Monday, December 7, 2009

This Will Be...An Everlasting Love


CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LITTLE ASHLEY BULLARD!

She is now "THE" Mrs. Lackey!

The wedding was gorgeous and simple.
The church was already decorated for Christmas so Ash incorporated the red from the poinsettias in her bridesmaids bouquets with red roses and a mix of white flowers.
The bridesmaids dresses were a pewter color and floor length.
The wedding was personal.
The minister spoke, Lee Ann and one of Ash's friends from high school read several scripture passages.
Ashley's brother's roommate at NC State sang several songs and Paul and Ashley walked out as Mr. and Mrs. Lackey to "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" by Natalie Cole.
Right as the newlywed couple turned to face their family and friends, Ashley dropped her bouquet and it fell apart as it hit the floor.
Paul picked it up, family and friends laughed and Ashley simply shrugged her shoulders.
It was comical.
The reception was at the Grand Marquies Ballroom in Garner with a cocktail hour before.
Ashley and Paul both come from amazing families and it was an honor to share this day with them and their closest friends.
It was a fabulous night!
Best Wishes to the new Lackey family!

(a little sneak of "Charleston" and I during the reception)
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Friday, December 4, 2009

Gotta Keep Rollin' On


It's Friday and I am exhausted.
Last night was the Second String Santa event here in the Queen City and even though I had the best time…getting home at 11:30pm, going to bed at 12:00am and waking up at 4:15am really puts a damper on my mood today. I have to snap out of it. The fun doesn’t stop. It’s the weekend!!!
Tonight I am headed to Greensboro to stay with “Charleston” and tomorrow we are off to Raleigh for Ashley and Paul’s wedding. I am excited to spend the weekend with my girls and “Charleston” and always LOVE LOVE LOVE going back to Raleigh to visit!!! The wedding is going to be gorgeous (Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Lackey!) and I can’t wait to share some pictures when I get back!
Enjoy your weekend friends!
I shall return on Monday!

I leave you with the shoes I am wearing to the wedding… aaahhhhh…they are my fave!!!

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

"Every Kiss Begins with Blain"

"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl
The girl who has everything?
I've got braclets and earings a-plenty
Ive got rings and necklaces galore
You want silver bangles?
I've got twenty.
But who cares? No big deal. I want more." - The Little Mermaid with a twist of "Blain"
"Charleston" pointed out the other day that one of the first things he noticed about me was that I loved to accesorize.
I do.
He wasn't lying.
I will take the same black shirt and skinny jeans and add new earings, a necklace and braclets to it and I have an entirly new outfit.
I don't buy jewerly to go with clothes; I buy clothes to go with jewerly.
The best part of my bad habit - I am a bargin jewerly shopper.
I don't buy expensive jewerly. (There isn't a single diamond in my collection.)
I buy jewerly when I see it on sale.
Why do I do this?
Because, for instance, as soon as you really need a specific color necklace (like red for a WOLFPACK football game) you can never find one that you like in the stores.
It's always my luck.
So if I see something on sale, I buy it.
It will get worn.
I promise you.
At some point I will make it a staple with my attire.
Below is my collection.
I keep in my closet in these cute hanging organizers I found at Stein Mart.
Yes, there is a front and a back to these organizers and almost all pockets are full.
I might have a slight issue.
Who fuels my jewerly fire?: Handpicked, Express, Aldo and a couple more I will keep as my personal secrets.
Front Side
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Back Side
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

"Cause Baby It's Cold Outside"

I have a new found love: Coats and Jackets
They are like cheese crackers - simply addicting
I want them; I need them; I HAVE to have them.
I feel like the prettiest girl in the world when I have on a pretty coat!
They make me grin from ear to ear!
I tried to narrow down some of my favorites and this is as short as I could get the list....
Ahhhh, come to momma precious wool/cotton/polyester/cashmere....

" Santa won't you bring me the one I really need, want you please bring my Coat to me!"

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Monday, November 30, 2009

Style Me Pretty


I am NOWHERE near saying “I do”; nowhere. I am probably the oldest 25 year old girl in Charlotte who is farthest from taking the plunge. But…I have a slight obsession with “wedding stuff.” I don’t browse the internet looking at wedding dresses, bridesmaids’ dresses, and invitations trying to piece together MY perfect wedding. I honestly don’t have a single clue with what I want for my wedding and right now I don’t care. (Things change in decades so who knows what the style will be when I tie the knot :) ) But… I am obsessed with the designs of weddings and all the creative pieces and possibilities. If it didn’t require so much work on Saturday’s, I WOULD be a wedding planner. I find myself looking at blog pictures from photographers that I love and analyzing the choices made by particular brides. I get lost in the elegance of some weddings and the contemporary or antique touch given by others. Sometimes it is the detail that makes all the difference. I absolutely love weddings and the meaning that goes along with them.

One of the causes for my wedding obsession illness: Style Me Pretty Website and Blog

If you are a bride-to-be or just a slightly-obsessive-wanna-be-wedding-planner like muah, DO NOT click on this website until you have cleared your afternoon calendar and want to sit at your computer for the next several hours. I warned you.

This blog/website has everything. I mean everything that will inspire your creative side to plan the wedding of your dreams. From galleries to vendors; from DIY to blogs…it is all here. The pictures on this blog do it for me. It makes my creative side run wild!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

LaSource 60-Second Fix for the Hands

I am not a sales person. I truly suck at it. If I don’t like the product there is no way I can even begin to sell it to someone else.

I worked at GAP in high school and over the Christmas break when I came home my freshman year in college. At the beginning of every shift I was stationed in the fitting rooms. After only an hour I was always quickly redirected to the jean wall because I was being “way too honest with the customers.” I was told many times, “Blain, we are trying to sell that sweater and those jeans. We don’t tell customers that they are not really working on their body shape.” I am sorry but I helped out many women by not allowing them to walk around with “flat-ass” in jeans that just didn’t fit.

Anyway…I decided that I was too honest in the clothing department to work off commission so, during Christmas my junior year of college, I got a job at Crabtree & Evelyn. It blew up in my face; I still had a hard time selling these products because in my opinion, they are WAY overpriced. Average $15 bar soaps, $20 lotion, $30 candles, and $20 drawer liners….just not worth it. (I definitely had a hard time selling our Vera Bradley because I don’t think any human should walk around with that disaster on their shoulder!)

But, there was one thing that I could sell and I did. I LOVE it. Seriously LOVE it. Four years later I am still using it every day. I never spend money on hand creams, lotions, scrubs or crap like that. My body wash was just enough every day UNTIL I found this…

60-Second Fix Manicure set for Hands

Words can’t describe this little miracle. As much as I wash my hands now, I couldn’t live without it. I don’t pay for manicures because they are overpriced. I use this little baby around my nails and cuticles and it works magic. I find myself rubbing my hands together all the time; they feel just like a baby’s butt!

This little kit comes with and Hand Recovery that cleanses exfoliates and moisturizes. Once you wash the Hand Recovery off you apply the Hand Therapy which is a moisturizer. The kit comes in several scents but the LaSource scent is my fave!

If you need a gift for any female in your life this Holiday…you CAN NOT GO WRONG with this one. Crabtree & Evelyn has two different size kits; the large kit is on sale for $23.20 and the small sample kit for $9.60. I usually buy several of the smaller kits to keep around during the holiday season in case I get invited to a last minute party and need a host gift or forget someone on my list! The set lasts a long time so it is well worth the dough.

I will never try to sell you something on here, EVER, because I honestly suck at sales…but, just this once, if you want to do yourself a favor….let me sale you this; just this one time…believe in my sales skills (but only this one time) Do it!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Cute Kid

Turn your sound up and please tell me how cute this little kid is! His mom's laughing made me giggle even more!

Dish It Out

It’s in my closet and it gets opened about once a week.

It is my arts and crafts tub; my small “heaven in a box”.

I love doing crafts. I have ever since I was a little kid and Aunt Sharon would line Blair and up at her bar with a paint brush in hand and we would paint wooden Santa’s at Christmas, Bunnies at Easter (actually Bunnies year round, Aunt Sharon was slightly obsessed with their floppy ears!) and pumpkins at Halloween!

My “tub” is loaded with just about any ribbon, paper, markers, stickers, stencils, glue, and ANYTHING that sparkles! Slightly obsessed. (I will be “that” mother with a scrap book for every year of her kid’s life.)

Therefore you can only imagine how much this place excites me: Dish It Out

Ashley Leadon and Sara hosted Ashley Bullard a bridal shower here. Since Bullard is getting married in December, we all painted her and Paul Christmas ornaments for their first Christmas tree together as husband and wife!

You can walk through Dish It Out and pick ANTYING to paint. They have everything from plates to piggy banks, to figurines, cream and sugar bowls to margarita and wine glasses. It’s a “craft-a-holic’s” heaven! They also have Mosaic Art you can create as well as bead jewelry! (I am getting excited just thinking about it!)

I can guarantee you will find me there one week night in the next month!...can’t wait to see what you all are getting for Christmas!

Check out Dish It Out yourself !

Dish It Out – Myers Park
117 Middleton Drive
Charlotte, NC 28207
(704) 333-1199














Monday, November 16, 2009

Baked Lemon Pasta

First and foremost....a big fat shout-out to all my favorites who made this past weekend absolutely fantastic! My adpi girls + wolfpack football + nights out in Raleigh = "We watch the season pull up its own stakes. And catch the last weekend of the last week. Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced. Another sun soaked season fades away. You have stolen my heart. You have stolen my heart." - Dashboard
Anyway,
I try to watch how much money I spend on food because lets be serious, at 25, life is getting pretty expensive. Therefore I am ALWAYS cooking on a budget. I make meals I can eat for three days straight and have very few ingredients.

This is one of them and it is OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!

It tastes expensive, but is far from it!....and with the July weather we have been experiencing in November, its light and fresh for a 74 degree evening!

Baked Lemon Pasta

Ingredients
1 pound thin spaghetti
4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole lemon, juiced and zested
2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
plenty of grated Parmesan cheese
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
extra lemon juice

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.
Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)
When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Box Me In....Sweet Dreams

I have a full size bed and I box myself in with pillows.
Am I too old to sleep like this anymore? Isn't this what parents do for their kids so they don't roll off the bed?
I never roll off the bed (at least I havn't in the past two weeks :) ha ha) but I like to feel "secure". Is there anything wrong with that?
I woke up this morning and wondered if I was the only weird one that slept like this.
Does anyone else?
This is what it looked like this morning....
(click on pictures to view larger)
I know...go on...laugh all you want...it looks stupid
Please tell me you sleep like this so I don't feel so weird....

"Please don't let the monsters under my bed get me"

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Pet Peeves

I have pet peeves. Not many but some.

1. I HATE it when someone tries to talk to you from another room and you can’t hear them. Then when you yell back and tell them you really can’t hear them, they tell YOU to come there. WHAT?! I am busy, you are the one that wants to talk to me, you come here!

2. When I am served milk, ice cream or a dairy product in glass. Glass makes it hot! Don’t do it! (And don’t ask me about this one, just take it and run with it.)

3. When people use the word “like” WAY too often. Like, you know what I mean? Like, don’t you, like, hate it too?

4. “Fru Fru”, girlie names for animals. Examples: Tinkerbelle, Mimi, Princess, Fluffy, Brownie, Waggy, etc. etc. Let the animal live. Give it a name it can at least stand up for itself with at doggie day-care: Dom, Frank, Stud, Henry, Katrina, Mary, Fred, Marla, Tom.

5. Dining with picky eaters. They can never order off the menu without customizing every aspect of the meal. Too bad they are the ones that get the most spit in their food from the waiter!

6. People who always relate a story, sentence or a comment back to them and their situation. Can we ever talk about anything but you?

7. People who drive slow and have no clue where they are going. It’s lunch time in America dude, I have 45 minutes to drive home, eat, and get back. GET OUT OF MY WAY!

8. In an airport, people who crowd around the terminal while the flight attendant is calling zone numbers. Ok lady, your luggage will fit somewhere and you have a ticket with a seat number and your name on it. I am 99.99% sure you will get on that plane.

9. When a drive-thru gives you the wrong food.

10. Putting dishes in the dishwasher that you have just eaten something like chips or a sandwich off of. How hard is it to simply hand wash that?

11. People who end every sentence in "you know."

What are your pet peeves?

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Why Men Love Bitches


I was in Laura and Thunda’s apartment one day and on Laura’s bookshelf she had the book Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl – A Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship. I had just finished another book and needed something else to put me to sleep at bedtime. So, I picked it up, brought it home and there is sat gathering dust for the past couple months. Until last night, I almost finished it.

I don’t care if you think you have the best relationship in the world and your boyfriend loves everything about you. I don’t care if you have the most perfect marriage and your husband is always on your side. This book includes information for all women no matter what kind of relationship you are. Things change, times change and at some point I can almost promise you that the relationship between you and your boyfriend, the guy you are dating, or your husband will begin to change. The little reminders in this book can help you keep that in check and at least keep yourself out of the backseat of the relationship.

Contending that some women are “too nice,” comedian and radio show host Sherry Argov has written Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl – A Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship. “I’m not recommending that a woman have an abrasive disposition,” Argove writes, “The woman I’m describing is kind yet strong. She doesn’t give up her life, and she won’t chase a man.” Her sassy book is filled with scenarios and advice aimed at making women subtly stronger and self-empowered.

In this excerpt from her book, she reveals why men actually prefer a confident, secure woman to one who lets her man take the reins of the relationship. Argov surveyed real men, who spilled exactly what makes or breaks their opinion of the women they meet-and it turns out that having your own life, making your own plans and not letting him win all the time only makes you more attractive. So who says being a “bitch” is a bad thing? Not these guys! Here’s what they had to say:

1. "The worst thing a woman can do is see a guy every night of the week. That's how she becomes his good-time girl on his 'reserve list.' What will happen is, the guy will start coming over at nine o'clock and then he'll leave by ten-thirty. If he gets access or what he wants from her anytime he wants it, he won't have to lift a finger to keep it going."

2. "Men are competitive. When he buys a car that is a limited-edition model, he feels like he has something special. Guys in the street who race cars usually race for pink slips, because they want to win, conquer and take the other vehicle. That carries over to women. A woman who is easy won't scratch his competitive itch. When she stops expressing her opinion and starts agreeing with everything he says, that's usually when a man starts to feel bored."

3. "A woman should never go looking for him or chase him down at three different places where he said he might be having a drink. If he says, 'Either I'll be at the Cheesecake Factory or some bar on 26th,' don't try to track him down. If you want to be his 'steady,' let him come track you down."

4. "My fiancée was the first woman to put me in my place. She constantly reminds me, 'Hey, nobody's forcing you to stay.' If I tried to BS my way out of a situation, she'd say, 'Let me save you the time and energy. Don't give me that s**t, because I ain't buying it.' I know if she caught me cheating she'd smack me over the head with a frying pan. And I respect her more than any woman I've ever known."

5. "If he can sum you up in one sentence, he'll be bored."

6. "Confidence is when you don't try to interpret or overly process everything that you are observing out loud. It prevents the relationship from progressing on a normal course. For example, every time I gave this woman flowers, she would remind me that her ex stopped bringing her flowers. What she really wanted to ask was whether I'd keep doing it in the future. That made me feel like she didn't really enjoy the flowers or appreciate the present moment with me."

7. "A woman shouldn't say, 'You don't call me enough,' or, 'You never tell me you love me.' As a woman, your best asset is to be unpredictable. He should never be able to figure you out. When he can always predict what you are going to do next, you've lost him as a long-term partner. He'll look for someone else whom he can't understand or control."

8. "If she feels strongly about something, she'll have a backbone. This woman is the woman he respects. Not a 'melba toast' cracker that crumbles with very little pressure."

9. "You have to seem like you aren't giving yourself fully. 'Here I am. Take me.' Men want to be kept guessing. Think about it. When a guy picks out a movie, he wants to be on the edge of his seat from the very beginning. If someone doesn't lose a limb or get shot and buildings aren't blown up all within the first 20 minutes, he'll think he got cheated out of 20 bucks."

10. "A woman shouldn't even crack a joke about marriage. I was on a second date with a girl, and we are both from Ireland. Back home we have a saying, 'If you kiss me you are going to have to marry me.' If you have the desire to get married, never let a man know that up front. If you do, it's the same as handing him a manual and telling him exactly how to dangle a carrot and play on your weaknesses."

I’m telling you…Read it!!! It’s a good one!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Right Where I Need To Be

No need to move, look forward, or look back. I am right where I need to be; where I am supposed to be.

I am happy. I smile. All the time.

I have SO much.

I am positive I am moving in the right direction for my life.

I am positive I am making the right decisions for my life and not for others.

In the past five days I have seen a clear picture and I am excited to see myself in the middle of it.

I took two vacation days on Friday and yesterday to spend some time in a place that solidified what I need to be doing with my life. I will make it happen and I will make a difference; I will work for it no matter if I am overworked and underpaid. My heart is moving in the right direction and hopefully it will be in the right place soon, real soon. I am excited.

I have friends; amazing friends who I truly care about and would give my kidney to tomorrow. We have grown up together and still share today everything we did twenty years ago. I have the privilege of watching us grow up and becoming a part of their new families with their husbands, boyfriends and children on the way. These girls are my heart. They always will be.

I have met someone that makes me smile, a lot. This person makes me laugh uncontrollably and makes me feel like a kid on Christmas when he’s near. I have no clue where we have been or where we are going. I don’t want to label it or wish upon it. I want to live in the moment and simply absorb all of it. I have not known this person for long but the entire situation makes me realize that there is opportunity out there if you stay positive. Relationships can come and go but it is a cycle and there is always another “come” after the last “go,” you just have to have patience.

I have family. I don’t think my heart is big enough to hold my feelings for my family. Words don’t even express how much they mean to me and there is no way they will ever have a clue. I have such a unique relationship with mom, dad, and sister individually that I cannot be any more thankful for who they are in my life and who they have shaped me to be.

I am not looking forward, or looking back. I am right where I need to be and where I am supposed to be.

I am happy. I smile, a lot.

I have SO much.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

What Breed Is Your Favorite?

Today the Pioneer Woman had her Cooking Giveaway for a set of Le Creuset cookware. The question to answer to be entered into the drawing was “What’s your favorite breed of dog.”

My answer: a beagle

They melt my heart in every way. Slade got a beagle while we were dating in college. His name was Phil. The day we went to pick up Phil at the farm, I was instantly attached. He was absolutely the cutest little thing with droopy eyes and big pawls. He could barely walk and was still getting his coordination together. Beagles, to me, are hands down the cutest dogs with the best personalities. They are lovingly needy but also very independent and loyal.

Look at these little faces….I could eat them all with a spoon!
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What's your favorite breed?

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Name Game


I like my name. Blain.
I was never confused with anyone else in my class. I actually have never met anyone else named Blain.
My parents gave me Blain as my first name and that is what they called me. None of this “William”/”Bill” stuff or middle names becoming the name you go by. My name was different, but was also pretty straight forward.
Naming a child is a HUGE task. As a parent, you are going to have to say this word so many times and never get sick of it. I think it is one of the biggest decisions in life. You make this decision one day and there is no turning back! It’s make it or break it for your child.
Therefore, what in the world were these celebrities thinking when they named their children! I know it’s cool to be different but…enough is enough.

Petal Blossom Rainbow: all three names for Jamie Oliver’s daughter

River: chosen by Keri Russell

Ocean: chosen by Forest Whitaker

Fire: chosen by Steve Vai

Sparrow: chosen by Nicole Richie and Joel Madden

Ruby Sweetheart: chosen by Tobey Maguire

Poet: chosen by Soleil Moon Frye for her daughter

Dream: chosen by NBA All Star Allen Iverson and singer Ginuwine

Story: chosen by Jenna Elfman for her son

Verve: chosen by Shawnee Smith

Peanut: chosen by Ingo Radenmacher

Navy: chosen by Nivea and Terius ‘The Dream’ Nash

True: chosen by Joely Fisher

Happy: chosen by Macy Gray

Daisy True: chosen for her daughter by Meg Ryan

Million: chosen by Mystikal

Banjo: chosen by Rachel Griffiths

Rain: chosen by Marisol Nichols and Corey Hart

And probably the dumbest of all…..
Pilot Inspecktor: chosen by Jason Lee

Poor kids; thank goodness you have famous parents and hopefully you will grow up with thick skin because you will be picked on. I can promise you that.