much ado about nothing

A warning at the outset - this post is all over the place.  But, it's all my brain was capable of tonight. 

Six days ago, I had one of the tastiest drinks ever.  And I'm just now telling you about it.  Shame on me.  Allow me to introduce the "Eola 101":

{Sorry for the crappy photo, but the one of me holding said cocktail was heinous.}

The Eola 101* is milagro silver tequilla, agave nectar, lime juice and champagne.  And it was delish.  I typically don't drink tequilla. {there was an unfortunate incident in college after a few too many margaritas. i may have made a few loud and inappropriate comments and taunted performers during the Greek Week skits. we'll leave it at that} But, for this tasty concoction, I'll gladly make an exception to the self-imposed tequilla ban.  Despite the marginal Mexican food served alongside it, I'll be heading back for this drink soon.  If you're not an Orlando local, I would definitely recommend mixing up a batch of these at home.  They'd be great on a hot day with some chips & guac.

In entirely unrelated news, I have a new toy to tell you all about.  This guy was in my Christmas stocking:

It's the Chef'n Garlic Zoom Chopper.  This is such a great kitchen tool!  I don't know about you, but I hate chopping garlic.  Your hands stink for hours afterwards and sometimes I have a hard time mincing the garlic finely enough.  Problems no more!  You just peel the garlic clove, pop it into this hand-dandy little rolly-doo (official scientific name) and drive the thing around the counter a few times like a Matchbox car.  Presto - minced garlic.  And, unlike so many kitchen gadgets which claim to save you time but really take twice as long by the time you're done cleaning them, this is a cinch to clean.  Just rinse & dry.  Kudos to Santa Mom for finding this awesome gadget! 

Changing gears yet again, was anyone else super annoyed by all the repeats on tv tonight?   Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation and the Office ALL airing repeats in one night?  An immense travesty.  I think the folks over at NBC need to get together with the ABC folks and make sure this doesn't happen again.   Has anyone else watched the new show The Deep End?  I hate it. The Mister says it's because I'm a lawyer.  I told him it's because the show is terrible.  Who's with me?

*named for the address of the restaurant if you're curious

Top 2 Tuesdays

Taylor at Jimmy Choos & A Baby Too has started a new Tuesday tradition - Top 2 Tuesdays.  Each week she'll ask what your "Top 2 favorite _____ are".  This week, it's recipes.  Since the only thing I like better than cooking & baking is eating, I thought I'd play along.  I'm far too indecisive to choose my favorite anything, but here are two recipes I really like:

Tomato Basil Tart

Ingredients:

1/2 of a 15-ounce package refrigerated piecrust (1 crust)

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

5 Roma tomatoes

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Unfold piecrust according to package directions. (I suppose you could make your own crust. If you have no job, a clean house, an empty Tivo, no books to read or stores to shop and you drank all the wine in the house yesterday, sure - go ahead and make the crust from scratch. But if you have absolutely anything better to do with your time, the ready made crust will do just fine.) Place the pie crust in a 9-inch quiche dish or glass pie plate. Flute the edge (or press with the tines of a fork).  Line the shell with a double-thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 4 to 5 minutes more or until set and dry. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 375 degree F. Sprinkle crust with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Cool slightly. Cut tomatoes into slices; drain on paper towels.

Arrange tomato slices atop cheese in the pie shell.

In a food processor bowl combine basil and garlic; cover and process till coarsely chopped. Sprinkle over tomatoes. In a medium mixing bowl combine remaining mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, and pepper. Spoon cheese mixture over basil mixture, spreading to evenly cover the top.  Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes or till top is golden and bubbly. Serve warm. If desired, garnish with basil leaves.

This is great as a main dish served with a salad or as an appetizer.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

I got this recipe from the mother of an ex-boyfriend.  This dessert was definitely the best thing to come out of that relationship!

1 box graham crackers

2 small boxes of french vanilla pudding

3 c. cold milk

8 oz. Cool Whip

For frosting:

3 T. cold milk

3 squares unsweet or semi-sweet chocolate

2 tsp. light corn syrup

2 tsp. real vanilla extract

3 T. butter

1 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar

Butter a 9x13 pan and line with graham crackers.  Combine pudding with 3 cups of cold milk and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Spread half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.  Top with another layer of graham crackers and then the remaining pudding mixture.  Top with a third layer of graham crackers.

For frosting - Melt the chocolate squares and butter.  Combine with corn syrup, vanilla and milk.  Stir in confectioner's sugar and beat in stand mixer or with hand mixer until smooth.  Spread over the top layer of graham crackers.  Refridgerate for at least 4 hours, but best overnight.

This is sooo yummy. It gets better the longer it sits in the fridge as the graham crackers soften.  When my mom makes this, she doubles the frosting so that it's extra chocolate-y.  I think it's great as is, but if you're a choc-o-holic, you might want to double it.

Hope you enjoy the recipes!  If you want a few more ideas for dinner this week, head over to Jimmy Choos & A Baby Too and check out everyone else's Top 2 favorites.

www.findjenniferkesse.com

Four years ago today, January 24, 2006, my friend and sorority sister Jennifer Kesse was abducted.  Within hours of not arriving at work that day, Jenn's family realized something was wrong.  Phone calls to Jenn went unanswered.  Police were notified, signs were made and by 4:00 p.m., the search had officially begun.  It has not ended. 

Four birthdays and four Christmases have gone by and Jenn's family is still without answers.  They go to bed each night not knowing what has happened to their daughter, their sister, their best friend.  They wonder if they'll ever see her again.  But someone knows.  Someone knows what happened to Jenn that day.  And I hope every day that someone will find the courage to come forward and give Jenn's family the answers they so desperately need and want. 

Despite the passage of four years, Jenn's case is active and Orlando police continue to receive tips and follow leads.  Hope remains for the miracle of her safe return.  A new reward of $1,000,000.00 has been posted for Jenn's SAFE RETURN. 

Awareness is key to bringing Jenn home.  Please take a minute to visit the website dedicated to the search for Jenn - http://www.findjenniferkesse.com/

I share this story primarily to spread awareness about Jenn's abduction and to aid in the search.  But also as a reminder for us all.  We all think "It won't happen to me or someone I know" or "This couldn't happen in my neighborhood."  But it can. 

While you can't live your life in fear, you can take precautions for your own safey.  Lock your doors, be aware of your surroundings, and ask someone to walk you to your car in the dark.  Don't run alone at night or sit alone in a parked car and always approach your car or door with keys ready.  Make sure people are aware of your routine so that they know if something has gone wrong.  These are small steps you can take every day to keep yourself safe.  More can be found here.  Jenn is smart and took many, if not all, of these same precautions.  While they didn't prevent her abduction, they could protect another woman from harm.

UP

Not since I was six and watched "The Land Before Time" have I cried this much during a cartoon.  The Mister and I went to dinner tonight, then came home and watched Up.  Such a sad, sweet story.  Please tell me I'm not the only one who cried like a baby throughout this movie.  And when I say "throughout", I mean at least four different times.  Sad.  And I'm not talking about the movie.

Hope you all had a great, tear-free Saturday night.

Bi-Partisan Cookies

This blog isn't about politics.  It isn't about anything really.  Sort of like Seinfeld.  But with more talk of shoes and television.

But back to the point.  This blog isn't about politics.  Neither is this post.  It's about cookies.  {Patience grasshopper.  We'll get there.}  But first, a bit of background. A  glance at my sidebar might explain why I was less than thrilled by what happened in Massachusetts last night.  It might also explain why The Mister was pleased as punch about the whole mess.  And when The Mister wouldn't turn off the victory speech on CNN, I got down right pissy. 

So, I did what I always do when I'm stressed, sad or, in this case, fuming mad.  I baked. 

I made the yummiest Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies I've ever tasted. Why Oatmeal cookies?  Because I'm on a diet, of course!  Oatmeal = healthy.  Duh!  Kidding...they just sounded good.  Plus, what better cookie to soothe the soul of crunchy granola liberal lefty like myself? 

In all seriousness, these were some tasty cookies.  I deserve a freakin' medal for eating only one.  (The rest went to the office this morning.)  In case anyone wants to give them a try, here's the recipe:

Bi-partisan Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Liberal-ly made, Republican Approved"*

Recipe from The Repressed Pastry Chef, adapted from Allrecipes

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. white sugar

1 egg

1 t. pure vanilla extract

3/4 c. all purpose flour

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used closer to 1 c. of a semi-sweet & milk chocolate mix)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside.  Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (a hand mixer works too), cream together butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Add in flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake for approximately 13-15 minutes, depending on your oven temperature. 

Enjoy these warm from the oven with a cold glass of milk served in a "Proud to Be A Democrat" glass, all the while contemplating where it all went wrong...

Or you could eat them smugly on the couch whilst watching a victory speech. By a Republican. In Massachusetts.

Your choice.  All viewpoints are welcome here at For the Love.  Except people who don't like cookies.  Because that's just wrong.

*Yes, I shared the cookies with The Mister.  What can I say?  I'm a nice girl.  And I may have made him drink his milk out of my "Proud to Be A Democrat" glass.  I'm not THAT nice...

Golden Globes

It's Wishful Wednesday at The Seattle Smiths.  If you don't know what Wishful Wednesday is all about, head over to Kelsey's blog and check it out.  This is my first time participating in Wishful Wednesday and what a fun topic - Golden Globe Gowns!

'I wish'... I could have worn the gown Lea Michele wore at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards! 

As soon as I saw her on the red carpet in this dreess, I fell in love. Doesn't she look phenomenal in her Oscar de la Renta gown? It meets all my criteria for a fabulous dress - it's black {hello slimming}, emphasizes the waist and hides the rear. And the feathers? Oh, how I do love those feathers.

And while I realize it wasn't part of Wishful Wednesday....while I'm wishing for things, I'd also like to look like Meryl Streep when I'm 60.  She is just gorgeous.

                                                  

What was your favorite dress at the Golden Globes?

Look Who Got A Nook!

Nope, not me.  {sad face}  It’s your “guest blogger” of the day…TheSister!   Because I'm insanely jealous of The Sister's Nook, I asked her to review it here for all of you.*  Here's what she has to say:

When our Mom asked what I wanted for Christmas I told her, “Nothing, I’m good.” I guess this wasn’t an acceptable answer because she then said she needed some sort of list. As someone who is fond of the philosophy “If I want it, I buy it” I had a hard time coming up with stuff to tell her. So, I Googled “ideas for Christmas gifts 2009” and came across the “best new tech item of 2009” -  the Nook.

For those of you who don’t know what a Nook is, it's the new e-Reader from Barnes & Noble. (It’s like a Kindle. Or if you don’t know what a Kindle is think of an iPod, but for books instead of music). When I first thought of getting an e-Reader, I was skeptical. If I stopped buying books, what in the world would I put on my shelves? But the more I researched the Nook the more I realized that this little thing was pretty awesome. There was just one problem: due to its popularity the Nook was backordered until January 15th. Mom and Dad ordered it for me for Christmas and I waited patiently (kinda) for it to arrive. Alas on Friday it finally arrived! After hours of playing with it and checking out all the features my review is in: It’s awesome!

Here are some of the things that make the Nook great:

1. The Nook is the only e-Reader that has a color touch screen for navigation.

2. Travel: With 2GB of memory, nook stores up to 1,500 books, newspapers and magazines. Need even more space? Just add a memory card. It's an entire library light enough to take with you everywhere, so you'll never be without your favorites. Do you subscribe to a newspaper? Now you can get it on your Nook instead and every morning when you wake up the newspaper is automatically sent to your device. This way you always get your paper, even if you are out of town. Since the airlines are charging an arm and a leg for you to check a bag these days, this makes it much easier to remove the 5 books from your suitcase and make more room for the shoes. Need to save even more room in your bag? Leave your iPod at home. The Nook features a music player. Just load your songs to your Nook and have all your entertainment on one device. And the battery lasts about 10 days on a single charge.

3. Save Money: I know the Nook is sort of pricey ($259), but hear me out: I really think this will save you money over time. How many times have you wanted a new release but didn’t want to pay the hardback price of $22.50?  Now you don’t have to wait 4 months for the paperback. Most of the new release books are only $9.99. Plus, no paper and printing - you’re saving the environment! You’re welcome Al Gore!

4. Options: It is like having a Barnes & Noble in your house (Minus the Starbucks. Well Mom and Dad did also get me the Mr. Coffee Frappe Maker for Christmas so I am pretty close to living at Barnes & Noble). There are over 1 million books to chose from (including thousands of free ones), and they are all at the touch of a button. Just click the "store" button and search for titles. Not sure what you want to read? Sample any eBook for free. If you don’t like it, just put it back.

5. Share: Do you have a large group of girlfriends that like to pass around books? No worries, the Nook has a “lend” option. You can lend your book to a friend and for 2 weeks the title is removed from your library and put into theirs…just like lending someone an actual book.

6. The eBook is better than a paper book: Can you change the font size or style on your paper books? Can your book tell you what sesquipedalian means? The Nook can. Just highlight a word and hit “look up”. It is like having a dictionary at the tip of your fingers. You can also highlight and bookmark passages that you want to come back to later. The “Reading Now” feature allows you to return to the last thing you were reading. No need to flip through and try to remember where you left off.

These are all great reasons to buy a Nook, but there was one selling point for me that out weighed all the rest. Better than the convenience and better than the portability. Secrecy. I sometimes have to travel with my boss and not having to carry a book so that everyone (he) can see what I'm reading might just be the best thing that ever happened to me.

“No sir, of course I am not reading Twilight - I’m 27 years old. I am reading the January issue of the Economist.” SUCKERS!

So there you have it, straight from The Sister's mouth - the Nook is a hit!  Anyone else lucky enough to get a Nook this Christmas?  Anyone else really, really want one now?  {me! me!} Good thing my birthday's just around the corner.  Hint, hint Mister.   Better get on that waiting list now...

*Neither I, nor Barnes & Noble, paid The Sister for her glowing review of the Nook.  She did it out of sheer boredom at work the goodness of her own heart.

Wedding Fun and Photo Fail

Another great weekend has come and gone.

Friday night The Mister and I went to the rehearsal dinner of our good friends, Matt & Lauren. The dinner was held at one of Matt & Lauren's favorite bars and it was lots of fun. Saturday morning I woke up bright & early at ten to seven - something I never manage to do on work days. I thought about going for a run, but it was raining (barely), so I decided to watch a couple hours of shows on the dvr instead. Can you tell I'm not loving this running business yet?

Saturday afternoon was Matt & Lauren's wedding. The Mister was a groomsman and looked so handsome in his tux. I went with the black strapless J. Crew dress with a pair of gold Anthropologie earings, a super cute pair of Stuart Weitzman peep toe pumps, and a gold clutch.

Why am I telling you all of this instead of just posting pictures? Because I accidentally deleted EVERY PICTURE off our memory card at the wedding. To say I was devastated is an understatement. Luckily, almost all of the pictures had been backed up and saved to my laptop, but I did lose a few pictures with my girlfriends from last weekend, along with all of my pictures from the rehearsal dinner and wedding up to that point. {I stole the picture above from my sister's facebook page.}

The wedding was beautiful and we had a great time dancing & drinking with all our friends. The reception was conveniently located near our favorite watering hole, so we all went over to Booth 2 for a few more cocktails after the reception ended. That may or may not have been our downfall. I have no idea what time we left the bar, but I do know that we had the cab driver take us to McDonald's. Oh the shame... {Keep in mind the cab ride from the bar to our house is about a mile. The McDonald's is another mile or two past our house. That's right, it wasn't even on the way home. We had the cab driver go out of the way so we could have drunken double cheeseburgers.}

I woke up this morning with a wicked headache and bitter regret about the late night Mickey D's run. Ahhh Sunday, my familiar friend. How to remedy the headache and remorse? With tacos of course! The Sister and our friend Shana came over and we had tacos and queso from Tijuana Flats and watched 30 Rock.

After the girls went home, The Mister and I took down the outside Christmas lights. {Yes, we were those people. Stop judging! We've been busy. And they are the net lights, so you really couldn't tell they were still on the bushes.} After that we cleaned a bit, did laundry, replaced the A/C filter and other assorted super fun tasks. I made breakfast for dinner {yum} and then caught up on old episodes of Gossip Girl while stamping & sealing 68 baby shower invites. For the past hour I've been shopping the Ballard Designs website and drooling over all their great stuff.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I need go sulk. The Mister has tomorrow off and I have to work. I feel a temper tantrum coming on...

Perspective

I don't need a vacation. Or television. Or 8 magazines subscriptions.

I have my family, my friends, my health and a warm bed to sleep in. I am blessed.

I wish the people of Haiti were so lucky. My heart goes out to those who are injured, to those who have lost their homes, and to those who have lost or are missing family members. Their pain is beyond anything I can comprehend.

A donation hardly seems like enough. But it's something. It's hard to look at the pictures and do nothing. If you'd like to donate to the relief efforts in Haiti, visit The Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, Partners in Health or any of the many other organizations helping the people of Haiti.

Thanks for allowing me this brief departure from the shallow & materialistic. I'll get back to that shortly. But first, let's help some people.

I've got a case of the Mondays.

And it's Wednesday. Blah.

I need a vacation.

I need to wake up and see the ocean from my bed.

I need a frozen drink with an umbrella.

I want to go to there.

...sigh...

Maybe in March for our 1 year anniversary...or sooner if I win the lottery and quit my job. {aka LifePlan B} Until then, I need something to look forward to. Here's what I've come up with:

• The return of some great tv. Southland was rescued from cancellation by TNT and will air Tuesdays at 10pm. 30Rock, The Office and The Big Bang Theory are all back with new episodes this week. Damages returns to FX on January 25. {There's nothing like watching Patty Hayes in action to make you realize your job isn't all that bad. If you haven't been watching Damages, you're missing a great show. Netflix the first two seasons and catch up. I promise you'll be hooked.}


• The wedding of two great friends this weekend.


• The monthly arrival of EIGHT magazines. Yes, eight! Due to some ongoing subscriptions and a big magazine sale on Amazon, I now subscribe to InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Food Network Magazine, Marie Claire, Southern Living and Real Simple. {Nine if you count The Mister's subscription to The Economist but I sure don't. A better sleep aid than a magazine, if you ask me.} Isn't that absurd? Add in the J. Crew, Anthropologie, Victoria's Secret, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and Crate & Barrel catalogs and I'm sure the mail man hates me.


• Jeopardy. Every weekday, without fail, it waits for me on my Tivo. Thank goodness for simple pleasures.


• The arrival of warmer weather this weekend. Rumor has it we may see 70 degrees again. Hallelujah!


• Lunch with my husband at our favorite Thai restaurant today. Basil chicken - yummm.

It's not a weeklong vacation in paradise, but it will probably get me through the week. Still, I think I'll buy a lottery ticket, just in case. Here's hoping...

*ETA: Upon further review, I've determined that this is the saddest list I've ever seen. TV, junk mail and lunch are all I've got to get me through the week? Sad friends, sad.

Updates

I'm happy to report that I have yet to double over in pain, get sick or die from the expired yogurt. And I managed to gain three new followers after that post. Shocked? So am I. Welcome new people! Glad to have you. I promise I don't talk about expired dairy products around here very often. Hopefully that won't send any of you away...

Remember the dress issues I was having? Well, things are not going well in that department. Most of you loved the purple dress from Nordstrom, as did I. Except Mom. She thought it was "old-ladyish." Hear that blog readers? My mom is calling you old ladies. Are you going to take that? Okay, I'm teasing. She just didn't think it was very youthful. Don't hate the mommy - she's good people.

Anyway, I ordered the purple dress.

No bueno. The fabric wasn't as nice in person and it was a few inches shorter on me, which just didn't look right. {Note to self - always listen to Mom.}

I also ordered the patterned strapless dress.

Super cute from the waist up. Waist down? It looked like I had a hoop skirt on under that thing. There was so much tulle poofing that dress up it was ridiculous. Both dresses have already been boxed up and sent back to Nordy's.


I tried to order this little number, but it's back ordered until late February.

So I ordered this instead, in black, from J. Crew. I was thinking it may work with a colored wrap over the shoulders and some interesting jewelry.

I'm going to try to hit the mall this weekend but since they're predicting snow flurries tomorrow {have I mentioned I live in ORLANDO, so yeah, fat chance}, it's pretty likely that I'll spend all day under a blanket on the couch "enjoying the cold" in my pjs. Here's hoping J. Crew comes through in the clutch...

After work I'm heading out for a run {a hilarious new adventure for me... I'll fill you all in soon} and then out with the girls for drinks in Booth 2. Should be a fun night followed by a relaxing weekend. Hope you all enjoy the weekend & stay warm!

Happy Feet

At long last, the wait is over. They're here! My beautiful, sparkly Tory Burch Lissie Strass ballet flats have arrived.

If you recall, in what was intended to be a joke, I asked Santa for these little beauties a few weeks ago. {Along with a White Christmas in Florida and a fountain Diet Coke machine for my kitchen. I got neither, as expected.} What I did not expect, was to find the elusive TB flats under the Christmas tree.

Why didn't I expect them? Well, for one, before the blog post, I hadn't told anyone that I was pining after them. Also, I specifically waited until four days before Christmas to post any kind of wish list, as my parents read this blog and are over-the-top, crazy generous gift givers. And this is without the benefit of any kind of list. I knew a wish list would just increase the madness, so I waited to post until just before Christmas when they'd be too busy getting ready for my brother's wedding to notice. Second, I knew the shoes were impossible to locate. They weren't available online {or so I thought} and Neiman's didn't have them in stock in my size. So, I thought it was safe to post the list.

I was wrong.

My mom read the blog, found the shoes on Nordstrom's website and had them shipped via 2-day air. She's a ninja like that.

Christmas morning I squealed with delight as I unwrapped them. I tore them from the box and promptly placed them on my feet. {They looked hot with my pjs. Trust me.} Unfortunately, I didn't get off the couch before I realized they had arrived damaged, with jewels missing from the logo. I had to mail them back to Nordstrom and wait for them to ship me a replacement pair.

Now that they're here & I've been reunited with my shoes, I am a happy, happy, camper.

Thanks Mom - I love my new shoes!

The post in which I reveal I am disgusting.*

How many days expired is too many when it comes to yogurt? One? Two? I guess I'm asking more out of curiosity than seeking actual advice because this morning's yogurt was four days expired and it tasted great.

Also, Fiber One yogurt is awesome.


That is all.



*unless you picked up on that little secret with yesterday's "turd in a punch bowl" comment, in which case, it was that post.

The Odd Couple

In what's sure to be the strangest pairing since Brigitte Neilson and Flavor Flav became an item, MAC has teamed up with Lilly Pulitzer to create a cosmetics collection full of the bright colors and retro-resort feel Lilly is famous for. The collection has been dubbed "MAC in Lillyland" and features funky bold colors in a variety of applications.

lip gloss

nail polish

and what I can only imagine is clown eye shadow...

The pairing of the notoriously preppy Lilly Pulitzer brand with the edgy, modern MAC brand intrigues me. I wonder if they'll ask the make-up artists at MAC to wear Lilly dresses instead of their standard all black, goth-like garb... I'm pretty sure that cross promotional concept would go over like a turd in a punch bowl with the MAC folks.

But, I have to say, this seems to be quite the clever idea on MAC's part, as it is sure to bring in a whole new client base. While I am certain there are plenty of young people who are fans of both MAC and Lilly, I can imagine there are number of "antique" Lilly fans who've been happily using their Mary Kay mauve lipstick for years and have never heard of this MAC business.

Am I the only one getting a good chuckle at the thought of a Lilly-lovin', middle aged, Palm Beach prepster making her first trip to MAC to pick up her "Lilly make-up," only to discover she has to purchase it from a gentleman with purple hair sporting more glitter and eye-liner than a cabaret dancer?

While the collection on the whole is a bit bright for my taste, I think a few of the items might make a nice addition to your make up bag when used sparingly. {Fuschia lip gloss + tangerine eye shadow + bubble gum blush = drag queen disaster. Unless you're into that stuff. In which case - Rock on, sister!}

*all pictures courtesy of MAC

Looking back...

2009 was a great year! Here's a look back, in pictures.

My sister threw me an amazing bridal shower in January.


We spent four very chilly days in Chicago in February for my bachelorette party.

Got hitched in March.

Spent the best week of my life in Playa Mujeres, Mexico on our honeymoon.

Attended our first wedding as a married couple.

Spent a great weekend in Palm Coast for a good friend's bachelorette party.

There were more than a few fun summer nights out with the girls:

Joined the blogging world in July...

Saw Brit

and Kathy Griffin

Watched my baby brother graduate with his Master's Degree, then pack up and move to Boston.

Saw lots of Gator games from the couch...

and UCF home games at Brighthouse Networks Stadium.

Cooked countless loaves of pumpkin bread.

Found the perfect Halloween pumpkin.

Ran in The Amazing Race. {for Halloween}

Cooked my first Turkey Dinner

Spent Thanksgiving in NYC

Celebrated The Mister's 3oth Birthday

Traveled to see UCF choke in the St. Petersburg Bowl

Watched my baby brother get married to a sweet & beautiful girl.

And had a magical, wonderful "first" Christmas with my husband.

It has been such an amazing year. I'm not sure 2010 can top this year, but if it brings us half as much happiness, we'll be lucky, lucky people. I'm looking forward to the new year and all the events & adventures it will bring. In 2010, there are weddings to attend, babies to meet (not ours), our 1st anniversary and hopefully many more exciting adventures still unknown. Hope 2010 is a great year for us all!