Fabulous Find Friday!

I am truly in a fantastic mood today, and I'm praying that not even work can kill it! :) The things that have gone right in the last 24-48 hours are as follows:

1. It's Friday

2. My brother is back in town and we got to hang out last night

3. We hung out over a homemade dinner that I didn't have to make! Thanks mom!

4. OUR DOF TRIP IS BOOKED!!! VIVA MEXICO!!!!

5. Training is officially underway for the Komen 3 day and mom and I had a great walk and talk last night!

6. Dinner club is tomorrow night....I'm still working on what I'm going to bring as an appetizer (any fabulous recipes are welcome!!) but I am hyped to see great friends!

7. The weather is phenomenal

8. I got to watch Wednesday's SYTYCD last night and it.was.awesome. I LOVED the tapper.

9. There was virtually ZERO traffic on my way in to work today AND I left 15 minutes late. That is amazing.

10. God is so good all the time!

It seems like everyday I open my mailbox to a new invitation. Whether it's a party being hosted for fun, a wedding shower, a baby shower or a birthday party there is always a reason to celebrate! When celebrating, many times gift giving is in order! Here are a few things I have found in the past month or so that might be the perfect "bring along" to your party of choice!

I absolutely love this journal! It's feminine, sweet, inexpensive, and would be the perfect gift for a friend or family member. What about the bride to be who may want to journal the journey to the big day??

Speaking of the bride to be....before long you'll be floating around downtown of your particular city dancing to Chris Brown and taking shots of some watermelon concoction while chasing after your best friend wearing a veil and a tiara. You'll cap off the evening giving the soon to be Mrs. sexy little numbers for those nights she wants to "slip into something more comfortable"....RIGHT! If by something more comfortable you mean an oversize t-shirt and boxer shorts....anywho....the perfect gift for just such an occasion is this totally classy and completely gorgeous mini slip.

And for that Kappa Kappa Gamma in your life that just loves to accessorize, try this cute and super cheap ($5) Fleur De Lis ring and these fun and funky earrings.

And for the hostess...how about this precious vase filled with some bright orange Gerbera daisies, or a lantern for the patio when the sun goes down...Summer beach party? How about these fun snack bowls?

Happy giving!

Cow Town....

For the last 2 days I have been in one of my favorite Texas Cities....Ft. Worth. I went on a site visit for work and took the opportunity to have a fabulous lunch at Joe T's, watch my favorite MLB team take it to the Yankees, stay in the new Omni (which is sweet) and see 2 total A listers! I wish I could say we talked, I got a picture and then we had a drink together in the hotel bar but no dice.

Me and 2 of my co-workers traveled North bound I-35 on Tuesday morning to begin our tour of Ft. Worth. We were scoping out the convention center and the hotels we will be utilizing for our 2010 Annual Conference. Ft. Worth just build a gorgeous Omni hotel right across from the convention center and because it just opened in March I had not yet had the chance to see the finished product. It really is a nice property. So nice in fact, that many of the pro golfers playing in this weekend's Colonial golf tourney were staying there! I was trying to see if I recognized anyone, but Adam Scott was no where in sight. Two people that did manage to catch my eye were George Lopez and Luke Wilson!! I was waiting for my car in the valet line and they walked right past. My co-worker said, "That's George Lopez!" and sure enough, it was! We were so busy talking about that and I was quickly wondering just how awkward it would be for me to fish through my purse in a blaze of fury for my camera when I noticed, "Oh my gosh, he's with Luke Wilson!!!" I quickly became more impressed with Luke than George and just as quickly as they walked by they were in their Escalade and off they went! Opportunity lost.

We headed out to the Ranger's game and thought about what could have been! We got to the Ranger's game by 6:30 for the 7:05 start and went ahead and hit the concession stands before the crowds came. I got my chicken fingers and french fries and no sooner had I sat down they were warning fans of the approaching thunderstorms and called a "pre-storm rain delay." If you were sitting in the 90 degree sun like I was you would have said no way on earth are we going to get a thunderstorm worth delaying this game! But they didn't listen to me and exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes later the rain came! And let me tell you, it came and came and came! I have never seen it rain so hard! There was hail and the sky just fell in, but by 8:45 the storm had passed and all of the other idiots who were crazy enough to stay were able to take their seats...again! They actually threw the first pitch at 9:32. We stayed until the top of the 7th and consumed the majority of the items sold at The Ballpark In Arlington. We like to think we were quality control and just doing our job. But let's be honest, when you hang out somewhere for 6 hours you're bound to need at least one meal and a snack...and in Tom's case...he needed 2 meals and a snack!

I took this picture for Dave...this is the New Cowboy's Stadium. It is ENORMOUS! And looks like a space ship. It's pretty sweet. And yes, I was driving, but at least I'm at a stoplight! Safety first!!!

And then the rain came.....You couldn't even see across the stadium! Look down 4 pictures and that is what this picture is of!
Ok, the rain stopped...let's play ball.
My documentation of the 9:32 start time!

And this many people were just as dumb as we were and they stayed too!

We looked out for George and Luke the rest of the time we spent at the hotel but we had no luck. We did find out they were playing in the pro-am at the Colonial so that's why they were there. Next time there will be no shame in my game and I'll be quicker on the draw. My current lineup of celeb photos is Drew Carey and Sam Champion.....I need to step up my game!

How do I know thee? Let me count the ways!

I have had an few e-mails asking me if I know the people whose blogs I have listed on my sidebar, and the answer for all but 3 of them is Yes! We have either shared a room, a laugh, a drink, a last name, a secret, a wardrobe, fashion advice, dessert, standing in each other's weddings or all of the above!! I think it's high time I introduce them! (And in case it has bugged you that they are not in alphabetical order, they are in order of updated! It's the system that works best for me...and since it's my blog, I do it my way! :)

Here are those that keep me entertained....

• Big Mama- Don't know her in real life, but feel like I do. We are kindred spirits. She is a Texas girl, an Aggie, totally hilarious, makes jokes out of everything and keeps me laughing.
• This Young House- Don't know them either, but enjoy all of their DIY projects. They have redone their entire house and taught themselves how to do it all.
• One Way Ticket- I actually do know her! Kate is my Sister-in-law. About 8 months ago my sister, who lived in NYC at the time, had one of her roomies move out and Kate moved right in! Kate is loving life in the City and blogging about it too!
• Shopping is our Cardio- Their actual blog title is "Four Fat Chicks", but I really like the tag line "Shopping is our cardio!". One of the Fat Chicks (who coincidentally is not fat at all...unless you spell it PHAT!) (That was a really bad joke...) is my friend Lesli who I met right after college. I'll explain her next to her own blog....I have had the privilege of meeting one of the other "Fat Chicks", Christina on my trip to Chicago! She is a doll and I had a blast talking and laughing and sharing a drink with her! I have not had to joy of meeting the other 2 FC, but I hope to do so VERY soon!
• A Life Les Ordinary- Lesli, as I mentioned above, and I met in the Fall of 2003. At the time, we were living in Austin, we were fresh out of college, and we were making new friends! We have both since moved to other cities, gotten married, started blogs and reconnected. I love it!
• Better Together- Keely is one of my sorority sisters who is expecting! Her blog is so precious and I have had so much fun reading about her and her hubby, their dogs, and their sweet baby on the way.
• The Newton Nest- Katie and I met while in college through my BFF Liz (to be explained later...). We had an instant bond and have shared a love for all things Bachelor/Bachelorette and celebrity related. I am sincerely hoping for a girls' weekend soon so we can catch up in real life and not just via blogs.
• Champagne and Sprinkles- Courtney is one of my BFFs. We have been friends literally since the first day of rush and we have shared everything life has thrown our way in the 10 years since. Courtney stood by my side at my wedding, stood by my side when my mom was sick, has encouraged me through every test, every mood swing, every fashion decision and pretty much everything you could think of!
• Makeup Maven- Little miss makeup master is one of my sister's dear friends and I have had the privilege of getting to know her and her family over the years. Our parents are good friends and our dad's are two peas in a pod. Anytime I need to know what mascara to buy and what moisturizer won't break me out I go to Emily!
• Finger Lick' Good- I met Kristin through our mutual friend Allison (Also to be explained on down the line...). Kristin and Allison have known each other for quite some time and I am so glad we met each other. Kristin and her hubby have moved to Kansas City and she has started a blog to keep us all in the loop. She has amazing taste, impeccable style, and I love keeping up with her!
• The Norwood Nest- Katie-Bacardi-Limon was one of my roomies in college. She is a hybrid of Martha Stewart and Betty Crocker. She once made a homemade apple pie when we were in college (I know, super weird, right??) because "the apples were going to go bad".....
• Kristen&Co.- This is my sals! We of course have shared a name, a room, and all of the listed above. She was my maid of honor and is my most cherished friend. My precious sister just moved back to Texas from NYC. We are SO supportive of that decision!! :) I kid, she had SO much fun in NYC and made the most of every moment, but she knew her heart was in Texas and she is now back in the Lone Star Sate. Her blog is funny, light hearted and always entertaining!
• Our Sole Purpose- This is our Komen 3 Day Blog! Mom, Kristen, my mom's best friend Coleen and I are doing the 3 Day, 60 mile walk in Dallas this coming November. Follow our journey through our blog!
• The Loj- I don't even know where to begin with the Loj. This is "Liz" mentioned above, but it felt weird to even type her actual name. We were roomies in college, she too was one of my bridesmaids, and this girl is straight up crazy. She keeps me laughing constantly!
• Tulane Baseball- This is the seldomly updated blog about the off-the-field antics of the Tulane University baseball team as told by my little brother! He just finished his junior year....which means I'm getting old. I must say, he is hilarious/total smart a$$.
• Bring the Rain- I don't know Angie, but I feel like I do. Her story of God's love and sovereignty is amazing. She chronicles her journey of finding out that her daughter, while in the womb, will not survive. Her painful journey is moving, amazing, and humbling. Her 3 girls are precious, her stories are funny, and her faith in our God is powerful.
• Life.Simply Stated.- Kate is a sorority sister of mine who I am so pleased to be reconnected with though the blog world! She is so fun and her lighthearted spirit is infectious.
• Life Giggles- SEM and LCT are friends of mine who have FINALLY started a blog! They are hilarious and there is absolutely no telling what they will decide to write about! They are a match made in blog heaven.
• Musical Snack- Alyssa is my sister's BFF and former college and NYC roomie! I love this girl so much because of her deep friendship and loyalty to my sister! Thank you! BUT, that has nothing to do with her blog. She is a musical genius and writes a crazy good blog with great suggestions, new music and old favorites.
• Phil and Elicia- Elicia is also one of my sorority sisters. Elicia is expecting and I cannot wait to see her precious little girl! She is funny and witty and writes about everyday experiences. She is another who I am so glad our blogs have kept us connected.
• Feels Like Home- Allison is one of my BFFs too. She is one of my "running buddies" as my mom likes to say. ha. We always have tons of fun together and we are so blessed to live in the same city!
• Livin' With the Lees- Bradley is another one of my BFFs. We have known each other since about 3 weeks into school freshman year. (Really like 1 day, but became better buds a few weeks in) There really isn't anything we haven't shared together. I held her bouquet and she held mine! We are also so lucky to now live in the same city and be able to hang out all the time. There isn't a day that goes by that we don't talk whether by phone or e-mail...or both! It is an added bonus that our hubbies are great friends. In fact, they are golfing together right now! Now, update your stinkin' blog!!
• Life with the Porters- Suze is another friend that I met through the Loj while we were in college! She is such a HOT mama! She has a precious family and it is growing! Again, I'm hopeful for that girls' weekend VERY soon!

That is all of the blogs currently on my "preferred reader list", and that's how I know them! I certainly read more than just these blogs each day, so keep writing!! Thanks for entertaining me!

Fabulous Find Friday....GIVEAWAY!!

**UPDATE: We have a WINNER!! The random number chosen by Random.org is commenter #9, Jenny Rose! Please e-mail me at lifeisglamandfab@gmail.com to let me know how to get you your SWAG! Thanks to those that entered my first giveaway! There will be more :)

In any action there is a reaction. If I’m watching the Bachelorette (action) Dave gripes, whines and wants to change the channel (reaction). If I eat queso, chips and wash it down with a Molten Chocolate Cake (action) my butt gets bigger (reaction). If I have to wear a swimsuit (action) to survive and enjoy the Texas Summers then I darn well better get a cute cover-up (reaction) to cover my big butt from the aforementioned actions! I’m not going to be one of those girls who looks amazing in my bikini and feels compelled to walk laps around the pool in an effort to show everyone my goods. Trust me when I say “there’s nothing to see here!” I’ve been searching for this year’s “staple” item and I’ve found a few front runners…

This Ralph Lauren tunic cover-up is probably my favorite. I love the sleeves, it is light and airy, casual but stylish and comes in great colors!

This cotton racerback dress from the GAP could double as a cover-up.

Although I personally cannot pull off this look I always think it looks darling on others! This hooded romper from the GAP is on sale for only $29.99! (Why must they call it a “romper”??)
And for something that could easily be worn out to dinner or to the pool, here is a Maxi dress that I have fallen for! This dress is from Nordstrom and is a bit pricey, but it’s flattering for all figures.
I promised that I would make up my FFF absence for the past 2 weeks and what better way to earn your love back than by giving away some of my favorite summer items! Simply leave a comment and include your favorite summer tune. I need to make some great playlists for the Summer and you can help! I will select the lucky winner on Monday, May 25 using the Random Number Generator at Random.org. Good luck!

"Show us Where you Live!"

A few weeks ago I told you about Kelly's tour of homes and I posted my kitchen. Well, this week is dining rooms, so come on in! Our formal dining is attached to our formal living room, and it is the first thing you see when you walk into our house. I am still working on the area above the buffet, so if you have any ideas, pass them along! Without further ado....

Come on in! This is the view from the front door. My formal dining/living is directly to the right...and there's my little man!

The week we moved in I bought that buffet from a neighbor having garage sale for super cheap! I sanded it and repainted it and it serves the purpose for now!

Dining area

One of the things I love about the house is the abundance of windows. I love the tree right outside this window.

This is the view from upstairs so you can get an idea of the layout of the room

The view of the other side of the room leading upstairs

One of my favorite verses.

And finally, this is the view from our living room. I love the tall, open ceiling.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out my Fabulous Find Friday and register for the giveaway!

I owe you an apology...

Dear Fortune Inn,

I think I owe you an apology. I doubted your turnaround time and I certainly shouldn't have. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting my phone back to me in such a timely manner. Ever since I left your fine establishment I have made jokes about the fact that I probably wouldn't see my phone for at least 1-2 weeks, but the joke was on me when I opened my mailbox to find my precious phone on Wednesday! This would have to mean that you mailed it first thing Monday Morning. Bless your sweet heart for doing what you said you would do. Now I can read up on my text messages, and at some point I will listen to those 7 voicemails. A couple of them are probably my sister who KNEW I didn't have my phone but still called it about 5 times in moments of forgetfulness.

I did love that the phone was wrapped in a pretty little Christmas package and taped with clear packing tape as though no one should ever wish to get inside the box. Thank you for taking such care of my (terrible!!!) LG Shine. It meant the world to me. I will never doubt your timeliness or question the care you provide your patrons ever again.

Sincerely,

Tiffany

Safe and sound! Sent straight from Mr. Fortune himself!

Opinions, randomness and too much TV!!

First of all, this is my 150th post! I can't believe it, really. I started this blog for fun and wasn't really sure I would even stick with it. Now I really enjoy writing it and I have had a lot of fun meeting people through comments (which lead me to their blogs....) and through e-mails I have received from some of you. Here's to 150 more!

On to the opinions and randomness....

When we were at Dave's granddad's birthday celebration last weekend we noticed that Dave and his 5 year old cousin were twinkies. Kate got this adorable picture of them shooting the breeze. There is no telling what kind of advice Dave is giving him here....

Speaking of our trip...I told you all I left my cell phone at the Fortune Inn...what's the over under on whether or not my phone has been mailed back to me yet? I don't normally lose things like this. Misplacing the remote, forgetting a necessary item at the grocery store, sending an e-mail and forgetting the attachment, packing for a week long vacation and forgetting a regular bra leaving me with only a strapless bra....been there, done that. But I've never before lost my cell phone. We don't have a home phone, so it is literally my one form of communication. And I.LIKE.COMMUNICATING. :) Dave has teased me before that my car won't even go out of park unless I'm talking to someone. In the last 2 days I have certainly found out that unfortunately, it will. I have faith in Georgette. I have a feeling she mailed that bad boy off first thing Monday morning and I'm confident it will be in my mailbox when I get home! Cross your fingers for me!

It is my opinion that none can compare to the Lone Star state. I am a Texas girl through and through, and this certainly isn't the first time that I have had such pride for my state, but in the last few weeks I ave become increasingly aware or just how much I love it. For starters, there is the unrivaled, incomparable, untouchable Blue Bell Ice Cream. I'm a sucker for the classics like Milk Chocolate and Cookies 'n Cream, but I've had my fair share of flavors like Birthday Cake and Banana Pudding too. I'm sorry your state's ice cream is inferior to my state's ice cream! (Now Ben And Jerry, you do have some bargaining power, but I'm still sticking to my roots.)
The other thing about my great state that has been glaringly apparent in recent weeks is our sheer dominance of athletics. Granted, we did not have any teams make it to the NBA Championship, but 3 teams in the finals is pretty darn convincing. My Mavs, the Rockets and the Spurs all made it to the finals this year and I'd say that's a pretty good showing. Next year Dirk is taking us all the way.
It is Summer time and I'm ready to hit up the outdoors, but how on earth am I supposed to do that with all of this good TV on?? The Bachelorette started Monday, which is a whole post all of its own, DWTS ended last night and yes, I have an opinion, the Real Housewives of Jersey has started and it might be my favorite yet (!!), American Idol ends tonight and while I have only watched about 3 episodes, Kris Allen is MY American Idol, and I'm locked in to start watching So You Think You Can Dance for the first time ever tomorrow night. Holy moly....that's a lot of TV shows. OH, and how could I forget the Dual on Wednesday's....good stuff. So, you see, I'm totally pathetic.

Here is my breakdown of a few of these faves....

• Bachelorette: Jillian is adorable. She is charming, funny, cute, and HANDS.DOWN. has the best style of any previous bachelorette. Adorable ey! *Speaking of the Bachelor/bachelorette...anyone have any news on Jason and Molly? Have they broken up yet?
  
• DWTS: You guys know I LOVE me some Shawn Johnson. She's cute, down to earth and a great role model for young girls. But, I'm going to be REALLY honest here.....I thought Gilles should have won. I know...I know....it's like I'm turning on her and I don't mean to, but I truly though Gilles was AMAZING and should have won. But, I am happy the way things turned out. I think it was a great season!


• American Idol: Not gonna lie, I've only seen about 4 episodes, and those 4 were 3 of the audition shows and last night's final episode. My opinion is that Kris Allen should win. He is UBER talented! Ain't no Sunshine When she's gone was A-MAZE-ING! He tickled those ivories and did his momma proud. And might I just point out that while his other 2 songs weren't over the top amazing, the ONE song that he got to pick for himself was. Enough said.

• Real Housewives of New Jersey: Lovin' it. I have really liked the RHW of Orange County and held them as my favorites. I didn't so much care for Atlanta and New York left something to be desired. Those New York women were so, so rude to each other and just too far fetched and not fun for me to get into. But New Jersey....now that's interesting. 4 out of 5 of the women are related...2 sisters, married to 2 brothers, and 2 sister-in-laws who are married to the sister's brothers! Confused?? Me too! They are a total Italian/Mafia family and they are sure to be entertaining this season!
  
• SYTYCD: Never seen it and I've been told I'm un-American and it will be my new all-time favorite show. I'll be giving it a whirl tomorrow night!

That is all for my completely random post. Anything I missed?

"I don't know if she wants to BE me or skin me and wear me like last year's Versace!" ~ Dina, RHW New Jersey

Oh, the Places You'll Go....

This weekend was our big trip to Arkansas! Dave's grandad turned 90 and we went to celebrate with him! Dave spent a lot of time at the farm growing up, but I had not yet been introduced to Newport. We flew into Little Rock on Friday and picked up a wayward traveler. Two hours later we were ready to greet the rest of the incoming family at the farm.

It was a great weekend filled with a lot of celebrating and a lot of family. It is so different for me because Dave comes from a big family with many cousins. I have a really small family and I didn't grow up with cousins my age and have stories of fun and mischief. It was great to hear a lot of Dave's history and his family's history.

A few of the weekend's highlights are:

1. Asking Dave if he needed my rewards numbers when booking our hotel. He looked at me like I was crazy and proceeded to tell me that the "Fortune Inn" was locally owned and Bill and Judy probably don't have a preferred customers points system. After meeting Bill for myself I can confirm that.

2. Our waitress at a local pizza place asked where we were staying. When we confirmed that were staying at the Fortune she said, "Oh, I got arrested there last night! Yeah, we were hanging out at Bo-Bailey's (bar in the lobby.....) and I punched my ex-mother-in-law in the face! Are y'all going over there tonight? If so, I might see you guys. I'm going to head over there after my shift and get a martini." **Sidenote: I would not have pegged her for a martini girl. Keystone, yes. Cosmo...no.

3. The same waitress...she told us they had $1 beers (don't remember the name) and I asked if it was a dark beer. She confirmed that it was and then said, "Come on cowgirl! Put on your Tony Llamas and buck up!"

I.KID.YOU.NOT.

PS....I left my cell phone in room 141 at the Fortune. I realized this when we were about 10 minutes from the airport and there was no way to turn back. The helpful folks at the Fortune were more than excited to mail my phone back to me. I'll be sure and let you know when it arrives....let's not hold our breath!

PPS...Once again, I'm sorry about the FFF. I'm going to make it up to you. Promise!

Silence is Golden.

After a lot of blood, sweat and tears, (and a vow to only buy furniture that comes put together from now on) we finally got the console table put together. I've come to the conclusion that I actually think there are people who work in factories and their only job is to drill holes that don't exactly line up so that people will actually go crazy when putting things together. Ugh.

We finished putting the table together around 8:00pm and Dave's eyes lit up because he was finally going to be able to pull his new baby out of the box. In his defense, he has been VERY patient seeing as how we've had this TV for a month now.

Here he is doing the honors....

And here is the "masterpiece". Yay for the TV....and hopefully one day I will get over my bitterness towards that so-called TV stand. **As a side note: My HUGE armoire took up a lot of wall space and a lot of room space. This is so slender and takes up so much less wall space. I am really happy about that, but now the room looks SO boring. Any suggestions for the area to the left and the right of the TV? I have no where to put my pictures an "stuff" to make the room cozy/homey. That's my next project.

Back to last night...We ordered a pizza so that Dave could watch the Mavs/Nuggets and the Rangers on his new 46", and we were thrilled to be having dinner at 8:45 at the kitchen table instead of 9:45 in our bed like the night before. But we encountered a slight problem when we realized there was no sound....

Apparently you need a separate cable for that......Of course. I'm not sure I had envisioned this being an all week project. In fact I'm CERTAIN I hadn't. At least we got to watch the Mav's get schooled in silence. I guess there's always next year...

Silver Fox

My sister and I have talked many times about our celebrity crushes. It started years and years ago with a deep rooted love for Jonathan Taylor Thomas and many, many posters adorning my adolescent walls. I too might have had a slight crush on Zach Morris and may or may not have watched Mighty Ducks 300 times to see Adam Banks.

But now, I am much older and oh so much wiser and I like to think I've raised the bar. I no longer rely on Disney to introduce my latest heart-throb and pick up the newest edition of BOP magazine to get the tear out posters...no no. I don't have the childhood crushes anymore. I now go for more mature men. Allow me to introduce you to my silver foxes. They should come as no surprise. Some of them are probably on your silver fox top 5....here are mine in no particular order....

Clooney. Not very original, but there's really no way of arguing it.

George Strait....Those that know me know I'm not really into the cowboy look, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception!

Patrick Dempsey....Obvi

Troy Aikman....The All-American boy

Even mom has a silver fox....she LOVES Andy Garcia....

Who's your SF? Do share!!

Momma Said There'd be Days Like This.....

Not gonna lie, I'm in a funky mood today. I'm exhausted, my body aches everywhere but in between my toes, my house is a DISASTER, I have no TV in my living room, not an ounce of food in my house and I'm not even sure how to remedy it.

Although my weekend was COMPLETELY worth the lack of sleep, it is starting to catch up to me, and my evenings have done little to help remedy that lack of sleep. We got a new TV approximately a month ago but we had to get a new TV table for it. That was ordered 3 weeks ago and was finally delivered, and not a moment too soon. We currently have a HUGE armoire in our living room that our dinosaur-of-a-tv currently sits in. And let me tell you...it's SO.FREAKING.HEAVY. It's honestly heavier than my couch, my dresser, the washing machine, my stinkin car....ok, maybe not quite as heavy as the car, but close. Anyways, we moved the huge armoire and heavy TV into our bedroom to make room for the new TV and table. I almost can't even move today. My hair hurts. But honestly, I probably wouldn't even be mentioning this had we been able to put the new TV table together, finally get the new TV out of the box, and actually have a TV in our living room right now. But NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO....that would be too easy now wouldn't it??

We started this project at 6:30pm when we got home from work. I had a good sweat going by 7:30 when we finally finished moving the furniture into our room and I only had one herniated disc. By 8:00 pm we had the box unpacked and all of the pieces of our fine furniture spread throughout the living room. We started putting the puzzle together and once we put the framework together there was ONE piece that just wasn't in correct alignment. Well, let's just take it apart and put it back together so that it lines up correctly, right? WRONG. The 4 pieces absolutely would not come apart. And when I say would not, I mean WOULD NOT come apart. I was putting all of my weight into it, jumping up and down, turning it upside down and every which way I could possibly flip it and this thing would not budge. Finally, at 9:00pm when I was getting completely grumpy from lack of food and the pain in my lower back was more than I could bare we called a truce from the stupid TV table and made a Sonic run. I guess that Wacky pack grilled cheese and cherry limeade was just what I needed to get my strength back and get the creative juices flowing. We got home, ate our dinner while sitting on our bed watching the last 15 minutes of the Biggest Loser, and made a decision to give that TV table one last piece of our minds.

With all the strength we could muster we basically ripped that thing apart. Seriously, I prayed a prayer of praise after that thing was back in all of it's million little pieces on my living room floor because at least it wasn't still STUCK TOGETHER in janky fashion. At that point we called it a night because we couldn't bare to get ticked off again if we put it back together and it didn't line up. Not to mention I couldn't actually stand upright at that point.

So I currently sit here, unable to move many appendages, and am painfully aware of the task awaiting me when I get home. Momma said there'd be days like this.......

Crazy Good...

**UPDATE: Photos are added! There are several. :)

I don't even know where to begin. I've been gone for 3.5 days without access to the Internet, and while it felt really good I also felt really behind. I know that I failed you miserably on Friday and I'm sorry. I had a FABULOUS post in mind with great gifts for Mother's Day but I simply ran out of time to post it before I left, and as I've mentioned before I have no portable Internet device. I am still kickin' it old school with a desktop computer and a simple flip phone. No e-mail, no Twitter updates, no Fabulous Find Friday....It's like I don't even exist. But I do exist. I'm back from a "crazy good" weekend in the Big Easy and I'm ready to tell all!

We set out at 8:00am on Friday morning...me, Dave, mom and dad, armed with breakfast tacos, about 8 DVDs, a radar detector and Diet Coke. We made a few potty stops, discussed all the remaining contestants on DWTS, expressed our disdain for bumper stickers, people driving under the speed limit in the fast lane, and gas station restrooms, and solved most of the world's problems by the time we got to Houston. With 5 hours left in our journey mom and I decided to watch SATC the Movie. I had never seen the movie.... Before you all strike me off of your "friends" list citing irreconcilable differences, please hear me out....I never meant for this to happen. I never meant to get this far down the road and never have seen the movie. When it came out in theatres there were really good reasons why I couldn't go see it and I can't remember any of them now, but at the time they were really good. Then, it came out on DVD and for one reason or another I hadn't bought it and sat and watched it. To be fair I haven't seen ANY movies lately. Slumdog was another one that I saw on the car trip! We finally hit New Orleans, made a pit stop at the Fox and the Hound to refuel and then hit the field.

It was a great night at the ball field. The weather was amazing and we sat in really great seats straight up from the 3rd base coach about 3 rows up. Mom sang an amazing rendition of "We Will Rock You" sung as a soprano and made complete with a vibrato during the phrase "totally defeat you." After the pitcher came on hard times Taylor went to the bullpen and we got really excited we were going to see him pitch! Well, we were all really excited mixed with a bit of nerves but that's only because relief pitchers generally come in in times of trouble. This was no exception and Taylor put out the fire with a strike out. (I'm allowed to brag....he's my baby brother!) He came in the next inning and continued to pitch well. We were thrilled to see him pitch in person since we're normally watching on a computer screen 550 miles away! It set the tone for a great weekend.

Saturday we had lunch at our favorite pizza place in the Big Easy, Reginelli's, and then headed out to the field. We sweat off about 5 lbs in the 95 degree heat and then got to meet up with Taylor after the game for a tour of the field and the locker room. We tried to get mom to run the bases and slide at home but she graciously declined. After dinner, the boys hit up the casino and Taylor managed to win over $200. I am convinced the boy has a horseshoe firmly implanted up his hind quarters. Nevertheless, he is an impressive individual.

Yesterday was Mother's Day and we had so much fun at the baseball game. Mom got to throw out the first pitch along with the other players' mothers. They gave her one of Taylor's jersey's when we got there and I got some awesome pictures of them together! Not that you really care, but I can't wait to share them with you! I took most of them with her camera, so I will upload them tonight (hopefully) and add them to the blog. It was so cute to see them standing side by side, and at the risk of being totally cheesy and sentimental, it was really a special day. Mom threw a perfect strike! (or it was high and outside, but who's counting?)

A few practice tosses....

Go time! They are #34 in the video below...

Game time!

Kids getting autographs after the game! I LOVE this! Too cute.

Some post game family shots....We missed Kristen!!!

When all was said and done, I hated to leave! Mostly because of the 8 hour (which turned into 10 hours...) drive ahead, but also because I always have so much fun seeing Taylor. We headed home, hit insane traffic outside of Beaumont where we sat still for about an hour, and finally hit the driveway around 1:30am.....I'm SO ready for bed tonight!

And not to be forgotten, my precious mom. Happy Mother's day mom! I'm so glad I could celebrate you yesterday and everyday. I hope you had fun, felt honored, and cherished. We love you, we thank you for all that you do for each one of us, and we thank you for raising us in a home where Christ is celebrated and loved. You are an amazing woman!

I'll leave you with some quotes from the weekend:

"Yeah, Taylor put a butter knife in Mohl's carry on, but we decided to text him and tell him before he hit security." ~ Taylor's roomies telling us of one of his MANY escapades. This one involving a butter knife, a carry on, LAX and a COACH. I thought it was hilarious, mom decided she's better off NOT knowing....

"These are crazy good!" ~ Mom, while polishing off her margarita from Superior Grill

"It's almost Christmas!" ~ Mom, (in a whisper) AFTER her margarita from Superior Grill as we were driving down St. charles. We informed her it is in fact NOT almost Christmas, and it's actually closer to LAST Christmas rather than THIS Christmas.

"Yeah, Josh Hamilton is playing this weekend in Round Rock since he is rehabbing." ~ me
"Cool! Are you guys going to go see him??" ~ Preston

"Really??" ~my answer. Considering we were sitting in his living room approximately 550 miles away from the game currently being played.

"Did anyone win anything?" ~Me to Dave
"Your dad's down, I broke even, Petiton won about $20, your brother won about $220, and Preston needs to sell another chair!"

"I don't understand how he can sit out in this sun all day with no shirt on!" ~Mom's ONE observation when this guy walked by.