New Year's Resolutions

I thought I'd jot down a few things that I'm aiming for as New Year's resolutions.

1. Health-I'd like to be in the best physical shape of my life. I've never been a big athletic person but I've started exercising a lot and I'd like to be a better runner and in general a better athlete. I'm mainly healthy so maybe eating better will help with getting into shape. Drink less.

2. Finances- I'd like to save more than I normally do. I'd built up quite a nest egg but with the two mortgages it's slowly disappearing. Have to spend less and find ways to save money. I'd also like to sell or rent my house on Green Street.

3. Mentally-I would like to work out all my issues that have been bothering me and become a happier person. I'd like to be more positive also. Sometimes I can be a little negative.

4. Professionally- I would like to focus more on my job. The harder I work the more money I make. Need to be more organized and more efficient. Need to travel more and visit clients in Ms.

5. Relationships-I need to let some go and try to develop others. I need to learn to walk away from the ones that don't make me happy and cultivate the ones that do. I'm going to focus less on them and more on me.

6. Friendships-I'd like to spend more time with the friends I do have and maybe make new friendships via volunteer work.

7. Family- I need to spend more time with my family and plan trips to spend time with them. I need to plan trips to visit them during weekends when it's not a busy holiday vacation. Maybe some long weekends with them.

8. Travel-I'd like to go somewhere out of the country this year. I've been thinking about Europe particularly Spain for my next trip. It will depend on whether the house sells or rents but I really would like to take a fabulous trip this year. Although a trip to Argentina again would be really awesome.

9. Home-Would like to finish decorating and organizing my house. Need to finish putting stuff away and buying those last pieces of furniture I need. Also need to finish all those projects I have in the garage. Painting, sanding and arranging everything.


10. Jewelry- I need to find my muse and work on my jewelry again. Have a new craft desk and chair that should help me get there.

XOXO

My house in the newspaper

So my house was featured in the Times-Picayune on Saturday the 20th of this month. Check it out if you like. Here's the link. My house is the one on the far right and the white one is my neighbors.

http://blog.nola.com/stephaniestokes/2008/12/gentilly_terrace_is_dressed_fo.html

Christmas Wrapup

I'm back from my Christmas vacation in the Rio Grande Valley. It was a great break and I really enjoyed it this year except for feeling kind of icky the whole time I was down there. Don't know if I was fighting a bug but I felt pretty nauseous the whole time I was down there. Anyway got to see my nieces and nephews and brothers and sisters. This year we decided to have a traditional Mexican Christmas Eve dinner instead of the usual turkey/ham dinner. My mother made pozole & carne adobada, I made refried beans and my famous shrimp cocktail and Crissy made gorditas and picadillo. It was all good but I think everyone loved my mom's cooking the best. She hadn't made carne adobada in years and it was delicious to have it again. She also made me tamales. My boss has been asking for some for years now. She made real pork tamales. She didn't use the pork lard my grandma used because she said they would be too greasy. They are tamales aren't they supposed to be greasy. Anyway flew into Austin and drove to the Valley with my sister and my nephew Roman who is the smartest 2 1/2 year old. He is talking quite a lot and his favorite question is Why. Why? Why? Why? It used to be What happened but it's changed. Such a cutie. My niece Taylor made him pajamas for Xmas in her home ec class. They are amazing and by far one of the best presents of the year. Crissy did get some Tiffany earrings and Lucy did get another gun this year. The funny thing is that no one got me a present this year and I was ok with it. Normally my mom wraps up one of her home interior gifts at the last minute but not this year. I really don't need anything and I'm content watching the kids open their presents. Although Lucy did give me a tin of those white cookies with pecans. I think they are called wedding cookies and they are to die for. I'm almost done with the tin of them. I've given some away but I ate alot of them. Thank God I worked out a little during the break. We also had a piñata this year again. I filled it with candy and some Emergen-C for the adults. My brother added some cash. I'm just happy that this Christmas was stress free for me. We drove back to Austin on the 26st and we were supposed to go to the huge Outlet Mall but we bailed and ended up going to the smaller one on the 27th. I ended up getting home close to 1:00am on Saturday night b/c my flight was delayed. All in all it was a good vacation. I'm getting ready for the New Year break. Hector, my brother, and his family are supposedly coming in and I'm really excited. BTW, doesn't my hair look so shiny?

Thoughts

So the last two weeks have been really hard for me. I have had to walk away from a very important person in my life and it's been one of the most difficult things in my life. It doesn't help that it's the Holidays and you're supposed to be happy and cheerful. I have worked out like a mad woman and kept myself busy in order to block some of the pain with little success. I guess what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. This person has been in my life for the last three years. Through Christmas parties, birthdays, holidays, vacations and all types of events in my life this person has been there for me and I for them. I feel like I've lost one of my best friends and it makes me so sad. I've leaned on this person for emotional support for so long that it's difficult to think that I can never count on them again. I wish them luck and happiness because I will always love them and a piece of my heart will always belong to them. I will mourn their loss and one day I will look back on them and feel neither pain or sadness. I will feel nothing. So if I seem down or sad don't take it personal I'm just dealing with my own issues.

Cute Purse

A friend of mine recently sent me a belated birthday/Christmas present. It's this gorgeous purse. I took a picture of it but it doesn't do it justice. It's a black patent leather purse and it's the perfect size to go out with. I'll probably use it for my Christmas party tomorrow. Still haven't decided what to wear. I might pick out what I want to wear tonight if I have time. Have to go present shopping b/c I have to ship everything tomorrow since I leave Monday morning and I use our UPS account at the office. I pay for it in case you are wondering. It's just cheaper and more convenient to use our commercial account. The perks of working in a small company. On a brighter note, the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day and I'm feeling so much better. Been a total Debbie Downer lately.

De Todo Un Poco Show

So you guys know that every Tuesday night I help produce a live Spanish language show well this past Tuesday we recorded our Christmas show. I baked Red Velvet cupcakes and made guacamole and salsa for the nachos I served. Julio, the host, brought pupusas and cuban sandwiches. It was all yummy and the guys who work on the show really appreciated the effort. Anyway the show went on live without a hitch. Here's a picture of Tom and Adam working and one of Adam and his special creation. It's rather cute. It's always fun to work on the show because it breaks up my boring ass work week. I sit behind them and yell into the ear of the host.

Feeling Blue

It's so overcast today that it's putting me in a funk. I just got back from the French Quarter and being in the Qtr usually puts me in a good mood but I'm having no luck. I had to go purchase some gift baskets for our clients. I hate when it's cloudy with no sun because I get really down. Hope it clears up soon and the sun breaks through. I have the show tonight and I made Red Velvet cupcakes and I prepared all the stuff for Nachos for the crew. Hope they like because the guacamole is fresh.

Christmas Party

So my office Christmas party is this Friday and I'm trying to decide on what to wear. I'm usually late to the event because I can never figure out what I want to wear. This year I've decided to let you guys make the choice for me. I'm going to post a couple of different options for you to choose from. I might do it tonight or Wednesday since Tuesday nights are usually very busy for me. I'm going to try to stay away from the LBD but you never know.

Hornets Game

Went to the Hornets game last night. They were rocking some old ABA uniforms. Anyway the seats were pretty damn good. I got to take a picture with Hugo. Hey I'm a kid at heart you know. Kind of fuzzy but I think I look pretty good if I say so myself for just having come from the gym. Anyway you can see from one of the pictures how far we are from the courtside. It was raining and cold last night but I never would have expected the snow today.

Snowing in New Orleans

So I spoke to a friend of mine yesterday evening and he said it was snowing in Houston. I was kind of amazed because our weather is pretty much the same as theirs. Anyway I woke up this morning and I was walking into my bathroom and I look out my hallway window and snow is coming down hard. I was so amazed and so happy. When I was a little girl we used to play in the snow and build igloos all winter long. We had some good times. My dad and older brothers weren't such big fans of it since they had to do early morning shoveling sometimes to clear out the driveway. Anyway it's perfect hot cocoa and snuggling weather. I drove to work this morning and was having a bit of a difficult time because I couldn't figure out my whole defrost thing and my windshield kept fogging up. I finally got it worked out and now I'm at work. We are supposed to leave if it gets worse. Here's two pictures from the house this am. One is from the front and the other is from the back. So pretty! I'm supposed to go play in the snow with a friend but it looks like it's clearing up.

HORNETS

Guess who is going to the Hornets game tonight. ME! I got two tickets in the Club Level courtesy of Cliff my boss. I'm reaching into my grab bag of hos and picking the one that buys me dinner and drinks. Haha just joking. Cliff used to have tickets behind the Hornets bench as you can see by my blog picture but he's supposedly moved across the court to the other side where Duece McAlister sits. We saw him last year when a client gave me Club Level tickets on that side for one of the playoff games. If I see him this time I'm going to take a picture with him. Maybe he can be my baby's daddy. Just kidding again. Can't decide whether I want to wear my jersey I bought last summer right before they came out with the new ones or what I'm wearing to work today. I'm going to mull it over. Got to look cute you know.

Christmas Tree

So I worked on my tree last night and Isabel came by to give me a hand and it's almost done. I ran out of ornament holders aka paper clips. Isabel made fun of them but I swear I bought them and they came in a package that said they were ornament hangers. Oh well, it was too late to run out and buy some so I used the ones I had. I'm goind to go out and buy one really nice ornament for this year. Something real fancy. Of course the cats were curious to see what was going on but they mostly stayed away. I'm going to finish it up in the next couple of days and I'll post a picture for you guys. I'm going to try to decorate outside with some simple white lights and a wreath. My neighbors across the street ruined their perfect tree with a fugly wreath and these huge lighted reindeer. Obviously they didn't get the less is more. I really need some Christmas music to get me into the swing of things. I'm also debating whether I should take a holiday picture with the cats and put it in the Christmas cards I send out. What do you think? I also want to plan a holiday party and my beach getaway for the New Year. I so need a tan. Oh I also have to do Christmas shopping for my nieces and nephews. I've got 10 and two on the way.

Weight Loss

Just to let everyone know, I have successfully lost 10lbs in the last two months. I've been working out with my trainer twice a week but I have also been doing aerobics at my gym about five times a week. I think doing some type of aerobic workout has helped me sculpt my body since I've already got muscles with the help of Noel. I always go to the gym even if I can only get in 30 minutes instead of my normal hour routine. I like to alternate between mornings and evenings depending on how I feel. It keeps my mind right and keeps the pounds off. I'd like to lose an additional five pounds off the hips but I'm not going to stress about it. It helps that the machines all have tvs on them so I get to watch TV. I love to watch MSNBC in the evenings when I get to watch Keith Oberlmann and Rachel Maddow. I think I have a girl crush on her. She's awesome. Anyway with the holidays coming up I hope I can keep losing weight. Also have to keep it off because I've just altered a whole bunch of my clothes. Cheers!

Christmas Spirit

Hey everyone. I'm back to writing posts. This Saturday couple of friends and I went to buy Christmas trees and have some hot chocolate. We first went to one of those lot places but they wanted over a $100.00 for noble fir trees. I wanted a fuchsia flocked one but they wanted close to $200.00 and it was scary up close and it didn't smell. We headed over to Home Depot to buy some and I got a killer deal on my tree. It's nice and tall and not to round. It's perfect. I love the noble fir trees because of the skinny little branches that are spaced out. I like to put 2-3" ribbon in between the branches to give it a nice department store look. I'm going to decorate with all silver decorations and white lights. I'm very peculiar when it comes to decorating. I've been collecting silver, crystal and white decorations for years. I do have some red and green ones but I use them sparingly. Haven't been into Christmas the last three years but this year I put up my tree(haven't decorated yet) and put up some stockings and I'm ready. I used to be really into Christmas years ago but I've been kind of turned off by it. I'm thinking about having a Christmas party this year and kind of make it a house warming party. Have to think about it. I also have to try and compete with my neighbors across the street who are trying to outdo me. They've got a beautiful retro white tree up with few ornaments on it. It's gorgeous. My tree gives off the best smell and it reminds me of the holidays and all the old happy times in my life. Now all I have to worry about is Gato and MiuMiu drinking the water from the Christmas stand. They refuse to drink out of their bowl. They are quite finicky like that. Anyway, I'm going to try to get it decorated in the next couple of nights time permitting. Happy Holidays!

Disappointment

I struggled whether to put this post up but I figure this is my blog and it's about what I'm feeling and what's going on in my life. I didn't post it initially when I wrote it because I thought it was a bit caustic but I saved it anyway. I think that after having a couple of days to think about it I'd post it. It's not like it isn't the truth.

Have you ever been in love with someone and forgiven or seen past all their faults yet it's never enough for them. They think that because you love them they can walk all over you over and over. One day you wake up and realize it doesn't matter what you do or say this person will always disappoint you because no matter how much they talk about improving deep down they don't really think they need to. They see themselves as perfect because if you feel in love with them than they must be some hot shit and someone else will want them. They seem to have this inflated even if it's fake self esteem. They seem to believe that everyone else that they've hurt have wronged them not vice versa. They'll go to therapy and tell their therapist half truths and lies because they don't want the therapist to tell them the truth. That they are full of shit. The truth hurts. It's painful to face reality that you are a fucked up dysfunctional asshole who is so self centered they can't look past the fun he's going to have that night or weekend. Therapy only works if you realize you have emotional issues that you want to resolve. It doesn't work if you want reassurances that you aren't a manipulative pathological liar that you are. And of course when they wake up and realize that they are all alone and it sucks not having the best thing in their life they try coming back sniffling and crying crocodile tears asking for forgiveness. I'm tired of being disapppointed.

Hornets Game

Last night I got to go to Hornets game. A client of mine gave me two tickets to his Suite and I invited my friend Beth. We actually got to go down to the court side and sit for the last quarter. It was lots of fun. I wasn't feeling my best since I'm trying to kick this head cold I've been fighting. It's great to sit up in the Suite with food and booze at your disposal. It was fancy. I know this post sucks but I am sick.

Pimples

Ok, so I woke up this morning with a pimple over my eyebrow. It's not your average pimple it's one of those undergrounder painful ones. I haven't had any pimples like that in over a year. I used to get them once a month right before my period but I've been on YAZ for over a year and yes it really does help with the complexion. I've never really had bad skin just those undergrounders as I got older leading up to my period. I've been fortunate to not have had adolescent acne like most people. Looks like there are two of them now. YIKES! Thank God I use Clearsil everyday mixed with my face cream. Maybe it'll go away fast b/c I've been known to pick at them. I had used Proactiv because a co-worker had given me her daughter's extra shipment and it seemed to work. I discovered that all it is is benzoyl peroxide mixed with the face cream so I've been using ROC cream mixed with Clearasil, it's main ingredient is benzoyl peroxide and I wash my face with a Nuetrogena product that has it too.

Hair

So I got a haircut last week with my guy Randy and he blew dry my hair afterwards like always. This time he was like what have you been using on your hair because I have never been able to have it this straight with only a blow dryer. He usually touches it up with a straightener. So I told him I'd decided not to buy anymore hair products until I used all the ones I had in my cabinet. I have started using this product I bought in Argentina. I'd used it once while I was down there but wasn't impressed so it sat in my cabinet until recently. Let me tell you this product straightens my hair with or without blow drying it. I'm not sure what is in it but it works like a charm. I've used US Loreal products and they never work. When I use this stuff I can fall asleep with wet hair and in the morning I'll have relatively straight hair that needs a couple of swipes of the ole Chi. I don't know what it is about hair products from South America but I also was super impressed with this leave in conditioner that I bought down there. I haven't seen it here but maybe when I'm in Progreso I'll see if they sell it. It left my hair very soft and wavy/curly.

PuppyCam

Last week I was really down and I needed a pick me up and I found this webcam which features six Shiba Inu puppies. They are so cute. So I would keep my browser up and I would be working on my computer and when I heard them cry or bark I would look at them. It's just like having puppies without having to clean poop. Totally made my day. Just checked on them and some of them are asleep and others are fighting the sleep. I'm in love with them and it makes me want to get a puppy. Check them out.

http://www.ustream.tv/videoplayerpopup/channel/317016

So cute!

My friend Robin sent me this picture and it's so cute. I feel like this some days. And yes I'm posting again. Nothing important though. BTW, headed to the VALLE for Thanksgiving. Who is up for Progreso on Wednesday? Micheladas with spicy peanuts anyone? Arturos for lunch? We can pick up some bottles for a nice cocktail during the Texas game. Margaritas anyone?

JCrew Cords

I know I said I wasn't going to post but oh well. I just bought a new pair of the vintage bootcut cords from JCrew and I bought a size 6S and they fit way to big. I should have bought Size 4S. I'm slowly surely getting to my happy size of FOUR. Yes, I've been working out religiously. I've been trying to eat healthy but you know me. A hour on the elliptical machine is better than giving up some good grub. Here's a picture of them.

Blog posts

Guys I just want you to know that I'm going to stop making updates to my blog for a while. I might post about my wardrobe purchases and such but I'm not posting anymore personal stuff. I didn't want to put a password on it to keep people out so I think I'll just stop writing. Certain vermin have been reading it and passing their bad vibes onto me. I'm done with that. I will probably either start a new one or post after a couple of months/weeks but before I go I want to post one last post.

Things I can live without and other stuff.

1. People who attend evangelical churches and have so much hate in their hearts. I think that Jesus taught us to live by one golden rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated. I'm not a holy roller or bible thumper but I do know that venom and hate towards other people won't get you into heaven and you'll always be a miserable person.

2. Mary Kay- How 1990's is that? Yes, it's directed at you.

3. Purple or Magenta Hair-If God wanted you to have that hair color he would have created it in nature. And yes, it's directed at both of you.

4. Exes who can't let go of the past. I'm friends with most of my exes b/c I let shit go. Yeah they did me wrong but how long can I harbor ill feelings for people I supposedly loved. I loved them enough to be with them. I don't have the time or energy to carry that anger and bitterness. Life is too short. Plus they always love me b/c I'm special like that. :)

5. People who are so miserable that they will make those around them miserable. If they can't be happy no one will be. Get over it. Think about all the negative energy you are sprouting because you can't move on with your life. Take some of that energy you are wasting and use it on something positive.

6. Negative vibes-Take your stank ass and all your negativity and send those vibes to someone else or just keep them to yourself.

7. Ignorant People-How about you expand your life by befriending someone of a different social economic group or even ethnic group. You can't learn anything from the same people you've known your whole life. Try traveling to places other than the Redneck Riviera. You won't meet anyone that is different than you. Try reading a book other than the Bible everyone now and than. Pick up a NY Times, Vanity Fair, New Yorker or even read a blog not written by a right wing nut. Ignorance is not a virtue. It is pathetic. Oh and stop watching Fox News for a while.

8. Liars- What is it with people who tell lies or half truths? The truth always comes out. Whether it's your mother spilling the beans because you didn't keep her in the loop about the half truths you told or your friends telling you something they shouldn't have. To me, just tell the truth and you'll always be ok. It might hurt and it might sting but in the long run you will be safe. I think half truths are worse than lies b/c you are straddling the post b/c you can't even make a decision on where you stand. Lies and half truths always come back to haunt you and hurt the people you told them to.

9. People who read your journal. There is absolutely no reason for someone to read your innermost thoughts. A journal is such a personal thing and you write down what you are feeling at that exact moment. Pain, jealousy, anger, hurt. Those feelings might not last or those thoughts might be temporary so if you decide to read it think about the invasion of privacy and trust you've committed. You can't throw it in their face every time you get mad because you are the asshole who read it. To be honest, I've had three boyfriends read my journal. I didn't think I needed to keep it hidden but I guess third times the charm. I guess I'm too trusting.

10. Personal responsibility. People who don't own up to their actions. You have to take personal responsibility for fucking up your life. Only you can do it. Ok, so you fucked up your life how about you acknowledging it and doing something about it. The good thing about life is that God will always forgive you and that's the one person that matters. Set your life straight. Stop making the same mistakes you keep making. I include myself in this one and I take full responsibility for my actions. I trust and believe in people to a fault. I hope and pray that people change and see their hidden potential and I always get burned. I have to accept that people only change if they want to IE personal responsibility. It's not the world that's wronged you it's you making the same silly mistakes because you are spoiled rotten and never been told that you are a fuck up.

XOXO
Sandra Patricia Hernandez

Updates

Obama wins. I'm so happy. I ended up going to the R Bar with my friend Randy and his friend to watch the results and they called it pretty early and served champagne. I like McCain's speech and wish the rest of America would quit hating and come together. We shall see. I guess some people are so blinded by hate and racism that they'll never get past it. Oh well. After a drink we moved on to an Obama victory party with a DJ spinning and lots of people celebrating. It was total chaos. One thing is for sure is that young people love him.

On another note, I've been exercising almost every day and I've lost six pounds. I'm really excited because I'd built up a lot of muscle but I still have that layer of fat that I'm trying to work off around my mid section. It's slowly going away and my six OK two pack is starting to show up. It also seems to help me with my stress and keeps me sane.

Also, I seem to have the shopping bug back. I'm going to do a little J.Crew shopping online b/c some of their stuff has an additional 30% off. YAHOO!

BTW, I spent Halloween with my nephew in Austin and I had so much fun with him. He has learned how to talk and repeats everything. He's a cutey. Here's a picture of him and me. I also got to hang out with my friend Ociel on Halloween night. He is one of my best friends from college and I don't get to see him very often but we ended up going to 6th Street for drinks and merriment. Here's picture of Crissy, Eric, Roman and I. It's at the end of trick and treating and we are all kind of tired.

It's Bryan's birthday today so I want to give him a shout out. Happy Birthday! Hope you have a wonderful day and all your dreams come true this year! XOXO

Change in Life Plans

Sorry I haven't been keeping my blog up to date. Life just been a little stressful and I seem to become some kind of hermit crab when that happens. I've come to lots of conclusions in my life. First of all I've realized that I've become extremely bored with my life. Last time this happened I moved to New Orleans so maybe I'm looking to move or maybe I'm looking for a major change in my life. One of the things that is creating all this boredom is my job. I work with people who are great but we have nothing in common. Most of them might be closet racist and super conservative which doesn't make for great conversations. I'm just craving some intellectual stimulation. Being bored makes me unhappy and depressed. It's gotten to the point where I don't even want to go shopping. All of you know how much I love that. Anyway I've decided to start studying for my LSAT and apply to a couple of law schools. Don't know if I will make it for Spring application due dates but I'm going to try. I applied back in the day but had no luck. Maybe I'm ready this time and I might get into Tulane or UT law school. Who knows.

Another change in my life is not caring so much about things. A friend of mine, an ex, told me that I was uptight. I guess in a way I probably am. I let things bother me and my feelings aways get hurt. He says I think people are perfect and that always leads to major disappointment. I have always expected people to do what I want them to do and when they don't it's so frustrating for me. I'm extremely judgemental and to a point a bit of a snob. I guess I fancy myself this wonderful person with no faults yet like most people I'm sure I have a couple I don't like to admit to. I need to learn to be more accepting of people's faults even if it goes against everything I believe in. Each person must have at least one redeeming quality. Have to remember that when I get worked up.

I've decided to do what I want to do and make myself happy. Work on staying in shape, decorating my house to my taste, making some money so I can go back to school, traveling more, reading more books, learning to sew, spending time with my family and friends, staying in touch with family and friends even the ones that drive me crazy. I'm turning 38 on Thursday and I need to turn a new leaf in my life. I need to be happy.

IKEA TRIP

Ok, I forgot to tell you about my IKEA trip. We left at 4:30am b/c I overslept. We didn't end up getting back home til exactly 4:30am the next morning. It was a long tortuous trip but we had lots of fun. I slept all the way there b/c I didn't get much sleep on Friday night and most of the way back. I'm like a baby in a car. Sorry Isabel and Beth. We lost some stuff on the highway(tabletop) but we managed to fit that double cabin F150 with so much crap all three of us had to sit in the front sit. We ate at Dairy Queen on the ride back and I had my favorite meal. The Dude. If you're not from Texas it's a chicken fried steak burger. It's not good for you but it's delicious. Anyway have to plan to make a trip back sometime in the future.

Almost Friday

So I wanted you guys to read this couple of blog posts about last nights debate.

An absolutely great one is about abortion. I didn't like McCain's response or general anger when discussing partial birth abortion but this post sums it up pretty good. No one is ProAbortion.

http://jezebel.com/5064553/memo-to-senator-mccain-my-health-is-not-an-extreme-position
The other post is about Joe the Plumber. Sometimes Americans can be so dumb and naive.

http://gawker.com/5064474/who-is-joe-the-plumber

I'm so over this election. I know Obama doesn't have the experience but at least he is smart enough to surround himself with smart people. Obama 08! Caribou barbie needs to go back to Alaska and face some criminal or ethics charges and McCain and Lieberman need to resign.
BTW, someone in my office with a college degree from LSU just told me Barack was born in Kenya. Yeah that's America for you.

IKEA

Me and two girlfriends are heading to IKEA in Houston this weekend. We are also stopping by some of my favorite home stores. Crate and Barrel, West Elm and Container Store here we come. We are leaving super early and making it a day trip. I'd spend the night but we have obligations. I'm so excited.

Patty's Annual Birthday List

My Annual Birthday List.

*It might change over the next couple of days.

1. Gold Earrings-I lost one of the hoop earrings Mamí got me so I'd like a replacement or an exact pair in case I lose another one. I'd like some gold studs or earrings. BlueNile.com has cute earrings. I'm in my gold phase so anything modern looking would be highly appreciated. Here's a example. It doesn't necessary have to be real gold I'll take gold vermeil jewelry as long as it's really nice and not the gold studs. I got some nice pieces from Shoefty a while ago that are gold vermeil and they've held up pretty good. I'm thinking something Indian looking(that's red dot not red feather).

2. I'd like something from J.Crew. Corduroy pants in one of their awesome bright colors. Green, persimmon or even saffron. I'm thinking the trousers or regular bootcuts are great. I like the tank dress also from my earlier blog post. The best part is that they have Petite online.

3. Black Coach belt with gold hardware- I was going to buy one at the Coach outlet store but got impatient and didn't. I have a black one with silver hardware but I'm so on the gold kick. I don't care if it's Coach I just want a good quality black 1 1/2" to 2" belt with non fancy hardware or logos.

4. A black puffy goosedown jacket. JCrew makes a snazzy one but alot of other people do to. I want something that falls below the waist and is puffy but not extremely puffy. I'd like it in Black but a cream or white colored one might be kind of cool. LLBean makes some and they are kind of plain. I'm sure lots of department stores have them.

5. A white peacoat or same type of jacket. JCrew again. I'm sure other people make one but this one looks the best and you know it's quality stuff. I'm still kicking myself about not buying that cream colored jacket from that thrift store a while back. What's up with my obsession with them? This one is really expensive but I would take one from Banana Republic, Club Monaco or Zara.

6. A new purse from my earlier blog. I need a new purse to punch up my wardrobe. I want some new shoes but I'm not allowing myself any new shoe purchases til SAKS has their after Christmas sale. You can get some killer deals on Dec. 26th. I'm not that much a fashionista not to wait to get me some cool stuff.

7. Anything cute from TopShop.com, H&M, Club Monaco and/or Zara.

8. A nice white shirt in Petite size so the lengths of the arm fit right. I have a AnneKlein one that is awesome but it's a size to small and it's looking worn. Actually it works except the across the breast it's a little snug since I have a wide back. Here's one from Banana Republic that would be perfect. I saw some in a Brook Brothers catalog that looked really nice and they have Petite sizes too.

9. Some nice comfy black boots. Frye has a Dorado Riding and Dorado Short style that I like. I really want something nice like the Loefflar Randall but I can't justify the price on them. Can't figure out if I want high boots or ankle boots. I'm kind of thinking I'm going to go with an above the ankle lengh. Something in between these and low ankle boots. Want to be able to wear them with pants and dresses and skirts for a casaul look.

10. A new I-Pod. I would like like a I- POd Touch but it doesn't hold enough songs since I want to get rid of all my CDs. If I get an T-POD Touch I'm going to get a external 500Gb drive to hold my music and pictures. I'm a fan of the classic though. I'll even take a nano because my Mini is only a 4GB.

Birthday List

I'm working on my annual birthday list and it should be out this week. Keep an eye out for it. I know you've been wondering about it. I'm keeping it on the low end since times are tough. I haven't decided what I'm buying myself for my birthday but it's going to be very functional. No, not a kitchen appliance.

Saints Game

I am going to the Monday night Saints game tonight. I'm sure it will be fun since I'm leaving work at 4:00pm to get the party started. Geaux Saints! Don't call me after 6:30pm b/c I'll be in the Dome.

Updates

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Nothing major going on with me. I've been scrimping and not shopping b/c I'm kind of scared of where the economy is going. It's funny b/c I'm one of those consumers that loves to shop but I've cut way back. My purchases alone probably kept our local Target afloat. Ok, maybe not but I've been avoiding Target like the plague b/c I just can't go in and buy what I need. I always pick up something there that I don't need but want. Right now I'm waiting for the Sigerson Morrison line of shoes that's coming out. Hopefully they'll be leather and I might buy a pair otherwise no way. Ok, this weekend I did go to Old Navy. Haven't really been to Old Navy in a while b/c I'm just not that into it. It always struck me as a stepchild to the Gap. Not that I'm a fan of Gap, I'm totally into J.Crew right now. I'm kind of liking some of the Banana Republic pieces. Anyway they were having a $14.92 sale and it was pretty pilfered through. Most of the smaller sizes were out and they only had L and XL left on the cute stuff. You know me I looked through a lot of stuff and I did end up finding two dresses and a cute little top in the smaller sizes. Here's the picture of the dress. I bought the maroon and steel colored one. I'm deciding which one to keep. Can't find pic of shirt but it's a lovely floral print. It's sleeveless with a tie front. Will be cute with my skinny J. Brand jeans and Moschino booties. I'll take a pic for you.

FACEBOOK

Well, I finally broke down and joined Facebook. Nicky asked me to join and I did it. So if you have a facebook account friend me pronto. XOXO BTW, I'm slow again at work. Maybe because I'm such a fast worker.

Roman & Me

Check out these cute pictures of Roman & I while I was in Austin. He is such a cutey pie and quite the ham. He is going to be trouble. You like my hat. I got it at Benetton and it was a little snug so I let out the elastic. Big Heads run in our family. I've been wearing it alot for some crazy reason since it's still rather warm here. That' s at the Embassy Suites where Lucy and James like to stay. I prefer to stay at Chateau Edwards with Roman. :)

Shoes and stuff

So you've guys have seen pictures of my shoe collection I'm assuming or at least heard rumors of it. Well I was looking for some shoes last night and I realized that I had these Prada shoes and I haven't really worn them. I bought them at a SAKS end of season sale. I tried them on and realized two things. A. Hadn't really worn them because they are snug in the width. Yes I have wide feet. B. They will be really nice with my fall/winter wardrobe. Might even remove the penny loafters off my list. I'm going to have them stretched to I can wear them more often. What do you think? Took them with my phone so no complaints. Thoughts.

BTW, last night I was cleaning out my closets because they are having a clothes drive for people who flooded in our lower parishes(counties) and I wanted to get some stuff together for them. I found some cute pieces I had thought about in a while. One of the things I found were these black sharkskin pants. Not real sharkskin it's just what the fabric is called. Anyway I'm going to have them altered a the bottom to make them leggings. They are already tight just not at the bottom. They are perfect. I pulled out anything that I hadn't worn and my friend Isabel said keep it or pitch it. She says I have too many sweaters and she might be right. I also pulled out stuff I love but don't wear because it needs altering. Believe it or not it's a never ending battle to get it done. I have way to many skirts that just don't fall at the right length and it makes all the difference in the world.

Do something!

I just read this on the Jezebel.com website. I'd heard about it on NPR and other news outlets but I hadn't really done anything about it but today I did. I wrote an email to the Health and Human Services to tell them that their plan sucks. I suggest if you are an open minded individual you just do it also. They could refuse you medical help for any made up reason and just say it's against their religion. Scary stuff. I went ahead and put a link on my blog for your use.
"In today's New York Times, Hillary Clinton co-wrote an Op-Ed railing against the Health and Human Services proposal that would require any health care entity receiving federal money to allow doctors and other health workers “to practice according to their conscience." Hillary and co-writer Cecile Richards note that this new law would not only allow doctors to refuse patients contraception and abortions, but "allow providers to refuse to participate in unspecified 'other medical procedures' that contradict their religious beliefs or moral conviction…Many circumstances unrelated to reproductive health could also fall under the umbrella of 'other medical procedures.' Could physicians object to helping patients whose sexual orientation they find objectionable? Could a receptionist refuse to book an appointment for an H.I.V. test? What about an emergency room doctor who wishes to deny emergency contraception to a rape victim? Or a pharmacist who prefers not to refill a birth control prescription?" This is scary stuff, people. If you want to send an angry letter to Health and Human Services, click here. [NYT, Planned Parenthood]"

http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/frcp08_adv1?qp_source=frcp08pporg

Guess who got flowers?

I don't want to brag or anything but I got some roses today in a really cute chartreuse colored vase. Sweat me! I took the picture with my phone so it isn't the best. Inquiring minds want to know?

Feliz Día de Independencia!

Here's to all my peeps! VIVA MEXICO!!!

TOP TEN LIST

Ok, I put together a top ten list of items I'd like to purchase to update my fall/winter wardrobe. I think these top ten items will make me happy. I've got a lot of clothes so these pieces would just help me adjust the wardrobe. I will be updating the list as I see fit. Just joking. I will change it up as I research some more. Not purchasing anything til I get the other house sold. BTW, don't be biting off my list.


1)Black Leggings-I already own American Apparel black leggings and I wear them constantly during cold weather but I'm looking to update them this year. I'd like some liquid/leather ones. I probably can't afford the leather ones I want but these look good. I'm looking at these cropped ones b/c they probably come up to my ankles since I'm so short.



2. Loeffler Randall Black Boots- I already own a pair of boots by them but they are short and have a heel. I'm looking for a higher boot with no heel. They are extremely expensive so this would be a very big purchase. They also sell out pretty fast. They aren't the cutest but they look super comfy and very cool. I'm also deciding whether they are comfy b/c the other ones I own hurt my feet to the point where I have to wear flats the next day. I'm going to research these a bit more.

3. Anything from the new J.Crew catalog. I'm in love with the cords in the bright colors. Green and/or purple would be fabulous in my wardrobe. Also the jewelry.

4. Anything from 3.1 Philip Lim. I absolutely love Philip Lim because he tries to bring high fashion to the masses. It isn't cheap but it's still pretty affordable if I don't eat out for a month and so totally worth it. You guys have seen me in my two dresses and they are the s*&t. Here's one of my favorite dresses from this season. The color looks amazing and will totally make me pop.



5. Something gray and something with sequins. Lucky for me I came up with this Philip Lim sweater. This is the back view. This one might require two different items. Banana Republic has this gray dress that's calling my name. It's very MadMenish.


6. Anything from the Alexander Wang line. He's a hot new designer and his pieces are mostly black and who couldn't use a new black shirt, dress, and/or pants all the while looking hip.



7. Brian Atwood heels. I love his sky high heels plus he is dating Nate Berkus. How cute is that? These two styles are nice and different from what I've got. Not a big fan of the animal print but these are kind of cool. They look a little too Steven Maddenish which kind of turns me off. What do you think?




8. A new handbag. I love my purse but it's huge and it's time for a change. I'd like something colorful and definitely not black. I have lots of black handbags. I'm thinking messenger bag. I've also always wanted a Mulberry purse. It's the blue one and it's name is Mabel. Inside joke for some people. This Botkier purple one is kind of cute too. The Marc Jacobs pink one is HOT! I might just get a black messenger bag. Le SportSac has one for like $40.00. It's cute too!






9. Gold Jewelry-I'm all over gold jewelry right now. Mamí bought me some cool gold hoop earrings but I'm looking for some little gold stud earrings and maybe some chunky good hoop earrings. The hoops don't have to be real gold. I had an awesome pair that Michael gave me but I lost one of them in Atlantic City. Don't you just hate that random lost earring? As soon as you throw it away you'll find the missing earring.

10. Penny loafers-I know it's crazy because I had a pair in high school and I worked them. I thought I was the coolest til I had to have them fixed. Being that we were poor my parents took it to the cobbler in Mexico who proceeded to mess them up and I never wore them again. It pissed my parents off but he put this gigantic heel on it to replace the one I had worn out. Brings back bad memories. They were flat unlike these. Here's what I'm thinking. Can't wait to wear them with a plaid skirt. I know they are Louboutins but they are pretty awesome. I'm looking to see if someone else makes one but you've got to admit these are hot. Wonder if I'll put a shiny new penny in them.



XOXO

New fridge

Since I just got my new fridge I've decided to cook a lot more. I figure I have to cut back on my expenses and it's probably healthier for me to eat in more. I ended up going to Whole Foods and stocking up on cheese. For some crazy reason I'm on a cheese kick. I didn't buy any meat except for my Kashi meals for the office. I figure French woman eat cheese all the time and they are pretty healthy. I also went to a local store called Dorginacs that has excellent local produce and picked up some other stuff like fish, shrimp, turkey burgers etc. I'm not really eating beef right now except for Hebrew national hot dogs. I picked up some drum and I might make some fish tacos tonight. I've really been jonesing for them since I ate them in Austin like three times. Anyway my blog is going to be boring for a while in the shopping department since I'm not spending any money. I might clean out my closet and alter some of my clothes. I've been thinking about hitting thrift stores to try to find a cream/white colored jacket/coat. I saw one with a fur collar a year ago at one and didn't buy it and I've been kicking myself ever sense. Yes this has nothing to do with my new fridge.

Updates!

Well I haven't written very much since before I left to Austin. I did end up going to Austin and of course Gustav came our way. Bryan helped me board up the house while I was gone. He took my important stuff and the kitties to Baton Rouge. He ended up getting called up and the cats had to stay by themselves for a couple of days. Baton Rouge got beat up pretty bad and they didn't have AC either. I think they freaked out a bit. While in Austin I got to spend time with my Crissy, Eric and Roman. It was so much fun saying good night and good morning to Roman. He is so cute and very talkative nowadays. I ended up going to a UT Hispanic Alumni event and ran into my ex-boyfriend Daniel. I met his new girlfriend who seemed nice enough. I have to say that I'm much cuter than her. Ok, that's all I will say. We ended up having lunch later on in the week and we caught up with each other's lives. He is a good guy and I wish we could stay in touch but I don't think he is comfortable with it. Oh well. Anyway I did get to go to Deep Eddy twice that week. Deep Eddy is a pool feed by spring waters in Austin. It was so cold. I tried to work on my tan but I'm not very good sitting still for extended periods of time. I did help Crissy get a little better organized. I think that if I ever decide to get another job I might want to help people get organize their closets.

Anyway, I ended up flying back to New Orleans on Thursday night and headed over to the house. I had electricity but our office didn't so I went to pick up the cats on Friday in Baton Rouge. The rest of the weekend was spent kind of getting stuff cleaned up around the house. I also went by Home Depot to see what was up with my fridge. They had picked up the bad one but I hadn't seen the new one. It worked out ok because I didn't have to clean a fridge out like a lot of other people did. I didn't end up getting my fridge til this past Thursday. Would have gotten it Wednesday but I had to go to my co-worker's mother's funeral. She died during the evacuation. They were on the road for 20 hours and she got a blood clot. Very sad sorry. Anyway nothing crazy going on here. I did pick up my rewired chandalier that I moved from my other house on Green Street to Spain Street. It looks good. I have my eye on another one for the front entrance but can't make any kind of purchases like that til I sell the house. Oh by the way I had some drama with my house on Green Street. I was letting someone shower and sleep there while their house was being worked on and they just went ahead an moved in. I had to ask them to leave but she just had a c-section so I gave them a couple of days. This is the same woman that harassed me into picking up a cat and her newborn kittens from her porch to take them to the pound. The livin boyfriend was allergic to cats. That's what happens when you're nice.

This Thursday we got hit with bands of wind from IKE. We also got some rain but mainly lots of wind all weekend. I really can't believe how big this storm was. I lost electricity several times on Thursday night and kept getting awoken by my neighbor's generator going on and off. Anyway our office didn't have electricity on Friday so I ended up quasi working from home.

Weekend Plans!

In case you don't know I'll be in Austin this Thursday night until Monday night. I'll be hanging with Crissy, Eric and Lil Roman or RoRo as I like to call him. I'm going to hang out with my old posse from my college days and tear it up. Ok, I'll probably end up asleep by 11:00am because Roro gets up way to early for my taste. Crissy, Lucy and I are meeting up with some of my college friends for a UT Hispanic Alumni function on Friday night. I've been invited to the football game by Ociel but I'm not sure if I'll be going. Anyway, it's Eric's bday so I'm sure we will have a good time. I really want to go to Barton Springs for some swimming and relaxing. I'm kind of worried about the hurricane but I'm going to make plans to be ready to evacuate to Houston/Austin next week if I have to. God willing it goes to Florida or somewhere else.

Updates

Ok, I made a mistake in describing the halter dress on J.Crew. It's a tank dress. I'm not sure why I said halter. Thanks Lisa for the comment. Made me realize I'd made a mistake. Here's a picture of it. I'm also in love with their jewelry this season. I want the acorn necklace. My birthday is coming up.

Speaking of birthdays, this Saturday a friend of mine had a party for his son and Randy and I went by. He had gotten this package deal that included a waterslide, moonwalk, DJ(who was playing bounce music mixed with the latest hits) and a trailor setup with snowcones, nachos, hot dogs, red beans and rice, and fried chicken. It was so cool. I would love to do that for my birthday. The waterslide looked like so much fun but you know grown folk would break a bone or two.

Weekly Updates

I know I haven't written or been writing on my blog lately but I've been completely overwhelmed by my life. First of all this damn fridge is finally out of my house and another one ordered but God knows when it will be delivered. I must have taken two entire days of my time waiting for it to be delivered, fixed and picked up. I had to lie and tell Home Depot that I was going to get fired if they didn't pick up the unit this morning b/c I'd taken too much time off. Second the house move in isn't going as smooth as I'd liked it to go. I didn't realize I had so much crap. I should have done better at throwing crap out and packing but oh well I'll have to tackle one step at a time. I'm also missing pieces from my cabinets which I haven't had time to pick up but will this wknd. Am really looking forward to my weekend in Austin this wknd. I get to see some of my old college buddies and of course Crissy, Roman, Eric and maybe even Lucy. I'm hoping we can go to Barton Springs one day. No interest in my old house. Not worried yet just concerned. I'm going to have to bury that patron saint in my yard.

Since I'm not allowed to spend any money (I'm not allowing myself) I've been doing a lot of internet window shopping. I like to put stuff in the carts and total it up and close the webpage. Makes me feel like I'm shopping but not. Ok, I have to confess I went to Baton Rouge to have breakfast with my friend Beth and do a lil shopping at Perkins Rowe this outdoor kind of mall. We hit up Anthropologie and I ended up buying a really cute white shirt with green dots. It's absolutely cute and it was on sale for $39.95. It's very well made with cute green piping. I'd forgotten how cute their stuff is. They have a couple of things I'm interested in but a. it's too damn hot right now to buy anything made of wood and b. they don't make dresses in petite which sucks because I can't alter some of them I looked at. We also went by the J.Crew store and I looked over the cords and the colors they are available in. You'll be seeing the purple and maybe the green in my wardrobe this winter. I've also got my eye on that gray halter dress. It also comes in black but I'm going to stay away from the black and whites this winter.

Last night

So two vendors came to town to visit and try to get me to sell their stuff. I'll leave them unnamed. What's the best way for me to sell your stuff? Take me to dinner at a nice place. JK. We ended up eating at Ralph's on the Park. It's one of the Brennan family restaurants. It was sooo yummy. We had the ravioli and barbeque appetizer and I had the redfish. It was really good. This is why I can't leave New Orleans. I'm in love with the food. We ended up heading over to Pal's for drinks and we had lot's of vodka tonics. I was home by 12:30am but I'm so tired today. I woke up at like 6:30am with the sun and couldn't go back to sleep. I guess I might also be a lil hungover. :)

Fridge problems

So I ordered a counter depth fridge at Home Depot and got it delivered on the 6th of this month at my new house. Lo and behold it isn't working. Stopped working on Sunday. Had the repair man out yesterday and he fixed it but it's not working again. I'm kind of pissed b/c it's not only costing me time it's also costing me money with the groceries I'm going to have to throw away. It's a Maytag french door fridge with the freezer at the bottom. I had to pay like $500.00 more to get it counterdepth so it wouldn't jut out from the cabinets. Not a happy camper! I think I got a lemon.

House on the market

So my other house is finally on the market. Haven't had any real interest. The real estate agent had an open house of realtors on Wednesday but the weather was bad so not a lot of foot traffic. Keep me in your prayers. I need and want to see this house ASAP.

Red Dress Run

So Bryan and I decided to do this event on Saturday called the Red Dress Run. Basically you put on a red dress and run from one bar to the other in the quarter. It was lots of fun. We had lots to drink and met some cool people. They were offering beer at the bars but I'm not a beer drinker so I ended up having Gray Goose and tonic all day. We got there at 1:00pm and didn't get home til almost 7:00pm. It's absolutely hilarious to see grown men in red dresses. Some men didn't even bother to make sure their dresses fit they just left the zippers open. I ended up getting a shift dress from American Apparel. I was in there getting my dress and they didn't have a large only an extra large (yes, their stuff runs small). Well I was going to take the extra large and this random guy at the counter was buying the same version of it but a large but really wanted an extra large. We ended up swapping. He was obviously going to the Red Dress Run too. I ended up rocking a total 80s look with a wide leather belt and big hoop earrings. I looked cute. Bryan rocked his dress too. So here's some pictures of the event. It was sooo hot and humid. It is August in New Orleans

Weekly Update

Ok, I know I haven't posted but I've been extremely busy. Last weekend I moved to my new house. I hired two guys, rented a truck and got Bryan to help me move. It took all day and it was dreadful. Of course I picked the one hottest month of the year to move. Anyway I'm moved in. I have to really thank Bryan because he has been an extremely good friend and helping me get situated in my new home. I had the other house cleaned and it's currently listed on the market. Don't know if there has been any interest but we shall see. Wish me luck kids. I got my appliances delivered this week and I'm ready to get cooking in the kitchen as soon as I buy some food for my fridge. I had dinner with my friend Patrick at Lola's, a cute little Spanish restaurant, last night and drinks at Pal's. It was nice. Anyway this weekend I'm doing the Red Dress Run in New Orleans. I hope there isn't too much running. I think we'll be running/walking from one bar to the other. How very New Orleans, right? Other than that, I'll probably spend the rest of the weekend unpacking and trying to get my house in order.

My new favorite song

Ok, Michael made this CD with lots of 80s songs that I've been playing the hell out of. There is one song that makes me smile and happy no matter what's on my mind. The CD is so good that Cliff wouldn't give it back to me after I left it in his car. Here it is. It reminds me of rollerskating, terry cloth tube tops, feathered hair, short blue jeans, smocked dresses and all those things that were cool when I was young. It'a Air Supply's Lost in Love.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eMiKGeQ66oM

Weekend Recap

So this weekend Robin was in town so I didn't get to pack very much. She got in on Wednesday and left on Sunday. On Friday night we met up with her friend Deedee for dinner and than we went to have drinks at the RBar. George, a friend of ours, came by to have drinks with us. We ended up walking up and down Frenchmen street trying to figure out where we wanted to go. We ended up going to Molly's which isn't on Frenchmen St. but is one of my favorite bars. It always has the most eclectic crowds of any bar. There are people there with full body tattoes and piercing and people like me and they have a great jukebox. It's really alot of fun. We ended up staying there til close to 4:00am and I didn't get home til almost 5:00am. I didn't end up driving home b/c I was drunk. Not bad but enough to know that I couldn't drive. We jumped into a cab and headed home. Everything would have been fine but they came to work on my house at 8:00am and I kept getting work related calls all morning which meant I didn't get any sleep. I was hurtin but we had to go pick up my car and get food. We jumped into a taxi and tried to get some burgers at Port a Call but it was packed so we ended up eating at El Gato Negro, a overrated Mexican restaurant. I know my Mexican food and that place sucks. I make better rice and beans than that place. Anyway, my Saturday was a complete waste and we didn't even go out on Saturday night. We did hang out in the quarter on Sunday before Robin left. It was fun and it was great to see her. I'm back to packing and should move this Saturday or Sunday. Here's the only picture I took of us. It's after my workout and we are having drinks at The Bull Dog.

NYC Recap

So I'm finally catching up with my stuff. I've closed on my house but I'm not finished packing since I had to go to Meri's wedding in NYC. It was extremely hot and uncomfortable in NYC. They were having a heat wave. The wedding was on Saturday out in the New Jersey suburbs in a really nice house. The food was excellent and the booze was flowing. After a while I stopped drinking because the heat and wine was not a good mix for me. We ended up stopping at a pub for a drink with Meri and Bryan before we caught the train back to the city. It was Nicky, Tracy, Ed(her man) and me. The train ride wasn't bad there but on the way back all I wanted to do was sleep and Nicky was a chatterbox because she drank much more than me. Luckily for me Tracy and Ed distracted her. Anyway by the time we got to her apt we pretty much passed out. Most of our evenings consisted of us passing out after drinking because of the heat. We really didn't stay out to late. After a couple of drinks we were pretty wiped out from walking and the heat. It was a good trip and it was nice to see Nicky after her trip to France. She did mention that she might go live in France for a year in the next year or so. If she does I'm visiting her for a month if feasible. Anyway I'm back in town and packing. Here's a pic of me with Meri's baby and a pic of the couple. It was a very casual wedding. I wore my Phillip Lim dress with my gold sandals. Very cute. I clearly sweated all my makeup off at this point in the picture. BTW, most of my favorite stores didn't have anything good because they already started to put out fall clothes. I don't know how anyone can think of fall when it's 90 degrees outside. XO

Back from NYC

Hey everyboday, I'm back from NYC. It was extremely hot and they don't use AC like we do. Anyways, I'll post more info later. I'm going to be moving this weekend I believe. I'll let you know. My flight was delayed in ATL and I didn't get home til 1:00am. I should be tried but I'm not. Trying to get work done.

Weekend

Hey everybody I'm heading to NYC for the weekend. I'm going to my friend Meri's wedding reception. She's already married and has a new baby. Meri & I went to Argentina together and she's my best friend's sister. I'll be staying at Nicky's and partying with her. I'm supposed to meet up with Doug and Michael this weekend. I'm thinking about us trying to go out Salsa dancing with Doug and his friends since I haven't done that in forever and it would be fun as hell to do that. We shall see. I'll probably catch up with Michael tomorrow after the wedding reception. Should be fun because Nicky and Michael are two people who I know know how to drink and party. Looks like I will be moving next Saturday. Actually I'm not moving I'm having movers do it since I'll be moving to a two story house. If you have any specific requests from NYC let me know. You know I will be hitting up H&M and Uniqlo. Here's a pic of Meri from the trip to Igauzu Falls in Argentina. Congratulations Meri!

My New House

My house closing went really smooth. No hiccups. I'm not moving in until probably next week but I'm so ecstatic. I've got to get someone to make one of my rooms a closet because the current closet setup in the master bedroom isn't very big because it's one of the those old houses with the small closets. I do have a picture window in my bedroom which will be really cool to sit and read a book. The best part of the house is the small patio off the back of the house. I can't wait to set up my grill and patio furniture. My next step is to get a pool installed in the back yard. Nothing big just something to lounge in on those hot muggy New Orleans days. I'm very happy about my decision to move and can't wait to have my housewarming party. Thanks everyone who called or emailed me about it. XOXO

Movie Review

I saw HellBoy II last night with my friend Mark and I give it a thumbs up. I absolutely adore Guillermo Del Toro and thought he did an amazing job. It was a little long but the creatures in it were truly amazing. I like HellBoy but I think HellBoy II was definitely better. Can't wait to watch him direct the Hobbit. It'll be amazing. Anyway, it's definitely worth it to see it at the theater. BTW, it's actually a lil bit scary at the beginning.

IT"S THE DAY!!!

I close on my pretty new house today. Wish me luck! I'm so excited. Hopefully everything goes as planned.

One more day

So I close tomorrow at 4:00pm. I'm a little nervous but really excited. It's crazy but I never really thought I'd be buying another house so soon. I love my lil house but I'm so ready to move on from the neighborhood. My mom wanted to stay and help me move but I'm not moving til next week. I still have to pack which is going to take forever. I gave my mom a lot of my old junk for her garage sale so I won't be moving any junk to my new house. I've cleared out a lot of stuff. My dad stripped my front door and it's ready to be painted a nice new color. Anyway, my parents left today and I miss them already. We had a wonderful time together. I'll post more pictures of the house tomorrow after I close. Wish me luck everyone.

Weekend Update

Well nothing crazy going on here. My parents are still in town and won't leave til tomorrow morning. I'm actually really enjoying having them here. I can't get a moment alone but it's cool because they are very entertaining. We went to look at my new house and I met a couple of my new neighbors. They came out to say hello which is really nice considering that I don't know most of my neighbors in my current house. I close on Wednesday and I'm getting really excited. I'm also really nervous about it since I haven't put my house on the market like I wanted to. Got to get on that pronto. Saturday night my parents and I went to dinner with Julio and Olga (they are like my second parents) and than Mark and I went to grab a drink at my old standby Roberts. I'm going to miss the place once I move to Gentilly Terrace. Anyway we didn't stay out to long because I had to get up super early the next morning to go to Ship Island with my parents. We ended up getting on the 9:00am ferry and staying til 2:00pm. We didn't get home til close to 5:30pm. It was fun except for the dirty water. I'd never seen it like that but supposedly all the rain they've been happening makes it dirty. I got my tan on and turned a little darker. I don't have my normal summer tan on so I'm going to have to work on it over the next couple of months. Leave to NYC this Friday for my friend Meri's wedding. Should be fun to see her and Nicki. My mom and dad are going to Harrah's tonight while I work out. Hopefully they'll win back some of that money they lost last Thursday. Have to start packing.