I can't wait to read....

Set to release August 11th

Set to release July 14th

Released today!

Brand new!

And has anybody read Karen White's books? I haven't, but this title sparked my interest. I always love a good Southern book set in real places in cities I am familiar with. If you have read any of her books, let me know how they are!



And I also have not read this book, yet, but really want to before I see the movie:

Other books on my "must read" list include: Chasing Harry Winston, Mating Rituals of the North American WASP, Prep: A Novel, One Fifth Avenue, Love the One You're With, Certain Girls, Social Climbers, Pretty in Plaid, Knit Two, Time is a River, The Memory of Water, Off Season, Water for Elephants, and Dixieland Sushi (and other books by Cara Lockwood).

Whew!! I am going to be busy! Thank goodness I am a quick reader!

Y'all, we're on empty...

This weekend was so much fun! Of course, it was very busy and I am exhausted this morning, but we couldn't have asked for a better time.

I do have one funny story to share. We rented a boat for the weekend and set out on Saturday morning to go pick it up from the marina. Jerry, at the marina, gets us all set up and tells us several times, to just make sure we watch the gauge on the gas tank so we don't out of gas. We agreed that we would, and left the marina on our way to the lakehouse we had rented- with only the help of a small map I printed off the internet and virtually no knowledge of the part of the lake we were one.

We were going along fine for about 20 minutes or so, when I went back to check on the gas gauge, and saw that it was hovering dangerously close to empty, and we hadn't seen a single marina in our travels. Of course, we kind of panicked, and doing the only thing we knew, we slowed the boat down to barely above idle speed and continued on our way, calling the girls still at the house to go to the gas station and get us some gas in gas cans.

We felt like we were still heading in the right direction, at least, but still had no clue which cove was ours, and didn't want to pick the wrong one for fear that we would run out of gas in an isolated cove and not be able to get help. We saw some men fishing and pulled up to ask them where the closest place to get gas was and they told us it was in the direction we had come, although we hadn't seen any place like that. We then asked them where the golf course (which we were using as a landmark from our map) was, and they pointed to this big grassy field to our right. Knowing that if that was really the golf course, we were way turned around, we put our heads together and decided that these men were wrong, and the "golf course" was actually an air strip.

So, we decided to journey on because in the distance we could see a bunch of boats and thought it might be a marina, or at the very least, somewhere we could get some gas or better directions. As we were nearing the marina, we decided to say a prayer that we would find our cove or be able to get gas before being stranded in the lake. Just before our destination marina, we saw a cove that we *thought* could be ours and decided to take a chance. We drove up into the cove and, in the distance, could see some people on a dock. As we neared that dock, we realized that it was our group. I swear that was the happiest and most relieved I have felt in a long time. We were jumping up and down yelling and celebrating our good fortune- although I think it was God's answer to our prayer.

Now, here's the best part. We pull up at the dock, and unscrew the cap of the gas tank to put more gas in, and the tank is OVER HALF FULL, but the gauge is dead on Empty. We were so mad! Yes, in hindsight we should have checked the tank when we saw it said Empty (as WEG keeps telling me), but Jerry was so adamant about us watching the gauge, that I just thought it had to be right. So, the moral of the story is, if you think you're out of gas on a pontoon, check the tank before assuming the worst, because those gauges SUCK!

Friday, what took you so long?

Thank goodness it's FRIDAY!! This week has seemed long to me for some reason. And what a crazy week it has been, too, with the deaths of Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and Michael Jackson and the admission of an affair by our governor, Mark Sanford. It's almost surreal that all those things could happen in the span of a week!!

Today I leave for my friend, Carolyn's bachelorette party out on the lake. Then on Saturday evening I will be heading back for a home and garden shower for my friend Bess and her fiance. And then on Sunday, WEG and I will be going back out to the lake for Carolyn's fiance, Chris's birthday. WHEW! Can you say BUSY? But, fun, so I can't wait!

I'm trying to decide what to wear to the shower. I have narrowed it down to my new white jeans with a black Sweet Pea mesh ruffle tier halter (like that, but solid black) with silver Jack Rogers and silver jewelry or this floral maxi dress from Target (the picture doesn't really do it justice):




What do y'all think? If I don't wear the dress to the shower, I'll probably wear it to Bess's rehearsal dinner. I am sort of leaning towards the white pants for that reason, but I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Shocked and appalled

You may already know from some of my previous comments and posts that I am not a huge fan of our governor, Mark Sanford. But his latest antics have left me SHOCKED and APPALLED. He has done many things, in my point of view, that have been wrong, but this one is icing on the cake.

If you haven't heard, Gov. Sanford went missing starting on Thursday of last week. Yesterday, it was speculated by his staff that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail, but this morning, he was met at the Atlanta airport by a local media source as he was returning from Argentina. Why Argentina, you ask? Well, apparently he needed to "get away after a tough legislative session", but coincidentally, he has a mistress in Argentina...one that he has been communicating with for eight years. While he was not having a physical relationship with her for that long, in the last year he had taken it to that level and his wife found out about five months ago, after which time they have been "working on moving forward."

So, tell me, Gov. Sanford, if you are moving forward for your family, why did you choose FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND, to visit your mistress in Argentina and break off the relationship? Do your four little boys not merit you being around for Father's Day? Was it absolutely necessary that you go take care of this business during a holiday such as Father's Day? Did Marshall, Landon, Bolton, and Blake not enter your mind? I wonder what their mother, Jenny, had to tell them about your whereabouts, or have they had to endure this devastating news already since you were found out five months ago? For their sake, I sure hope not.

This is just the latest in what I feel are a long line of bad decisions that you have made. You brought pot bellied pigs into the Statehouse to mock the legislators, you declared to the media that you had seen many deaths when flying over the Graniteville train wreck scene (when this was without basis and prior to any confirmed counts), you refused to have South Carolina implement the new drivers license system when all around us were complying, and you had to be ordered to take federal stimulus money for a state whose education system is not making the grade to begin with. And now, in all of your glory, you have directed attention squarely back on yourself and South Carolina by admitting to adultery. Did you not read the Bible, and God's instructions in the Ten Commandments- the seventh one is very specific- "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14) It doesn't get more cut and dried.

No, I don't think you really thought what your actions might cause- maybe you thought you wouldn't get caught, but the truth always prevails. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said to the media that your actions were selfish. Yes, you are 100% correct in that statement- maybe the first time you have been right about something in a long time.

Now, Governor Sanford, I would like to know what you plan to do- how you plan to not only move forward with your family, but with the State of South Carolina? You have resigned as chair of the Republican Governor's Association- is your next step resigning as governor? I, for one, think that might be your best call. I'm tired of SC being in the spotlight because of your ill-advised antics. What could possibly be next?

However, I would remiss if I did not note that if you resign, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer becomes Governor, and well, that's a post for a whole 'nother day. One idiot would be replaced with another, but I'll take my chances.

Summer Wedding #1 Pictures

Ok, so I know I am definitely 2 weeks behind on this, but without further ado, here are some pictures from Julie & Nick's wedding on June 12th.

There were a lot more, obviously, but those are the highlights!

Another great giveaway

The Monogram Chick is hosting a great giveaway, so click on over and get entered (or don't, because I'd really like to win!)

She's giving away this market tote:

How cute is that? So, hurry on over and enter to win- and don't forget to tell her, I sent you because if you win, we both win!

The perfect evening

Last night WEG and I had the perfect evening. No, we didn't go out on some great date or do anything exciting, but it was still perfect. We had the best dinner, for starters.

Homemade cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and Peach Yums for dessert.

Notice I did not say we had the healthiest meal! But what is better than a big ol' juicy cheeseburger hot off the grill and followed up with peach yums served with ice cream? If you haven't tried the Peach Yums, they are delicious- Thanks to A Belle & Her Beau for that recipe!!

I did attempt to make the peach yums with fresh peaches last night. It turned out okay, but peaches are not easy to peel, for starters. And then, a few of the peaches were a little tart, but with that cookie mixture and ice cream on top they were still so good! But, if you're looking for easy, just go by the recipe and use the canned peaches. You won't be disappointed, either way!

After dinner, we just laid around and watched an awesome game of baseball- LSU v. Texas. We didn't make it through the whole game and went to bed in the 10th inning. However, this morning I was excited to see that LSU ended up beating Texas- sorry to all you Longhorn fans, but I've gotta pull for the SEC!

So yeah, definitely nothing earth shattering that went on, but between a good meal, good sports program to watch, and just laying around enjoying each other's company, it was my kind of night! Unfortunately I didn't get around to doing the Shred yesterday, so I have to motivate myself to get back on the wagon today after a weekend at home with lots of good food and a cheeseburger last night. (We won't even mention the pizza I will be eating tonight at the Village Idiot).

Bits & Pieces

Just in case y'all wanted an update on the Admin. Asst. situation from last week. My boss was livid, to say the least, that he would try and take advantage of the fact the she was out of the office and say he worked the whole day. So, because of that, she has reigned him in- BIG TIME. She sent him a list of guidelines that he is to adhere to and he is to be here at all times except for his one hour lunch break (which now must be the same time every day) and any other times he must have prior permission. He is also no longer allowed to "work through lunch" so that he can leave early, and if he needs to leave early for an appointment, he must take a lunch and then use annual leave. So, his wings have been clipped because of his antics in trying to pull the wool over her eyes.

In other news, I just thought I'd be able to keep up with blogs, but nope- now my laptop is dead...again. This time it looks like I need a new hard drive. So no computer at home until I can order a new hard drive and have the web guy at work install it- which will probably end up being next week.

This weekend I have another bachelorette party (this time at Lake Murray) as well as a home & garden shower on Saturday evening for a separate wedding, and a birthday cookout on Sunday, so I'm going to be super busy! This past weekend I went home and spent a relaxing weekend with my parents, as well as went shopping in Charleston for various upcoming gifts and supplies for parties, showers, etc. I did get a new pair of tennis shoes on sale at the Nike Outlet, and my mom bought me some new white Jeans from the Ann Taylor Outlet (on sale that day for $30!!).

That's all the news I've got today- I hope to have something more exciting for you really soon!

Holy giveaway, Batman!

So, I had never stumbled upon Fantabulously Frugal's website until all of you lovely ladies posted about her giveaway. I am ashamed to admit I have just become a follower and didn't find her sooner.

Now, talk about a giveaway! This is THE giveaway of ALL giveaways...seriously. I would not lie.

Here's what she's giving one lucky person:

Decorative envelopes from etsy seller Adnagam
Frango Dark Chocolate Mints
Sunshine Yellow Hair Pins from etsy seller creamrose
Purple Rain Amethyst Earrings from etsy seller Sew*Cool Design
Paperchase 8 Folded Cards with Envelopes
Small change purse from etsy seller Made by Hank
Cucumber Melon Salty Soap Scrub from etsy seller Sissy Soap
Soap Nuts from Laundry Tree
Spring Flower Garden Cupcake Liners from etsy seller Layer Cake Shop
2 Vera Bradley cloth napkins
Musings Recycled Notebook in Blue from etsy seller subu
Fleur de Lis Necklace from etsy seller Bumble Beadz
Marc Jacobs key fob
Stationery and small letter-pressed notebook from etsy seller Sarah Drake
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex
Coriander Ivory Small Cosmetic Bag from etsy seller The Sweet Sugar Beet
Smashbox Lip Gloss
Reusable Sandwich & Snack Bags from etsy seller Green Street
Reversible Coffee Sleeve from etsy seller LilE
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
OPI Nail Polish
Stick With Me, Kid Shopping Tote from etsy seller Earth Cadets
As well as MANY MORE surprises!

Go over there, now to register and tell her that USCEmily sent you! Her button is on my sidebar or you can click on one of my handy links. Hurry up!

An Addendum to the previous post

AA came in sometime while I was at lunch from 12:15-1:15. I had already emailed my boss to let her know the situation today (I didn't rat him out for anything else this week). At about 12:45 she had emailed me to see what the update was because AA sent her his timesheet for this week saying he had worked all day today.
Oh.No.He.Didn't.

Shirking his duties

To say I am annoyed with our administrative assistant would be putting it mildly. Our boss has been out this week with both the death of her mother and birth of her granddaughter- yes, she's had quite the week. Because she has been out, the AA has been taking FULL, and I mean FULL advantage of it.

Here's how.
Tuesday- He said he worked through lunch so asked if he could leave early- this is acceptable sometimes, but only when we get prior permission.
Wednesday- He worked til 4:30 and then asked to leave- I can't even remember why.
Thursday- He took a 2 hour lunch and then proceeded to ask to leave at 4:30 so he could go to the dealership to do something with his car- what, I don't know (I highly doubt this was even true).
Today- He is not here- AA called the other guy in the office (our web guy) saying he was having nosebleeds. Which, he may or may not be having, but seriously- sounds like yet another excuse to me.

Here is why I am aggravated. Technically, I am over him when our boss is not here. However, given the fact that he is 32 and I am 27, I don't really know how to just put my foot down and tell him he needs to quit slacking. I know for a fact he was out late last night because one of the student assistants (yes, I said STUDENT assistants) from down the hall came in and said he had been out with one of her friends last night. See, that's the thing- I know he goes out like every single night with all of the students that work in the Dean's Office, and then he'll call in late or just come in late. We have a policy that if you are in by 8:45 (the work day technically starts at 8:30) then you don't have to call in. Well, this is pretty much every day for him. And the thing is, he's the AA- he's supposed to be here at all times except for a one hour lunch break so that he can answer the phone- it's in his job description. My boss gets really upset when she calls in and nobody answers the phone because we are the office of External Relations (in other words, we cater to our alumni and the public and can't have the phone ringing off the hook unanswered). So when he goes on these 2 hour lunch breaks and someone else's lunch break coincides, it leaves nobody here to answer the phone.

Maybe I am being petty, but it's just annoying because that is his job. I'm not trying to act like I am better than him because I am not the AA- lord knows, I'm not that high on the hog around here. However, if my job was to be here to answer the phone and that meant being in the office at all times, except for a one hour lunch break, by God I'd be here. And apparently, according to the web guy that AA called, he may or may not be in today. C'mon- a nosebleed does not last ALL FREAKING DAY. Coincidence that he went out last night and it is Friday? I think not.

Oh, and I would also like to add that he was on vacation all last week and Monday, so it's not like he's even worked a full week lately. Grr. I could get him in all sorts of trouble with our boss if she knew just how far he pushed the boundaries this week, but I won't because I'm not a tattletale. So, I'll just vent to y'all.

Thanks for listening (I am beginning to sound like a complete griper). Sorry :-(

Thursday Tidbits

• I just had a White Chocolate Caramel Creamice from Starbucks- Major FAIL. I was reminded why I don't generally like Starbucks. This drink was WAY too sweet. I drank like half of a small and was beginning to feel sick. I would not recommend this drink in that particular flavor (I can't speak for the other flavors, however)- steer clear if you don't like sickly sweet drinks with a coffee aftertaste.
• I am finally caught up with posts in my Google Reader- hopefully I can stay that way at least until next weekend when I'll be on another Bachelorette party and not able to read for 2 whole days.
• I need a nap. I have been dragging today and almost falling asleep at my desk. That is probably what prompted me to think that the Starbucks next to my office was a good option for a caffeine burst. Not so much.
• I'm ready for a weekend at home with my family for Father's Day. Sometimes you just need a low-key weekend with your parents to slow down and relax!
• Before next weekend, I must purchase: birthday gift, lingerie gift, and home & garden shower gift, as well as bachelorette items, which I will not name specifically since Carolyn, the bride, reads my blog. Saturday will be spent with my parents in Charleston purchasing said gifts.
• I have completed 7 days with Jillian and The Shred and gained 3 pounds. Um, NOT FAIR. WEG says it's muscle, but I am not seeing the muscle yet, so it's discouraging. However, I am going to charge on and hope that results start appearing. So far I only missed Friday- wedding day and Sunday- cleaned the house and did various other things, so I'm pretty proud of myself.
• Is it really only 2:39?! This day is never-ending.

That's all I have for now- sorry that was so random, but I have a lot of hodge-podge bouncing around in my head!!

I must confess...

My google reader is a bit out of control! Because of the wedding weekend, I didn't read any blogs from Thursday afternoon through Monday morning and, as a result, they have piled up!

Therefore, I am doing my best to keep my finger from pushing the "Mark all as read" button. In the process, I will confess that I am somewhat skimming blogs. If something pops out at me, you may get a sporadic comment here and there. I feel bad about doing this, but I would feel worse if I didn't read anything at all.

So, if you're wondering where my comments are, I promise I will catch up today and tonight and be back to commenting tomorrow...hopefully!

Just wanted y'all to know I haven't forgotten you!!

Introducing.....

MY NEW BEACH CHAIR!! :-)
The Ostrich 3n1 beach chair is pretty much the bomb- yes, I just called it "the bomb"

This chair is great. You can sit up and use it as a sand chair, pull the bottom up and lounge back, or lay on your stomach. It even has a place for your face where you can lay on your stomach, place your arms through the arm holes, and read a book. No more holding myself up while on my stomach trying to read. It has a carrying strap and a cupholder, as well.

A few weeks ago my friend Holly spotted this chair at the beach and asked the lady sitting in it all about it. Well, when it came time for WEG to get his sister a birthday present, he was drawing a blank. I knew this was the perfect gift because she's a teacher, has the summers off, and lives in Charleston- therefore, she goes to the beach a lot! I told him about the chair (the mack daddy of all beach chairs, I think I called it), he liked the idea, and he ordered one for her.

Well, when we got home from the wedding Friday night, the box with the chair was there. WEG asked if I wanted to look at the chair and of course I said yes. I commented that the box sure was large for one chair, and as he was opening it he told me "Well, I thought I'd get another one as a surprise for someone else who really deserves it." (aka, me!!) I was so freaking excited because I certainly wasn't going to buy myself an expensive beach chair. WEG deserves major props for surprising me with the best beach chair I've found in a long time!!

And, a little secret- these chairs usually cost around $85-$90, but you can get last year's version (the one I have) for $45 here- CampingStation.com The only difference is the new version has a pillow that folds over, but for $40 difference, you can buy one of those bathtub pillows and make do or just not use one!! Seriously, if you like sand chairs, but also like to be able to lay on your back and stomach this chair is for you!

The Weekend Low-Down

Well, the wedding was a success!! It didn't rain which was a minor miracle after all the rain we have been having, as well as the awful storms! But the weather was perfect...well, pretty much perfect except for the heat. It was pretty hot while we were taking pictures, but had cooled down for the ceremony, so that was good! I ended up going with the low, loose bun to the side. I started with the ponytail, but decided that the humidity would make the curls fall out in no time, so my friend Shanna pinned up the pieces into a bun. It looked great!!

Unfortunately, I have no pictures- I'm not a very good blogger since I usually rely on other people's pictures instead of taking my own. I just hate to bombard someone with 3 or 4 cameras to take a picture when I can get them from my friends. So, when all of my friends return from the beach (yes, they're all on separate beach trips- I'm definitely jealous), I will have pictures to post.

So, Friday night was the start to a wonderful weekend. On Saturday WEG and I slept late and then he watersealed the fence while I did the Shred and laid out for a bit in the yard. That didn't last long, though, because I need some sort of body of water to cool off in. After that we had a late lunch and lounged around watching the College World Series until we decided to go to an early movie. We went to see The Hangover- HILARIOUS- and feasted on popcorn and candy. By the time the movie ended we weren't hungry enough to go to dinner anywhere, so we went to WalMart and got some fishing stuff for WEG and then went home and grilled hamburgers and had baked potatoes, watched more of the CWS and went to bed.

On Sunday, WEG went fishing at 4:00 a.m.- yes, you read that right- dedicated he is! I got up later and went to early church at 9:00 then grocery shopped and cleaned the house. When WEG was done fishing, I met him out at his grandmother's on the lake to lay out while he did some household things for her. Then we came home, watched more of the CWS, and ate pancakes and bacon for dinner- yum!

It was one of the best weekends I've had in a long time because not only did one of my best friends get married, but I also got to spend a lot of relaxing time with WEG, which is a rarity on the weekends.

I hope everyone had as great a weekend as I did- now it's back to work for another week.

Wedding Weekend

Starting today at 3:00 I am off work until Monday for my friend Julie's wedding! Tonight is the rehearsal at her mother's house and then we're going to the Sheraton Rooftop Bar downtown. It's very new and I'm excited to go there and see what it's all about!

Tomorrow I have a pedicure at 9:00 then hanging out/brunching with Holly & Carolyn who are also bridesmaids before we head to the salon at 2:00 for lunch and to supposedly get our hair done. However, I am opting to do my own because in this humidity, some version of a ponytail is my only hope, and the salon was going to charge around $45 for that. I just can't justify paying $45 for them to put my hair in a ponytail.

So, if anybody has any tips or pictures of really cute ponytails, let me know! I was going to do a low one to the side, but the girls I work with at JTT vetoed that and said I would look too 80ish. What do y'all think?

Then, the wedding is at 7:30 tomorrow night followed by a reception which is all at Julie's mom's house. Should be fun, and I am excited for the future Mr. and Mrs. Price- Congratulations, Julie and Nick!!

After Friday night, I have no plans for the weekend, but I hope the sun is shining and I can get some needed sun to help out my tan (or lack thereof).

Have a great weekend everyone, and if you have any hair suggestions, send them my way!

I'm calling in sore!

My first day with The Shred went well. I managed to make it through the workout without stopping- always a plus! By the end I was sweating like a pig....and I never sweat! No really, I don't sweat when I workout usually, but man did I ever yesterday!

I thought 20 minutes would be a breeze, but Jillian works you hard! I can definitely feel the burn today. My arms are so sore in my tricep area- I had to ask WEG what the muscle was because it is killing me today- he told me that was the tricep and working it would keep down the flab. And yes, I have some flab in the arm area.

My arms hurt so bad that I have only noticed soreness in my legs when going up and down stairs and that's saying something!

This morning when I woke up I told WEG that I hurt and his response was "Well, I guess you'll have to call in sore!" Yeah, if only life worked like that....Sorry I'm not coming to work, I'm sore from working out!

I can definitely see where this video will help tone me up and maybe as an added bonus, lose a few pounds. Mainly I'm interested in the toning up! Thunder thighs, be gone! Therefore, I must stick to this, so I'm holding myself accountable by writing it on a calendar at home. I feel like that will help me stick with it- and really I can't say I don't have time to fit in a 20 minute workout. So, I'll update y'all on my progress periodically and hopefully have some good results in a few weeks!

Come on ride that train

The Shred train, that is. Yes, ladies, I am jumping on the bandwagon and starting The 30 Day Shred today. I'm not promising I'll be able to do this 30 straight days, but I'm certainly going to try to do it at least 5 times a week.

Could someone hold me to that?? I need to be accountable! I have been feeling blah lately about my body and need to do something to remedy that. I can't stand going to a gym, nor do I want to pay for one. I have always one who, if working out, likes to get it over quickly. So, 20 minutes a day is perfect for me. I may be regretting those words after Jillian kicks my ass, but I just want to see results! I would like to lose a few pounds and tone up- thunder thighs are my nemesis, and even though I know that I can't change my genetics, I can at least get rid of the jiggle.

So here goes! Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated- I'll let y'all know how it works out for me!

This 'n' That

As promised, here are some pictures from the Bachelorette weekend for your enjoyment! The night we went out, Julie requested that everyone wear some form of blue because that is one of the colors she is using. It turned out really well and was different than the usual everyone wear black except for the bride. So, without further ado.

**Yes, that's Carolyn with me in the above picture- she ended up getting to come along for the weekend which was wonderful!!

Friday evening is the wedding, so I've got a short week at work! Please everyone say a little prayer that it doesn't rain because the wedding is outdoors. The weather around here has been so unpredictable lately!! I have several things to do in preparation including pressing my dress, purchasing a necklace, getting WEG's suit dry cleaned, pedicure appointment, etc, but I know it will all come together!

Today I am tired after a long weekend of work. We had our annual Alumni Reunion down at the coast this weekend, which meant waking up at 6:00 on Saturday and Sunday. And to top it off, at 3:00 I have to leave work for a visit with my favorite women's doctor. Okay, the doctor is wonderful, but the appointment- not so fun. The worst part for me is getting my finger pricked. I'm such a big baby, so if you read this before then, send good thoughts my way at 3:30 which is about when I'll be facing the needle.

And in other news, the ice cream turned out okay. It wasn't completely firm enough, even after 60 minutes of churning. I think it is because I used 1% milk instead of whole milk so it wasn't quite thick enough. It tasted good, though, just was more like ice milk! Ah well, you live you learn :-)

Finally, a great big congratulations to Erin over at Blue Eyed Bride. She and Todd welcomed John Matthew Hudson Carroll into the world at 4:39 a.m. EST on Friday, June 5th after she was induced on Thursday morning- quite a long day for Erin & Todd, I'm sure, but the picture Erin posted on her Twitter is just adorable so I'm sure he was worth the wait. Baby Hudson made his entrance into the world at 9 lb. 5 oz. and 21 inches long. If you get a chance, pop on over to Erin's blog and congratulate her!

Hopefully I will be a better blogger this week, but with wedding stuff, I don't know- your guess is as good as mine!

Summertime's Callin' Me

I remember when I was younger, one of the best treats at a family get-together during the summer was homemade ice cream from the churn. Vanilla has always been my favorite. Well, WEG brought it up the other day and he has some of the same memories of his childhood, even going back to when they had a hand-churn, not electric. So, we have been talking about this for several days, making us more and more hungry for some good ol' homemade ice cream.

So last night, we went to Walmart and bought this little beauty (in black):


It's a Hamilton Beach ice cream maker. It doesn't require rock salt, though, so we will see how it works! Tonight we're making our own homemade ice cream and I can't wait! Summer can officially start!

Do any of you have memories of homemade ice cream from the churn?

Monday Funday

If you're reading in Google Reader, you may have noticed I already deleted my post from earlier this morning. I just needed to vent, but figured I better go ahead and delete! So thanks to those who commented and shared in my ranting. I'm glad that I'm not crazy and that many of you share my feelings on the situation!

In other news, this is going to be a crazy week at work. We have our big alumni weekend that is out of town starting Friday so we'll be doing major preparations for that, so my posts may be few and far between if I am not up to posting when I get home from work. I'll still be trying to read yours and keep up, but if I happen to not comment as often as I'd like, know that's why!

I'll post pictures from our bachelorette weekend as soon as I get some! I didn't take many because I figured there were multiple other girls getting pictures and we could just share. I hate to make people take 15 of the same picture when I can just borrow from others :-) So, stay tuned for that- we've got some really cute ones!!

Have a good week blogging friends :-)