say though- right now I feel like I have a lot on my plate.  This morning, in trying to rearrange my schedule to accomodate a family dinner, I realized that I have no ability to rearrange because every night, seemingly every minute, is already accounted for!  As I've said, 'tis the season to be busy...but having to schedule 30 minutes to address Holiday cards??  Maybe I'm trying to do too much... Or maybe, just maybe this is my "Welcome to the real world" moment.  Again, I'm not complaining, just adjusting to a new...normal... a new way of time management and organization.  I am up for the challenge, excited by it even.  But right now I just feel exhausted.  And I don't even have kids yet. Yikes!
I know we all feel this way from time to time. I'm scared to admit that I can't handle everything, and handle it all smoothly and stylishly.  With all of this said, I would not give up one component of my life: work, family, friends, faith, fitness, finances, oh, and fun!  I'm just saying it's alot.  Can I just say sometimes it feels like too much?  Sometimes :)

TGIF

This song just brightens up my Friday!
This is the last day of the week AND the last day I am 26 years old. I'm absolutely swamped at work and haven't really had time to plan what I'm going to do tomorrow, but I'm sure it will be a great day. I hope you have a great weekend yourselves. See you Monday. When I'll be a year older. Sheesh!

Humpity Hump!

 My mom and I did the Turkey Day Run together this year, and then we grabbed a mimosa at the Francis Marion before heading home to start the cooking!

 We orded room service for breakfast at the Westin before hitting the road to Clemson Saturday morning.

 I want to go back to this moment, breakfast in bed:

Waiting for the car...

 This was our tailgate spot in Clemson.  I literally think it was "Parking Spot 1".  Not too shabby.

 And here is the only shot of the field.  I really wish I would have gotten a picture of K and I in the stands. Oh well!  The game was great (and frigid).  I wish our seats were as good as our parking spot ;).  Never the less, we had a really fun weekend.

Happy Wednesday!

Yay Protein!

I've been wanting to introduce a low calorie Protein shake into my diet for a while now, and last night when picking up my Christmas cards at Walmart, I decided to grab a small container to try out!
I chose the "Get Lean and Toned" option, as opposed to "Build Muscle".  I am not planning to add this to my diet, but to replace a snack during the work day and see if it keeps me full and satisfied. 
Also, I hope it tastes good :)

Does anyone have any experience with protein shakes?

Tis the season...

To be busy!

 Lexus Customer Appreciation Party at Pine Lakes Country Club

 They had the coolest wallpaper:

A few weekends ago K and I stopped by the Food Truck Rodeo to see one of our favorite local bands "Old You":

 K flew this plane!!!

 Top Gun baby!

 Charleston Cup...

 Holiday Festival of Lights

My little Reindeer: 

 Pre-Turkey Day Massage at Wentworth Mansion

 aaand a new 'do:

 Christmas Card Outtake:

 Stopping by The Westin in Greenville for a night before heading to the Clemson/Carolina game!

Pink champagne on the most comfortable bed. ever.

 A night on the town:

 

Now I'm off to bed.

Did you have a happy holiday weekend?

It's almost time...

turkey.stuffing.cranberry sauce.

rice&gravy.green beans.yeast rolls.pecan pie.

Christmas Party Dresses

I've got a few weeks of photos that I'm planning to load tonight.  Here is one phone snap that encompasses our weekend: warm, cozy, and nice.

I'm so ready to go shopping for a dress for my work Holiday Party down at the Rice Mill, and my Christmas Eve mass and party dress! 
I'm taking a half day this Wednesday to get my hair done and to enjoy a massage down at the Wentworth Mansion before the Turkey Day 5K/Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Clemson-Carolina chaos.  My hair appointment isn't until 2 and so I may have time to swing in the mall and look at some dresses. 
Here are some styles I'm coveting:

Interesting Color

Green and lace!

Is this oxblood?  Like the length and slit.

Jackie O goes to the party!

Sapphire!

Food For Thought

I've posted this recipe before but I thought I would remind y'all that you need to make this!  I won the Pumpkin Bake off at work a couple years back and I'm planning to bring this over to my parents on Thanksgiving.  Also, we're smoking a turkey on the grill this year and I'm really looking forward to a laid back day...hoping the weather will suit having a fire!
This recipe makes a large dish so it's great for family gatherings...

What you need:
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 cup evap milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
--
1 package butter recipe vanilla cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter

What you do:
Stir together first 5 ingredients.  Pour into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish.  Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture, sprinkle evenly with pecans, drizzle butter evenly on top!
Bake at 350  for 1 hour until golden brown.

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So that's the food portion of my post, now on to the thoughts.
A friend of mine (hey Tara!) and I were discussing internal peace and happiness recently and she made an analogy that I must share with you all...
You know that there are days where no matter how much you wish you were in a good mood, you just can't seem to get there.  Whatever kind of stress you're under, it's hard to tell yourself to snap out of it!  I know that women-focused magazines include a "stress management" feature nearly every month, but reading the same anecdotes over and over doesn't necessarily mean that they sink in.  It's easy to tell yourself to "Smile yourself out of the funk!" but it's hard to make yourself listen.  Does that make sense??
Well, let me just get to my point because I'm even confusing myself here.
Don't you wish that you could choose you mood, your mindset, like you choose what jewelry you wear??
Well, I think you can, as long as you look at it like that. 
Everyday I put on my favorite bracelet from K.  It makes me feel happy to see it on my wrist! 
I am also choosing to "wear" calm and peace each day as well...putting it on as if it were another bracelet!
Thoughts?
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Also, here's a quote from the Thanksgiving meal at the Neighborhood House last year (each table featured different quotes) that I enjoyed:

It's Friday Eve everyone!  Stay dry my Charleston folks :)

Eyes on the Prize

The prize= an extra long holiday weekend, starting at noon next Wednesday!
ok.  Last week was the busiest of my life.  And it's really not slowing down much, what with Thanksgiving a week away.  At some point I'll upload some pictures of the chaos, but putting on three large scale events for work (along with my regular job duties), friends in town, and Charleston Cup on Sunday has worn. me. out.
I'm vowing to take an easy weekend ahead to recharge and get ready for next week (volunteering! turkey day 5k! clemson vs carolina!) and I've planned a spa day to gear up for the Holiday Season.
I'm still looking around for some Christmas Card inspiration.  I loved ours last year!  I actually found these really cute cards that you just put your own picture in...

This year I may go the printed card route, perhaps incorporating some of our recent photo booth snaps...
I was searching through some older pictures and these are some of my favorites.  Too bad they aren't Christmas-ish, plus no card would be complete without our Alfie!

Here he is!

I hope everyone is finding the time to relax a bit before Holiday Season is in full swing!

Fa la la

on why i will never swim in beresford creek again.

If you ask K his favorite creek to anchor the boat in he'd quickly answer "Beresford".  This creek is relatively low traffic and is not cramped with docks, wonderful for swimming and floating...it's a great cruise if you're out around D.I.

So yes, Beresford Creek is a favorite and then I came home last night and K says:

"I saw the craziest thing online today!"...

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Meet Mary Lee:

Mary Lee is a 16 foot Great White, originally tagged off the Coast of Cape Cod.  You've seen these shows on Discovery, they tag a shark and then they can track them as they travel via satellite signals.

And well, here's Mary Lee's track:

 So, it looks as though she's come South.  It's unusual to me, as I've heard they don't typically like such warm water.  But well, the "pings" she's giving off indicate she's been hanging around the Charleston Harbor recently...

Oh, and there is one signal that is most disturbing to me.  Because it seems Mary Lee took a scenic route through the Lowcountry and she was tracked swimming around in Beresford Creek.  You see that first bend, that's our anchor and swim spot. Well, I should say "was" our spot. 

Because I am never swimming in Beresford Creek again.

* The information and photos can be found at http://sharks-ocearch.verite.com/ *