Cornhole, Prep style

Spring is almost here!! I want to give a quick shout out about the Complete Prep's garden giveaway. Go check it out, she is giving away a garden in a bag, it is very cool.

Today it was 75 degrees in Savannah. Sorry to those of you who dont live in the same climate as I do. I was able to finish a project that I started a week ago, my new cornhole set. We will be playing it all the time in my backyard. I wanted to paint it girly colors and what better colors than Pink and Green. I also needed some art to incorporate. Since sports are not #1 on my list I had to choose a theme that I was passionate about. How about FASHION!!!! The time has come for me to reveal my Cornhole Set to my blogging buddies. Its okay to covet my new toy and if you'd like I'll send you the instructions to make your own, it was super easy and only cost $40.


Of course I had to put my monogram on it, it was just too girly not to. So since it is officially the weekend, I'm off to my yard with some friends to drink beer and play our new favorite game!! Have a great weekend everyone.

The Blogger awards go to.

Laura, the Domestic Goddess herself gave me the following award last week. I've been taking a brief hiatus after all of my sauciness last week. I felt that I had to post everyday because of all the people checking me out and it is exhausting to be that creative.

"These blog are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight more bloggers who must choose eight more bloggers and include this cleverly written text in the body of their award."

I choose my 8 favorite blogs to read:
1. A Belle and her Beau
2. Savannah Red Top
3. EJ and Roo
4. Matt and Laura
5. Dogs of All things
6. All things southern and Preppy
7. The more boys I meet
8. Make mine a mojito

Lottery

I bought a lottery ticket today. I literally had one of the worst days I've had in a long time so I thought that maybe the stars would aline for me tomorrow since they screwed me over today. The recession has finally affected me. I guess because I'm young and I dont own a house or have any kids I have been selfish with my money and havent felt the effects yet. Well today a lot of things went down that I wont go into to detail about but lets just say I have to say goodbye to my iPhone and its $100/mth plan. That makes me more sad than anything.
I had already made up my mind that for Lent I would give up shopping and eating out. What am I thinking?? I'm thinking about what a challenge it will be and how I will lose a lot of weight and then have a lot of money to buy new clothes. Its a win win. So, about this lottery ticket. I've already decided what I would buy if I ever won. Continuing with the favorites because I've come so far. Let us all day dream a little about what life would be like if we could buy anything we wanted.

#20 An Aston Martin. That would really be my first purchase. I would drive my little Honda up to Atlanta and pay in cash. Since I'd have to go to Atlanta to collect my money anyways, its on the way

.

#21 I would probaby need to buy a house. Since my family lives here I would go ahead and buy a house here. I chose this one, just a little something that I could fix up. Click the photo, its worth it. #22 Now that I have my house on the water in Savannah I need what every good shopaholic needs. A PENTHOUSE IN MANHATTAN. I've thought long and hard about where I would spend my free time in Manhattan. The upper East side seems like its my speed but I also like the appeal of Tribeca or the Village. I was trying to find a picture to show you but they all pretty much look the same. As long as I'm in the city I'd be a happy girl.

#23 I would probably be nice and pay off my friends debt. I'd also invest some into a few historic restoration projects that would make me some money

#24 This list is starting to get boring, me helping people and all. So, since I will never actually be able to afford a pair, I'd buy my weight in Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik shoes. Here are a few that I'd buy first.

#25 I would need a chef, a trainer, and a stylist to help me look and feel great. I'd also get one of each of those for my mom too. Mom, I'll get you a pair of Manolo's as well I know we like to go to Neiman Marcus and try them on. The last thing I would get would complete my happiness. I would get Jackson a few siblings. I would attempt to rescue these breeds if at all possible. Here are my 3 future children. A Goldendoodle, a Welsh Terrier, and a minature Schnauzer.

To be cheesy and cliche I know that a fancy house, an expensive car, and nice shoes wont make my life complete. They will give me temporary satisfaction and those shoes will look amazing but they will probably hurt my feet. If I even owned a house I would come up with the money for a new sibling for Jackson. He truly makes me happy and completes my life. He doesnt know that we are in a recession or that I dont own fancy shoes. He doesnt care if we have a nice car as long as the window goes down so that he can enjoy the ride. So hopefully if I win the lottery I can buy more of the things that truly make me happy and help some people and canines out also.

FOOD in Savannah!

My good friend Ana said to me yesterday after we ate sushi, "I read your favorite things list on your blog but I'd love to hear your favorite Savannah restaurants". I know most of you dont live here, just one Savannah Redtop. But I do know that many of you may vacation here or want to vacation here. Well for Ana and for the rest of you I've narrowed my favorite eats into a condensed list of 6.

#13 Garibaldi's/Bistro Savannah. These 2 restaurants are owned by the same people. They are right next door to one another. Both are pretty pricey but I get to go for special occasions. Every year I have my birthday dinner at Bistro which has the most amazing fresh bread and herbed oil for dipping. Garibaldis has more seafood and pasta. Both are amazing nice dinners.

#14 Bellas is my FAVORITE restaurant. It is the most delicious italian food I have ever eaten. Not to sound like a carb feen but their bread is fried and tastes like a donut. I recommend the Tortellini if you ever go.

#15 Sweet Potatoes is my mom's favorite restaurant and we meet there for lunch at least once a week. They have southern food. I know people come to Savannah to go to the Lady and Sons (Paula Deen's restaurant) but it is overpriced and overrated. Sweet Potatoes is the real deal.

#16 Kasey's Grill is another favorite lunch destination. They also have a great sunday brunch and dinner too. Along with Bellas and Sweet Potatoes, Kasey's is not downtown. You have to drive about 8 miles out of downtown to the Southside to eat this gorumet food. The Prices are right, and the bread is good too!

#17 Zunzi's is my last favorite lunch destination. They are only opened for lunch, you can only eat outside and you have to get it to go. it is one of those hole in the walls that every city has. It is run by Jon and his wife Gabriella. They are the nicest couple and if they arent too busy they'll let you try what they are offering that day. Jon is from South Africa and Gabriella is from Italy. I usually get the African sweet tea and a salad with some of Gabriellas famous grilled chicken and homeade caesar dressing.

#18 Now when I want BBQ I head over to Blowin Smoke. They are the newest restaurant on my list. The atmosphere on a beautiful summer day is wonderful. you can sit outside and play cornhole while you wait on your food. I vote it the best BBQ in town, but who cares what I think.

#19 Well I lied I'm adding one more place to this list. It is more of a bar than a restaurant but they have nachos to drive all the way to Tybee for. Huca Poos Bites and Booze is a Tybee staple. It burned down a few years ago and recently reopened to be even better than it was before. This place has the feel of a frat house and the waiters are beach bums but as far as good food and entertainment this is where I live during the summers.

Saucy... why yes I am.

A funny thing happened yetserday. People kept commenting and telling me that I was saucy. The funny thing is my best friend, Katie tells me this everyday because I love some condiments. I'm currently eating spicy tuna rolls with extra sauce because I'm what??? SAUCY! So since I'm new to the blogging community I joined SITS. Apparently, I was chosen as a saucy blog, THANK YOU!!!! So I feel that I should live up to this new title and give you people something exciting. Continuing with my favorite things I'm gonna talk about some more of my favorite things. Including but not limited to the stores and designers that make my life better. Without further ado.....

#7 TARGET!!! Who doesnt love Target? One opened up across the street from my office and I'm surprised I havent gone bankrupt yet. Here are my latest Target purchases for your enjoyment.


#8 Chick fila is another favorite of mine. A week doesnt go by that I"m not stopping in at the chick fil a that I have to drive across town to get to. They just came out with the New Chick Fil A suace which is basically a honey mustard with a little kick. its awesome and SAUCY!!

#9 Sporcle.com This is one of my favorite websites. Its not a material posession but I was clicking bookmarks while writing this and thought I'd mention it. I check it every day. They have these lists that you have to fill out. Today's was name 40 bands with one word names. They give you a song, you name the band. Its a great time waster and really gets those brain waves jolted in the morning.

#10 Vineyard Vines. You all know I love Vineyard Vines, what good preppy girl doesnt. You might not know that their polos fit me better than any other polo I've ever tried. I'm busty and have a hard time finding polos that fit. Ralph lauren is too boxy cut, Lacoste is too short but VV is just right. Jackson will also be getting this adorable dog collar for his birthday April 3.
#11 This is a product that I rarely go a day without using. I hate socks you see and living in the south and working for a laid back company I can rock the sandals everyday. Rainbows are a southern staple. They take a few wears to get broken in but then they form to your feet and are the most comfortable shoes that I own. You'll see southern sorority girls and frat guys wearing them with their attire to formal, this is acceptable in the south. You'll also see many brides letting their bridal party wear them, also acceptable. If you dont own a pair, buy some. You can thank me later.

#12 How can I talk about my favorite designers without mentioning the Queen Bee in my closet. Miss Lilly Pulitzer. Although her prices have gone up in the last 10 years I still manage to buy at least one dress a year. We've been through a lot and I know every winter that she is designing the perfect Easter dress for me. My birthday is next month and I'm asking for 3 pieces.

My people

I'm borrowing this idea from a great blog called The Daily Dewey . Angie came up with a list of her favorite 100 things. I have been thinking about doing a getting to know you blog since I'm new in the neighborhood. I thought I'd start with my background. So here are the the people that have made me who I am today.

#1 My friends (the Circle, as we call ourselves) they are a fabulous group of fun people. One of our mottos is that "we know everything about each other and like each other anyway". I'll mention them seperately if I have to come up with 100 things. 3 are listed in this post. #2 My mom, she is truly my best friend. This picture was from Mother's Day 4 years ago. Thats my brother. I wish we were closer. We are 13 years apart and have always been at different places in our lives. We both know that we are always there for each other and since our Dad passed away we've become much closer. We all have brunch on Sunday's after church. #3 My extended Family. My Dad's side of the family was always the side that I was closer to. I'm the youngest grandchild by 10 years so I never had cousins that I 'grew up with' however, they all set excellent examples for me to follow. Below is a picture a few of us took this past christmas. That is my Uncle Bill at the top. He is quite the character. He is the crazy uncle that all the kids jump on when they walk in the door. Thats me in the bottom right. My cousins Meg and Matt are next to me. My cousin Jimmy's wife is the pretty lady in the blue and the guy in the back is Sam, Meg's boyfriend. The older I get the closer we all become. Half of the family isnt pictured. All total there are 22 of us. We are a crazy brood but we always have So much fun.#4 My niece and nephew. My brother would flip if I put a picture of them on the internet so here is a photo of my nephew this past Christmas. This photo pretty much sums up his personality, he is an entertainer. He is 5 and my niece will be 10 in a few weeks. They are polar opposites. My niece is an old soul. Her whole life she has tried to be helpful and kind. She loves animals and tells me that she wants to be a vet when she grows up. She is intelligent and sensitive to other people's moods. My nephew on the other hand wants to make everyone laugh. If he isnt the center of attention he will make himself the center of attention and that ususally gets him into trouble. Together they help me remember the innocence of childhood and lately they've decided that I need to get married so they've been trying to set me up everywhere I go (hey it cant hurt). #5 Katie, My bestest friend. Now, Katie and I go way back to 1986 when we were in preschool. We assume this is when we first became friends because we've never known a time that we werent friends. After college we moved to Savannah and have lived together for 4 years. She is more like a sister to me than anything else, we fight about the stupidest stuff. Last night it was about me unloading the dishwasher. Its pretty funny to our other roomate Lauren (shes a good egg too!) But Katie and I have a bond that can be changed but never broken. She knows me best and she'll tell you that when she first meets you. She is also the most amazing psychoanalyzer that I've ever met. She can read people so well and is usually right on the money with her first impression of someone. She is a great best friend to have around. #6 I should mention my 2 other best friends. Elizabeth and Jeannie. I mention them together because together we are the fabulous three. We were sorority sisters and roomates in college. I met Elizabeth in the library during our pledge semester. We were doing study hours and she was very studious because she didnt want to talk to me. I kept talking until she finally opened up and busted out laughing and something ridiculous that I said. We've been imseperable ever since.
Jeannie and I didnt know each other well until her sophomore year (i'm a year older). We were moving into the ZTA house and there were 4 girls left that didnt have roomates (we were 2 of them). I didnt want to live with the other 2 girls so I looked a Jeannie and said "You in?" she agreed and thus started the most ridiculous and fun year of my life. When our parents were moving us in her mom told me not to let her come home every weekend and to get her out of her shell. It was on that first day that she met my friend Cory who is now her fiance.

So now you know a little bit about my friends and family and have a better understanding of where I come from. These people have been there for me during all of the hard times in recent years. I know they will be there for years to come and I will repay the favor when they need it.

yea About That....

This weekend my friend Brandon came into town. We were discussing weight loss when Brandon said "I bought a scale" and I said "How's that working out for you". He responded with "Yea, about that". This is one of my favorite phrases.

It is such a versatile phrase. Here are some of my favorite examples of its usage.

For creepy guys you ask you out....

When your boss asks where an assignment you've been working on is.....

When your friends ask you about something you dont want to discuss.....

To your boss when you thought you were getting a raise and he responds with....

After a break up when one responds with, "but i thought you loved me"......

I thought you gave up drinking/cigarettes/drugs/ex boyfriend.....

How's your diet coming.....

To a boyfriend/husband about an anniversary they should have remembered....

To a family member who asks when you're going to start having kids.....

Thats all I have so far. Feel free to start using my favorite phrase as often as you'd like. Also please comment on your favorite uses of the phrase.

Single Girls Vday wishes

I was flipping through some blogs today. As I mentioned I am trying to build up my readership since my experiment about your happy things turned out no results :(. While flipping through I came across Southern Daze a blog about great finds. I was introduced to Whismy Press. A great website featuring cute stationary and great gifts. It sparked my interest in buying myself a few small valentine's day gifts

I wish I could give someone credit for this find but I tend to just click blogs that other people find me and 6 blogs later I find something and then I cant remember where. But someone had a link to Amy Butler Fabric. Every spring I talk my mom into making me skirts. I picked out some cute fabric from Amy's retailers. You have to click through the links to find the fabric but it is reasonably priced at around $9.50/yd. I will have a ton of cute sun dresses and skirts to show off this spring.

But it was Ashely over at Drew and Ashley who really got my heart pumping today. She posted a link to CHOCOLATE SHOES!!!! Happy valentine's day to me!

Oh Happy Day

I'm feeling lazy today, I'm gonna blame it on my sinuses. The weather today is perfect. 74 and sunny! Even though I feel as though my head might explode I'm ridiculously Happy. Since I'm feeling lazy and happy I thought I'd do an experiment to increase my readership(since I'm still new to this) and entertain the readers that I have (thanks you guys). Also, if you enjoy reading my randomness then please pass this along to your friends.

Okay so here is what I want to do today. I'm gonna make a list of the top 10 things that make me happy and I want all of you to comment with a few things that make you happy and we'll all have a better day. Here goes.

1. Pulling up to a parking meter and finding that there is still time left on it
2. Giving a gift to someone
3. Snuggling with my Dog
4. Being told that I'm doing a great job at work
5. Unexpected money coming my way
6. Winter to Spring transition
7. Helping a tourist find a great restaurant downtown
8. Seeing an old friend
9. Playing with my niece and nephew
10. Finding a great bargain on something that I've really been wanting

So there you have it, now what makes YOU happy???

I can do anything HE can do better

I grew up in a neighborhood full of guys. I have an older brother and my Dad and I were always close. I have always hung out with the guys and liked it that way. When I was about 6 years old my cousin taught me how to shoot pool on my grandparents pool table. I even had my own little stick. In order to spend more time with my Dad and brother I grew to like shows like MacGyver. I was a tom boy when I was young and wanted to badly to be equal to the boys.

When I was in middle school we moved down the street from Bo, who would become one of my best friends in High school and still today. In order to be cool and hang with the guys I had to be knowledgeable about sports and be able to play them as well. So I took up basketball, soccer and golf. Funny thing is, I'm pretty good at them. I've always been athletic and since I had to prove myself, I had to be decent.

College was no different. I think I spent more time at the Kappa Sigma house then I did my sorority house. They were my guys and many of them still are. I became the "Queen of Beer Pong" at Winthrop University. They wanted to be my partner because I was good and could talk trash with the best of them. I was an equal and in some cases I surpassed the boys.

Here I am today. Single in the City. I dont live in the same town as any of "my boys" anymore. I've found some new guys to hang out with and these days I have a lot more girl friends. I also have a large following of gay men (yes, yall follow me, haha). The crazy thing is that I have a hard time hanging on to potential boyfriends because of my competitive spirit, or maybe the fact that I beat them in darts and pool. I have asked my guy friends what gives and most of them tell me that guys are intimidated that I'm good at guy things.

Well I'm not going to become ungood at golf or darts. I'm not going to pretend to be a damsal in distress to appease the male ego. I'm here to say that I can do ANYTHING he can do better. I fix my own toilet, when a jar need opening I try until it is done, I will probably beat you in bar games and maybe even golf. My Dad taught me how to check my oil and tire pressure. Oh, and I am a master griller (ask my roomates). So, I guess there is a guy out there for me who isnt intimidated by the fact that I have lots of male influences in my life and that if he tells me I cant do it I will only prove him wrong.

Springtime for Mint Juleps

No drink resonates the feeling of spring with the tasetebuds quite like Mint Juleps and Mimosas. I know that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this week. I dont quite understand why we here in the south listen to what a groundhog from Pennsylvania says. We need our own groundhog. Regardless, Spring is just around the corner and I know this because the new Lilly Pulitzer line was launched last week ,the dog on the main women's page looks just like my dog (Jackson, see below). Another reason I know its almost Spring is that today I craved a Mint Julep.

In Savannah, St Patricks Day is the start of Spring in my mind. It is usually pretty warm and we get up before dawn and start drinking mimosas. It is a wonderful day and the countdown to my birthday two weeks later. Spring is by far my favorite season. March is by far my favorite month of the year, and 7o degree average highs are PERFECT!!

Another thing that gets me ready for spring is to listen to Beach music. I have XM radio and have been listening to Radio Margaritaville for 2 weeks. Next week I will probably try on my sun dresses from last season. I did pick out my Easter dress already (see below). Very soon I'll pick out my birthday presents which usually come from Lilly and Vineyard vines. Now that I've gotten everyone ready for Spring, here are a few things to look forward to over the next few weeks. Valentine's Day, even if you're single its a fun day to go out with your girlfriends. Fat Tuesday, this year it is on Feb 24, even though I'm not Catholic, French or from New Orleans I still like to enjoy my final sins before starting lent (which I dont really have to observe). This year for Lent I'm giving up shopping. Yea, its gonna be hard. I will allow myself to only buy things I need, not want and I can buy food and go to dinner. I need to buy my Easter dress before hand, or maybe I can call it a "need". Also at the end of this month the tulips should start blooming in Savannah and it is time to plant a springtime Herb Garden.

Drink a Mimosa and shop for Lilly dresses and forget what that pesky groundhog said, Spring is almost here!!!!