Mini Road Trip!

I think I’ve expressed I love to travel over the last few blogs right? Haha.
We’re off to Richmond to spend some time with B-Rian. I’ve never seen Richmond so this is a first for me. We decided to grab some lunch since B-Rian had to work, he met us for lunchy and then we were off to shop.

We went to some out-door mall, the name escapes me right now as I type this out. It was nice, had a lot of high end stores like: Louis Vutton, Coach, Saks 5th Avenue and like stores. I’ve always wanted a LV purse, we walked in and I saw the one I liked. It was the white leather with colored monograms, I looked at the price tag it was $1700. Small bag too I expected it to be around $1200 or so. NO! I can’t justify that, even if I had the money! That is like 3.5 months in rent! Good lord. Plus even holding it, it looked fake. I know it clearly was not since I was in LV with it, but I’ve seen so many knock offs, the real thing to me doesn’t do it for me as much as it did before. Thanks knock offs. Ugh!

We strolled into Coach and Amy fell in love with this gorgeous purple, black & tan silk print bag. It’s the new signature print, not my style but the bag was nice. I fancied myself this silver-sparkle leopard print, the bad thing was, it was $400. I have no issues spending money but I do have an issue with spending that much on one bag, I prefer the outlets to the full-line store. I like to get more for my money. Aside from the silver print leopard bag, I didn’t care too much for the fall line.

After that we strolled around the mall in and out of various stores we ended up in Bare Minerals. Now, I love make up but I don’t always wear it. I am a big fan of the mineral eye shadows I like the “Smokey” (read: Slutty) eye makeup look. I have a habit of buying it in all colors; half of it is still un-opened in my make up bag. They have all of the eye colors out on display so they can do your make up, I was like a kid in a candy store looking at all the colors, and trying to remember which I have and which I don’t. Note to self: make a list of colors to avoid this in the future.
Amy hasn’t really been “exposed” to this sorta make up, we bought some last time I was in town in July but she wasn’t sure how to make the “Smokey” (read: slutty) eye makeup look. So, the gal did her makeup. She picked out this teal color, and I loved it! It looks a little dark and questionable but if applied right it should be hot! I have a lot of turquoise in my collection but no teal; I have to pick this color up.

The gal puts it on way too light and it looks blah, I am such a fan of dramatic make up it brings more attention to your eyes and looks better. I instructed the gal to put it on more dramatic and she did and now it’s looking better. Skip forward to the eye liner, she choose some light black which I voted no on the second she pulled it out of the drawer. You can’t put on a bold teal make it bold on the eye and line it with some wimpy-ass-soft-black. Blah! She put it on anyways; Amy looked in the mirror, looked at me and said I was right. I told you so moments kick ass! On to the dramatic black, which looked one million times better!!

She does her foundation and tries to sell the skin care line and blah blah blah. Mean while I am walking around looking at colors and stuff. Now keep in mind this is a small store, we’re just about the only ones in there, and all the other chicks are trying to get me to sit down so they can do my makeup. No thanks, I can do my own, and on top of that, I have no frikken idea what color I am wearing out later on and I don’t want to have to redo my makeup. Plus, I like the way I do it!!

I was already sold into this “surprise kit” with 3 shadows, lip gloss, brushes and some sort of all over color. It was $54 and a good deal for the brushes alone. I then picked up the teal Amy used and 2 shades of a lighter green blend. I have hazel eyes and that is the best thing to bring them out green. I don’t have many green-greens just the flashy turquoises and like colors.

I picked up a primer too; I don’t need the rest of their product line since I am fine with the stuff I use. The lady was really trying to sell to Amy, and pushy at that, she is ringing me up and trying to guilt her into purchase, which I hate. If she wants to buy she will and if not, we know where this store is if we have to come back.

I’m convinced they work on commission and the products are good enough to sell themselves no guilt trip needed. Plus I have a plethora of colors Amy can use later on to do her makeup. Which I know I will already be doing her makeup and her hair!

$115 later I’m set with the makeup selection hoping I use most of it!

Nothing left at the mall to see so we head out to Wal-Mart to get some stuff for dinner since we’re celebrating B-Rian's birthday early. Steaks, potatoes and corn with bread are on the menu for tonight. Everyone was at Wal-Mart it was a little insane trying to get in and out of the isles!
I am a big toy-car collector; I’ve got to go to the toy isle no matter what store I am in to see if they have the cars I want. Mustangs only, of course!!! My collection has reached well over 500+ little mustangs! I pick out 5 that I don’t have, or at least that I don’t think I have. I pick up the newest edition of Cosmo, not really sure why either, I carry the last 3 months around in my laptop bag, and haven’t looked at any of them. But, I plan on reading them!! I go to check out first, rings 4 of the 5 cars up, the 5th one didn’t ring up. Amy said “Looks like that one is free, we like free” I couldn’t agree more. She types in the department code, doesn’t ring up, she tries to scan it again, same issue! So get this…She just put it in the bag and then rang up the Cosmo. I got a car for FREE! It was a very exciting moment for me! Free car yay!!

Time to go to B-Rian’s and start making dinner, I jump on the web and catch up on the forums, looking at parts for my soon-to-be-Lightning, not that it needs anything, but I like to window shop. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ordered anything on-line it’s been a little bit. I am more of an instant gratification shopper. I mean, I see it, I want it, I buy it-I have it! I’ve wanted more Dolphins gear, I just bought a Ronnie Brown #23 home jersey while in VA Beach but, I’ve been searching for the white hoody they wear on the side-lines. Time to go to their website and check it out! They’ve got it; it comes in Orange with Teal or White with Teal. I prefer the white! Its $69.99 Jesus! I place it in the cart and keep shopping. I am so used to buying sweatshirts and jackets; I still continue to do so even though I live in a tropical place. Hey! It gets cold sometime right? Plus I visit cold places. I picked an orange zip up jacket too, not a huge fan of orange but I liked the style of it, I think it was $49.99 on that. I looked at the jerseys too, just to see what they have, nothing exciting. They did however have a jersey for pups, I dress Bella up all the time and the jersey is an away one with the number 00 on it, I have a purse with 00 on it too. I bought it for her it was $29.99. Didn’t get one for Milo since he’s too little and I don’t really play dress up with him.

I’m excited for presents yay!

The ordering didn’t stop there. I am a member of Columbia House Movie Club and I’ve wanted to order a few things from there too, just never had the desire to complete the order. I’ve got to buy 4 more movies before next summer or something like that. I got an email that said buy one get the rest 70% off. I can’t pass up $6 new release movies. I’ve wanted to get “Planet Earth” on blu-ray forever. It’s a little pricy here ($70 versus $55 on other sites) but I’m ordering a bunch of them anyways, why not just pay one shipping charge? I haven’t really built up my blu-ray collection since I don’t think EVERY movie I want to watch needs to be in blu-ray. The high intensity action ones yes, of course but, the normal chick flicks-not so much. I’ve never seen the show “Heroes” but I’ve been meaning to buy it. Friend of mine told me to ONLY get it in blu-ray. At Best Buy its $90 a season. WHOA! There are 3 seasons, that’s a lot of cash! Columbia House has them for $49 for the first season, and the others are $59. I ordered a bunch of movies, some new some to complete my collection. Like “The Prince & Me” I needed the second and third and they came up at $3.88 each. Of course I don’t remember what else I ordered, but the total was a little over whelming. Oh well! You can’t put a price on entertainment right??

This of course, after I bought a boat load of new-release movies in Denver, I had to when they were shutting down a store. New release movies for $8? I had to have them!

I will be getting Dolphin presents AND Movies! Sweet! I love packages!

The ordering fun didn’t stop there either; I made my way to Ford Collection and browsed through their selection. I am slightly disappointed they had a few things that I wanted to order that they no longer listed. Like this bitchin’ mustang guitar, it was an acoustic and it was black and had the fire pony on it, It was awesome and also $400 but whatever. They don’t have it, all they now have is the electric one at $700 which isn’t nearly as cool. I checked E-bay and no go on the one I wanted. Oh well!

I did order a light grey hoody with an embroidered white pony on it, an Ashley force white watch with a pink face. I don’t wear watches much but I do have a flaming pony one I love, and this one was only $26 so why not! Then I snagged a fleece mustang jacket with the logo and “mustang” on it.

Super excited now, 3 packages to come! And oh…my “lightning hubby” back in Denver ordered me a Lightning Hoody and shipped it out on Thursday so I should have that too. That makes 4 packages! I love presents and no one really has my addy to send me anything so I will send myself stuff!

Saaaaaay What?

Say What?

I’ve spent a week with Amy & the Girls, who I consider family. It’s always a good time with them, no matter if it’s just sitting around and talking or out and about, they can always make me laugh. Here’s just a bit of random-crazy-funny-stupid things we’ve said over the last week…well the ones that I can remember!
“I don’t understand what I’m saying…WAIT, YOU don’t understand what I’m saying” –Taylor @ Cheesecake Factory
“When I say DRUNK, you say How High!”-Amy in the truck singing “JUMP” by Flo-rida
“Scoopid Scop” Me- talking about a stupid cop, just didn’t come out right.
Me to Alyssa: “Are you going to carry this?”
Alyssa: silence…
Alyssa: “Wait, what did I just say?”
Me: “Nothing, I was talking to you”
Alyssa: “Oh?”


There are SO many more, they're momentary but all make me laugh. Thanks girls for always keeping a smile on my face and laughter in the air!

Family Night

Looks like its family night! New to me, but I will roll with it. My previous dinner plans got canceled since Jax wasn’t feeling well, little bit of heart break since I wanted Sushi and Amy refuses to eat it.
Family night it is! We had Chicken Pasta, it was great, marinara sauce, and chicken was perfectly moist and delicious, bow-tie noodles (which are my favorite).
We sit down in the dining room and the rules are there are no cell phones allowed at family night. We all talked about our days, listened to the kid’s events at school and what is coming up in the next few weeks for them.
I can’t even remember the last time I had a “family” night. Since it was just my mom and I for the last 5 years, we became best friends and always did everything together. This was just a different dynamic, it was a nice feeling. After dinner we’re supposed to do something together, it was Alyssa’s night to plan it. She couldn’t come up with anything, so we all threw out ideas. I wanted to go to a movie, but by the time we checked the schedule the only movies playing were the 10 o’clock ones. With the kids having school the next day it was too late. Taylor wanted to go to some sort of “patch” shop. Alyssa wanted to go down to the board walk by the beach. Amy & I had just been there earlier in the afternoon. Apparently it’s a tradition to go to the board walk; we’ve gone every single time I’ve been in town.
The kids went to their rooms to do whatever it is they do, and we sat in the living room and talked. I wanted dessert. I wanted blueberry cheesecake, and do you know who has the best cheesecake ever? That’s right…The Cheesecake factory. We went there, it was my treat, and it was PERFECT!
Amy had the red-velvet cheesecake, which had alternating layers of red velvet cake and original cheese cake. She let me have a bite, it was excellent!! I went with the wild blueberry and white chocolate cheese cake it is so yummy. Has real blueberries and the perfect amount of white chocolate swirled in it. It tastes like blueberry muffin mix, but in cheesecake form. Trust me; it is worth the risk to try it. Taylor ordered cookies & cream and Alyssa got the snickers one.
It was a sweet ending to a great family night!

Warm & Snuggly!

Warm & Snuggly

I am used to cold weather, and in Florida there isn’t “cold” per say, more like “cooler” weather. I love blankets; I mean I LOVE them mostly throws and the softer the better, obviously.
Since I am visiting Amy in VA Beach this week, we were out shopping at Kohl’s, I needed to spend my ‘Kohl’s Cash” and we walked around and looked at everything deciding what to buy.
We came across these blankets, and there were two of them, on clearance. They are super soft and kitted they’re a mix of grey and black threads. Amy got so excited draped the blanket around here, in effort to “snuggle” it and said “OH MY GOD! I LOOOOVE THESE, So soft! Feel” and as I went to feel it, she turned away and I didn’t get to feel it. Brat! Luckily there was another one that I could feel. She was right, they are awesome.
I had to get them, they were $7.99 and I bought them both, one for her, one for me. I am a good friend! I couldn’t resist the price and then went over to the fleece blankets.
Back in Florida I have a light blue oversized fleece that I love, also bought it at kohl’s back in Denver a few years ago, it’s my favorite. They had a white one with colored poke-a-dots on it! It was cute and not on sale. What the heck, I bought it too!
Since I am here for what we call “recovery time” to recover from the traumatic and tragedies of both of us losing our mothers two weeks apart. We spend a lot of time talking and of course on our blackberries in the same room. We both recline in the recliners with the soft new blankets draped over us and just relax.
It’s been one of the nicest things I’ve had in a while, be it if we’re watching TV, or if I am reading, or us laughing at each other or the kids OR the cats. Sometimes doing nothing and being with a great friend makes life feel a little bit better! We have definitely lived up to our nick names “Pot & Kettle”

Back to my “Home” away from home!

VA Beach baby! Spending a week with Amy (Pot) and the kiddos..and the wild wild kittahs too! Time for “Recovery Time” which is a lot of relaxing, wine, shopping, laughing and crying I’m sure.

Trip got off to a rough start this morning. I like to fly the 7am flights out of Tampa, it’s easy to get in and out of (usually) and there is almost never any traffic, could be because the 7am flights I take are Sundays. Anyways, I dropped the dogs and my truck off at my friend’s house, he took me to the airport, and all was smooth.

I planned on checking ONE bag, carrying on ANOTHER and had a laptop bag and a special bag for Amy with lots of break-ables and sentimental stuff for her birthday/feel better presents (since her mamma passed) Well I curbside check the poke-a-dot bag, its heavy and the guy is right there. Its $22 to check it. He tells me I might need to check one more, I pass.

I get upstairs to get on to the train to go to the terminal. There are two women checking boarding passes, and the one to the right is the one I went to. She tells me I can’t take 3 bags, only 2 on US Airways. I’ve never been told this, well, Uh, aside from what the guy down stairs said, but other than that I haven’t. She told me I had to go check one of them. Ugh, fine. She was shitty about it too. I go back down stairs to check another bag, I decide to check the bag of break-able stuff, the other option was my black Nike gym bag which was packed with 20+ shot glasses for Amy and my new Camera which I won’t let out of my sight.

The lady fights me on what I want to check, and is trying to persuade me to check the Nike bag, I refuse. $30 to check the break-able bag, Whatever, I just want to go, its 6:15 the flight leaves in 45 minutes, I need to go back upstairs.

I decide to go to the one to the left this time, since I am bitter at the lady to the right. Wrong choice! You know how they have the carry on “example” where you theoretically put your bag into the space provided to see if it fits?

I’ve never seen ANYONE have to put their bag in this damn thing…until now. The lady tells me in some sort of broken English to fit my bag into that tiny metal space. Clearly it’s not going to fit. I over packed as usual. My reasoning behind this bag was, I ALWAYS see people with huge duffle bags as carry ons. Well I have to try, it sits on top of the “allotted” space just fine, and then she’s trying to get me to take things out. Which isn’t going to work, I don’t have any space to put it. I have a laptop bag with me, which is full of 2 laptops; there isn’t any room in there as is. So, I try to take out the Camera and the camera bag since it’s bulky. Fail. Now I have 3 bags and I can fit the Nike bag which is good, but I made another bag by pulling out the camera bag and the lady is telling me that won’t work, I GET THAT! I keep trying to get her to let me go and I will adjust it at the gate, somehow. She says no, I’m angry at this point.

After what felt like forever, I assume it’s been less than five minutes; she looks at my boarding pass again, and tells me to go to the gate.

Security takes a little bit to go through since people can’t pull their laptops out and put their shoes back on and get out of the way, typical!

I get to the gate just as the last few people are boarding, Great. I see a guy with a bigger bag than mine to the right of me since there are two people checking in, his bag got pulled and has to be gate checked, so I tuck mine off to the side, go to the gal to the left hoping to sneak by with my bag. She takes my ticket, gives it back and I walk through the doors to get started down to the plane. I exhaled shew! I won.

Then she must have looked back after I passed through, She told me to come back I had to check that, it’s too big, I was upset, here we go again, Not only do I have to check bag THREE but now I don’t have time to repack it. She fills out the ticket since I have a plane change in Charlotte; I grab the camera and bag out of it, and let them take it. Ugh, I was ALMOST there!!
The good news is, I didn’t have to pay for that bag.

Oh well, on the plane, time to start reading the new book “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell”