WHAT I'M LOVING RIGHT NOW: HOME

Is there anything more fulfilling than being home for a holiday!





I am loving:

Sonic Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper

Family photogs

Girls night in

Chat with Sis over Rolando's Plato Cubano

Sporting flip flops in November

Bestie, Marci's Birthday celebration

Momma Jane's famous down home cooking including my favorite spaghetti dish

Meat less dressing, yum

An understanding, flexible, and fabulous Mom in Law

Green Bean Casserole

Trivial Pursuit Tournament, even though my team lost, it was a close game

Bestie Steph's homemad pumpkin pie (crust and all)

Knocking out Christmas shopping and present wrapping a month early

Sharing the holiday spirit and stress with loving hubs

Cruising around in an old jeep wrangler blasting Keith Whitley's Greatest Hits (on cassette of course)

Christmas trees and decorations (which we will not partake in at our house this year)

BIG Family + ONE place = Pure Bliss

Homemade Rolls

Dinner with bestie Pris

Sweet Potato Casserole

Drinks (or faux drinks for me) with bestie Melissa

Cut and color from my favorite stylist

Mashed Potatoes

Unloading all the worlds problems then solving them around the kitchen table

Baked Squash

Trey Johnson rocking a new sound at the Big Chill

Those big and genuine 'haven't seen you in awhile' hugs

Home Sweet Home

Wherever you are this Turkey Day I hope you are loving the little things.

Toodles from one very busy and very grateful smalltownista home for the holiday.

THE SAVVY TRAVELER

You know the well kempt woman you see breezing through the airport with a perfectly coiffed do, clean and easy makeup, donning fashionable attire, calmly strolling in front of respectable sized luggage. . . that is SO not me. Now, you know the frantic woman you see barreling down the gate, straggling tufts of hair flailing over her day old looking makeup, donning yoga pants and what may or may not be a matching t-shirt, wildly hauling a suitcase that was zipped closed much to its chagrin. . . that is me. Well, that is not entirely true, I do pack light.

Oh how I would love to be the savvy traveler, but no matter how much thought I put into it, I can never quite execute it. I am constantly on the lookout for anything that would streamline my travel experience. It is amazing how many purchases I have made in the pursuit of savvy traveling and yet remain the disheveled individual at the airport.

SELL YOURSELF, SELL YOUR SOUL: RESUME REVAMP

Ah, it's that time of year again. The seasons are a changing and the resume needs a revamping. Okay, it is not really the season, it is the fact that my job hunt will officially begin come 2010. Have I expressed how fortunate I am to have a hubs that is supportive enough to give me time to adjust to our new life in the city before jumping into the work force. While I moan about selling myself, I am learning and I am truly grateful.

As previously mentioned, Sell Yourself, Sell Your Soul: Part I , learning to sell myself is a work in progress. I am trying to get past the idea that talking myself up is not necessarily a betrayal to a genuine personality. If talking myself up is tough, you can only imagine how foreign it feels to put it on paper.

SELL YOURSELF, SELL YOUR SOUL, PART I

In the process of a slight career change, I have recently come to terms with the fact that I am simply not good at selling myself. I am more than happy talking up other people, but when it comes to myself, I squirm with discomfort. Okay, selling my soul is a bit of an exaggeration. I am referring to the part of myself that wishes to remain a genuine person and that blatantly selling myself seems to chip away at that characteristic.

Why is the task of selling myself so daunting? It is not that I am not proud of my accomplishments, of course I am. It is the idea of wearing them on my sleeve that makes me cringe. If you are smart, talented, educated, creative, and passionate, those traits will surface through natural conversation. If you believe in what you do, sell, or create it will be obvious by your hard work and dedication.

WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE

Call it good old Southern Charm or common sense manners, but when I bump into someone, I say excuse me. When I am venturing down a crowded aisle and know people's tootsies will be below me, I send out a constant stream of "sorry, excuse me, excuse me, sorry" because chances are I am going to inadvertantly step on someone. Better to be polite is how I feel about it.

Cruising into a sold out or almost sold out show, I am prepared to be knocked around, but I am not okay with being jostled about without a little charm. Ah, these kids today and their lack of manners.

Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that if you knowingly bump into me and do not acknowledge it with an "excuse me" then you just pushed me. And that is not nice.

Anybody else agree with my conclusion or am I being too sensitive?

p.s. Wolfmother rocked the house last night. Those Aussies know how to rock and roll my friends.

ROWDY ON DOWN

On the eve of a double header or two nighter, out last night for the Bears game and again tonight for Wolfmother, I thought it appropriate to share yet another older post. Originally posted on Tuesday, January 01, 2008, it still rings pretty true.

Conjuring up some Hank Jr., I am thinking to myself, "Me and my rowdy ole friends done rowdied on down." Of course, to be honest, pretty sure it's just me. Holiday Benders just do not do the ole body good anymore. I can't be sure of the exact date this phenomenon occurred, the not being able to 'hang' so much, but an educated guess tells me it was right around the time of the metabolic slow down. We have all heard the tall tales of "Enjoy it while you can" and "It will all catch up to you one day." But did anybody ever seriously believe that nonsense. What do ya mean I won't always be able to party like a rock star or get messed up like a research monkey without any repercussions???

CAN'T DANCE, BUT WILL DANCE ANYWAY DIVA

It is certainly no secret that the hubs and I love us some live music. But what you may not know is that absolutely under no circumstances whatsoever can I dance. This is sad because music and dancing ultimately go together right. I literally could not pick up a rhythm if I was single and it was the baddest boy at the bar. It is really that terrible, I promise.

Now, this is not to say that I don’t give it my best shot, of course I do and I have fun with it. Unfortunately, I just have the one move. About a decade ago I enthusiastically enrolled in a belly dance class with a very lovely instructor. During my second lesson, (yes I made it through more than one) the very lovely instructor drew a figure 8 on a large piece of paper, had me stand on it and proceed to trace the figure with my hips. To this day, it is my one and only move.

WHAT I'M LOVING RIGHT NOW

What I’m loving right now is our nation’s Veterans. From my granddad, who was presumed dead in World War II, to my brother, who has seen the likes of Desert Storm and the War on Terror up close and personal, to all of our nation’s Veterans and their families, THANK YOU. Thank you for a bravery of soul that I myself will never possess.

For those we have lost or treated ungratefully, for those in the midst of battle, for those enlisting in the future, and their families, today is your day to be remembered, respected, and revered for your amazing courage. Today, more so than any other day of the year, is a day for utter gratitude and heartfelt remembrance.

Even though I am never one to turn down a bargain, I have thought for some time now that Veterans Day sales were a little off the mark. Thank you to our troops and today you, the consumer, can save 25% off your purchase. It seems to be a blatant capitalization of a federal holiday that should be focused solely on Veterans. Shouldn't our shopping dollars be put to better use on Veterans Day?

Here are a few links that may take your mind off of the Macy’s Veterans Day Sale:

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Disabled American Veterans

Vietnam Veterans Clothing Donations

The Fund for Veterans’ Education

Veterans Family Fund

Toodles from one grateful citizen

WHAT'S ON YOUR LOTTERY LIST?

Sashaying up and down Michigan Avenue is enough to get anyone into lottery mode.

Sure, everyone would secure family, friends, and world peace. Or Save Darfur and Free Tibet at the very least, but I want to hear about all those super fun and materialistic items or adventures on your lotto list.

See 1,000 places before I die as found in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List

Classic Burberry Trench .

Create and fund a non-profit organization that somehow incorporates writing, yoga, travel, higher education, small towns, and troubled teens.

Christain Louboutin's entire collection.

Throw in Manolo Blahnik's collection for good measure.

Of course shoe collections would merely be closet decorations as, (cover your ears Carrie Bradshaw what I am about to say is blasphemous), I am not a shoe girl, ah, gasp. Tis true, I love shoes as artistic creations, but when it comes down to it, I am sporting flats whenever I can. No need to worry, I am still and forever will be a crazy bag lady.

Active FX Laser treatment accompanied by monthly cleansing facials and weekly relaxing massages.

Breakfast followed by Shopping spree at Tiffany's

Personal Trainer on CALL, enough said.

Spend at least one full year touring every music festival remotely of interest, including luxury accommodations on site at Coachella . Excessive road tripping mandatory.

Do my best to find a place more beautifully mesmerizing than Soana Island off the Coast of the Domincan Republic. This task could take a lifetime, but somebody has to do it, right.

Clearly, I could not travel with anything less than Louis Vuitton Luggage .

My Lotto list is a constant work in progress. What is on your lavish lottery list?