Thanksgiving 2011

Trinity and I drove south on Thursday to meet his parents for Thanksgiving.  They are in the process of moving soon, so we felt it would be easier to meet in between Indiana and Tennessee.  Fortunately, Kentucky is right there!

Y'all following me?

We spent 3 nights at The Galt House in Louisville.  I am most familiar with that hotel, as it was where I spent my bachelorette weekend.  Eddie, Patsy and Trinity know how to par-tay, so we had lots of fun.  I ate 3/4 of a box of bourbon balls.  Those things are amazing.  

Pat got information about places to visit at the visitor's center.  

The Colonel was also there.  

My southern boy does like fried chicken.

We saw the holiday parade.  We were really expecting a lot.  Our expectations were dashed when we saw 2 Shriners in mini-cars and about 4 Girl Scout troops marching with their parents.  Oh, well.  Nothing could dash our holiday spirit!  

Our unbridled spirit was apparent when we closed down the season at Churchill Downs.  I never miss an opportunity to see those beautiful horses, mini-men and mint juleps.

Fall at the track calls for Patagonia in force.

Mint julep

Eddie saw a former colleague at the track, and he invited us in to the special area that was closer to the horses and jockeys.

Having extensive experience with horse riding as a youngster, I know how challenging it can be to mount a horse.  When I was about 5' 1'' as an elementary schooler, I used to go on trail rides on a horse called Bunny or Carrot or some equally benign name at Gnaw Bone Camp at least once a summer.  That makes me an expert equestrienne.  

I recorded the effortless ease with which these teeny men jumped up on their horses.  I fought the urge to run forward with my hands clasped together to give them a boost.  I saw Calvin Borel, who is quite famous in the jockey world.  I looked for Tobey Maguire, but he's only a jockey in the movies.  

     

We loved the races and all of the other fun things we did with my in laws this weekend.  We are looking forward to visiting them in their new house at Christmas.

My Wishlist

My dear friend Shelli suggested that I make a wish list of my requests for Christmas this year.
If you insist, I will.
I want to preface this list by saying I know Christmas is about love and Jesus.  I do love Jesus. 


I am also a bit materialistic.  
There, I said it.  
As if you didn't already know.


I'm excited to report that I figured out how to link to websites.  This is high tech for me.  You can click below to purchase for me, or more likely for yourself based on my great ideas.



Let's start with TB, short for Tory Burch, not Tuberculosis.

I love animal prints.  

Tory Burch Leopard Shoes


These new Revas are fabulous in a peacock color.  My husband and/or mother will probably put the kibosh on this one, lest my collection starts to look like the rainbow assortment of Sam & Libbys that I had as a 7th grader.

Tory peacock shoes

These glitter flats will give me a whole new look.  I'm loving navy right now, and love navy glitter even more.  The "medallion" is small and stamped in the back, so the loud branding that Trinity loathes is not present.  The only loudness is that these shoes are covered in glitter.  Completely reasonable, me thinks.

Glitter Eddie

Speaking of glitter, this clutch is fabulous.  

No need to buy it for me, I already bought it for myself last month.  The glitter comes off a bit, so I kind of leave a Hansel & Gretel style trail.  Leaving behind a trail of glitter was once only a dreamy thought of mine.  This purse makes it a reality.  

Kate Spade Gia

I discovered this beaut in Oprah's magazine.  It was one of her gift ideas.  I'm adding it to my favorite things.  I need a new overnight bag.  I also need one with sequins.  I don't know why I didn't do pageants now with my affections for all things bedazzled.  Oh, that's right, I wasn't so pretty as a young girl.

weekender

I also need some new perfume.  This stuff is delightfully wonderfully fragranced.

I am talking like Mary Poppins.  It is also very pricy.  Perhaps I could pull it out of my new weekender bag, Mary style.  There would also be a floor lamp in there too, of the latest fashion.

Bond No. 9

Lululemon makes your body appear more toned than it is.  It also feels like I'm wearing my beloved Utes pants.  Super comfortable.

Lululemon

This candle is also from one of Oprah's Favorite Things shows.  I want a $50 candle.  I want one for every room.  I have 7 rooms.  That's $350 in candles.  Thank god I have a small house.  That's the only time you'll hear me say that.  I'll settle for one.

Lafco Candle

Now on to things that go in my pie hole.

I blogged about tasting macaroons for the first time in Seattle.  There are companies that ship the to you.  I think this package would be a treat.  

Sucre Macaroons

They also have many other flavors.

I could go for some fancy hot chocolate too as a stocking stuffer.  This has a hint of cinnamon.  Williams-Sonoma has delicious food and drinks.  I didn't register for food when I got married.  I would like to register for food for Christmas morning.

Hot chocolate

Ah, the druzy/drusy quartz.  The spelling varies on different sites.  I spotted a stunning pair of quartz earrings in Puerto Rico.  Husband wouldn't buy them.  I wish I had.  These would make me swoon, but are pricey as well-

Druzy Quartz earrings

While I'm dreaming, I'll take a pair of these

alpaca.

Darling, downy, fluffy preciousness.

When I retire I am going to have an alpaca farm in Tennessee.  Either that or a fudge shop on Mackinac Island.

I'm not sure.

I've got about 30 years to decide.

There will be probably several additions to this list.  

Merry Christmas.

Kate!

This was such a fun weekend.  Sweet T and I hung out on Friday evening and I went to bed at 9:30.  I love nights like that.  I'm not being sarcastic, as I do love to go to bed super early, even on the weekends.  I went to my first free yoga class at our Lululemon store. The instructor was my adorable Erin from my usual studio.  I love her classes and I always slightly giggle when she encourages us to find our "driste" or our focused gaze.  

My driste set its sights on some fabulous yoga wear.  I want the Live Simply jacket.  I would simply live in that jacket.  After my class I hopped in the car and drove north to Chicago.  I hadn't seen Kate in eons, so we enjoyed a little sleepover. 

I left Trinity at home, but he seemed to still show up in my thoughts.

Here is my little pint sized pal from the land of Lilliput.  

Her posture is quite inspiring.

We hit up one of my favorite spots, Toast, for lunch.  We also did lots of fun window shopping.  Kate fussed with my hair before dinner and showed me this.

I told her that I looked like Prom '96 or one of the Sisterwives.  She was unfamiliar with the Sisterwives.  I told her all about it.  She then told me all about The Walking Dead.  

I took down that coif and she tried again.  

We went to the Light Festival down on Michigan Avenue.  There was a parade and more people than I've ever seen in my life.  It was crazy crowded and I nearly had a panic attack.  

Kate calmed me with a Paloma at Bandera.

Then it was dinner at The Hubbard Inn.  We had swanky cocktails and scallops.  

We had tasty cocktails called "The Hepburn."  We're classy like that.  

My visit was a perfect start to the holidays!

Tights, Falls and Cotillions

I have been wearing tights with regularity.  That's a big deal for me, oh ye girl who hates tights.  Here is proof from when Trinity and I went to the Opera.

We learned we don't like opera.  Our second arts destination event was ill received by us.  I find it ridiculous.  I can't even appreciate it. I think it's terrible.  I said it.  Chew on that.

Friday proved eventful.  Graceful as I am I took a lovely tumble.  As I did my happy go lucky strut into school on Friday morning, my  sassy  boots hit a patch of ice.  I Charlie Browned myself into the air and hit my hip, shoulder, whipped my neck backwards and bonked my head on the asphalt.  There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.  It hurt quite badly.  I howled like a baby.  Big girl was in pain.  

I was rescued from the parking lot by a couple of teachers and my principal.  After a couple of Advil, ice and a short rest on a cot in the nurse's office, I attempted to head back to my room.  Fortunately Sweet T had the day off for Veteran's Day and was able to come retrieve me after I felt nauseous and rather uncomfortable.  He took me to the Workers' Compensation approved doctor, who was far more interested in how long I was than in my injuries.  Some exact quotes:

"Your legs are hanging off the end of the table."  

"My, you are a tall lady!"

"Yes, the chart says 71 inches, my, my, my."

I got it, Doctor Obvious.  I is big, but am I concussed?

No, peeps, I was not.  I was sent home to do some heavy sitting.

3 days later I'm still sore with some sporadic headaches.  I must slow down.  This is my second big fall due to ice.  Remember the ice days back in February?  I fell then too.

Moving on...

I went home on Saturday to do some wedding dress shopping with soon to be sister in law, Meghan.  Her mom and my mom were there to opine, as was I.  No pictures, of course, but a dress was procured!  Success!

Meg teared up and I did my best dramatic Randy impression,

"Meg, is this your dress?"

It was and it is stunning!!!

I also spent time with my parents' chubby English Setter, London.

She gets "puppy whip" from the barista in the drive thru.  This is Starbucks speak for full fat whipped cream in a cup that will make your hound fully fat.  

I enjoyed the color of my favorite Gingko tree.

I used to climb that tree regularly despite its rank smell.  Those leaves are beautiful but they drop these bombs/nutty things that smell like death.

As Trinity and I search for a house, I realize I just want this one-

perhaps it is so perfect because of the memories, but I do love that house.  I want it.  If only I could kick my parents out and move it down I-70 on one of those big trucks.  Not bloody likely.

Finally, Mom and I attended  sweet Madison's Cotillion.  Madison and Morgan are the precious girls that live next door to my parents and occupied my summers when I was home from IU.  I ran those two darlings all over town, to their tennis lessons, Kumon math tutoring sessions and to friends' houses.  We would swim daily in their pool and have all kinds of fun.  They were little munchkins then, and now they are grown up.  Madison is a senior, and I am old.

Here is that little beauty, with her old babysitter.

Madison is 17

and

Betsy is 32.

Betsy is already jealous of that young, glowing skin. 

Betsy is so jealous that she is forced to reminisce over her own lost youth-

Betsy and Bob, November 1996.

I will stop referring to myself in the third person now.

How about that dress?

I still love it.

I will toot my own horn once again over my fashion choices.

Beautiful, right?

Why, yes,  yes it was-

Elizabeth Hurley and Estee Lauder thought so too.

Chairing is Caring

What a witty title that is!  
I've been regularly wasting some of my life on Pinterest, and tonight I was looking at chairs, pink ones to be exact.  
I found this little beauty-

and this glorious piece of perfection.

Source: beachbungalow8.blogspot.com via Suzana on Interest

Source: etsy.com via Brenda on Pinterest

As I was looking at these chairs, my memories of my beloved papasan chair came flooding back.  My parents bought me a papasan chair when I was in junior high school from our local Pier 1.  It was pretty pimp.  Mine had a white wicker base and a pink and white striped cushion.  It looked similar to the one pictured below, because, well, a papasan chair is a papasan chair.  I spent loads of time in that chair, reading lewd Danielle Steele books and eating Hostess Ding Dongs.  My mother didn't censor my reading material, nor did she worry too much about healthy snacking.  
That chair was so comfy.  I'm considering starting a movement to bring back this tacky, yet cozy form of seating.

My other sentimental chair experience involved a video rocker.  This was the only one that Pinterest had, so clearly they weren't super popular.  We had two of them, and they were a lovely taupe fabric that sat in front of my brother's TV in his room.  We rocked ourselves into a coma playing game after game of Tetris.  That chair perfectly fit my curvy and bony spine and I loved it.  Robby sat in one and I had the other.  Katie had little to no interest.  She was like 13 at the time and probably already going on car dates.

Somehow one of the video rockers made it to IU and was a total hit in my room at the Delta Gamma house.  It was perfect for reading and studying.
That lone video rocker even traveled to NC to my first apartment.  She met a terrible demise one August day.  My live in boyfriend and I left Kashmir alone for the day to drive all the way to VA to pick up his new kitten, and Kashmir's new pal.  Somehow the AC switched off and the heat kicked on.  We arrived home 12 hours later to find out apartment raging with heat and the temperature was about 92 degrees.  Kashmir was sprawled out, panting and quite dramatically perturbed.

We got her water and got the situation under control.  One of us sat down to relax in the beloved video rocker.  It was seriously saturated with cat pee.  In her distress she peed all over it.  Cat pee odor is beyond impossible to remove.  The rocker was placed in our dumpster behind our complex.  It was a sad, sad day.

I'm looking forward to buying some new chairs when we purchase our new house.  I may be scouring Ebay and Craig's List for these beloved seats.  

Source: freshome.com via Ivona on Pinterest

Source: wanelo.com via Reecea on Pinterest

November

This weekend my mother came to visit.  She arrived Friday afternoon and came to my school.  She repeatedly heard children saying things like "You're so tall, you're taller than your daughter, wow, etc, etc."  If we weren't such secure women we might be made crazy by the constant remarks children make about our statures.  

They loved her and she worked with some 2nd graders who don't count money so well.  Just a typical afternoon in elementary land.

We then drove to Bonefish Grill and met my pals Karen, Marinda and Whitney.  I had my first Winter White Cosmo of the season and it was divine!  Mother said the best quote of the weekend when she informed my dear friend Whitney, also my principal, that she lived in B.F.E.  She does live rather far South.

This was really a very unJane like comment.  She is normally quite refined.  Karen was unfamiliar with this phrase. " Bum-F***Egypt, meaning way out of the way," my very stately mother clarified. 

Karen later declared that my mother was hilarious and I clearly got my sense of humor from her.  

On Saturday Mom took photos of Marinda and her ridiculously good looking family.  I'll show pictures later.  They're all kinda annoyingly pretty.  I still love them though.

She also took some photos for potential Christmas cards. This is definitely not going on the card, but really made me laugh.  We seem to have tons of photos of T looking at the camera and me gazing all starry eyed at his face.   

This swooning is just plain embarrassing.

We met Robeghan at Oh, Yumm! Bistro, one of my favorites.  We also hit up a fabulous interior decorating studio/shop.  This little resident greeted all customers.  This is Poppy.

 That pooch is lounging amongst $200 pillows.  What a life.

T and I met with our realtor to look at some more houses on Sunday. We have started the hunt and finding it a bit more challenging than I anticipated.  We don't always agree.  Shocking, no?

We also hit up the apple orchard/pumpkin patch minus a toddler or small baby in a stroller too small to care.  I tried to get him to go pose on a hay bale, but he wasn't interested.

 Here is my sweet man shanking an apple for me on his tailgate.  Due to overly aggressive orthodontia, I have short roots.  

Translation:  Don't bite into an apple or I might end up looking like  my name is Jethro post bite.  

That's all I've got for now.  Coming up:  birthday dinner with BFF Jamie (need to plan that), a trip to the Opera and a high school Cotillion.  Things are going to get crazy.

Halloween Visitors

We went to a Here Come the Mummies concert on Friday night.  I thought I might go as Belle.  This was Marinda's high school pageant dress.  I totally would have worn it to the concert, but I could barely breathe in it.  I just wore it around the house for a few minutes and sang the theme song from Beauty and the Beast.

 I decided to be a pirate instead.  This was much more comfortable.

Hello, forehead?  So glad you could come to the concert.  

In other household news, 

Sweet T spent $30 on Halloween candy Monday afternoon in anticipation of trick-or-treaters.  I tried to explain that we really don't get many, but he wanted to be prepared.  He was a sad puppy when we got 4 visitors.  

It was really pitiful.  I was telling Marinda this story today at work, and she was so sweet to stage another trick-or-treat opportunity for my very generous and sensitive husband.

She surprised him by knocking on the door this evening with this-

Gingerbread was dressed as a pumpkin.

Camille wore a much better fitting Belle costume.

Walker wore a fancy Civil War costume, but he cut loose after being in our living room for a while.

Camille and Walk left with the mother load of candy, Trinity was a happy man, and Gingerbread ate all of Kashmir's food.  It was a fabulous evening.  Thanks, Marinda, my little BFF!  Marinda and I have all kinds of affectionate names for each other including, but not limited to...

Friend Fox, Peanut Butter, Pumpkin Pie and Buttercup.

Thanks for the surprise visit.