Gap & Goth

Last night we went to watch our neighbor, Allie, play Volleyball. She's a Junior in high school & is really good. Her school played the school that our other neighbor is the Asst. Principal at. We were all there & we had such a good time. It's been a long time since I've been to a volleyball game. Our friend Katie played at LSU & we went to a lot of those games but it's been years. There have been some rule changes in those years. The team doesn't have to be serving to score anymore. I like that because it makes everything go faster. Allie's team is undefeated in their district but the team they played last night is in a higher classification. We were all expecting it to not be even a little bit close. Surprisingly, Allie's team won the first game, match, whatever you call it but then lost the next 3. The three they lost were really close, all by 2 points. I was sad to see them lose BUT I was really happy it was over because those bleachers in the high school gym are NOT comfortable AT ALL.

I noticed something while watching the games. Volleyball uniforms are really ugly. Seriously. Have you seen those shorts they wear? They must be uncomfortable because they girls are always tugging on them. Someone needs to come up with a new outfit.

Of course as with every event with this group of  friends we had to go eat. After some discussion & when I say discussion, I mean Amelia-Ann vetoing several places because of their level of "creepiness", we decided on The Chimes. We all love this place. It's always very hard to decide what to eat there because everything is soooo good. They have the best burgers. I decided on a combo of fried fish & shrimp because I knew I'd have leftovers that I could bring for lunch today. Of course, I'd forgotten that Wendy & I have a lunch date at Chick fil A today. I don't know if y'all have heard but the last Twilight movie is being filmed in Baton Rouge & New Orleans. This was a hot topic at our table because all the teenagers are stalking the cast. There have been tons of sightings around town. The girls were all in a tizzy because I made the comment that I think Taylor is the only one I'd recognize.  I read all the books but have no desire to see any of the movies. I went completely out of my comfort zone by reading the books. I really enjoyed them but I really don't need to see it on a big screen. This led Amelia-Ann to make this statement: "Mrs. Traci, THE GAP has gone GOTH!!". She was very disturbed by this. Apparently, she saw the confusion on my face because she launched into this big spiel about all the weird stuff they had in the store the other day. Consider this a public service announcement if you shop at The Gap & aren't into goth!! I suggested to her that maybe they weren't actually goth, maybe they just had stuff for Halloween.

Of course this little outing led to me getting to sleep way past my bedtime which means of course that I'm tired today. Oh well!

Toodles!!

Another Met Monday

I made another fall wreath. My friend Wendy decided that she wanted one. I made a quick Hob Lob run Saturday morning & was still able to get some things. The selection of fall floral stuff & picks was really small. They just didn't have a lot left but I think I was able to find some cute things.

I used a grapevine wreath & a fall swag. Then I added a few picks & flowers & made the bow. The fall ribbon was scarce but I managed to find one that I liked. Normally, I like to use two different types of ribbon for the bow but I only found one that was the size I like to work with so I just used it & made a big bow.

I also bought some things to start on Christmas wreaths that I'm making for my mom & some friends.

I'm linking to Susan's Met Monday party at Between Naps on the Porch & to Kristin's Uncommon Slice of Suburbia blog.

Toodles!

Overwhelmed!

Last night Dean & I ate at Texas de Brazil. We'd never been there before but have friends that have & highly recommended it. I was a little leery because the whole concept of this place is these gaucho guys walk around with slabs of meat & they slice it off onto your plate. It's all you can eat. I'm not a huge fan of meat. I mean it's ok & I'm by no means a vegetarian but I'm perfectly happy to have a meal consisting of appetizers & dips. When you sign up for their emails they send coupons for your birthday & anniversary. Our anniversary coupon was buy on get one free so we decided to try it. Regular price is $43 per person. They have a great salad bar. It has assorted cheeses, soups, veggies, grilled shrimp & what Dean says are the best black beans he's ever eaten in his life. I wouldn't know. I'm not a fan of beans. Anyway, we started with salad & then the meat started coming. My first problem is that the meat is prepared medium rare. Apparently, that's how the Brazilians eat meat. I'm a well done kind of girl. Like I don't want to see ANY pink whatsoever. All you have to do is tell them it's too rare & they'll go cook it more but if you're like me, the sight of the blood dripping from the meat makes you nauseous & pretty much negates any appetite you may have had. There were a few pieces of meat I liked. However, there was more that I didn't like. I tried lamb just because I've never had it. I'll never have it again. It tasted very gamey. I didn't like the chicken wrapped in bacon because it just tasted like a hot dog & I don't like hot dogs. Aside from the salad bar & the meat they bring garlic mashed potatoes, fried bananas & these little bread things that look like donut holes. The mashed potatoes were good & Dean says the bananas were too. I only like bananas in banana pudding & even then I could do without them. The bananas cleanse your pallet so you can "enjoy the different flavors of the meat".  The little bread things were REALLY good. It was almost like a sopapilla. Overall, I wasn't impressed. I was overwhelmed when the gauchos started swarming with meat but that was about it. I wouldn't go back. Dean liked a lot of the meat he tried but even he said it was a one time thing. What did we do after we left??? Went & got shakes at Sonic!!! I was way happier with my shake than I was with the meal!!

This morning I went & had a manicure. It was time for a new set of nails. I think I know how torture victims feel when their nails are ripped out. The nail guy asked if I wanted to soak my hands or for him to pop them off. Popping is quicker so I told him to do that. Several popped right off but several were a little stubborn & it HURT! Thankfully, this isn't something I have to do real often. Of course if I did I'd probably still do it. They look good & I'm all about looks over comfort.

I don't know if y'all have ever heard of Bargain Bee or Living Social but it's sites you can sign up on & they email you half price deals. Most are for restaurants in your area. I've bought several of them for some of our favorite restaurants. One day there was one for a bakery in town, Ambrosia. This bakery has some of the BEST baked stuff ever. After my mani I went to get a sweet treat.

This is the Fresh Strawberry Cake from Ambrosia. It is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!

Today is LSU's biggest game of the season so far. We play Auburn. Our games against them have a history of weird things happening. With Les coaching I can't see it being any different this year. Both teams are undefeated & ranked high in the BCS. It's going to be interesting.

I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

GEAUX TIGERS!!!

Toodles!

Drop a Bozo!

Here's the thing...our fantasy football team No Thugs, is really not very good. I've been over this before. We had the last pick, we've only won 2 games this season, etc. Well, NOW we have injuries to deal with. Let me say this, talent has pretty much nothing to do with fantasy football. Seriously, it's all about luck. If anyone's husbands are trying to convince you of how smart they are because they're leading their league, don't buy it. It's LUCK!! And our luck isn't very good. This week our Kicker, Nate Kaeding,  is injured. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal because after all, he's a kicker BUT our Kicker is sometimes our second leading scorer. Yes, he scores more points than our RB & WR!! That would be running backs & wide receivers for those of you that are actually trying to keep up & have no idea what I'm talking about. So back to the injury, it's his shoulder. A kicker doesn't use his shoulder so why can't he play?? Anyway, when injuries occur teams are allowed to pick up a player to replace the injured one. This also requires teams to drop a player because of roster limitations. We don't know how serious Kaeding's injury is & being that he scores lots of points we don't want to drop him. My conversation with my co-owner went like this:

Me: I'd like to keep Kaeding & drop one of the Bozo's that sits on our bench & doesn't get us any points. What do you think?

Wendy: Drop a Bozo.

So there you have it. Good luck to us!!

Toodles!

A Bargain!!

You may remember last week I got this adorable little camera.

It's replacing the "pencil camera" & I'm calling it an early birthday gift. I said in my last post that I needed to find a cute case. After scouring the internet & not finding anything I was overjoyed about. Well, except the Louis Vuitton Wapity but being that it has Louis Vuitton in front of the "Wapity" that isn't happening. You can't very well pay more for the case than you can the camera now can you?? I also found this one on ebay.

I thought it would be super cute, especially for walking around LSU. Sadly, it ships directly from Hong Kong & I was a little leary. Aside from the 6 yr. olds that are probably making these things in a warehouse (it was only $2.75), I would like to receive it before we go to Disney in December & I just wasn't sure that would happen (shipping was free). I went to Penney's at lunch to return something (yes I will buy something if it's on sale & return the same thing I paid regular price for. Don't hate!), so I looked around to see what they had. I found this.

It's perfect! I know it's not really a camera case but it will work. The camera fits in the front pouch & my phone fits in the inside & there's also a couple of credit card slots & a place for your drivers license. It fits fine in my purse & when I don't want to carry a purse everything I need will fit. Even lipstick! This thing will be great in Disney!

Now comes the bargain! I NEVER, EVER, EVER pay full price for anything at JCPenny's. Seriously. They have great sales. PLUS the coupons! I have a JCP credit card & anything I buy I put on that card. Points are earned on all purchases & they send lots of coupons in the mail. I always pay the balance in full so there's no interest either. Every time you purchase something you can go online & fill out a short survey & get a 15% coupon. That's not a lot off but if you're able to use one on every purchase it adds up. So, my little Liz Claiborne wristlet was regularly priced at $26.00 but it was on sale for $15. I had a 15% off coupon from my last purchase, plus since I was using my JCP card they were giving an additional 15% off & I had a $10 off a $10 purchase coupon that I'd gotten in the mail. My total with tax & rounded up to the nearest dollar for the after school program was $1.00!!!! YEP, you read that right $1.00!! How awesome is that??? I love love love a deal!! With my return, I came out $6.62 ahead on this little trip!! Oh & since I was at the mall I had Chick Fil A for lunch! DELISH!!

Toodles!

Hungry anyone??

My camera came in the other day! WOO HOO!! I was excited. It took forever! Anyway, it's here & so far I really like it. The only pictures I've taken were of stuff in the living room while I was laying on the sofa watching TV. I did load the software on to my computer, get the battery installed & set the date. I had every intention of reading through the manual to figure out how to work it but of course it doesn't have a manual. Just a quick start-up guide. To read the manual I have to go online. I hate doing that. Oh well, I'll give it a try.

I was surprised to see how small the camera was. I knew it was going to be smaller than what I had but this thing is smaller than my iPhone!

It's PINK too!!! How cute is that?? This thing is going to be great! It will fit in a pocket! Now I'm on a mission to find a cute little case for it. I can't carry around a camera as cute as this in an old ugly black case can I??

Moving on. Thursday night Dean & I joined Cliff & Sheri at a wine tasting. It was a fundraiser for Boys Hope/Girls Hope of Baton Rouge. The wine tasting was at Texas de Brazil. There was wine, wine, wine & appetizers. There was this one that was advocado on a cracker thingy with a boiled shrimp on top. DELISH!!!!

Dean & I were both off Friday. We went to Lowe's & Sam's. I LOVE SAM'S!!! Seriously, love love love. I know some people wouldn't be caught dead buying clothes at Sam's, but I'm not one of those people. I found these flip flops. They are some of the most comfortable shoes I've ever put on my feet!! The were marked down to $9.71. Can't beat that!!

 Sam's always has name brand clothes. This sweater is Kenneth Cole & it was $18.

 This one is Izod. I think it was $16.

After Sam's & Lowe's, we had lunch at DeAngelo's. They have really great pizza & the slices are huge!

My favorite is the Cheesy Italian. Sooo good. This morning I got up really early to go have my hair cut & highlighted. I'm really happy I was able to get that done. My hair was getting a tad flat & I don't do flat hair.

The rest of the afternoon was spent working in the backyard. Ugghhh!! Note to self, when you want the entire backyard landscaped remember that means the entire backyard will need to be weeded & re-mulched. Dean did the front yard Thursday when he was off. 13 bales of pine straw later he was finished. We put 20 down today in the backyard around the pool. We still have 2 beds to go but they're not really big so it shouldn't take long. Thankfully, the weather was somewhat cooperative. It was only 77 when we were working.

We went to Mass this afternoon & then stopped at Mike Anderson's to eat. Seems like we did an awful lot of eating this weekend. Anyway, it was delish as usual. We had a group of 18 high school kids sitting next to us. They were going to homecoming. One of the girls had on the most AWESOME pair of shoes I've ever seen!! I refrained from asking the 15 yr. old where she got them but oh they were greatness. Gold glitter heels, ribbon, GREATNESS!!! I think I'm suffering from shoe withdrawals. When I was going to Communion the lady next to me had on a fabulous pair too! The pair of flip flops I got at Sam's are the first pair of shoes I've bought since I can't remember when. I haven't bought a purse since Christmas either! 

So, now we're home watching this sorry excuse for a football game. LSU is winning but this is one of the most boring games I've ever watched. I'm thinking tomorrow is going to be a day filled with a whole lot of nothing!!

Toodles!

Play Ball??

I'm very excited! I won a giveaway!!! I won a Southern Living cookbook. Those of you that know me, please no jokes about how much I need this. Kendra at Domestic Princess in Training hosted a costume parade. Costumes & Halloween aren't generally my thing. I don't have anything against them, it's just like every other project I attempt. It starts out as a FABULOUS (to me) idea & then never goes according to plan, ends up being a lot more involved than I originally thought & some sort of modification ends up being made. The ONE Halloween costume I've worn was no exception. These pictures are from 2006.

Yes, I'm a pear shaped baseball. I know I looked thrilled in the picture. That thing I'm standing next to is the famous, or maybe infamous is a better word,  pole at my brother's house. Before little Logan came along they had an annual Halloween party. The pole has made an appearance at every party my brother has had & it has followed him from apt. to apt. to house. If you've been reading awhile you may remember the pole from here.

In case you're wondering Dean is dressed as Jimmy Buffet. Bet y'all knew that right?? Let's just say that Dean isn't into costumes or dressing up AT ALL. Anyway, back to my costume. Approximately 15 years ago I decided that this would be an awesome costume for me to wear to two parties I was invited to. The only problem is that I can't sew. When I say can't sew, I mean can't thread a needle, sew a button, anything. However, my mom's friend can & she did. So what's the problem you ask? Me not thinking this through or not knowing enough about science or whatever is the problem. You see my plan was to stuff the ball with something to make me nice & round & full. My thought was batting like you stuff in pillows or whatever. Only problem is I didn't bother to try any of this out until the night of the first party & clearly 3 bags of batting wasn't going to do the job. Not to mention that everything that you stuff inside immediately goes to the bottom of the costume creating the pear shape. I wasn't happy about looking like a pear. Luckily, my daddy is a amazing when it comes to these types of things. He stuffed about a gazillion plastic grocery bags full of newspaper & strung them together with fishing line & made what can only be described as the weirdest looking shoulder pads you've ever seen. It worked great. You guessed it though, the problems didn't end there. Getting in the car was an issue. We had to detach some of the bags so that I was able to drive to the party & then reattach when I got there. Oh if you could've been a fly on the wall. Once I was all stuffed there was no sitting down. If I sat the whole baseball pushed up & was up around my head. I went from looking like a pear to humpty dumpty! And don't even think about sitting in a chair with a back. That wasn't happening. I was just thinking that I don't remember what I did about going to the bathroom.  Hmmm?? All this brings me to the pictures above in 2006. I decided to wear my baseball costume to Scott & Lydia's party but I wasn't going through all that with the "shoulder pads". I stuffed some newspapers in plastic bags, tied them up & stuffed them inside. That is why I looked like a pear.

Toodles!!

Outdoor Wednesday

Sunday afternoon Dean & I went to the nursery so I could get some mums & pumpkins for the porch. I could've spent hundreds of dollars! They had pumpkins all different sizes & colors & the mums were soooo pretty. I seriously wanted to buy a bunch of stuff but I refrained. Well, somewhat. When we got home I hung the wreaths I made on the door.

Then I put the mums & pumpkins out.

I love mums!

I saw a pepper plant & couldn't resist.

I've seen these on other blogs & always thought they were so pretty but I never think to look for them when I'm at the nursery. Sunday, they were the first plant that I saw. I'm going to try really hard to keep it alive. I seem to have problems with potted plants & hanging plants. Hopefully, the pepper plant will be different!!

I'm linking to A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

Toodles!

Met Monday

I've been a wreath making fool this fall! After I made the wreath for my friend Vicki, another friend, Allison asked if I'd make her one. I used a grapevine wreath, a fall swag & a few picks & silk flowers. I've started buying the flowers in a bunch & then I cut them apart. Most of the time it's cheaper to buy a bundle rather than individual flowers.

When I was at Hobby Lobby I saw these letters.

I'd seen on a few blogs people using letters in their wreaths. Allison LOVES monograms & initials so I thought it would be a perfect surprise for her! The "H" was made of some sort of particle board type stuff but it was this wood color. My first thought was that I'd cover  it with scrapbook paper but I wasn't sure how that would hold up & I didn't see any paper that I liked. So I moved on to the glitter area. Now, I'm sure all of you crafty types know all about the greatness that is glitter glue but I'd never heard of it! This stuff is AWESOME!! They even had it in orange!

I had some "umber" colored paint so I applied it to the "H", let it dry & then applied the glitter glue. I had some regular red glitter so I added some of that too. I was very pleased with how it turned out.

Here's the whole wreath.

And here it is hanging on Allison's door.

Next up will be Christmas wreaths!

I'm linking to Kristin's blog My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia & Susan's blog Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

Toodles!

Sunday Funday!

Here we are again. It's Sunday night. The weekend's over. It's times like this I wish even more that I didn't have to work. Oh well, that time will come one day. I hope anyway.

Today finds us LSU fans still scratching our heads. If any of you watched the game last night you'll understand why. It truly is strange, unbelievable & maddening all at the same time. LSU is 6-0. None of these wins have been pretty. In fact the majority of them have been very close to being losses. Then there's Les, aka "The Mad Hatter". He never answers the questions that are asked & the majority of the time when he's finished talking you say "Huh? What did he just say?". Maddening I tell ya. This has made for some very interesting debates, conversations, etc. There's one faction of the fan base that wants LSU to lose every game so Les will find himself looking for another job at the end of the season. Then there's the faction that like him (that's a very small group of people). After the Tennessee debacle last week, the majority had accepted the fact that we would lose to Florida. Everyone just didn't want to be embarrassed like last week. VERY few people actually thought there was even a chance LSU would win. I was not one of those people. I thought they were going to lose & lose bad. Anyway, after the game the general consensus among the fans is that Les has sold his soul to the devil. There's no other excuse for all of this so called "luck"!

Today Dean & I went to my parents old house so that Dean could help my dad & Scott move mama's piano to the new house. This hadn't been done yet because, well, have you ever moved a piano? It's not easy. In fact, it's pretty hard. Piano's are heavy. They make a special dolly to move them with. Mama was able to rent the dolly & they got it moved & in place at the new house.

While we were there we had lunch. Scott, Lydia & Logan were there too. It was really good. Thanks again mama!

So, now that the piano's in its new home, do you know what that means?

Yep! Logan has a new toy!!! And so does his daddy!

My friend Vicki has lent my mom a bunch of toys & stuff that her little boy Lane, has outgrown. This little dog is one of those toys. Logan LOVES this thing!!! He was rocking so hard I thought he was going to flip it over.

 Logan & I were playing with my camera. This is still the "pencil camera". The new one isn't here yet. I promise I do have makeup on but good grief I look pale.

On the way home Dean & I stopped at the Nursery & bought some pumpkins & mums for the porch. Then we came home & watched the Saints lose. That certainly wasn't pretty! Have a great week!

Toodles!

I Wear My Sunglasses at.....The Nail Salon

This afternoon I went to get a pedicure. This proved to be an interesting visit. While the guy was working on my feet, a couple of girls came in. They said they wanted mani's but they were waiting for a friend. These girls looked like completely normal college girls. The nail guy finishes with my feet & I move to the dryer. The girls are still waiting for their friend. I'm busy playing Words With Friends on my phone when I hear the door open. The door is right next to where I'm sitting so I can't help but notice this.

Yes, those are gold booties. Sorry about my finger in the pic. I was trying to be discreet but also make sure I got the pic. Would you like to know the funnier part of this story???

YES, this GUY is the wearer of the booties!! Keep in mind it was 90 degrees today. Not really boot weather. Those are sunglasses he's wearing in the salon too. The story gets better. At least I think it does. When his friends told him they'd already picked their colors his response was "Oh, I brought mine with me". Yeh, that's when I noticed the bottle of polish in his hand.  HILARIOUS!!!! It was all I could do not to laugh.

That was my excitement for the day. Other than the pedi, I had a visit from Allison, Joey & Cael. I made a wreath for Allison & they came to pick it up. I'll have pics later. I had a nice nap & Canes for dinner. Now we're watching the LSU game. They're doing surprisingly well. I don't care if they lose but I don't want to be embarrassed like last week. That's all.

Toodles!

The Kitchen

This week at Kelly's Korner  is Kitchens. I'm ready for new floors & counters. Sadly, Dean needs some convincing. Hopefully, we'll be able to make it happen. This is our corner pantry. The opening to the left goes into the dining room.

I love the corner sink. This is at the front of the house so we can always see what's going on outside. I bought the flower arrangement at Kirkland's & added the hydrangea's to it.

This is a piece I got a couple of weeks ago. I got the pumpkins at Hob Lob.

This is the kitchen & breakfast area from the end of the kitchen closest to the dining room.

These cabinets are between the fridge & the pantry. I've been thinking about making those doors glass front because those are the cabinets that have a lot of stemware. I need to do something with the lamp cord too.

This is one of my favorite things in the kitchen. It hangs next to the windows in the breakfast area.

A closeup of the cute little spider candle holder. I got these at Kirkland's after Halloween last year.

I'm also sick of the placemats. I'd like a runner but I haven't found one that I like. I've been throwing the idea around of attempting to make one. We'll see.

I seem to have a problem take pictures straight!

We put all of the corks from our wine in this jar.

Our server. The picture is another R.C. Davis print. The candy corn candy dish also came from Kirkland's. Sorry for the horrible glare. I couldn't get a good picture.

Still a glare but you can tell it's a swamp scene. I love R.C. Davis prints because there are all sorts of hidden things in the pictures. A butterfly here, a bird there. Just really neat.

That's our kitchen. I'm planning to paint the cabinets but I need to do a bit more research before I take on that job. It's not going to be easy.

Toodles!

Our Anniversary

I had a couple comments & a bunch of emails about my butterfly pictures. Thanks! I thought they were pretty too. I took them with my current camera. You know, "Pencil Camera" as my friend Wendy dubbed it. It's actually much more annoying that I first thought it would be so I've ordered a new camera. WOOO HOOO!!! I'm very excited. After doing some research, perusing a lot of blogs & asking for LOTS of opinions I decided on this one.

It's a Canon Powershot SD1300. I was planning to wait until closer to Thanksgiving to see if I could get a deal but I found it online on sale with free shipping & no tax so I ordered it. It shipped tonight from Salt Lake City. It says it's coming via UPS but it's not scheduled to be delivered until the 13th. Good grief, why is taking a week?? Anyway, I plan to do something with this camera that I've never done with any others. I plan to learn how to work it!! This isn't the first time I've said this. I'm going to try really hard to follow through. I just really hate reading directions. I'm like a man when it comes to that. Generally, I just read enough to figure out how to take a picture with the auto mode & that's as far as I get. I would really like someone to just show me how to work everything.

Dean & I had dinner tonight at Louisiana Lagniappe. Our 7th Anniversary was Monday & I had a meeting at Church that I needed to attend so we went tonight. If you're ever in Baton Rouge or in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach you must try it. We had Fresh Fish en Papillote which is fresh fish (it was black drum tonight) topped with lump crab meat and shrimp stuffing, baked in parchment paper and finished with a light garlic beurre blanc. Soooo good.

Yesterday, I had a manicure.

The color is OPI's Aphrodite's Pink Nightie. It's very shimmery & kind of a neutral pink, if that makes sense.

I hope everyone's having a good week!

Toodles!

Outdoor Wednesday

Now that it's starting to cool off here my lantana's have gone crazy! Seriously, the one I have planted in my rock garden is out of control.

Told ya! I have a problem keeping things alive in hanging baskets so I planted lantana in them this year. EPIC fail. They died too. I'm not really sure what the problem is. Any ideas? I really like ferns in hanging baskets but I usually can't get those to live for more than a few weeks. I need help! Anyway, I'm glad the lantana on the ground are doing so well.

Saturday I noticed there was a flock of butterflies hanging out around the lantana. I know it's a plant that attracts them but I've never seen so many at once. There were at least 5 big ones & a bunch of itty bitty baby butterflies. They were so cute!

 I wasn't able to get any pics of the babies. They were moving so fast!

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm linking to A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

Toodles!!!