Friday, July 29, 2011

Weekend!

Happy Friday! It's been a crazy week at work with the markets and the flippin' debt ceiling dilemma.

But on a positive note, It's the Weekend. And a Girl's gone wild  Getaway.

13 Girlfriends at the lake for the weekend.

Lots of vino, Lots of dancing, Lots of volume {as the more cocktails consumed the louder we talk}...but most importantly Lots of Laughs. Doesn't get much better than that.




Hope everyone has a Great weekend !


Some Friday Feel good:


The Cab Ride

I arrived at the address and honked the horn.
after waiting a few minutes I walked to the
door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a
frail, elderly voice. I could hear something
being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened.
 
A small woman in her 90's stood before me.  
She was wearing a print dress  
and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned
on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon
suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had
lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils
on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase
to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I
told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers
the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good
boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave
me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said.
 
'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice. '

I looked in the rear-view mirror.
 
Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have
any family left,' she continued in a soft
voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very
long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two
hours, we drove through the city. She showed me
the building where she had once worked as an
elevator operator.

We drove through the neighbourhood
 
where she and her husband had lived
when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in
front of a furniture warehouse that had once
been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow
in front of a particular building or corner and
would sit staring into the darkness, saying
nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm
tired. Let's go now'.

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was
a low building, like a small convalescent home,
with a driveway that passed under a
portico.

Two orderlies came out to
the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were
solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.


I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to
the door. The woman was already seated in a
wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said
'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.
 
She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning
light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound
of the closing of a life..
 
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove
aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that
day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had
gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, 
or had honked
once, then driven away?


On a quick review,
 
I don't think that I have done anything
more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think 
that our lives revolve
around great moments.

 
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully
wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY
WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~THEY WILL
ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM
FEEL.


Thursday, July 28, 2011

Coming Soon

Have you heard the latest collaboration??


Target + Missoni


How Incredible?






 It's true. In all stores nationwide September 13 - October 22.



chicintuition.com


400 items. Women's, Men's, Children, Bedding, Dinnerware, etc.

Apparently the sneak peaks and look books have been very hush-hush among the media, bloggers, fashionistas, but here is a pic someone snagged during a photo shoot.




I can only imagine all the zig zag & color.


paperdollsstyle.com



myfashionjuice.com


I'm in too !  {and our bank accounts will thank us later}



Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Recipe: Island Style

Since returning from vaca, one thing we already miss is the fresh cuisine.

A popular dish in the Turks and other Caribbean islands is the Conch Salad

We went 'conching' two days on a boat and it was tons of fun. {There just so happened to be the exact number of conchs for the exact number of people on the boat} Coincidence?! I really thought I found one & got a tad bit overly excited.

So with island inspiration in mind, JH whipped up a delicious dinner the other night..

Seared Tuna with Conch Salad sans Conch

Tuna Ingredients & Preparation:

-Fresh Tuna filet's seared lightly in olive oil on stove top
-Kobe Coast Ginger Wasabi Teriyaki to coat after cooking {pic below}

Salad Ingredients & Prep:

-1 green & 1 red pepper
-1 med size red onion
-cilantro
-2tsp. Garlic
-small Cherry tomatoes
-Chop and mix together. Add Lemon Juice to your taste.

Here you have it:





The key to the tuna is the Kona Sauce

{found at Fresh Market}


Healthy & Delic. Enjoy!!

In other healthy food news (I am becoming a foodie, jk) I found this article on cookinglight.com today and found it quite interesting... Most Common Nutrition Mistakes: 


I am guilty of most.

Happy Hump Day !

Oh, & How awesome are these?

{Pinterest}...of course

Monday, July 25, 2011

Review: Heaven is for Real





This book is absolutely. incredibly. amazing.

Through the recommendation of friends, I took this book our our trip. Like others, I couldn't put it down.

It is a heartwarming, easy to read, true story about a four-year-old boy who slips from consciousness and enters heaven during emergency surgery. He survives and tells his family shocking revelations that convinced his parents he had experienced something unforgettable.

It is a simple, enjoyable biblical story for believers (and skeptics) that Heaven is for Real.

You can buy it here.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Casey & the Caribbean

Word on the street is Casey Anthony is in the Caribbean...Jost Van Dyke to be exact. A favorite spot to JH and I. We honeymooned in St. John and loved our day trip to Jost so much that we went back to the tiny getaway for our anniversary last year.



{this was the morning view from our villa at White Bay. Photo courtesy of jvd.com}


Check out the article here.

She is supposedly staying at The Sandcastle Inn which is home to the famous Soggy Dollar Bar & known for the tasty drink the PainKiller. Maybe one of the sketchy locals will give her a painkiller of different sorts. 

Even more interested or stalker-ish like me, check out the Soggy Dollar webcam and see if you spot the tot mom killer!

*******************************************************************

Speaking of the Caribbean, we are off to the Turks and Caicos tomorrow with some dear friends. As my parents say, Oh the life of Dinks {double income no kids}. We have heard fabulous things and supposedly the snorkeling in Grace Bay is unbelievable.








I'll be back Monday feeling recharged & refreshed. Hope you have a great week! 


Monday, July 18, 2011

H-O-T and H & M


Our A/C unit went out on Saturday and a good friend advised us to try and make it thru the weekend, as the prices goes up 3x to service you on Saturday or Sunday. Being the tight wads we can be, we suffered through it and there was nothing FUN about it.

Here was our view last night around 9:45 as the house was cooking at 83 degrees.


{So sexy}!


I pouted this morning & got a cold smoothie for breakfast to make myself feel better. Luckily, the air is now fixed and we weren't set back too badly, so I am chilled and happy.






In other news, did you know H&M now offers a home accessories line?? How cool. It's a little funky, but for accessories and bath stuff it's creative and of course cheap.

Check it out here.









Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Recipe, Rihanna, & Rest of Week

Just call me Chef Cole. kidding. But I must admit cooking is kind of fun & actually relaxing. I just make such a mess. To make myself feel better, last night I swept & vacuumed the kitchen floor post dinner. I looked at JH so naturally & said "I'm just doing what I do best... cooking & cleaning". Let's just say he could barely breathe he was laughing so hard.

Recipe of choice was Betsy's Penne "a lot" like Vodka & Shrimp.  Found here.

{Couple of modifications- used Angel Hair pasta instead of Penne because that's what we had at home & added 2 fresh tomatoes from our garden just to try them out}

It was delicious! I love Betsy's recipes because they are very straightforward and not too challenging for an amateur chef. If I can cook it, you can too!

Forgot to snag a pic & of course Betsy's is a lot prettier, so here it is for your viewing :)




In other news, Rhianna is tonight @ Chastain!!! I am SO excited.






And lastly, I am out the rest of the week. Off to the Twin Cities for work. How fun if this really was your office?


MaBelle


Have a great rest of the week!

Friday, July 8, 2011

It's the Weekend

Here we are again... it's Friday!

Via Fric & Froc
{How Southern is this pic? I love it}


And we are off ... this time to Lake Rabun with Great, Fun friends. I can't wait!

Since it's Friday and I'm counting down til 5 o'clock , this post is totally out there with randomness so hang on!

**************************************************************

First & foremost, BBT is back. Thank goodness. I was having withdrawals.
AllieB has an incredible wit about her & is REALLY funny. You must check her out.


**************************************************************

I went to a very special person's 'Birthday' today-- One Year Sobriety!! Amazing.They are an incredible person in my life and I love them dearly. If you ever get the opportunity to attend an AA meeting, I would go. It is an amazing experience and I can assure you, you will be glad you went.


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We went to Rock of Ages this week at The Fox. Awesome. Loved the music, costumes, everything about it. There were lots of lighters swaying in the room & fist pumping to Don't Stop Believin'


via broadwaytv.com


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This is so not how I was raised & I know it's a little much, but this is really how I feel about Tot Mom. Such a horrible person. That whole situation totally upset me and if she makes millions off book deals, reality tv I am going to lose it. I hope some crazy house wife in FL goes nuts on her & gives her a little payback.


Received from a coworker so source unknown.


****************************************************************

Scott's is this weekend. Sadly, I've missed the past couple of months due to travel but I hear it's a good show. Go check it out if you are in town!


***************************************************************

And lastly, I loved this quote from Pinterest this week



Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

A Celebration & Planters

One of my besties Tina got ENGAGED this past wkend in Cali !!!!




She is a sweet, special friend and she & Kirk make a FABULOUS couple ! Congrats you two and can't wait to celebrate. It's going to be a wild one!!


*******************************************************************************

Our staycation was so great. We checked some things off the list. One of them being the planters. They needed a major face lift. I am clueless when it comes to gardening & planting but a friend told me all about Thrillers, Fillers,  & Spillers.

Have you heard of such? It's a pretty easy concept.

You 'dress' your planter using this simple formula:

-Thriller: I used a boxwood. Hard to kill and will (hopefully) look the same in July & January
-Filler: Wanted some color so added small red petunias
-Spiller: Used the growing ivy that had somehow already found a home in the planters

Here is the before: (Does Blogger not let you rotate pics?!)



And here is the after:



So much better!!! And I was proud of our planting abilities. Best part, it literally took maybe 15 minutes.




Friday, July 1, 2011

Happy 4th & Staycation

It's Friday. And a holiday weekend. Hope everyone has a Happy 4th!

House Beautiful

We are Staycating (is that a word?). Well kind of.

Tonight, date night @ Local Three. We are not fancy eater-outers so it will be fun to dress up & eat good food.

Tomorrow, doing a few chores around the house & yard.

Sunday, going to our family cabin with a few friends.


Cabin

Monday, sending my sis off to the Big City and celebrating Independence Day at our good friends Pool Party.

Hope you get some good R&R and do something fun to celebrate the long weekend.



GrinandBakeit Blog 


Toms


Edible Crafts


Tobi Fairley


Have a safe weekend- Enjoy!