Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Fabulous March

How the hell is it March 31st already? Where did this month go? I understand I was sick for a good chunk of the month, but what happened?

My list this month is rather short because, honestly, other then being sick and sober, I can't remember anything I did.

Here is what I can peice together for you that made this month obviously fly by:

1. Our trip to Atlantic City

2. Falconhead Fiesta

3. Lauren lives it up as Dirty 30

4. Irish Potatoes. If I can't drink, I'm going to eat a crap load of cinnamon-coated coconut.

5. The first signs of spring peeking out.


So here's to you March. I lift my glass of water to you, and toast to the fact you slipped by me unnoticed. I'll get you next year. Just you wait and see.

Always & Forever,
ME

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Hello Spring.. won't you stay a while?

In honor of the arrival of spring this past weekend, I whipped up a little centerpiece for our coffee table.



Earlier in the week I had snagged a small bouquet of flowers from the grocery store that had yellow daisies and alstroemeria. The daisies ended up on my bedside table, and the alstroemeria found a home in a juice glass

I love the oranges, peaches and yellows-- and I really love them popped against the light blue of the books! The seashells were souveniers JEGs and I brought home from our trip to Atlantic City .

Some how the stopwatch made in on the tray as well. Probably for lack of a better place to put it .
The bottles once held wine and some delish Lindeman's Frambroise Ale. I just liked the color.




Now, if I could only get the windows to stay open for more then 2 days, I'll be happy.
Always & Forever,
ME

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Hair Today- More Tomorrow!

Can we talk about Kate Gosselin for a minute?

This girl got $7,000 extentions put in, only to have them taken out because her stylist Ted Gibson ( or as I like to call him "Not Nick Arrojo") didn't like the way they were photographing.
Fear not, Clean Slate Kate lovers, because she's getting them done all over again- but just a different color.


Must be nice.

The closest I'll ever get to that is whipping out my box of L'Oreal hair dye a week before the wedding.

Remember once upon a time when she was a nurse turned housewife with a thousand kids? Now she's all sorts of fabulous with $14,000 worth of fake hair, spray tan, and a stint on Dancing with the Stars.

I think I'm slowly joining Team Octomom.

A&F,

ME

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Office Space

A couple weeks ago, JEGs and I took this sweet little baby home with us:


It's the Canon i560 Printer/Scanner/Copier/Photo Printer.

Oooooo. Sexxay. And BIG.

So big that the only place we could put it was on the bookshelf in the Great Room. This, of course, spurred my inner design diva and decided to make an office area.

Now, I don't know if I've stressed this enough, but Falconhead is only a mere 900 square feet. Space is very precious to us and if there is anyway we can better utilize dead space, we will figure out a way. Also, JEGs and I both have laptops, so we have no need for a desk. This, in turn, made it hard to designate any area as our 'office'. We had everything scattered all over the apartment. Pens were over here, hole punch over there, it was an [organized] mess.

Enter, stage left, the bookcase in the boudior.

This bookcase is identical to the one in the great room, but just a different color. I bought one when I lived in an apartment for a TV stand in my bedroom, and JEGs liked the idea so much he bought the same thing for his apartment. When we moved in together, we had two.

The bookcase in the bedroom had become a catch-all for useless electronics. There was a DVD player that wasn't hooked up, a VCR, a bunch of random cables, four towers of burnable DVDs and a binder with guitar tabs.

I was over it.

One afternoon, I decided to move all the books from the Great Room and put them in the boudior..


..and after a quick trip to Michaels (complete with 40% off coupon in hand) I created a little area to store all of our office-like needs.

I got these great bins in two different sizes- a two larger bins for printer paper and bigger items (such as a hole punch) and two smaller bins designated for pens and staplers. They are super sturdy, and I love that the texture mimics the fabric on the couch.


I quickly typed up labels on the computer, added a little cardstock, and popped them on each bin for easy identification.



It is so nice to have everything in one, central place now.
Share with me, friends and follwers, where is your office area? Do you have a designated room or are pens shoved into whatever drawer is closest?
Always & Forever,
ME







Monday, March 22, 2010

Lauren Turns Thirty. Fabulousity Ensues.

A couple weeks ago, we all surprised Lauren with a 30th Birthday party...

Bonnie really spear-headed this whole thing. She picked the place, the time, the everything. She wanted to find a fun, chic place where we could all hang out, nibble on some food and get some drinks.
Where did she pick? Harry's Hotdogs in Thorndale, PA.

What is Harry's Hotdogs? It's a hot dog joint. It's the kind of place you roll into with your muddy jeans and sweat shirt on, and order a dog with everything, cole slaw and a beer. Not what one would call "chic". However, Bonnie informed us there was a nice club in the upper part of the building. I was still skeptical.

Until I saw the place. And I realized I was wrong. This place was kinda fab. u. lous.

The building is an old hotel, so it has a lot of great architecture. The club area- 'The Attic' as it is called- is a design whore's dream. Crown molding, beautiful wall sconces set inside wainscoting complete with a do-dye-for wallpaper background. Take a look for yourself:

They had comfortable sectionals that were set up in three spacious seating areas, as well as leather ottomans for extra seating.

There was an accent wall with a bold red and black damask wall paper

this was the best picture I had of that wall

The chandeliers were so modern and elegant..

There was an additional room that had a huge round, red velvet, circular couch- along with eight of the hottest chicks this side of the Brandywine!


Loved it. All of it.
We had such a blast too! All I can do is just show you pictures...

First, I have to mention that they have the teeniest wings ever. EVER.

Seriously. It's like shown as actual size.
Bonnie and I droppin' it like it's hott. 'Cause we are.

As the night wore on- and the drinks were flowing- some of the classic drunk pictures were snapped...
that's my sexxay face. Don't act like you're not impressed.


Group shot!

JEGs is very GQ. And Tim has an impressive 'stache.

I cannot mention the night without making not of the Filet-O-Fish guy. Some dude at the bar looked JUST LIKE the guy from the commercial- you know, the one were the fish on the wall sings? If you don't know it, youtube that ish NOW.

Commerical Filet-O-Fish...

...and Harry's Hotdogs patron.

I. den. tical.

The complete highlight of my night was Drunk Bonnie Faces



We had such an awesome time. Our friends know how to do it up right.

Happy 30th Birthday Lauren!

Always & Forever,
Moi.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Invites: Check.

Back in January I was debating between three different invitations, and the overwhelming response was to pick the Aqua LoveBirds

I loved the simplicity of the outlined birds, but I wasn't thrilled with the fact they were this bright aqua color, and I HATED the tri-fold card. I felt it looked like a birthday card. I was afraid people would be confused and I might end up headed down the aisle to "Happy Birthday" and not Cannon in D minor. Wouldn't that be a show?

After JEGs and I finalized the menu on Wednesday (yippee!) I knew the next step was to order invites. A little voice in my head said "Hey.. check out a couple more sites-- there might be something else out there".
Not being one to ignore my other personalities intuition, I started browsing around Wedding Paper Divas and found this:

It's called Lovely Trellis and I love it in the Apricot. It still has the elegance of the bird silhouette, but it feels a little more wedding-y. I also love the orangey tones- I feel like it will grab everyones attention a little more, AND I like that it's the same color scheme as my Save The Dates!



..and if you are looking for that extra cherry-on-top-feeling, if we order by Monday, we'll get an extra 15%-- making them cheaper then the Aqua Birds!

Wednesday was our 4 month mark... Things are really coming together now!

Always & Forever,
ME

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

Top 'O the Mornin' to Ye!! It's St. Patrick's Day!

Due to my recent self-induced sobriety , I cannot join in the merriment of drinking my face off today.

Bummer.
But what I can do is offer useless facts about the Irish! Yippee!!

Ever wonder where this phrase came from?

It is a reference to the Blarney Stone. Kissing the Blarney stone brings you good luck so if you can't kiss the stone the next best chance of getting good luck is "kissing an Irish person".

So if you want a little extra luck, pucker up and lay one on the next Mc you see!

Always & Forever,
McMe!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City...

The first weekend of March, JEGs and I put our make up on and fixed our hair up pretty headed down to Atlantic City with our friends Max & Whitney to see one of our fave stand up comedians, Patrice O'Neil.

Max's parents have a house in Margate, so we stayed there for the night. Let's discuss how adorable this house is!



The house sits right on the bay, and there is a pier you can walk out on

The views from the house are so great. JEGs and I slept on the fold out couch in the TV room, and this was the view we got to wake up to..

Not too shabby... neither is the view from the sitting room:


Seriously.. how cozy is this place?
After a HUGE dinner of fajitas/burritos, we sassed ourselves up and headed to the casinos for our show. Bob Kelly opened for Patrice, and after the show, we were able to snap some pictures with the comedians


Whitney and her broham, Dan with Bob Kelly


Whitney and Patrice... who liked her coat


JEGs and Whitney are also big fans of the Opie and Anthony Show and were super excited when they saw Opie there, and got to snap some photos with him as well.
The rest of the night was filled with drinking, dancing and general shenanagins. But no gambling though.. I'm not sure how that happened.
The next morning, Max and Whitney took us for a little AC/Margate sight seeing.
Max is ready for the beach


Everytime I see this picutre, the "My Buddy" song starts playing in my head



In our travels, we stopped by Lucy The Elephant.

JEGs decided to give Lucy bunny ears...


The offical "couples shot". Don't act like you don't do it.
We had such a blast, and um... Max, feel free to invite us down another time.
Always & Forever,
ME

Friday, March 12, 2010

Sick.

Yeah, I'm sick- and not just with cabin fever.

Straight up- laid out- sore throat- coughing- wanting to die- sickness.
It was so bad I actually had to call out of work on Wednesday.
I NEVER call out of work.

Plus, JEGs and I are throwing a Fiesta this weekend (more about that next week), so I've been busy getting that together.

I have 5 posts that I've started to write, but haven't had the energy to finish.
I promise I'll get around to them next week. Cross my heart, needle in the eye and all that stuff.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Always (cough) & Forever,
ME

Monday, March 8, 2010

Packing

This weekend JEGs and I were headed to Atlantic City with our friends Whitney and Max to see one of our favorite comedians, Patrice O'Neil.

Packing for a trip is a multi-step process for me. First I assess all activities that we are definitely going to be partaking in- in this case it was a night out to the Trump Taj Mahal and dancing at a club. Then, I start thinking of all the things we may do- Are we going to go sight seeing, or maybe a trip to the beach? Maybe we will just lounge all day in the house. Finally, I pretend like I care what the weather is going to be like, but honestly I'll just pack as if it's going to be eighty degrees and sunny in March.

Next, I create the primary list of clothing:
  • Ruffled party dress
  • Black Stocking
  • Peeped toe heels
  • Pajamas
  • Jeans
  • Tank top
  • Cardigan
  • ballet flats
  • College sweatshirt for lounging
  • Necessary undies

After I lay out everything on the bed, I then return to the closet and start pulling anything that has general potential to me.

  • Blue party dress, in case I feel like too fat for the ruffled dress
  • Zebra-printed heels for blue dress
  • White sassy top for when I feel too fat for the ruffled dress and I realize the blue dress looks like I'm trying too hard.
  • Another pair of jeans (because obviously the first pair wouldn't match my new white top)
  • One tighter-fitted zipped sweatshirt- Sure, we maybe lounging around, but I don't want to look like a slob
  • A tank top and purple cotton t-shift for under the new sweatshirt
  • One more pair of pjs
  • Khakis (maybe I need to be a little more dressed up)
  • black top to pair with khakis
  • Wedges for this new black top/ khaki outfit
  • Jean jacket that I can layer over the new zipped sweatshirt- there is always that slight possibility it won't be 80 degrees in NJ in March.
  • Three different purses- a plain black purse for the original party dress, a purple clutch for the sassy white top as a pop of color and a zebra-printed clutch for the blue dress in case I want to stick with the original black shoes, but still want a fun print
  • two more tank tops (why not?)
  • Boyfriend blazer
  • Co-ordinated jewelery for all outfits

I also have to include all toiletries for our trip, such as toothbrushes, shampoo, and body wash as well as:

  • hair dryer
  • smaller curling iron
  • straightening iron
  • larger curling iron
  • round rush
  • paddle brush
  • comb
  • hair spray
  • mousse
  • daytime make up
  • evening make up

..did I mention we were only going overnight? Or that I was sharing a bag with JEGs.

What did JEGs pack?

  • 1 Button down shirt
  • 2 pairs of jeans
  • 1 Sweatshirt
  • 1 pair of PJs
  • 2 pairs of Underwear
  • 1 pair of shoes

Men. They have it so easy.

Always & Forever,

ME

Friday, March 5, 2010

Color My World: Mauve Star

I am so over winter.
Like, really OVER it.

So I decided I would help nudge spring along by painting my nails a fun spring-y color!
This is my all time favorite spring color called 'Mauve Star' by L'Oreal

pardon the hangnail mess on my ring finger. It's gruesome, I know

I'm not a big fan of mauve- I feel like it should have died in the early 90's- but this color has more of a lilac tint to it. It says, "Hellooooo Spring! Come out and play!"

In other news, it's supposed to be gorgeous this weekend, and JEGs and I are headed down to Atlantic City for the weekend. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Always & Forever,
ME

Thursday, March 4, 2010

LC is A-OK

Has anyone seen Lauren Conrad's new collection at Kohls??


Now, I never watched that train-wreck of a show The Hills , but I have to say, I think I am a fan of Lauren Conrad! I love how effortlessly chic everything is. Check out some of my favs from her recent collection.

I am buying this shirt- no question about it. I like the romantic flow of the ruffle and the print, but I really the structured-ness of the band. I am thinking a blue cardigan to throw over top for the chillier months. In the summer, it will look soo super cute paired with my denim pencil skirt for a date night with JEGs!

This shirt is made out of jersey, so it's like wearing a t-shirt, but it also has a fun embellishment along the neckline. How fun are those sleeves? The color is to die for too!


I love the sweetness of this skirt. I think charcoal grey is a great option instead of black, and the lace hem give it such a romantic look. On the website, Lauren rocks this skirt with a leather biker jacket- how chic!


This dress is so classic and elegant- the kind of dress you buy and own for like 10 years. I am wearing this dress for my bridal shower. I might swap out the belt for a wider white belt, though.


How fun is this party dress? I love the idea of throwing this on with some killer black heels and going out with the ladies. Or you could add sandals and meander through some shops during the day. Basically- the maxi dress has met it's match.


Now, this last dress isn't by LC, but it is available at Kohl's. It's by Elle, and it's coming home with me. JEGs and I are headed to Atlantic City this weekend, and I wanted a cute little party dress to wear out. This is so comfortable, and it's all one piece. The top has a romantic, one-shouldered ruffle detail but the pop of pink floral in the skirt is uber modern.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some damage to do at Kohl's.
Always & Forever,
ME