It's Wednesday Already?!

Thankfully, this week is flying by!! I've got 1.5 more days until I'm officially on vacation!! Unfortunately, I dot have a trip to an exotic locale planned, but I do have plenty to mark off my TTDL (things to-do list).

EXAMPLES:

Packing has come to a screeching halt this week, with the family visiting. I'm sure this will take up the majority of my time next week. Then, there's the whole other task of trying to get AB to organize all of his things so that there's room for all of mine! Although, I will say that he's been pretty good about it up to this point. I'm just a little worried because he will be out of town for a conference in NC this weekend and then in NY next weekend. I have a feeling that I will be organizing most of his things too. Oh well, I guess at least it will be done the right way then!! ;)

And, just today, I found out that my college roomate for my first 2 years at CCU will be visiting tomorrow! EEEK!! I'm so excited to see her, but keep in mind that the fam doesn't leave 'til Sunday morning...

So, let's refresh -- Ern visiting, Family here til Sunday, and then packing/moving... Ok, that get's me through the rest of THIS week.

Now, we'll move onto NEXT week.

AB will get home Sunday night, and I'm sure I'll still be organizing making room for my stuff. And then Wednesday is our girls' night out/SATC2 Premier Party.

Thursday, the moving/packing will of course continue, but I also have to take AB to the airport for his trip to NY. All the while, I need to be getting everything ready/paying fees/finding the perfect tote for going back to school, which starts on the 7th.

SHEESH... And I'll say it again, SHEESH!!

But speaking of the perfect back-to-school bag, take a look at these super-cute steals!


These are all from L.L. Bean.

And then there's this one from Vineyard Vines...


And this one from Vera Bradley (via E-bay)...


And all of these from uber-talented Etsy sellers!!




Now I have to pick one... One??? Hmm, this is gonna be difficult. I'll let you all know what I decide!

Until next time,

The Week So Far...

The family finally arrived around 5:00 pm on Saturday. Maddie Poochina was so happy to see her dog-cousin Bear, she was literally jumping for joy (all four giant paws up in the air)! We then took the puppies to the Barc Park, where they ran and splashed and played til they were both worn out!

Then, we all headed to dinner at the favorite Mexican Restaurant, and AB met us all there. It's a tradition that we eat at this place the first night everyone gets in town! Mom had a jumbo margarita, and boy did she enjoy it! We were all giving her a hard time about becoming more and more giggle-ly as her margarita started to disappear!

On Sunday, we headed up to the World-Famous Blue Crab Festival. It was packed!! I think that everyone in South Carolina was there!! But the was such a gorgeous day, and it was fun to be outside and see all the sights with the family. And then, last night, Little Brother stayed with AB at his house. I'm sure they were up all hours of the night playing video games, as that's what the do best whenever they get together. I will never understand that about boys -- what is so much fun about shooting your buddies and blowing things up for hours on end?!

Tonight, I think we are all supposed to have sushi for dinner -- YUM! Sadly, the rest of my night will be taken over by mountains of laundry! :( Have I mentioned just how much I despise doing the laundry?!

And I am growing bored with my hair... As you can see in the previous post, I like to change my hairstyle -- A LOT. Do y'all have a favorite style from the pictures I've posted or any fun ideas for a new 'do? I'm open to suggestions!! I will try to find a couple of pictures when I get home so that y'all can compare Blonde Katie with Brunette Katie, side-by-side... Can't wait to read the suggestions!!

Until next time,

Family...

My family gets here today!! Here are some pictures of us all through the years... Enjoy all the haircuts/colors! :)







Don't worry though, I'll be sure to update ya'll throughout the week of fun-filled adventures with my family.

Until next time,

TGIF!!

And no, I don't mean as in the Friday night ABC television shows we all grew-up with, I'm talking "TGIF" as in, "if this week were one day longer and I had to be in the office for 8 more hours, I think I might die," kind of TGIF!! Does anybody else feel like that this week??

Maybe it's just because I'm a little stressed-out this week. I've got so much to do, and school will be starting back up in no time. My family is coming down for a weeklong visit starting tomorrow, and then I will be packing and moving in with AB the week after that. Then, I've got my orientation on the 3rd, and I'll need to buy all my books and school supples, and my first day of class on the 7th!! And THEN, on the 19th, AB and I will be running our first 5K together up in Greenville. AND THEN, we will be celebrating our anniversary on the 30th, which means I'll be working on completing the anniversary gifts WHILE I'm working on everything else!! SHEESH! Seeing it all typed out like that, I'm tired just reading it!!


Until next time,

I Need Your Help...

AB and I will be celebrating our first year together next month, and I am in deperate need of some great gift ideas. My only restaints are time and (of course) money. I'd like to not spend more than $100.00.

What did you fabulous ladies get for your S.O.'s on your anniversary?

Thanks in advance!!

Seis de Mayo!

Hope that you all are enjoying your day of recovery from the 5th of May margaritas and mayhem!

I had a nice, relaxing cinco this year. Two of my best girlfriends, CC (who I blogged about here) and Gal, and I had dinner and a local, hole-in-the-wall Mexican place and then went back to CC's house to have a glass of wine, look at all her wedding pictures (she and the MR. just celebrated their 1-yr anniversary), and watch a few episodes of Sex and the City!!

Gal is a HUGE SATC fan, I have seen a few of the episodes and the movie with my lil sister, and CC has never seen an episode one -- until last night, of course -- so we really run the gammit on SATC knowledge! But we are all trying to get familiar with the four famous friends because Gal has quite an event planned for the SATC 2 primiere!

Our local Melting Pot is having a special that offers a 3-course dinner, drink specials, and your ticket to the first midnight showing of the movie all for a mere $40.00!! So needless to say, we will be partaking in that for dinner, then heading to the place that Gal used to work for (before she started her wedding and event planning business -- Memorable Moments Event Planning, take a look!)where they host a weekly SATC get-together with lots of specials on cosmos, and then to the movie theater for the primeire! How fun do that sound?! I'm super excited!!

Now for the hard part -- WHAT TO WEAR?! Thank goodness I've got a few weeks to figure that one out, it's not until May 26th! But stay tuned -- I'll be posting pics of possible outfits and asking for ya'll's opinions!

Until next time,

20 Question Tuesday...

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging?

--Well, I guess that would be yogurt, considering that I do a lot of blogging in the morning at the office.



2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?

--As far as material things go, that would be my iPhone! As sad as it is, I really feel lost without it!





3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?

--Right now, I live by the beach, and its been nice. But in the first year of living here, I realized just how much I miss the hills and mountains. So I suppose my perfect place to live would be a house in the foothills of the mountains, within driving distance to the beach! :)





4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?

--L.A.U.N.D.R.Y!!! I think laundry is just so awful!! And its not so much the "doing the laundry" part... It's the folding and putting away of the clothes that just drives me nuts!





5. Who do people say you remind them of?

--OK, this is probably going to make me sound like an old maid, but I get called "mom" quite often. I'm going with the reasoning that I tend to take care of others and lead the pack, rather than looking like a mom!



6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the family?

--Here's another combination. I think my perfect scenario would be having a party and socializing at home. My Derby Party for example was fabulous!!



7. What's your all time favorite movie?

--Now that's a hard one, because I love so many movies for many different reasons. But I'd say that one of the best movies I've seen in recent history is "Up!". If you haven't seen this movie or simply aren't interested because it's a cartoon, give it a chance! The storyline is beautiful, and the first 15 minutes of the movie will make you fall in love with the whole film.





8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night?

--OK, OK... I'll admit it... I'm a bad girl. I sleep in my make up more ofter than not. Don't judge me.



9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?

--Hidden talent... Well, I can play the piano (I took lessons for 5 years), the clarinet, and I can play 3 chords on the guitar, so you would think that I am musical. But I never took voice lessons, and I would love to be able to sing!



10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?

--Remembering strange things that you would never need to remember (Hence, why AB's first-date offer of going to play trivia was a perfect suggestion). I have a "sponge brain." For some reason, if I hear something on TV, or see an ad for something, or read a story, it's sucked up into my brain for a good, long while.



11. What first attracted you to your spouse?

--Well, considering I don't have a spouse, I'll just go with my significant other. AB and I met through a mutual friend, and the very first night we crossed paths, we talked about everything under the sun. He could go toe-to-toe with me in music trivia, and being a self-proclaimed nerd, I had never met a sexier man! lol. With that said, I guess it was his brain that I was first attracted to. You can read our story here.



12. What is something you love to smell?

--Fresh sheets and/or a freshly cleaned house. I'm not too big on floral-y smells or air fresheners, so just that fresh, clean, aroma that comes naturally is the best to me!





13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.

--This is going to sound super weird, but my right eyeball can squeak if I press on the tear-duct. My left eye doesn't do anything cool, it's my right one only. Being a fan of stupid-human tricks, I think this is awesome and make the squeak often. Others do not seem to appreciate this talent of mine.





14. When you have extra money (HA! What's that like?) what's the first thing you think to do with it?

--Go on a shopping spree!! Of course this isn't the most practical thing, but between Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, J. Crew, Vera Bradley, Spartina, and various home goods and stationary/office supplies, that extra money doesn't stand a chance!





15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?

--I am absolutely an out-loud laugher. And I would say that either my Bestie JB or AB make me laugh the most.



16. Where is your favorite place to shop?

--ONLINE, no doubt about it! ALL of my favorite stores are just a click away! (See #14)



17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?

--Hmm, there are so many things... But to pick one, I would say organize more of my stuff. That way, I would have to spend less time searching for things, and I would have more time overall!! Clever, huh? It's a win-win!



18. Are you a big spender or frugal?

--For my day-to-day purchases, I'm frugal. I'm all about the store-brands or a good sale! I'll even usually have email coupons in my purse, just in case. I only spend big for rare, important occasions.



19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real)

--Oh wow!! Now this one will make you think.... Hmm, favorite of all time!? Well, how about 2 of my my favs? These are oldies, but goodies. From the moment that I watched both of these films, I was just drawn to the characters of Louis from "Interview with a Vampire" and Susannah from "Legends of the Fall." These two characters live such lives of tortured opulence, in that they have access to so many things with their wealth and prestige, but they can never have what they truly desire. I think that's the main reason I like them so. They are not you're typical "hero" or "heroine," and their stories do not end happily ever after -- they struggle, they yearn, and they show us the more realistic side of desire (aside from being a vampire, of course!).







20. Would you want to be famous?

--Quick answer--YES! Who wouldn't want the fame and prestige!! More thought-out answer--NO. Think about everything that celebrities have to give up because they are famous. Yes, of course, they are well-compensated and can afford many other luxuries. But they could never just go shopping with their girlfriends, or have a picnic with their boyfriend. And Biggie said it best, "Mo' money, mo' problems." Hahaha. (I promise you, this is about the extent of my rap knowledge!)


Until next time,

So Crafty!!

So as promised, here are the loooong awaited pics of the initial frames I was working on a couple weeks ago... The color scheme will match our bedroom perfectly when I move in with AB!!

This one is mine...

And this one is AB's.

And most importantly.... I GOT A CRICUT!!!

You cannot imagine my excitement when I opened my email Friday morning and saw that Big Lots had a very limited number of Cricuts for sale at (get this!) $129.00!!! I almost fainted at my desk! Of course, my entire lunch break was spent on the phone, calling all the area stores, begging them to hold one for me.

Once I purchased my new BFF, I made myself leave it in the trunk of my car until Sunday morning, as I knew I would not be able to help myself, and spend my entire Derby party crafting if I were to open it!

But when Sunday morning rolled around, it was magical! AB had gotten me a copy of Sure Cuts A Lot Friday evening when I shared the news of my new purchase (I'm a lucky girl, I know!), so I was able to start Cricuting right away!!

Here's my first project -- a mother's day card, of course!!

Until next time,

SUCCESS!!

My Derby Party turned out fabulously!!

I made the Benedictine dip, Hot Browns, potato salad, baked beans, and Kentucky Pie served with vanilla ice cream -- all of which were a hit!!

The only down-side to my party was that my camera was as dead-as-a-doornail!! :( So, unfortuneatly, I don't have any pictures to share but this one of AB from my iPhone, so the quality is not the greatest.

AB also managed to pick the top 4 finishers out of the 20 horses in the field, so I told him we were going back to KY for the fall meet at Keeneland, no quesions asked!! But that will work out perfectly, because I want to go back for Court Day this year too!

However, I wanted to share the recipes with all of you so that you could throw a Derby Party of your own with these tasty treats!! Just click on the name of each item to go to the orignial webpage where the recipe is found.

BENEDICTINE DIP: (This one is soooo easy, and was def. a favorite!!)

SERVINGS – 2 CUPS

INGREDIENTS:
2 cucumbers, peeled

1 md. onion

1 lb. cream cheese

2 to 3 drops green food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Grate cucumber and onion (may use food processor) and drain well in a strainer, pressing down with spoon to remove all liquid. Discard liquid.

2. Add drained cucumbers and onion to cream cheese and mix well in food processor.

3. Color with 2 to 3 drops green food coloring.Use as a sandwich spread or as a dip. Benedictine may also be used to stuff cherry tomatoes for an hors d'oeuvre tray.

HOT BROWNS: (THE absolute hit of the night -- a must!!)

SERVINGS: 8 open-faced sandwhichs

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds sliced roasted turkey
1 tomato, thinly sliced
8 slices white bread, toasted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 slices crispy bacon

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour with a whisk or fork, and continue to cook and stir until it begins to brown slightly. Gradually whisk in the milk so that no lumps form, then bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Mix in 6 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and then stir in the beaten egg to thicken. Do not allow the sauce to boil once the egg has been mixed in. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.
2. Preheat the oven's broiler. For each hot brown, place two slices of toast into the bottom of an individual sized casserole dish. Cover with a liberal amount of roasted turkey and tomato slices. Spoon sauce over the top of each one and sprinkle with some of the remaining Parmesan cheese. Place the dishes under the broiler and cook until the top is speckled brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the broiler and arrange two slices of bacon in a cross shape on top of each sandwich. Serve immediately.

KENTUCKY PIE: (D.lic.ious!!)

SERVINGS: 1 Pie

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup walnuts/pecans,chopped

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1 9-inch graham cracker crust

INSTRUCTIONS:
Blend all ingredients together with a wooden spoon until moistened and pour into pie crust. Bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. Serve with whipped topping and/or ice cream.

I hope that you all had as wonderful of a weekend as I did, and that you all are staying dry (as much of Kentucky is now flooded). Enjoy the recipies and let me know how they turn out!

Until next time,