And the Oscars Go To

What did you guys think of the Oscars last night? The show was just "okay" for me. I didn't really think James Franco offered much as a host. Anne Hathaway, I thought, did well, except she giggled through the entire thing. And there were not very many memorable speeches except that one short-film guy who said "man, I should've gotten a haircut!" Ha! :)

Anyways...regardless of the show, everyone most everyone still looked fabulous. Didn't you think?? Here are a few of my favorite dresses from the Oscars.

1. Anne Hathaway in her second dress of the evening: A gorgeous Givenchy Haute Couture dress. Ahhh, its such a beautiful dress, I wish I could find a better picture of it but since she wore a different one on the red carpet I couldnt find one. Such a beautiful dress though. Did anyone else like it???

2. Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Haute Couture. Lilac is not a popular color for the red carpet, but it definitely worked on her. It kinda reminds me of Easter Sunday, but I still love it! :)

3. Scarlett Johanson in Dolce & Gabbana. It looked a little tight but she still looked fabulous as always.

4.And last but not least is Matthew Mcconaughey's baby momma girlfriend Camila Alves. I just loved her Kaufman Franco dress.

Did you watch??? What was your favorite dress??

Sick As A Dog

Wanna know about my weekend? Let me give you a hint.

It involved:

My bed

Pajamas

Boxes of tissues

Chicken noodle soup

Medicine

More medicine

Vitamin c

Cough drops

Did I mention Medicine?

Yeah, being sick as a dog for FOUR straight days is definitely NOT fun, but atleast I'm feeling a bit better today. 80% I'd say. Which is a big increase from the negative 10% I was feeling on Thursday morning!

And speaking of dogs, last Thursday was Paisley's 63rd birthday!!! Man, I hope I look that good when I'm 63! Happy Birthday to the best doggie in the world! :)

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Did anyone watch the Oscars? I'll be posting my favorite dresses from the event soon!! :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving...that I baked a new recipe this week! I had about a cup of strawberries left over from Valentine's day that I had no idea what to do with and I was not in the mood to eat plain strawberries. So, thanks to my friend Caroline's Strawberry Bread blog posting, I decided to follow her recipe & bake a tasty treat with the rest of the berries! (Except I left out the walnuts & added 1 tsp of vanilla!) And tasty it was! CV and I pretty much devoured the entire thing in one hour.

I'm loving...that this is the year of my TEN YEAR HIGH SCHOOL REUNION. Wowzaz. Emails and reunion invites have been filling my mailbox regarding the big day weekend. It's not until September, but I'm pretty excited about attending. (Yeah, I'm one of those crazy people who LOVED high school. My high school was a blast! It was crazy, but it was a blast. If only I could turn back the clock...)

I'm loving...I only have a 4 day work week! (No, not because of President's day, but because I'm taking the day off on Friday.) Why? Why not!

And I'm loving...this giveaway hosted by Meghan from Little Girl in the Big World. And this giveaway hosted by The Undomestic Momma. Fingers crossed that I win!

What are YOU loving???? Visit Jamie's blog to play along!

The Happiness Project

Has anyone read The Happiness Project? I learned about this book on a blogger-friend's page and after reading her interesting posting about her success so far, I googled the book, read all the reviews, and then minutes later ended up making the purchase!

And the fact that the book was #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list and on Oprah's books-to-read-in-2010-list might have swayed my decision to buy it as well. (Damn that Oprah, why is she so convincing?!?)

The book discusses finding happiness through different areas of your life: energy, love & relationships, work, friendship, money, passions, attitude, and etc. All subjects that I think everyone can be a little happier in.

Chapter 1 discusses: going to bed earlier, exercise better, toss restore and organize (this must be where I clean out my closet!), tackle a nagging task, and act more energetic. My purchase is supposed to arrive March 4th (grrrr. backorder!)

So, I'll return on this subject in March...with notes!! .
..and ofcourse let me know if you want to read along with me!

***update*** This book = Two thumbs down. I thought it was a motivational book about what I could do to make my life easier, happier, etc. and I thought it would provide tips on what you should do in your own life. However, it ws more of a memoir about a woman's life who I don't relate to at all, and what she did to become happy. It's not the "self-help" or "feel'good" book I thought it was. Boring. C-.

Gift Card Crazy Update + Forever 28

Remember my Gift Card Crazy posting? Since then, I've made a little progress. (A little is better than no progress at all.)

I used my Target gift card with random things around the house from laundry detergent to a coupon holder. You say boring but I say, HELLO organized coupons!!

And I finished up my Forever 28 gift card with a few little finds. And no that wasn't a typo...I like to change "Forever 21" to whatever age I am. Last year I called it Forever 27, next year it will be Forever 29 and hopefully when I'm thirty I'll find somewhere new to shop! :)

 

My purchases included:

• A long, basic grey cardigan that can go with almost anything.
• A red/blue flower tank top that I can't wait to wear when the weather warms up.
• A peacock feather dress (this one was listed as a tunic but I'm only 5'2'' so I'm hoping it will fit me as a dress!)
• A white summer scarf. I already own a white scarf, but this one is so cute. Don't you agree?

I bought all four pieces online (going to the actual store is too crazy for me), so I patiently await to get it all in the mail.

Fairwell my little Target & Forever 28 gift cards. Who's up next?

What I'm Loving Wednesday (with a V-DAY Recap)

Happy Hump Day, Everyone!

Today, I'm loving...my new Umbra Cup Sleeves I got for Valentine's day at work! I got one in lime green (pictured below) and one in blue. (Although, I kinda wish I had the pink one below too!)

Speaking of work, I'm loving...that I finally finished updating my resume! I've been with my current company for almost three years and haven't really updated it since I got the job....so I'm glad it's finally up-to-date now. Ya know, just in case.

I'm loving...the Valentine gifts I got from CV which included a Hoops and Yoyo Balloon that SINGS, (if you know me, you know I LOVE Hoops and Yoyo stuff!) gorgeous flowers, and Life is Good house socks (my favorite socks in the whole-wide-world). He did good.

And I'm loving...the present I got for him. (Ha). I made him dinner & got him two tickets to see STOMP when they come to Cincinnati in May! (He better pick his date wisely!!) :)

And ofcourse I'm loving our card exchange. Who doesn't love a good card? I personalized a card for him on tinyprints.com. It was an amazing card personalized with his name and everything. AND I had a coupon code which brought the total to ONE DOLLAR. That's right, shipping and everything I spent $1 on a personalized Valentine's card! Go me!

I'm loving how great the Chocolate covered strawberries turned out. I only dipped them in dark chocolate and they were delish! (And as you can see, we dipped a few milanos in the dark chocolate, too! Yum!!)

I'm loving...our lame attempt at getting a picture together.

And I'm loving that the weather is getting a little warmer. I'm ready for sunshine and patio drinking. Aren't you?

What are you loving today??? Visit Jamie's blog to play along! :)

Looney Over Clooney

The entire city of Cincy is going CRAZY. Why you ask??? Well, because George Clooney is in town (and has been in town for weeks) to shoot his new movie, along with Ryan Gosling and others. Clooney has been spotted everywhere downtown (uhmm....I'm downtown every day, why haven't I seen him?) And Gosling has been spotted everywhere from Whole Foods in Hyde Park (where I live) to Downtown bars. And I was actually at the same bar as him on Saturday Night....but I didn't really care. (That doesn't make me a old, does it?)

Today, they were filming a few blocks from my house in Mt. Lookout, and were also filming on Third Street downtown (the street I work on). Hummmm...sooo close yet so far away.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Top 2 Tuesday: Grammy Dresses

Top Two Favorite Grammy Dresses

1. Selena Gomez - I'm loving the elegance, yet sexiness, of this gold shiny dress. And it looks great with her skin tone and dark hair!

2. Giuliana Rancic - Yes, another neutral toned dress, but I just love the flirty look to it. Despite the fact that I think she needs to gain 15 pounds, she looks great!

AND...the worst dressed award goes to Lady Gaga (an egg??? really????) and ofcourse Ricky Martin. I have no words for his too-small-ladies-metallic-pants.

Wanna play along? Visit The Undomestic Momma!

All You Need is Love - Day 8

Day 8: Whether in love or out, on Valentine's Day I love to...

I love to...make/eat a home cooked meal! What better day of the year to spend in the kitchen and prepare a made-with-love-home-cooked-meal for you & yours.

Tonight, I'm making LASAGNA and a caesar salad with chocolate covered strawberries for dessert! View my Lasagna recipe here! And Chocolate covered strawberries here. 
What are YOU making tonight? Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

All You Need is Love - Day 6

Day 6: I love to blog because...



Let's face it. I don't blog to be famous or popular. I'm don't blog to try and make money. I don't blog to impress others or brag about things. I blog because...well, because I love to blog.

I love that I can say what I want, when I want. I love that I have a little documentary of my life that I can look at in the future. And I love sharing details of my life with those who want to keep up with me. (Yes, I'm talking about YOU!) :)

Gift Card Crazy!

I really do love gift cards, I really do. So why do I have gift cards in my wallet from months ago, some even from LAST YEAR?? It looks like I've been deglecting my poor little gift cards and I must go shopping immediately to use them. NOW, infact. (Well, not right now, but sometime soon.)

Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Victoria Secrets, Forever 21, Nordstrom...and a few food ones: Chick-fil-a, and Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse. My-oh-my...I have some shopping and eating to do this weekend!

Soooo...off I go...stay tuned to see what I turn these plastic little cards into.
Suggestions welcome! :)

All You Need is Love - Day 5

Day 5: What I love about my friends is...

I love...that they keep in touch! Moving 500 miles away from all your best friends is tough, so I'm very thankful that even though I moved away 3+ years ago, my friends still keep in contact with me. And when I do come in town, we all make time to get together.

The spring after I moved away...one of many get togethers.

I love...that they are still around after all these years! A lot of my current best friends I've known since grade school, which is completely crazy since we all went our seperate ways after high school. Yet, despite the time, distance, and life changes we've gone through, we still remain just as close.

Me & THIS friend are going on YEAR 23 of FRIENDSHIP! Wowzaz!

I love...that I have all sorts of friends. Those I call when I need a laugh, need a hug, need advice, and need a kick in the butt.

Usually when I need a laugh, I call THIS friend!

I love...that I have a lot of crazy/fun friends. Seriously though, they are crazy (in a good way). There are plenty of boring people in the world and thankfully my friends rarely fall under that category.

For instance: THIS friend who thought it would be a good idea to do a handstand out the sunroof...while we were driving on the interstate. Ha.

AND I love...that I've made many friends through blogging! You know who you are...and I love all of you! :)  Happy Friday everyone!!!

All You Need is Love - Day 4

Day 4: For Valentine's Day I love to bake/cook (share a recipe):

I love to bake/cook...anything heart-shaped! It's the one time of year you can get away with baking heart shaped cookies, cakes, pies, etc or even adding heart shaped sprinkles!! It just makes your homemade treat look a little sweeter, don't you think?

But since I'm trying to limit my sweet treat intake, I think this year I am going to make something a little on the heathier side. Perhaps chocolate covered strawberries? (The healthy fruit cancels out the fact that it's covered in chocolate, right??) And bonus points for being 3 ingredients and so easy to make!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Directions:
Put the semisweet and white chocolates into separate heatproof bowls. Melt in the microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries. Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

What are you planning on making? I need some dinner recipes! :)

All You Need is Love - Day 3

Day 3: If I could travel anywhere this snowy February, I would love to go...

 
I would love to go...to the beach!! General, boring answer, I know. That's because I don't care what beach. I don't care where it is. All I need is the sun, sand, and a drink with an umbrella in it and I'd be happy right now. (Especially since my heat went out last night and my house is currently averaging a below freezing temperature!! Ugh, hope the handy man can come out asap to fix it!!)

So with that being said, does anyone have a beach home I can borrow???

Karma is a you know what.

Has anyone seen the you tube video of the "Snow Blower Revenge" guy? I know it's kinda mean but I think this video is hilarious. Just shows how the weather can make people so mean!

Lesson of the day: Don't steal shovels.
Karma is a you know what. (That's right, I don't cuss on my blog!)

All You Need is Love - Day 2

Day 2: When I'm feeling down, to cheer myself up I love to...

I love to...go shopping! Yes, people, retail therapy really does work.  For instance: the time I had the most stressful day at work ever, so on the way home I stopped by DSW and found some amazing shoes. "Stressful day at work, whaaat???" And that time I was feeling lonley and missing my friends back home, I headed to the mall and snagged up a few new items. Then, I thought "who needs friends when I got this amazing new dress!" (Just kidding on the second one, but you get my drift!)

I love to...eat Chick-fil-a! I don't know what it is about Chick-fil-a but it really does help cheer me up. There is something about that Spicy Chicken Sandwich that I can't get enough of. I think they sprinkle their sandwiches with happy potion.

I love to...hang out with Paisley! Paisley always cheers me up. Even when she's sticking her tounge out at me and acting like a brat...I totally love her. I mean, if Paisley's cute little face can't cheer you up...nothing will.

When you're feeling down, what do you love to do?

All You Need Is Love - Day 1

I decided to play along to the "All You Need is Love" 8 Day Blog Challenge. Enjoy!



Day 1: When I need some "me time" I love to:

I love to...clean! Yes, as weird as it may sound, when I need "me time" I love to clean the house. I love to turn up the radio. Grab the swifter sweeper. And make things shiny again! And I must say, I am in much brighter spirits when I come home to a clean, smell good, no crap in the sink, house!

I love to...put on cottony clothes and watch a chick flick. Sometimes, nothing feels better than slipping into your most comfy sweatpants (with pockets ofcourse), pouring a glass of wine, grubbing on some yummy snacks, and watching a good chick flick.

I love to...read & write blogs. My days often have a lot of stress in them because I'm so busy at work...so stepping away for 15 minutes to catch up on blogging definitely gives me a little "me time" in the middle of my crazy work day.

What do you love to do when you need "me time"?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving...that I redeemed myself in the kitchen this week. As you read from this post, I completely underbaked the Blackberry Cobbler dessert. Can you tell where I went wrong??? I'm not sure if it was the timing, or the fact I added blueberries to mine...but it just wasn't right.

So I made it again this weekend...and it was a success. I only added blackberries this time....and it was WAY better than batch numero uno. GO ME!

I'm loving...my birthday flowers that are still alive and kicking. They make me feel springy! :)

I'm loving...that I worked up the courage to ask my boss for a raise! Now, I don't know if I actually got it or not, as they are "talking about it" but I'm just proud that I asked.

And I'm loving...that the Groundhog did not see his shadow this morning! SPRING COMES EARLY???? Too bad Phil is only right 39% of the time. Gosh, Phil. This better be the year you get it right!!

Wanna play, visit Jaime's blog to link up! :)