Happy Birthday to Me!

 

Well that should be easy because today IS my birthday, I have officially turned the corner for old and am 28!!!!!!   I do have to go to work(which by the way I think should be against the rules - birthdays should equal a day off) but then I am planning on having a wonderful dinner with my girls since my guy has to work.  I'm not usually a big celebrations person on birthdays, but I am feeling unusually old this year and wanted a fun night!

So do something happy for yourselves today, use my birthday as an excuse & have a wonderful day... I know that I am going to give myself the day off from worry & a little bit of a day of from Weight Watchers as well.  I think that cake & champagne should be mandatory seeing how I'm inching closer to 30 & it's kind of bumming me out...

Hope you all start your day's like it's your birthday... I know I'll be doing that too!

 

Birthday Fun, a Guest Post with Amanda

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!
Today is the last of my guest post 'hit parade' but it's a good one...  I love Amanda's blog (and you should too!).  It's also an even more perfect subject for today because Monday just happens to be MY birthday!  So without further delay... I give you Amanda!



Hi friends! I'm Amanda and write over at Simple Girl, Simple Pleasures! I'm excited to be guest posting today, and I'm going to talk about my favorite day...my birthday. I'm turning the big 2-4 on April 8, and I'm working on finishing up my list. Except this year, I'm not sure how I want to celebrate. My actual birthday falls on Easter Sunday, so that causes a little bit of a dilemma on celebrations. So I thought it might be fun to take a little trip down memory lane to recap ways that I spent my birthday over the past few years.

  Eighteen: The ripe old age when I could first buy lotto tickets and cigarettes. A little fun fact, I baked my own funfetti birthday cake that year. My best friend and I went with two of our guy friends to see a Knicks game to celebrate. Surprisingly, they won!

Nineteen: No photographic evidence of this birthday seems to exist, nor do I remember how I celebrated. I know that I was freshman in college, but who knows what we ended up doing! 

  Twenty: I spent my birthday in a frat house, typical. It was actually a really great birthday that year. My parents came up to visit me the weekend before and surprised me with an awesome gift: a Bulova watch!

Twenty-one: Obviously, I celebrated by going out to a bar. And I wore a crown...

See the creeper to the right? It was his birthday too.

Twenty-two: This was one of my favorites! My best friend flew in from Virginia to visit for the weekend (and be my date for my sorority formal).

Sorry for the blurryness, but I love this picture of the two of us laughing!

Twenty-three: Despite being sick as a dog, M made this birthday extremely special. He surprised me with some amazing gifts, a very delicious dinner, and a night of dancing.

So that's how I've been spending my birthday through the past few years! Any suggestions on how to celebrate this year? Thanks for having me, Emily!

 

Take Me (& Mia) out to the Ballgame, a Guest Post!

Happy Thursday lovelies!  So today we are continuing with the 'Emily is swamped at work' series and I'm lucky enough to have made some amazing 'bloggy friends' that jumped at the chance to help me out.  So today - I am proud to present Ms. Mia Maree!!!



Hi Everybody!

My name is Mia and I blog over at MsMiaMaree (link)! That is where I like to say stilettos meet football. Being the girly girl that I am I went and married a football coach. Boy do we have stories. He doesn’t get me sometimes and I don’t get him, but we make one heck of a team! I blog about everything. Fashion, Beauty, Life, Books, etc. When Emily was looking for a guest blogger there was no question I’d love to be involved! Emily is a sorority sister of mine! Gotta love those DG’s! I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Kappa Chapter. Plus Emily shares a love for baseball. Now football definitely is first and foremost in my household, but baseball runs a close second in my heart! Since opening day is right around the corner I wanted to share with you a few outfits that will be very gameday appropriate. You can choose to dress down or up, comfortable or sassy when it comes to a baseball game. My outfit is usually determined by the weather. Do I want to sit and look like one big sweat ball? Nope. So if it is going to be 90 degrees I stay with something airy.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game by msmiamaree featuring a tulip dress

Or you can always choose your teams apparel! I am a big Minnesota Twins fan, so go Twins! But I thought I’d share a little love for Emily and cheer on those Rangers as well!

7th Inning Stretch by msmiamaree featuring baseball t shirts

So I hope I gave you some inspiration and got you a bit excited for the approaching baseball season! Go enjoy a baseball game and eat a hotdog while you are it! Hope to see you guys over at MsMiaMaree or catch up with me on Twitter! (@MsMiaMaree) Thank you Emily for letting me hang out today! You are one awesome girl!

Fashion Tips from Erin, a Guest Post!

Hey y'all - I can officially announce that I have a treat for you the next few days.  You see, it's market time again in Dallas so I am living up at work & don't have alot any time to blog but that's what the great part is for you, my wonderful readers!  Some of my favorite blog ladies (and complete sweethearts for helping bail me out & not be MIA from blogland) are guest posting for the next few days. 

First up is Erin, she is precious - a sports loving girly girl alot like me and I adore her blog.  If you aren't following then you should be immediately!  So without further adieu...Here is Erin!

Hi, everyone! I'm Erin from Fleur de Lis and Football!

 I was so excited when Emily asked me to fill in for her today. Emily is one of my very favorite bloggers and I’m excited to meet all of y’all!

 I took a pretty big (for me, anyway) fashion plunge a few weeks ago and bought a pair of white jeans. I’ve seen countless bloggers who are much more fashion-forward than me wear them year-round, and I’ve always loved the look, but was too scared to buy some of my own. I found some Gap Long and Lean White Jeans  at the Gap Outlet for $20, and for that price, I couldn’t pass them up. I’ve worn them a few times since then, and have found them super easy to pair with almost everything in my closet. I tend to wear lots of bright colors in the spring, and I can throw on any bright top I have, add some fun jewelry and my white jeans, and instantly feel put together. They transition well from day to night, and I’m pinching myself for not trying them out sooner. While the Gap Long and Lean jeans are my favorite, these are some other options that I think might work for some of y’all.

White jeans by eeb314 featuring slim bootcut jeans

And this is how I would style them.

White Jeans 2 by eeb314 featuring glass earrings

Now it’s your turn to chime in! Do you own white jeans? Are they a trend you’re willing to try?

You do the cooking, I’ll take out the trash: if roles were reversed...

You do the cooking, I'll take out the trash: if roles were reversed...
In this day and age of strong women who are highly educated, with amazing careers and still finding a way to perfectly balance a social and romantic life we hear this question alot.  What if roles were reversed?  We all know that the question is aimed at gender roles in relationships...
"What if he did the laundry, what if he cooked dinner... What if she mowed the lawn, what if she took out the trash.  We should reverse these 'traditional' gender roles..."  Now, don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with people thinking this way or believing that it works better in their lives - believe me I am in no way bashing that way of thinking but simply offering something to think on...  What if we didn't reverse the roles???
I recently got into a long drawn out debate about this with a friend... She was very convinced that I was setting women back 50 years by enjoying & embracing traditional gender roles in my relationship.  My question to all of you is REALLY?!  Just because it is 2012 and I am an educated woman with a career means that I shouldn't enjoy things that happen to coincide with the same things that housewives in the 50's happened to do on a daily basis?
Call me old-fashioned, tell me I'm setting women back 50 years but I just don't care.  For me traditional gender roles work and they work well...  I enjoy cooking and 'taking care' of things, I even like grocery shopping BY MYSELF, sometimes I just wanna make a meal plan and not have him with me wanting to buy chips & cookies & all kinds of things we don't need.  I'm a bit of an old soul & an old fashioned person at heart and to me there is nothing wrong with wanting to take care of my guy & the family that will one day come.  Not to mention I love sitting down at the end of a day to do something like needlepoint-again, old fashioned, I know.  ALSO - I hate doing things like taking out the trash & killing bugs & mowing the lawn & putting things in the attic (and when the day comes that I'm married, I don't want to be in charge of another bill... EVER!  I'm lucky enough to be in love with a numbers guy, so I lucked out).
I suppose that when it comes down to it there is no 'right' answer and now 'wrong' answer, there is just what you feel comfortable with, but I'd love to know what some of you think.  Do you think it's such a terrible thing to enjoy traditional roles?  Do you think I'm setting back women 50 years?  I'd love to hear what's rolling around in your heads...

What's Your Color?

I was tagged by Isaz at Keep Your Sunnyside Up in this fun little Q&A.  I haven't been tagged in many of these but I do love when someone thinks of me for their Q&As and it was perfect because I have been slammed at work, haven't been good about posts & didn't have anything good for you today. 

So here goes nothing.... What's Your Color?

You're supposed to answer 10 questions about yourself, so here goes:

1) Favorite Color: 

Blue - any shade of blue really, but I'm also currently obsessed with pale yellow.

2) Favorite Animal: 

Sweet puppy dogs - 

namely my parents Golden, Beauty & our sweet Jack Russell, Candy

3) Favorite Number: 

12

4) Favorite (non-adult) drink: 

Diet Dr. Pepper - it's an addiction that I have tried to kick but I just can't

5) Facebook or Twitter? 

Probably Twitter, although with a market coming up & haven't had time for either.

6) Passion: 

Family & Friends First

Baseball a very close second

7) Giving or receiving presents? 

Normally Giving - hands down, but with a birthday around the corner I am hoping for some unexpected receiving :)

8) Favorite Pattern:

Damask & Chevrons

9) Favorite Day: 

Saturdays - usually a nice lazy day at home with my guy, there is nothing better

10) Favorite Flower: 

Hydrangeas

I am also supposed to tag a few of my favorites to play along... Here are your official tags Mia, Neely, Erin, Meghan Elyssa & Holly.  So let's see if they wanna play a half game of 20 questions, game on girls!

Other Sports are just sports... Baseball is Love.

So early this week I got a wonderful package in the mail...It was a long, thin spiral bound notebook - now I know you are thinking 'What the hell is so exciting about a spiral bound notebook?!' well I will tell you... That spiral holds all of my beautiful season tickets, printed on their glossy paper just waiting for me to tear the perforations, drive to the ballpark, walk through the gates of the most glorious place in the world and sit down to cheer on my boys playing America's game.  

There just aren't words for how much I am looking forward to April and the glorious days & evenings at the ballpark that awaits me...  So since it is Wednesday, and we all know that means it's Pinteresting time, I figured there could be nothing better than a post dedicated to the amazing game of Baseball.  Hope you enjoy...

Source: google.com via Emily on Pinterest

I see great things in baseball.  It's our game - the American game.  It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism.  Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set.  Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us.  ~Walt Whitman

Source: i.cdn.turner.com via Emily on Pinterest

These old ballparks are like cathedrals in America.  We don't have big Gothic cathedrals like they do in Europe, but we got baseball parks. ~ Jimmy Buffett

Source: flickr.com via Emily on Pinterest

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings... ~ Earl Wilson

Source: google.com via Emily on Pinterest

"One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down & prove something" ~ Nolan Ryan

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball.  I'll tell you what I do.  I stare out the window and wait for spring.  ~Rogers Hornsby 

Source: flickr.com via Emily on Pinterest

With those who don't give a damn about baseball, I can only sympathize.  I do not resent them.  I am even willing to concede that many of them are physically clean, good to their mothers and in favor of world peace.  But while the game is on, I can't think of anything to say to them.  ~Art Hill 

 "I believe in the Church of Baseball.... I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. - It's a long season and you gotta trust it. I've tried 'em all, I really have, and the only church that truly feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the Church of Baseball." ~ Bull Durham

Source: qrtneecakes.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Baseball is not necessarily an obsessive-compulsive disorder, like washing your hands 100 times a day, but it's beginning to seem that way.  We're reaching the point where you can be a truly dedicated, state-of-the-art fan or you can have a life.  Take your pick.  ~Thomas Boswell

Source: google.com via Emily on Pinterest

The other sports are just sports.  Baseball is a love.  ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981

 

and on one last note...  

 

 

Can't wait...  There is nothing better.