Saturday, April 30, 2011

“…going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake - as almost all hats are.”

Watching the Royal Wedding yesterday, amid all of the celebrities, high fashion and romance, I was reminded of the entry title quoted from You've Got Mail.  There are only a lucky few women who can pull off a hat.  Princess Kate Middleton is one of them.  She looks spectacular in (almost) all of her "Fascinator" headwear (the Ushanka-ish fur hat may have been a slight misstep).  Between her royal status, her arm candy, her sense of style, and her ability to pull off a wide array of hats, I'm finding more and more reasons to be jealous of the new Duchess of Cambridge. 

Photo found here

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 Other women aren’t so lucky. 

Photo found here
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I've been thinking long and hard about getting a floppy black beach hat for the summer.

Photo found here

I'm pretty confident I'd fall into the second category of pictures.  I'd constantly be trying to convince myself that Meg Ryan was wrong in You've Got Mail.  But, even if I made it out of my house with the hat on, I'd remove it thirty seconds later out of pure paranoia that strangers were commenting on it.  

So, I have to say, regardless of the outcome, hats off (::pun intended::) to those women who have the courage to sport these head accessories. 

Hugs to our followers,
LC

Love Story

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{all photos found here}

Yesterday, I saw Water for Elephants. Go watch it. Well, first read the book, then go watch it. The imagery is breathtaking and I think the unique story has a universal theme that love can conquer all.

It's funny, actually, because I started the day with a royal love celebration and ended the evening with a film depicting a circus romance. And somewhere in the middle, I felt a little jaded. But, no matter what life throws at me, I'm confident that the love that surrounds me in my life is all I'll ever need.

Seriously, go see it.

Kate

Friday, April 29, 2011

"San Anton"

This week, I jetted to San Antonio for a quick business trip. I didn't see much of the city but I liked what I saw. I ate a seafood poblano relleno which puts all other poblano rellenos to shame. I dined with my aunt and uncle and my adorable cousins. And I met the most genuine and warmest people ever. Texas has won my heart and I almost didn't want to leave. But the second I exited DCA airport, I smiled and thought, Home Sweet Home.

The only failure from the trip was that I took only this picture.


I learned that many locals refer to San Antonio as "San Anton" and to fit in, I plan to say it from now on too.  

Thanks for the fun, Texas.

Kate

p.s. After eleven days of being peanut butter free, I snacked on spoonfuls when I returned from my travels. And you know what? I think I'm over my peanut butter phase.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

I Wanna Be Kate...

It’s almost time for the Royal Wedding- I’m so excited! What do you think Kate Middleton is doing right now??? We're having a party all day to celebrate- my family and I have been making plans all week. I just got back from Wegman’s where I spent roughly $136.72 on food for tomorrow. (Brits aren't known for their great dishes, but for one day I can deal with it) Lots to do- can’t wait!!!!

Oh hey there giant pile of food that probably won't even taste good

Royal Tea (get it?)
Americans are weird, super-lameos for being so obsessed with this wedding, especially considering we went to war to avoid being subjects of that particular crown, but I just love a good tiara and cake :)
~M
*Post Title from "Kate" by Ben Folds Five

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

31 Cent Scoop Night

Photo found here  

 Baskin Robbins is hosting its annual 31 Cent Scoop Night to honor America's firefighters.  The company is donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation™ (NFFF).

The event runs from 5 to 10 p.m.

See you there!

Hugs to our followers,
LC

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Royal Wedding Countdown

The countdown is officially on for the royal wedding.  I've been driving my dear husband crazy the past few days by constantly talking about it.  How can you not? It's on TV all the time and it's going to be amazing.  I am probably taking it too far by having my mom come to NC all the way from PA (thanks Mom!) so that I have someone to watch all the events with me during the wee hours of Friday morning.  I'm even taking the day off to enjoy the wedding!

I've seen some of the royal wedding treats that are out right now, most notably the ones from Dunkin Donuts and Pizza Hut.



But, the ones that catch my eye even more are the homemade treats!  If only I had more time in my life so that I could make these treats.  It makes me wish I was having a full blown party for the event.

Courtesy of One Tough Cookie
Courtesy of Georgetown Cupcakes

Source unknown?
For those that may have time restraints (or lack baking know-how)...Fancy Flours has a cupcake kit that would be perfect for the event! Too bad I hadn't purchased this earlier!
Fancy Flours

Am I the only that's royal-obsessed? I should hate Kate for stealing William (I mean, were born about two weeks apart) but instead I have a total girl crush on her.  How do I get my hair to look like hers?  Here's the happy couple!

~Kc

Monday, April 25, 2011

Votes needed!

Easter may have come and gone but the competition is still strong in my house!  The hubby and I had our egg dying contest last week and he refuses to admit that I beat him!  So, we are having everyone vote for the grouping of eggs that they think are the best.  We each chose our five best eggs.  We'll keep it anonymous so that he can't claim I rigged the voting process! Please cast your votes for your favorite!

Picture 1

Picture 2
~Kc

Friday, April 22, 2011

2010 Flashback

It's been a roller coaster of a week but tonight I'm thinking about how excited I am to go home for the weekend. Easter is one of the few holidays where my entire family is together and so we make it an event to remember. In preparation for the fun that is about to ensue, join me in a trip down memory lane from 2010.




1. sibling fun at our local brewery.
2. LC "cheers" her nephew as we enjoy fabulous pizza. It's our pre-Easter tradition.
3. I won a bet that my brother couldn't break the egg. My BIL looks on in amazement.
4. cutest. harmonica. player. ever.

I was told last year that I was too old to participate in the egg hunt but I'll still be jumping like a bunny when I see my stocked Easter basket. Thanks to my parents for always making this one of my favorite times of the year and to my siblings for coming back to the 'burg to celebrate.

Oh yeah, I plan to dominate my mom's smorgasbord Easter spread this year. And that's a fair warning.

xoxo,

Kate

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Here comes Peter Cottontail....

Easter is finally here! This will be my first year hosting Easter dinner and I'm really excited.  I love hosting anything. I love to plan my menu and get to use all my fun serving pieces that normally sit in my closet gathering dust.  If I could, I'd host some fun meal all the time.  I just need to find more reasons to do it!  Since our house is on the market and most of our (unnecessary) stuff is in storage, I'm going to have a more basic meal.  But, it doesn't stop a girl from dreaming.  I would love to copy some of these table settings...


Absolutely adorable bunny napkin.  My husband is fantastic at folding napkins to make them look fancy. I wonder if I could convince him to try to do these?  I imagine I'll need some stiff napkins and all of mine are flimsy but a shopping trip never hurt anyone...
Courtesy of The Flower Cart

The details! Love these little ideas..using ice cream cones to make "carrot" treats, the peeps in the flower display (awesome)...I can't contain myself. How are people so creative?
Courtesy of The Party Dress
 I love that they used the cupcake tiers as the centerpiece. I love cupcakes...such an easy and beautiful dessert option.
Photo from Flickr
So simple and so elegant! This is one that I know I can easily pull of this weekend. 

How beautiful is this one!? I'd love to do this if we were having dinner outside.  I love how they made use of those little pots. I always seem them at Target or Michaels but never know what to do with them.  This is going into the memory bank.
Courtesy of Southern Living

 So many fun ideas and so little time to do them all in!  I promise that when we are in a new house I am going to host as many events as possible.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter with family and friends!
~Kc

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Parks and Recreation

I've continually been disappointed by TV the last few weeks.  Between 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother and Amazing Race (how are Kent and Vixen STILL in the race?!?!?!?!), I've just about given up on television this season.  That is until I saw this clip from Parks and Recreation (side note:  I tried watching Parks and Rec when it first aired, and didn't like it.  If you are in the same boat, give it a second shot.  It might just be the funniest show on television.).  Make sure you watch the whole clip!

 

Hugs to our followers,
LC

A challenge



I go through more phases than the moon. While intense and all-encompassing, these phases are, thankfully, often short-lived.

 Smoothies, blazers, quilting, and Dexter

are a few highlights over the last year but I must confess that I can't seem to quit this obsession I have with

 peanut butter.

It's getting a little out of control...as in my stomach yells out for the creamy goodness and when my stomach is a-talking, there ain't no stopping it.

Last week's milestone was that I finished TWO jars of peanut butter...in 6 days. And then I self-diagnosed myself as a peanut butter junkie and I've decided to take a sabbatical. My challenge is to get through the week peanut butter-free. It's Day 2 and I feel the need to extend an apology now for the inevitable grouchiness that is about to be unleashed.

I will miss you, my delicious little comfort food. My pants are thanking me, though.



xoxo
Kate

Monday, April 18, 2011

Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore

Those of you who have watched the news the past few days have probably heard about the devastating string of storms that went through North Carolina (as well as several other states).  I am very grateful that my family and friends have all come through this experience relatively unscathed.  For those that were not as fortunate, my heart goes out to you. I can't imagine what you are going through right now. 

If you haven't seen some of the photos or videos of the tornado there are a number of articles on the major news networks.  Our local news channel, WRAL , has numerous user videos and photos of the tornado and aftermath. Specifically, here are photos/videos of the Raleigh tornado that touched down about five miles from where I live.  There's insulation and other debris all over town.

The reminder I had from this is that Mother Nature can be very unkind. Take those weather watches and warnings seriously and seek shelter when advised.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

New Love

We moved into our house in the dead of summer.  We have a terrific bump-out that gets LOTS of sun and heats our kitchen and dining room.  Its great in the winter but not so great in the summer.  We quickly ordered blinds to solve the problem. 

Fast forward two years, and you can see that our blinds are a disgrace. 

Before
They were ugly and brought nothing to our dining room other than shade.  They were a pain to open and close, and they were constantly breaking (as you can see in the picture above).

Imagine my delight, when my husband (out of pure frustration) said that he would pay any amount of money to get rid of our vertical blinds.  Cha-ching!  I got right on the job of ordering swatches and pricing drapes on-line. 

The sticker shock of our new drapes was a bit of a shock to my husband (he'll think twice before not putting a maximum price tag on his wish!), but TOTALLY worth it, don't you think?

After

I'm in love with these drapes from Fabric Workroom.  Even better, my husband and I installed them ourselves without even the slightest bickering.

Hugs to our followers,
LC

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Twinkle Lights

Despite the weather, I've been longing for summertime and outdoor parties. And I'm dreaming of BIG ways to spice up my tiny patio in preparation for warmer weather. Lights, lights, lights!


Moonlight Patio Light: patio lights, outdoor lights, outdoor floor lamp. - photo




C'mon, Summer!

xoxo,

Kate

Friday, April 15, 2011

These streets will make you feel brand new...

I spent Wed-Thur in NYC this week visiting one of my besties, Katie. She lives in Manhattan and likes seeing live music almost as much as I do, so sometimes I train-it-up to the city to see a show with her and stay over for a quick visit. The train from Harrisburg got in to Penn Station around 3:30pm. Normally, having 3 hours to kill in New York until Katie’s done with work would be fabulous, but it was a cold, semi-rainy day PLUS my stupid broken foot has been acting up so I didn’t really plan on doing anything special. After some quick window shopping, I parked it in Herald Squre just outside of Macy’s and did a TON of people watching and reading. (Currently reading Jay-Z’s autobiography “Decoded”, very appropriate for NY). After meeting up with Katie we stopped back at her apartment, had a quick dinner at her favorite diner and then headed to The Bowery Ballroom to see We Are Augustines open for The Boxer Rebellion. The show was decent- a little under whelmed by Boxer Rebellion, but I had fun hanging out with a great friend. I stayed over, snuggling with her cat on the comfy couch all night. Overall it was a lovely little trip.

I forgot my camera (boooooo- major fail) so these are just a few photos from my phone. Sorry for the poor quality!
View on Train

Chillin' outside Macy's

People Watching


Starbucks Stop

Waiting outside Katie's apt

Mr. Kitten welcomes me to NY

Spare Sides at the Diner

Night Cat

"It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!" Breakfast Bagel

Philly Graffiti


If you haven't heard of them before, The Boxer Rebellion and We Are Augustines are both worth a listen.
~M
Post Title from "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z