HoliDaze

Hope everyone had a wonderful, happy, safe holiday spent with loved ones!  We had such a great time in PA and NY and although I love to travel and be with my family, it's kind of nice to sleep in my own bed. 

We took our time driving up to my brother's last Saturday and woke up early Sunday to go to church w/ them.  My parents came down and we all got to see Mr. B and my cousins John and Rachel in their Christmas performance.  Afterward we had my mom's side of the family Christmas gathering and it ended up being a really nice day so the kids broke out the lax sticks and had a throw around.  After lunch and presents we went back to my parent's house but stopped at Candy Cane Lane on the way. We were absolutely exhausted so we slept in a little bit on Monday and the girls went sledding during the day.  At night we played a fun game of Mexican Train and my aunt and uncle came over for a bit.

Christmas morning was low-key until the kids came over.  Miss C got an American Girl doll and lots of fun accessories.  Mr. B was really into his Lego's this year.  T got lots of monogrammed stuff and lots of AOPi things and a Tory Burch bag, KJ definately had a Hello Kitty Christmas.  Cosmo and the girls took great care of me and bought me the big lens for my camera.  I was THRILLED and couldn't wait to try it out!  After lunch the kids (and Uncle Cosmo) went sledding again and we shot off some guns (Mr. B got a .22 for Christmas and let everyone shoot off a couple of rounds).  Pop got out the pistol too.  KJ was very, very accurate with the .22 and T did better with the pistol.  As girly-girly as my girls can be, they also like getting down and dirty.  It's so funny.  I swear, KJ looked like Miranda Lambert with the .22 in her hands. 

We headed out to NY bright and early Wednesday morning and ended up spending the night at my mother-in-laws because the weather had gotten pretty bad.  We also did a trip down memory lane and showed the girls our first apartment, our first house, my parents old house and our high school.  Thursday we made our way into Mid-town and spent a wonderful, wonderful day doing the touristy thing.  KJ made us all go into Chanel, Dior and Michael Kors and was dying to go into Tiffany.  Cosmo ended up buying his girls trinkets at Tiffany -- hey!  It's all about that blue box!  We did Rockefeller Center, Times Square, FAO Schwarz, a little walk through the Park, the windows on 5th Ave, Bryant Park.  You name it, we did it.  Friday morning we went to The Cake Boss's bakery in Hoboken and the original plan was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and have pizza at Grimaldi's.  It was a little colder than we thought and spent more time than we had anticipated at the Freedom Tower.  On our way home we stopped to take some pics in Battery Park and got some gorgeous shots of the Statue of Liberty at sunset.  No matter how many times you see Lady Liberty, it's still a thrilling sight.  You can't NOT take a picture.  Gets me every time. 

 

 

Emo's

It's been an emotional week -- still cry like a baby every time I see something about Newtown, CT (and I'm proud to say I did two of #26Acts so far).  I get frustrated like everyone else i.e., "Why?" being the obvious question but I also question why a CT soccer-mom needs a couple of assault rifles laying around her house?  Listen, I grew up in a family of hunters.  I grew up with our family vacations planned around deer season (and yes, I do know the difference between bow season, doe season and buck season).  Fortunately my dad wasn't a big turkey hunter.  I've shot guns (in a completely controlled environment), both of my girls have had pistol practice (again, on hundreds of acres of private family property).  My brother and I knew where my dad's guns were and we had absolutely no desire to "play" with them, show them off to friends or even touch them.  When I married, my hubby was invited to get his license and hunt with his new family.  He politely declined.  Just not his thing.  No big deal.  His choice was respected and honored.  Hunting is taken seriously in my family and gun ownership is no joke.  I'm also very frustrated that the shooter (can't even say his name) was such a freaking coward and took his own life.  When I heard the coroner speak about the victims and said that they had been shot multiple times each, I looked at my husband and said, "That MotherF**ker."  That was the first thing that popped into my head and it was the only response I could get out of my mouth. 

And now comes the great gun debate.  I do not think that armed officers at school are the answer.  We need to stop this behavior, this mind-set before we get to this point.  We need to do better as a nation in the way we help those with mental health issues.  We need to stop bullying.  We need to get our children involved in sports or healthy hobbies.  We need to teach our young children the joy of charity.  Get them out from in front of the XBox and violent video games.  And we need to stop the sale of assault rifles.  They are not manufactured for target practice.  They are manufactured for killing. 

One of the first things I did after the events in Newtown was put out a general post on FB thanking each of the amazing teachers my daughters have had over the years.  I have always felt blessed to be in this school district and have always been secure in the knowledge that my girls were safe and protected while they were in the classroom.  That FB post isn't enough.  In addition to #26Acts, my early New Year's resolution to myself is to be kinder to and to be more patient with people . . . .  People I don't know, people I do know, people I do know and don't particularly like. Might even forgive a few people who weren't particularly kind to me or my family.  I will be more understanding, more supportive and will encourage and praise people for their accomplishments.  I will be more giving of my time. 

On Monday we had a girls night out party at my house for a friend who won full custody of her children and is moving to Switzerland.  While I will miss her terribly, I am so very excited for her and this wonderful adventure she's about to embark on.  I also very proud of her.   She maintained her cool during the entire grueling process and never spoke poorly of her ex.  I also feel that her victory in the courtroom is a victory for all single mothers.  Without her ever having to say an unkind word about him, he got the middle finger in the end and I think it's awesome!

Then, on Tuesday I had lunch w/ a dear sweet friend who has serious health problems and had to take a medical leave from his job.  Tore my heart in two to see how fast he has deteriorated.  His body has completely failed him but his mind is sharp as a tack. 

So, I've basically been crying since last Friday when I first heard the news about Newton. 

And I think we've got it!

My home is officially decorated for the holidays.  I promised myself I wasn't going to do to much this year and keep things simple.  Yeah right.  The only thing I didn't do was my second tree.  Everything else was status quo -- dining room decorated to the hilt, living room, mantel, kitchen, etc.   

I always try to mix things up whenever I decorate and this year I was really into red, silver, white and snowflakes.  And glitter.  Lots and lots of glitter.  You can never have too much glitter! 

Living Room: 



Please notice whose stocking is going in the wrong direction

Sofa Table near French doors

Coffee table in Living Room -- love guests that leave their flower arrangements behind!

 

Dining Room: 

 

Buffet ready for this year's Christmas party with friends!

Foyer:  

Cosmo & The girls bought me the Snowmen painting years ago and it is one of my most favorite Christmas decorations! 

Love my Santas!

 

 

Kitchen:

 

I have no idea why this photo of the baker's rack won't rotate.  You may need to tilt your head or spin your computer around  :-)

 

 

 

 

 

No Media Day

Trying to stay busy today and not put on the news or read the paper.  Like everyone else, I'm trying to understand what happened in CT yesterday.  I don't know if we'll ever know.  I couldn't stop crying at work and when I got home the floodgates opened up.  My two girls are older and of course this type of thing can happen any time, any where.  However, yesterday my thoughts kept going to my sweet niece and nephew.  They are far, far too young for my brother and SIL to have to talk to about this.  I kept thinking about C mostly.  I kept thinking how could anyone want to hurt that beautiful little angel (and yes, I jokingly refer to her as WitchFace but she and everyone else knows it's said with nothing but pure love).  I called B and C on my way home from work yesterday and just really needed to hear their voices.  They are super excited about Christmas, singing in their church's Christmas choir performance, about seeing Grammie and Pop and seeing us and candy canes and everything else that little kids should be exited about.

And I think we're done!

House looks great!  Tree is up and totally decorated!  Whoop!  Whoop!  Although, I do think it's time to invest in a new tree.  When we lived in NY, MD and OH we always had real trees.  However, the year after my grandfther passed away, we decided we needed to go artificial (my grandfather passed away in mid-December.  We left Cincy and drove to PA for the funeral and on to NY for the holidays and came home after New Years.  When we got home, every single pine needle had fallen off, the tree was basically a stick and all of my ornaments slid off the bare branches and crashed on the ground).  So, we've had this tree for about 15 years now and it's started to get a little wonky looking. 

It's not this bad looking (see photo below) but it is starting to look a little Charlie-Brownish.  There seems to be some big spaces in between the branches and I try to fill the void.  Martha Stewart said to hang ornaments farther back on the branches to "create depth" so that's what I did with plain silver, red and green glass ball ornaments. 

Still have to finish setting the dining room table.  I can do that this weekend, no worries.  I'm having some friends over Monday night and haven't planned my menu yet so I'll do that this weekend, too.  I'm thinking fondue! 

Growing Old . . . Gracefully

“Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.” ~ Robert Browning

According to my husband and children, there is nothing less attractive or more pathetic than someone trying to hold on to those last vestiges of youth.  

ves·tige/ˈvɛs tɪdʒ/

noun
1. a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence: A few columns were the last vestiges of a Greek temple.
2. a surviving evidence or remainder of some condition, practice, etc.: These superstitions are vestiges of an ancient religion.
3. a very slight trace or amount of something: Not a vestige remains of the former elegance of the house.
4. Biology . a degenerate or imperfectly developed organ or structure that has little or no utility, but that in an earlier stage of the individual or in preceding evolutionary forms of the organism performed a useful function.
5. Archaic. a footprint; track.

Enter Demi Moore.  Man, she's looking more and more like a hot mess and really just needs to get a grip.  She's a beautiful woman with an incredible body.  But somebody needs to slap her with a dose of reality and remind her she's not 25 anymore.  She needs to dress and act a little more appropriately.  I'm not saying she needs to lay down and die but what happened to growing old gracefully?  Hello?  Can anyone say Sophia Lauren?  Michelle Pfieffer?  Julianne Moore?  Sela Ward?  Brooke Shields?  Sandra Bullock?  Elisabeth Shue?  Sharon Stone?  Lauren Hutton?  Candice Bergen?  Laura Linney?  Marg Helgenberger?  Jodi Foster?  Robin Wright (AKA Princess Buttercup)? 

“And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!”  -- Audrey Hepburn

“It`s not how old you are, it`s how you are old.” -- Jules Renard

“You don't stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.” -- George Bernard Shaw

"It is a rare and difficult attainment to grow old gracefully and happily."  ~ Arnold Palmer

"The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully."  ~ Eric Hoffer

And finally, this gem from Roger Moore (this is probably the one I most identify with!).  I've accepted the fact that I'm getting older, I've accepted the fact that I can't turn back time and I've accepted that there have been and will continue to be changes to my face and body.  However, I also accept age is just a number and it's what I feel on the inside.  What's most important is how I deal with it.  And everyone deals with it differently.  I plan to stay RELEVANT. 

"You can either grow old gracefully or begrudgingly. I chose both." ~ Roger Moore

It's beginning

to look a lot like Christmas in the Cos Casa!  Got the tree up late yesterday afternoon.  Lights and the angel are on but no ornaments yet.  We had such a busy weekend we just ran out of decorating time!  Dining room is 90% decorated and I'm tweaking the living room.  This year I've decided to go with a Red, Silver & White theme throughout the entire house.  One of the problems of having lived in several different homes (including a couple of transitional, short-term rentals along the journey) is that what looked good in one house, doesn't look good in another.  Our house in NY was the most contemporary house we had lived in -- a lot of glass and brass (don't judge!  It was 20 years ago!).  The house in Cincinnati was a little more rustic (not "country" but definately the most "homey" house we've had -- stone fireplace, wood mantel, medium wood cabinets in the kitchen and all the baths, parquet floor in the foyer, wood trim everywhere, etc.).  This house is what they call "traditional" -- white mantel w/ marble surround, white cabinetry, light baseboards and moulding, etc. 

So, I've decided to streamline and just go with a theme that looks good in each room.  My dining room linens are red with white snowflakes.  I have silver placemats and other than my Christmas china, all of the accent pieces in the room are red, white or silver with a snowflake motif. 

My mantel this year is kind of sparse (I prefer the term "simple elegance) but KJ isn't a fan.  I've got a lot of white taper candles, red glass and mercury glass.  KJ said it looks like a menorah. 

While the these are not photos of my house, below is some of my inspiration for this year's decor: 

Army / Navy Game

Good football day in our house yesterday.  While everyone else in the South was mourning the loss of SEC Saturday's, we were enjoying the Army/Navy game.  Unfortunately, BFrench got a little hurt early in the game but Navy was still able to "sing second" which is the most important thing. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/army-navy-midshipmen-overcome-late-deficit-to-overtake-black-knights-17-13-to-win-commander-in-chiefs-trophy/2012/12/08/d4001952-4190-11e2-a2d9-822f58ac9fd5_story.html

So incredibly proud of this man.  He is so humble, so unassuming and incredible leader on and off the field: 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/4/brye-french-will-honor-fallen-mid/?page=all

And then, to top off an incredible win, an incredible senior season and an overall outstanding career at Annapolis, B jumped into the stands while the alma mater was being played, dropped to one knee and asked T to marry him!  So exciting!  We kind of knew it was coming but wasn't 100% sure and certainly didn't know how he was going to actually propose.  How romantic and how wonderful that it was caught on camera! 

http://www.bloguin.com/crystalballrun/2012-articles/december/navy-player-proposes-army-navy-game.html

And while we were all excited for Brye & the Navy win, Trent Steelman broke my heart.  No lie, I sat on the couch with tears rolling down my face every time they showed him on TV. 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/12/08/army-navy-trent-steelman/1756135/

Poof! Proof!

So incredibly excited about this year's Christmas card!  I luv, luv, luv it!  It's hard to get the four of us together and even harder to find someone to take a decent photo!  I found this printing company on Facebook and didn't even realize they were here in Birmingham (love to shop small!).  We all look cute in the photo and the layout/background is perfect! 

We have a family photo session scheduled for Sunday but that is more of my Christmas presents and will not be used for a Christmas card.  I've been wanting a professional family photo for a while now, particularly before T went off to school.  We were off in a million places this summer and we could just never get it done.  We (Cosmo and I) just can't agree on a location.  I think we're more of an urban, gritty family and I'd like to go to Morris Ave or maybe Sloss Furnace (sounds weird but it's a really neat place).  Cosmo wants a field or trees or something like that -- the Preserve, Ross Bridge.  I guess it will depend on the weather and what we all decide to wear. 

I've got a couple of ideas but again, I guess it just really depends on the weather and what we feel like wearing that day: 

Holidaze

Had KJ's choir performance tonight which was very nice.  Unfortunately, it was like 75 degrees out.  In the evening.  And the school gym had to have been a least 100.  Very hard to get in the holiday spirit when people are passing out from the heat. 

Have had a very, very busy week and the weekend is going to be just as busy.  Had a nice dinner last night at our friend's restaurnt.  Had the big client luncheon at work today.  Everything went great -- food was amaze-balls, the decor was gorgeous and our staff always goes above and beyond.  We rotate the responsibility each year and it was my turn again.  2010 was my turn and the Sunday before the luncheon, I rushed to FL to be my father's side after "The Event."  So I planned everything but missed the actual luncheon.  Last year was MM's turn and back to me this year.  Thank God, no "Event" this year. 

Although Hoover is playing in the big state championship game tomorrow night on the field at Auburn we've got plans and won't be able to make it.  So you know your school is kind of a big deal when your principal has a meme trending on Twitter: 

#gobucs

#roadtostate

#BucsDynasty

Tomorrow T heads home Yay!  Yay!  Yay!  KJ has a b-day party in the evening and Cosmo & I have a party with friends from work.  Saturday, I have a haircut appointment in the AM and we have a party with our lax family Saturday night.  Sunday we have fanily photo plans. 

Finals, Finally!

Holy Cow!  I can NOT believe my baby girl is finishing up her first semester as a college student.  It truly does feel like just yesterday we were packing up the cars and driving off to Oxford excited about all the wonderful new adventures awaiting her! 

 



I found this sweet, sweet lady on Etsy who makes AOPi / Panda cookies had them sent to T for finals week.  The timing couldn't have been better -- T is still trying to get over the flu, Sunday was initiation and today started finals.  She loves getting mail at college and was so excited and surprised to get her box of cookies!  Last week I sent her a box of tissues, some chap stick, some Vitamin C, etc. the minute she told me she wasn't feeling great.  My mom sends her Starbucks cards in the mail and my sister-in-law is great about sending care packages.  T said she feels so loved when she has something in her mail box!

Expecting!

Yay!  It's official!  The moment everyone has been waiting for (OK; maybe not EVERYONE, just those of us who still believe in the fairytale) . . . a royal heir! 

So, what will Prince William and Duchess Kate name their baby?   Whatever they choose, the royal baby name will surely become a world-wide sensation.  Will it be traditional;  i.e., Elizabeth, Victoria for a girl?  Diana as a middle name?  George, Charles or William for a Boy?  Spencer as a middle name for a boy?  Or will they go trendy?  London perhaps?  Could they be influenced by Britain's other royal couple, Victoria and David Beckham?  Harper for either a boy or girl??  My favorite is "Princess Buttercup."  Inconceivable! 

Personally, I think they're going to have both Elizabeth and Diana in there some where.  It would be a beautiful homage to Will's grandmother whom they both seem to adore and of course, a nod to his mother Diana.  If it's a boy, I could totally see them going with Phillip, his grandfather, as either a first or a middle name. 

From Pamela Redmond Satran at the baby-name website Nameberry, here are her top predictions for the royal baby name:

Albert or Alfred – Two similar names with positive royal histories, Albert was the beloved consort of Queen Victoria while Alfred was Alfred the Great, the 9th century Anglo-Saxon king who defended England against the Danish invasion. While Alfred has the edge on royal stature, it gets demerits as a trendy favorite, thanks to the character Alfie on the popular show The Eastenders.

Alice – The name of Queen Victoria’s second daughter, the princess who shocked her mother by breastfeeding her baby. Alice is a sweet and pretty classic that is currently considered ultra-stylish in Britain, where it’s in the Top 50.

Arthur – Arthur is one of our two boy favorites for the royal child, with a legendary history as well as contemporary fashion status. In addition to leading the Knights of the Round Table, there are many notable Arthurs in literature (Miller, Conan Doyle), science (Clarke), and sports (Ashe). Queen Victoria had a son named Arthur.

Caroline – With the Duchess’s mother named Carole and Prince William’s father Charles, the royal Caroline would be a logical choice. Although the most recent Queen Caroline was the object of scandal, the strong family connections may transcend its history.

Charlotte – Like Caroline, Charlotte is a feminization of Charles, a perfect choice for a future queen. Charlotte was the cultivated wife of George III, who also had a daughter named Charlotte. This elegant royal name is appealing to a wide range of parents today because it sounds feminine yet grownup, sophisticated yet lush. With Victoria, our top choice for a royal princess.

Eleanor – The powerful Eleanor of Aquitaine was the wife of Britain’s King Henry II, with whom she had eight children including a daughter named Eleanor. Not without controversy, she is nevertheless a strong female historical figure whose image is appropriate for modern times.

Frederick – Since Freddie is a currently popular nickname name in the UK, a little Prince Freddie would go down very well. The name Frederick has been dotted throughout British royal history—it was given to the son of George III—and so sounds properly regal in its full form.

George – The frontrunner for a royal boy name, George was the name of Queen Elizabeth’s beloved grandfather, the king who led Britain through World War I. The meaning of George is the humble “farmer.”

Leopold – One of the sons of Queen Victoria, Prince Leopold was named after a favorite uncle of hers. Though it sounds a bit stiff and Germanic, it is one path to the popular short form Leo.

Matilda – An outlier choice, Matilda has an ancient royal history and also is a nod toward Australia. The related Maud, another long-shot possibility, was the name of the youngest daughter of King Edward VII, and granddaughter of Queen Victoria who went on to become Queen of Norway.

Philip – Philip is the name of the baby’s great-grandfather, wife of the reigning queen. While Philip, which means “lover of horses,” is a dark horse candidate for first name, it’s a likely choice for one of the baby’s three middle names.

Victoria – One of the most likely choices for a girl, Victoria is the name of one of the most famous queens in British history, who ruled through most of the 19th century. While embodying history and strength, the name continues to feel contemporary. But don’t look for her to be nicknamed Tori.

Here are the most popular boys' and girls' names in the UK last year, according to BabyCentre.co.uk:

Boys
1. Oliver
2. Jack
3. Harry
4. Charlie
5. James
6. Joshua
7. Alfie
8. Thomas
9. Jacob
10. Ethan

Girls
1. Lily
2. Emily
3. Isabella
4. Sophia
5. Isabelle
6. Sophie
7. Olivia
8. Ava
9. Chloe
10. Isla

PS.  T was "this" close to being a Sophie.  Not Sophia, just Sophie.  My mother had an Aunt named Sophie and thought it would be a wonderful way to honor our Polish heritage.  I liked Sophie alot but Cosmo did not.  And, it didn't sound very nice w/ our last name.  However, I was able to get "Ann" in her name so I'm still carrying on the family tradition. 

Go Bucs!

Big night for the high school football team!  Semi-finals game against Clay-Chalkville.  Should be a great match-up and record crowds are expected.  Cosmo really wants to go to the game tonight but I haven't been to a single game this year and think I should not mess with the mojo.

It's been a busy, busy week and I am really, really looking foward to the weekend!  Monday I had dinner with a sweet friend, Tuesday I had a big client lunch with PSDS out at Barber's and in the evening KJ & I went to dinner before her travel volleyball team meeting.  Wednesday I had a bunch of errands to run after work and last night Cosmo was home after traveling all week.  My Thanksgiving decorations were down last week but I haven't put up a single Christmas thing yet.  I'd like to get that done this weekend but we're not putting trees up until T comes home next week. 

My poor, poor baby is so sick with the flu.  This is the child that NEVER EVER gets sick and for her to break down and go to the health office is a big deal.  Glad she's taking care of herself!  She's got finals next week and really wanted to nip it in the bud.  She said in addition to a prescription for TamiFlu they also gave her a little prevention kit w/ Lysol, Germ-X, a couple of those face masks, gloves, etc.  She had a lot going on this week too and really can't afford to be sick . . . she had BIG/LITTLE week and last night she finally got to meet her "family."  She met her Big, her Twin, her Big's Twin and her Little and her Big's GrandBig.  T is representing AOPi in the Parade of Beauties (along with 3 seniors) and she had a mandatory meeting last night.  After her meeting, her entire Family went out to dinner.  Sunday is her formal AOPi induction and she is just so excited!

Day 3

 

Oh.  My.  God.  T's Big has totally spoiled her rotten this week!  Today's theme was "AOPi."  It's hard to see in this photo but the Big decorated a snack table, several AOPi canvases, a chevron photo frame, tons of t-shirts (I think T said there were ELEVEN t-shirts today alone!), lots of fun Panda items (I chuckled when I saw the Oreos), a beach towel, a spa wrap, a blanket and lots of AOPi letters.  The poems she has written T are awesome and she also hinted today that T is not her only Little.  She mentioned something about a Twin.  T is just excited beyond belief! 

 

And, in case you don't stay up past midnight, here's the link to the ESPNU segment T filmed a couple of weeks ago.  It was supposed to air right before Halloween but Hurricane Sandy hit and messed up the programming schedule so they decided to air it after Ole Miss's big Egg Bowl win (blink and you may miss her!): 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnQv4bHiDuo&feature=youtu.be

BIG love

This week is Big/Little Week at AOPi.  T's big sister reached out to me before the Thanksgiving break and ask for some funny stores about T, her favorite color, movies, etc. 

Monday's theme was "Girls Night In" and T's Big had some wonderful things for her with a super sweet poem.  She had several t-shirts, a chevron Pillow w/ T's initial on it, several monogrammed canvases (a couple framed), a couple of T's favorite movies, a popcorn bucket, candy, nail polish, toe separators, stuff for a home facial, etc. 

Tuesday's theme was "The Grove"and T's sweet Big showered her with all sorts of tailgaiting supplies -- a customized hand-painted cooler filled with red Solo Cups, Chips + Salsa, personalized wine glasses, stuff to play flip cup, can coozies, some more t-shirts and a cute Tank-Top, a Colonel Reb canvas painting and Tuesday's poem was hilarous!!!

Can't wait to see what Wednesday brings!

Egg Bowl

As long as we've lived here I've always wanted to go to the Iron Bowl.  The year we have Egg Bowl plans, a friend calls and offers us two tickets to the Iron Bowl!  We thought about it hard for about 5 minutes and decided the Iron Bowl was going to be a blow-out and we should head out to Oxford as planned.  Glad we did!  Heard the traffic on 459 was awful and our suspicions were correct:  Alabama spanked Auburn and Chizik got fired (please refer to my September 2012 post for my prediction regarding Chizik's dismissal:  http://cos4.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-little-foosball.html). 

As a "Yankee" born and bred, nothing and I mean NOTHING prepares you for Saturday in the South.   I've been to countless Jets games, Giants games, Bengals games, Falcons games, Saints games, you name it.  NOTHING compares to a Saturday night game in the South.  It doesn't matter if it's the grand-daddy of all SEC football -- Alabama -- or if it's UAB, Troy University, Samford, UNA, whatever.  Saturday in the South IS football.  I kid you not, I get chills up and down my arms when the band comes out.  And when the national anthem plays in the stadium, the little hairs on my neck prickle.  Being in the stadium on Saturday is truly electryfing. 

This was our family's first official Egg Bowl's experience -- we had a lovely drive to Oxford on Saturday morning, visited with T a little, pre-gamed a little bit, busted out the corn-hole game and made a round of the Grove.  Cosmo made his famous raspberry Corona-ritas (a recipe I found on Pinterest and he now loves to make for the games). 

The weather was absolutely GORGEOUS and once the sun went down, we were all snuggly in our Ole Miss sweatshirts and hats.  KJ really gets into the games and looked super cute in her Ole Miss jersey.  She loves to do the "Are You Ready" (provided by James Franco this week!) and she also made Cosmo and I "lock the Vaught" with her.  http://vimeo.com/53180740 She also likes to do the "Landshark" hand motion.  A bunch of students made a video/rap called "Feed Moncrief" and they played it several times during the games.  Somehow KJ already knew all the words.  She said it had been going around You-Tube.  http://hottytoddy.com/feed-moncrief/

The game was very exciting and I'm glad Bo finally cut his hair.  Right out of the gate, less than 2 minutes into the game, his first long pass was a beautiful 42-yard missile to Moncrief.  They stuck with what works and used the play over and over and over.  Bo threw for 294 yards and five touchdowns -- including three to Moncrief.  After going into the tunnel tied up at the half, the Rebels had a huge second half to beat Mississippi State 41-24 for the first Egg Bowl win under Coach Hugh Freeze, the first Egg Bowl win since 2008 and became bowl eligibile for the first time since 2009. The energy on campus is so exciting this year.  The kids LOVE Coach Freeze and have whole-heartedly supported the team from the very first game.  The student section totally ROCKS each and every game. 

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen's personality has added some spice to the Egg Bowl in recent years with the Bulldogs dominating the series and not being afraid to gloat about it (one of the highlights of the game was a short video clip shown during the final minutes of the game -- Coach Mullen's locker room speech where he promises "we will NEVER lose to this team" while holding the coveted Egg Bowl Trophy).  The heightened emotions on Saturday were evident even at the coin toss, when the captains from both teams had to be separated by officials. And the action started early with Ole Miss needing less than two minutes to score a touchdown.  The Rebels scored two plays later on a 25-yard pass to Mosley. A packed Vaught-Hemingway Stadium went wild, but the celebration was short lived. Mississippi State returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to tie the game at 7-7. It was the first of many early mistakes for the Rebels. Bo was Bo and had flashes of brillance combined with catastrophic plays.  Although he threw two touchdowns in the first half, he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Mississippi State pushed ahead 14-7 late in the first quarter on a 42-yard touchdown pass.  Ole Miss responded with a 43-yard field goal by Bryson Rose and then pushed ahead 17-14 when Wallace found Moncrief on a 77-yard touchdown pass. But the Rebels exploded in the second half for 24 straight points while Mississippi State's offense managed just 115 yards after halftime. Wallace had no turnovers in the second half. 

After the game all the Rebel fans rushed onto the field (jumping over the wall is more like it).  Security finally wised up and just opened up the gates for everyone to calmly walk on.  So of course KJ had to lay down on the 50 yard line. 

Shop Small Saturday

No Black Friday shopping for this kiddo.  I went once, when KJ was only 6 weeks old, with my SIL and that was the one and only time. 

The FL fam was visiting us for our first Thanksgiving in Alabama.  My birthday was in September and KJ was born a few days later in mid-October.  I asked Cosmo not to buy me any b-day presents so that I could go shopping for some new clothes after the baby was born.  We didn't head out super early or at midnight; I think we left the house around 8 AM and had no problem finding a parking spot.  I honestly don't think SIL actually bought anything and I only went into clothing stores trying to find clothes to fit my 6-week post partum body.  We weren't out at Best Buy or Walmart or anything like that.  We had lunch at the mall and the guys took the kids to the McWane Center for the day.

Of course I shop at big mass-merchandisers out of necessity like everyone else, but I would much rather shop small if I could.  I love when Ross Bridge has it's Farmer's Market, I love shopping at the Wrapsody's in Patton Creek, I like to buy unique one of a kind items on Etsy and I would much rather meander here than anywhere else: 



http://www.anncaudle.blogspot.com/

 

 

Well, except maybe here: 

 

 



No Sleep 'til Brooklyn

Iconic Beastie Boys song?  Kate Spade's famous bangle?  Nope.  Just the story of my life.  Insomnia stinks as it is and a house full of kids home from college doesn't help either.  OMG.  I got maybe an hour, hour and a half, sleep TOPS last night.  It was just a comedy of errors that kept getting worse and worse as the night wore on. 

One of T's friends is leaving for the Navy in a couple of days and after they went out for dinner they all came back to our house.  Which normally is not a problem.  However, they are still on college time, Cosmo & I are on adult-I-have-to-get-up-for-work-in-the-morning-time.  Seemed like my garage door opened all night.  They just kept coming.  And leaving. And squealing everytime someone new stopped by.  And saying goodbye everytime someone left.  For the most part, they were pretty quiet but our bedroom is right over the garage door so I heard everything.  So then I moved out to the couch.  And then KJ was wandering around upstairs.  And then she came downstairs and laid on the couch with me.  And then moved back up stairs.  And then the dog joined me.  And then someone's alarm accidentally went off crazy early.  And then I moved back into my bed.  And then Cosmo's alarm went off.  And then he got in the shower.  And then my alarm went off.  Holy Moly.  I am exhausted and look like death warmed over today. 

Shoppa-Shoppa

Getting a lot of Christmas shopping done.  I hate actually going to the mall so I'm a big on-line shopper.  I'll only go to the mall if I know exactly what I'm looking for and exactly where it is.  I'm not one of those ladies that shops to shop and I don't just wander around the mall.  I have a pretty good idea of what I need before I head out, I go in, get what I need and get back out.

Usually T is very easy to buy for and KJ is more difficult.  This year it seems to be reverse.  KJ has given me some very good ideas and T is proving to be difficult this year.  She's getting picky in her old age.  She has everything she needs for her dorm, she doesn't need any Ole Miss stuff and she doesn't want any AOPi items because when she gets back from Thanksgiving break she has "Big/Little Week and Reveal" and they get presents from their big all week (I already know who her big is; she reached out to me via FB).  Plus, she got a bunch of stuff on bid day.  I sent her a bid day basket and she also received a tote bag full of AOPi items from the sorority.  The day after Bid Day I also sent her the Lilly Pulitzer AOPI tote and wristlet.  Which she promptly returned.  She liked them but didn't think she'd ever use them.  She's such a minimalist and is not a fan of a big bag.  And, her phone didn't fit in the wristlet very well.  Sigh. 

Chick-a-dees

So happy to have all my chick-a-dees in the nest! T got in yesterday afternoon with plenty of time to help KJ get ready for the 7th grade dance.  She did KJ's make-up while I curled her hair.  Good God that kid has a ton of hair!  The dance was a hoe-down and KJ looked super cute in her new cowboy boots!

Really looking forward to a relaxing week.  T's got some stuff on her to-do list for the week and has plans w/ friends almost every night.  Not sure how much we're going to actually "see" her during break but we had a nice day catching up.  In addition to her laundry, she came bearing gifts.  She had an AOPi long-sleeve shirt for KJ and she brought me an Ole Miss sweatshirt and hat to wear to the Egg Bowl in case it's chilly.  I made her favorite chili cheese dip to eat while we watched the Ole Miss vs. LSU game.  What a heartbreaker.  Coach Freeze is taking the team in the right direction, they just can't seem to close the deal. 

It's OK Thursday . . .

...I didn't win Associate of the Month for the FOURTH time.  It's an honor to be nominated, blah, blah, blah.  Someday that primo parking spot will be mine.  But seriously, I do work with some pretty amazing folks and am proud to be part of such a great team!  I truly love my job! 

...that last weekend was NOT a good football weekend in our house -- Alabama lost, Ole Miss lost and Navy lost.  But, on the upside, we got to see Brye play and spent a beautiful, fun day @ Troy University. 

...that I'm obsessed with the History Channel's "The Men Who Built America."  Some good stuff right there.  I should have been a history teacher.  Totally missed my calling. 

...that some crazy-ass lady in a big white Infinity QX56 refused to let me merge into the lane this morning on the way to work.  Not only did she speed up and not let me merge, she was texting the entire time and she tailgated the car in front of her SO bad for miles and miles.  Hope she got to her destination OK.  She was obviously much more important than anyone else on the road this morning. 

...that I've been standing out on the lacrosse field 3 nights this week.  WTH?  I don't have any kids that play in the state of Alabama.  It's like the damn mafia, they suck me back in. 

...that I started my Christmas Shopping but haven't made a dent.  Looks like everyone's getting an Old Navy gift card!  hahahahaha!

Oh!!  And don't forget to Blog Hop --


 

Boots w/ the Fur

No, no boots w/ the Fur.  No Apple Bottom jeans.  Just a nice pair of black boots to wear to work w/ fall/winter skirts and dresses.  I was so excited to finally find a pair that is the right heel height and hits the right spot on my calf!  Being short is a major pain in the rear and I have been searching for black boots for almost 2 years.  They were either too short and hit my calf at a really awkward spot and cut me off visually or they were too long and came up over the knee and weren't appropriate for work (or my less than 5 ft. frame).