La Petite Chic

Three Days Until Black Friday!!

Jonathan hates to shop.  Unless, of course, it's Black Friday and then he turns into a crazy person.  I think he might have infected me with the Black Friday Craziness as well because I cannot wait for Friday.  Maybe it's because I've been living without a functioning computer for oh, about 55 days (but who's counting), or it could be that I took the day off from work to go shopping, but whatever it is, I'm excited.

Apparently Jon and I aren't the only ones who get into Black Friday.  There are many websites out there that have all of the Black Friday ads and amazing deals posted so that you can browse through well in advance and plan your day of shopping.  My favorite one so far is Black Friday Ads...they proclaim to be the "official" Black Friday 2007 website.  They have a long comprehensive list of stores and their information is very current.  Sites like these are perfect for mapping out your shopping route, which is just what Jon does to make sure that he hits all the stores in the perfect order according to "door opening time" and product value and availability.  Gotta love being married to an engineer.

And yes, the stores are crowded and a bit overwhelming, but when you're on a tight newlywed budget like we are, the savings are definitely worth braving the crowds.  We still have a lot of people to shop for and buying on Black Friday will allow us to get better gifts for the same amount of money we would spend otherwise.  We're actually going to buy new tires for my car on Friday too.  My current tires are over five years old and the mechanic who did my last oil change seriously urged me to buy new ones before winter comes because the tread is so worn down.  And lo and behold, Jonathan found a tire at Sears that normally sells for $82.99 but will only cost $39.99 during their Black Friday sale.  That saves us $172!!!  Totally worth the madness.

And come Friday, I will finally have a working home computer again.  No more pouncing on Jon once he comes home with his work laptop so that I can finally read and write e-mails and check in on all my favorite blogs.  Hooray!  So do you all partake in the Black Friday insanity or do you avoid it like the plague?  Do you have any great deals to share?

The Post in Which I Go From Sexy To Sappy in One Paragraph

Anyone care to interpret a dream in which I'm at a Victoria's Secret photo shoot with Miranda Bailey (as in the Miranda Bailey and not the actress who portrays her) and I got my frilly panties in a bunch because they selected her to model the negligees and not me?  However, they did allow me to shoot the bustier take because I really had some lovely cleavage.  A girl can truly dream, yes?

This past weekend was supposed to be a relaxing one.  We had planned to visit Atlantic City with friends but mutually decided that a gambling trip to AC right before the holidays might not be the best idea.  So we invited them over for a night of Wine and Wii instead.  And really?  It was anything but relaxing (you saw the pictures yesterday!), but we had so much more fun staying in than we probably would have had at the blackjack table. 

Jon and I have had a rough year as far as friendships go, which makes us all the more appreciative of our friendship with Mr. and Mrs. Unnaturally Blonde.  I know I've mentioned it on here before, but for the sake of any new readers I might have, I'll tell you how we met.  Jon and I got married in September of 2006 and spent the first half of our honeymoon here in St. Lucia.  It just so happened that Mr. and Mrs. U.B. got married the day after us and honeymooned at the same resort!  What's even crazier is that they live about 15 minutes down the road from us and they're both PSU alumni like Jon.  It's totally a friendship that was meant to be.

We're both the sort of couples that don't go on vacation just to sit and stare at each other on the beach.  Yes, we love our alone time and get plenty of it, but we like to get out and meet new people too.  And that's just how we met them...we both signed up to do the ring toss, of all things!  And that was the beginning of our friendship.  Throughout our time in St. Lucia, we drank together, lounged in the pool together, went to dinner together and did just about every activity offered together.  Jon and I were actually sad to leave St. Lucia for the other half of our honeymoon in Jamaica because we had really enjoyed hanging out with them.

Thanks to MySpace and later, this blog, we stayed in touch over the past year, but we never actually got together.  It wasn't until our anniversarymoon this year that we realized we were both planning on going to the same Sandals resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  We couldn't ignore fate any longer!  We happily got reacquainted on vacation and got together for my birthday dinner shortly after we got back to Virginia.  And I think we've seen them almost every week since.

Have you ever heard the term "refrigerator friend?"  A former co-worker introduced me to it by explaining that refrigerator friends are those friends who you are so comfortable with that you could walk right into their house, open their refrigerator and help yourself without batting an eyelash (and vice versa).  And that's what our friendship is with them.  There's that level of comfort there that is amazingly natural and allows us to talk about everything from sex to family to groceries (and no, not necessarily in that order!)  There are no expectations and no obligatory invitations and most importantly, no negative energy.  We like them and they like us and we have a blast whenever we get together.  It's a simple as that.  Isn't that how a friendship should be anyway? 

Jon and I are thrilled to have met them and are really so just darn grateful to be their friends.  And with it being so close to Thanksgiving, I thought it would only be fitting to give thanks for our friendships, not only with the two of them, but with all of our wonderful friends whom we don't get to see as often, but love just as much.  We truly are blessed and lucky.  So what are you thankful for this year?  Do share :)

I'm pooped....

Photographic evidence as to why I'm too tired to offer you anything but pictures from this weekend:

Tequila shots on Saturday...

Heinies on Sunday...

And a whole lot of silliness...

and a little bit of heartbreak in between.  (seriously, Ravens, seriously?  stupid field goal.)

Day 17

My goodness, Jamie deserves a freaking gold star because not only did she save me oodles of money this week by sending me an awesome Sephora coupon, she also saved me from failing NaBloPoMo today by tagging me for a meme.  And I know I was tagged last week for another meme but I've yet to do that one.  GAH!  I suck.  But anyway, seeing as how it's 7:30 on Saturday night and we're expecting friends over at any moment, I decided to go ahead and get one of those fun memes out of the way.  Thanks, Jamie!  And without further ado...

The 4 Meme from Jamie at Oh! How Lovely!

4 Dishes I Like to Cook

1. Cheesy Beer Soup.  It is so yummy and perfect for cold weather.  Just make sure you take your Tums beforehand :)

2. Pad Thai.  I'll credit Jonathan for getting me into Thai food, but now I make it more than he does.  I love the spicy flavors and crumbling peanuts on top.

3. Vietnamese springrolls.  My mom and I learned how to make these from a Vietnamese friend and they are so freaking delicious.  Instead of cabbage and the normal stuff you would expect from a springroll, these are made with ground pork, glass noodles, garlic and crabmeat. 

4. I had to put ramen in here.  I used to be able to eat ramen several times a day, but I've cut back now that I actually cook real meals.  I always add hot sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. 

4 Qualities I Love in People

1. Happy.  It's depressing to be around people who are always complaining about their life.

2. Fun-Loving.  People who know how to have a good time are awesome in my book.

3. Honest.  Oh lord, I've dealt with so many people who talk behind your back and I'm so over that.  Just be honest and tell me how you feel, ja?

4. Smart.  I dated a dumb guy once and once was really enough.  It's hard to have an in depth conversation otherwise.

4 Things in my Bedroom

1. My engraved jewelry box from my Dad.

2. My rosary from Pre Cana.

3. My Eucalyptus Spearmint eye pillow from B&BW.

4. A water bottle.  I always have to have water by my bedside.

4 Dirty Words I Like

1. Fuck.

2. Shit.

3. Bastard.

4. Asshole.

God, I love those words.  And as a funny aside, I wasn't allowed to say the word fart growing up.  That was considered a dirty word.  Seriously.

I tag: Whomever else is post-challenged from all this NoBloPoMo stuff.

Fabulous Find Friday

I'm a baker.  I love kneading doughs and mixing batters and sprinkling pinches of nutmeg and handfuls of chocolate chips into my creations.  And my husband just so happens to be in love with unbaked baked goods, so nary a drop of dough or batter goes to waste in our house.  I think my predilection to bake may have been one of the deciding factors in why he asked me to marry him, but I'm okay with that.  The funny thing is, I rarely ever bake just for us.  I get immense happiness out of sharing my creations with others and watching them enjoy the scrumptiousness.  If Jon and I ever visit your home, it's highly likely that I'll bring the baked goods and Jon will bring the booze.  B&B...the D family specialty!

Growing up, I always used the old toothpick test to check the inside of the baked good to ensure it's doneness.  However, Jon and I don't keep toothpicks in our house, so lately I've just had to rely on the spring test (does it bounce back after a light touch?) and my own intuition.  That doesn't always work out so well, resulting in slightly sunken-in-the-middle cakes and a very annoyed Katie. 

Cue my newly purchased Cake Tester from Crate and Barrel.  Problem solved! It's a bargain at just $3.95.  The tester is made of stainless steel and is completely dishwasher-safe.  And who can resist that sweet little cupcake design?  You can even buy the matching spatula to go with it.  (Pretty please, Jon?)  Think stocking stuffers, people!  And I swear C&B doesn't pay me for my frequent mentions and raving product reviews.  I just love them that much. 

 

Relief For My Skin

My skin has been freaking out a bit lately.  I've been using ProActiv for about 3 months now and I think it's time to try something else.  I feel like the ProActiv is drastically aging my skin because all it seems to do is just completely dry it out.  My skin is in a weird sort of limbo...terribly dry around my cheeks, lips and temples, but in oil-overdrive in the classic T zone.  The cold air is not helping matters.  I seem to be applying moisturizer several times a day and my face just isn't in a happy place. 

I'm blessed to live less than a mile away from one of the best malls in this area.  It has not one, but two Sephoras.  I've never really shopped at Sephora because quite frankly, I'm not that into makeup.  My current regime consists of a little dab of foundation to even out my skin tone, undereye concealer (thanks to my olive skin tone, I have lovely dark circles under my eyes), eyeshadow, a sweep of blush on my cheeks and waterproof mascara.  My whole theme is neutral and natural.

So why not apply that rational to my skin?  I've heard wonderful things about the philosophy skin care line and decided to finally give it a try.  I've been spending about $40 every two months for Proactiv and the philosophy starter kit (called makeup optional) comes in at $78 for a three month supply.  I have a classic combination skin tone, so the salesperson suggested the kit for congested skin. It includes a facial cleanser (purity made simple), facial firming and lifting serum (when hope is not enough), exfoliating moisturizer for congested pores, fine lines, wrinkles and rough texture (hope in a bottle) and eye and lip firming cream (hope in a tube).  How can you not buy this stuff with clever names like those?  And from a girl who often disregards proper use of the English language, I love the lack of capital letters. 

When I got home, my sensible (read: cheap) side kicked in and I decided that I didn't have to be so impulsive and that I could wait a few days to start using my new product.  The lovely Jamie sent me a Sephora.com 20% off coupon earlier this week, so I decided to use that instead.  Not only did I save a whole $15.60, I also qualified for free shipping.  It should arrive early next week.  And tomorrow night, I'll return the kit I bought today.  It's a win-win situation...money saved and I get to take another trip to the mall!

And since I just so happened to be at the mall, I decided to look around a bit.  I picked up a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law at White House Black Market.  It's a beautiful black and white (duh!) halter top that will be great to wear for New Year's Eve.  I'm so happy I found it because it's absolutely perfect for her.  Don't worry, she doesn't read my blog so I haven't ruined the surprise! 

As a treat for myself (because, no, skincare does not count as a treat, it's a necessity!), I bought these darling little ballerina flats from Old Navy.  I'm so pleased that I branched out and bought an actual color and not black as I usually do.  And hush about my toe cleavage.  I may have very long toes, but they're quite handy for picking up things off the floor that I can't bother to bend over for.

In Anticipation of the Upcoming Holidays

Do you all remember my fabulous wine/champagne exchange with Jennie back in the beginning of October?  I love getting mail in general, but receiving a package containing champagne is definitely a contender for the best mail I've ever received.  It's also really interesting to get mail from someone that you've never met in person, yet communicate with on a regular basis by mutally reading and commenting on each other's blogs.  (And maybe planning what type of liquour you'll be drinking at BlogHer08, but that's a story for another day.)

I don't remember how I stumbled across Julie's blog, but I happened to discover it on the very day that she suggested doing a Secret Holiday Ornament Exhange.  I instantly e-mailed her to join in on the fun because while it's no champagne bottle, sending out and subsequently receiving an ornament in the mail from someone I don't know just seems to be full of holiday cheer.  And that someone I don't know?  Definitely a new blog friend waiting to happen.  And lord knows I love me some new blog friends!  You have until next Wednesday, November 21st to send her your information, so hurry on over there to get in on the fun!

On a more serious note, there are still a lot of our injured soldiers who will be spending the holidays recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Not only are these soldiers recovering from terrible wounds (both physical and psychlogical) suffered in the war, but most of them are miles away from their homes and families.  They really could use something to brighten their holiday and to remind them that they aren't forgotten and that we are thankful for their sacrifices.  That's why I added an address to my Christmas card list this year:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

Sending a holiday card to an American soldier is but a small token of appreciation, but I think it will go a long way in showing that we care.  I hope you join me.

UPDATE:  Oh, no!  One of my lovely readers let me know that Walter Reed won't accept cards without an actual soldier's name on it.  I visited the Walter Reed website and unfortunately it's true.  They do provide some links that tell you where to send donations, but I also found this website that provides the address for an American military hospital in Germany that does accept cards addressed to any soldier.  It's an APO AE address so it won't cost you any more than it does to send a card to an American address.  Sorry for any confusion, but I wanted to keep the original post because I think it's pretty outrageous that they won't accept cards of thanks and goodwill to our soldiers.

Another Reason to Love Crate & Barrel

Who knew that there was more to Crate & Barrel than gorgeous furniture, unique vases and colorful bowls?  I've long professed my love for that store, even registered there for my wedding, but now there's an even better reason to love them.

I received this letter in the mail last weekend:

It says:

Dear Katie,

All of us at Crate and Barrel would like to thank you.  Thank you for giving our products a place in your home, and thank you for helping keep our stores in the forefront of contemporary design.  We very much appreciate your patronage. 

As a token of our appreciation, we are enclosing a gift certificate to DonorsChoose, one of the most innovative charities in America.  This gift certificate allows you to give to a worthy cause and for us to foot the bill.

The letter goes on to explain DonorsChoose and how the wife of founder and CEO Gordon Segal was a teacher before they first opened their store and that many of their executives are former teachers.  The letter ends with:

We hope Crate and Barrel has helped you enrich your home and lifestyle.  And with this gift certificate, we'd like to give you the opportunity to enrich schools, classrooms, teachers and students. 

With warmest regards from our family to yours,

Gordon Segal

And enclosed was this gift certificate in the amount of $25:

As explained on the website, DonorsChoose is a "not-for profit web site, where public school teachers propose materials or experiences that will help their students learn. These proposals become classroom reality when individuals like you choose one to fund."  I think it's so very socially responsible of them to give back to our communities, especially in the form of giving back to children and teachers.  I'm a product of the public school systems and can vouch for the importance of having teachers who are well supplied to give their students the tools they need to learn. 

I can't wait to browse through the website to find a proposal that really speaks to me.  I'll probably look for something involving animals or reading and writing, as those are major loves of mine.  Gordon Segal, you can bet I'll be doing a lot of my holiday shopping at Crate & Barrel because I'm more than happy to shop at a store that supports public schools. 

I'll keep you all posted on which proposal I donate my $25 to.  Any other ideas for where to steer the money?

Further Proof That I'm Getting Older

You know what's really scary to me?  The fact that Jonathan and I are shopping for our next car with a baby in mind.  No, I'm not pregnant nor close to being so, but we'll still have this new car when we do eventually get pregnant and have babies.  Will this car have enough trunk space for a stroller?  Will the backseat hold a carseat comfortably?  All questions to ask when you know the car will eventually be toting kidlets around.  And for those of you (Mom) who are wondering when "eventually" will happen, we'll probably start trying in about two years.  Really not that far off in the grand scheme of things.

But you know what's even scarier?  Jonathan is working from home today and did not think even once that Lola might have to go outside to pee.  In my mind, Lola=furbaby so this is a wee bit disconcerting to me!

When I got home for lunch, I asked him, "Oh, has Lola been out recently?" 

"No."

"Has she been out at all since I took her out this morning?"

"Nope."

"Jon, our kids are going to have diaper rashes because you let them sit in wet diapers all day!" (I'm so rational, aren't I?)

"Myyeh."

I can see we're going to have to work on this in the next two years.  I think Lola still likes him better though.  Ungrateful child!

A Sorry Excuse for a Post

Allright, I bet you all thought that I was going to screw up NaBloPoMo on Day 11, but fear not, I'm back from a weekend in Pennsylvania and have about an hour and a half to make the deadline!  While I did have some internet access at the hotel, I was lacking the time to actually sit down and compose a *real* post in between the catching up with friends, family and watching football.

So unfortunately, as it is only a half hour from my bedtime, I'm going to have to just leave you all with some pictures and captions.  Sorry, loves, that's all my tired mind can churn out right now, but I promise I'll be back tomorrow with real writing.  Hope you all had great weekends! :)

Yes, I realize it's un-ladylike to drink before noon, but no one said anything about the consumption of jello shots.

This is the quality of picture that one takes when one has short arms. 

I will always love my alma mater more than Jon's, but I have to admit that they have a pretty awesome marching band.

Step one:  Sell condo and buy house.  Step Two: Install bar in basement of said house.  Step Three:  Buy one of these signs to hang in said bar.

A day of drinking makes for a very tired Katie.