Do it up!

My dear friend Jamie is getting married next weekend and I'm working on a perfect up do for her big day. I have a few photo options below. Your input is welcome - leave a comment with your fav. :) I'll post pics post-wedding with the result!

Option 1: Braid with low bun.

Option 2: Another braid with low bun.

Option 3: Low, loose bun.

Option 4: Curls pinned in low bun.

*Photos courtesy of Celebrity Hairstyles Fashion, Prom Styling Tips, Wedding TV, Carrie Photos.

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Grammar Nazi

My friends and notably, my coworkers, know me as a Grammar Nazi. I hate dangling participles, misplaced clauses and incorrect use of personal pronouns. I think much of this came from tons of grammar training in the lovely state of Texas during my elementary school years and my SAT prep course.

Even though proper grammar isn't a must for around the house, I find myself re-reading emails to check for spelling mistakes and improper grammar. When sending out any written document, even when you're not at work, it's nice to double check for correct spelling, accuracy in statements (particularly those around dates, times, events, places, etc) and general readability.

I know, I know...probably too heavy for a Friday. Have a great weekend, all!

*Photo courtesy of Home School Radio Shows.

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Hey ladies, need your help!

I'm hosting a little cocktail hour with my work gals on Friday evening. Think apps and cocktails with the pooch - sounds perfect for a summer evening, eh? I need a little help with some easy cocktail recipes. I'm planning to make white sangria but was also thinking about some martini options - lemon drop, pom-tini. Other ideas? What are your favorite cocktail recipes for an evening with the girls? Help help!!

Thank you!!
Christine
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Will the real homemaker please stand up?

Many of my friends have asked how I do it 'all.' I think this is a generous compliment because I don't really do everything. Sure, I work full time and I try to keep our home looking clean and attractive and on occasion, I hit a home run with a recipe. In the method of full disclosure, I'm sharing a few honest truths...a confessional, if you will...

1. My house is spotless very infrequently. I focus on the kitchen and bathrooms and vacuuming...but I've been known to let the dust settle, so to speak, for a month at a time.
2. I have been known to have a meltdown if we're out of coffee on a weekday morning, i.e. I forgot to add it to the grocery list. It's not pretty. Run for the hills.
3. I am way too cheap to buy all organic foods. I concentrate on produce where you eat the skin and fresh meat...but not always...
4. Sometimes we eat chips and salsa for dinner.
5. I am guilty of leaving clean laundry in the dryer because I'm too lazy to fold it...for several days.
6. I've looked up at our air filter with disgust but still let it spew gross dust all over our house because I was too lazy to pull out the step ladder.
7. I am positively HORRIBLE at having all components of a dinner ready at the same time. We've definitely eaten broccoli, rice and chicken in three separate courses. It's sort of a joke at our house. Because of this, I'm a little hair brained for big meals at Easter or Thanksgiving.
8. One of my BEST dessert recipes uses a box cake mix....I don't usually tell people that part of the story...

But...
1. I really can make our house spotless...in under an hour...with some pop music blaring as I dance around with the vacuum cleaner, lysol, clorox and a dust rag.
2. I can bake a mean oatmeal chocolate chip cookie...from scratch.
3. I can whip together some random appetizers and a cocktail for unannounced guests pretty adeptly and without losing my cool.
4. I am master coupon clipper, sale shopper and bargain hunter at the grocer. Trust me, if there are organic cake mixes on close out, I will find them and stock up in the event of a nuclear war! We buy some pretty great food within our budget. Oh by the way, I think shopping at Fresh Market and Whole Foods is totally overrated.
5. I have finally been able to prioritize what is important around the house for cooking, cleaning and organizing. Sometimes, a gross, disorganized closet is better than passing up an evening with friends or the hubs. In a bizarrely cheesy way, that's the most important thing I have learned about being a happy homemaker - its all about priorities and juggling house projects in between. Master that and a happy home will ensue.
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The way to a man's heart

...is through his stomach. I have a few go-to meals that I know are bound to please the hubs. These traditional 'man food' dinners include meatloaf, meatballs (beef, chicken or turkey), baked chicken fingers, corn chowder, chili and pizza. I made a barbecue chicken pizza which was good enough to rival that of California Kitchen's signature pie. Lucky for me, I didn't even have to go to the store. I'm not sure I can even tag this post as a recipe because it was more of an assembly project, vice real cooking. But alas, I'll throw myself a bone here...

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

• 1 pre-made pizza dough
• 1/2 C-ish barbecue sauce
• 1/4 C diced onion
• 1/2 C cooked chicken breast, diced
• 1/2 C cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

1. Roll dough onto baking sheet to desired thickness. Meanwhile, saute the onion with olive oil for 3-4 minutes.
2. Top pizza dough with barbecue sauce, onion, chicken and cheese. Cook according to package directions.

Voila - a perfect meal to satisfy the man in your life!

*Photo courtesy of California Pizza Kitchen.

Related Posts: Husband pleasing meal, We heart pizza.

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The UPS man is my friend

I previously wrote about my discovery of Boden here. I ended up ordering this silk skirt and this stripped Henley sweater off their (proverbial) sale rack.

I figured since I blogged about discovering the catalog, I should post some comments about my recent order. I received both items last night and let me tell you this shop has got it together! Their mailing envelope/bag thingie was so cute - teal green with grey polka dots - a nice touch compared to the brown, smiley face boxes we so often receive from Amazon. And since I was a new customer, I was able to snag free shipping, so all in all it was a pretty good bargain. The skirt is beautiful - perfect for work with a sweater or a night out with a pretty black top and sandals. The sweater is so cute in person and beautifully soft, but unfortunately a bit too big. I'll be sending it back this weekend and unfortunately they don't have my size so no dice there. For those wondering about the UK-US sizing translation, it wasn't so bad. I took a gander at the measurements in addition to the US sizing and ordered my normal size, so no major issue there. But with any store, ordering from a catalog is a bit more challenging than shopping at a brick and mortar store.

*Photos courtesy of Boden.

Related posts: I heart...Lily, Cover up for just a few bucks, Look cute even in a downpour.
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DIY Salad Bar

I like meals that are fun and festive. I like roasted poultry, baked squash and macaroni and cheese in the fall. I like peppermint anything around Christmas. And in summertime, I love a fresh, crisp salad. So for a twist on a salad dinner, we had our own salad bar last night.

We started with this...

And ended up with this....
We included locally grown romaine, tomatoes and banana peppers from our own garden, scallions, grilled chicken, hard boiled eggs, carrots, cheese and an assortment of dressings. This seems like a meal that would be amusing to anyone, including children. Sure, we had a few extra dishes, but it certainly made for an entertaining dinner. And somehow, it made a salad a little more appealing for the hubs. What would you include in your salad bar?
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Going to the Chapel

My dear darling bride-to-be cousin is soon to be dress shopping for the dress...that's her wedding dress for those few men who actually read this. She recently sent me an email asking for some advice and ideas. Having been through this fun, but extremely overwhelming experience about two years ago, I have a few tips for Cynthia and for other brides looking for the perfect wedding day duds.

1. Make an appointment! Most bridal salons require it, particularly for weekends.
2 Look through bridal magazines before you go. This way, you'll have an idea of what you like when you arrive at the bridal salon. Bonus points for tearing out pages to show to your bridal consultant.
3. Know your budget and don't hesitate to be firm when being offered dresses that don't meet it.
4. Bring your nearest and dearest. This is a special occasion and it's nice to have your fondest family and friends in tow. My Mother and 3 bridesmaids accompanied me on our whirlwind bridal and bridesmaid dress shopping weekend.
5. Wear comfortable undergarments that won't make you blush if your mother, grandmother, friends, bridal consultant and 10 other brides in the salon see as you parade around trying on dress after dress!
6. Bring a strapless bra.
7. Know the timing and season for your wedding. For a summer wedding, you probably won't want a heavy fabric and likewise, for a January wedding, chiffon just won't do.
8. If you find a designer that you love, look for locations when they may be hosting a trunk show. You can usually find discounts from 10-15% which can be substantial when looking at a pricey dress.
9. Try on different accessories if you find a few dresses between which you cannot decide. A veil, crinolin or necklace might make your decision for you.
10. Keep an open mind. You never know...that the beaded mermaid cut your maid of honor picks might turn out to be drop dead gorgeous on you!
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This is a Public Service Announcement

I've been diligently working on the formatting of the blog to try to make it more user friendly, but have run into a few snags. As an IT consultant, I should know that you always need a back-out plan to revert to your previous arrangement, but alas my personal endeavors aren't as rigorous as those in my professional existence. So please, bear with me while the site is under construction.

Thanks,

Christine

*Photo courtesy of art.com.

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For the Pampered Pooch

Really? Would you expect anything less? My favorite finds below. Some of these may find their way to VA...I'll keep you posted if/when that happens.

Seersucker Custom Collar from Four Preppy Paws at $30.

Stripped Dog Collar from Four Preppy Paws at $27.

Lilly Pulitzer Lobster Pot Dog Collar from My Dog Collars at $48.

Toile Bed from My Dog Collars at $110. The blue one would look a-ma-zing with our white and blue monogrammed bed linens. :)

Pink and Green Dog Bowl from My Dog Collars at $55.

Old English Sheepdog Bowl from My Dog Collars at $35.

Every dog needs her own monogrammed bath towel, yes? Stripped bath towel from Pottery Barn Kids at $34.

*Photos courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids, Four Preppy Paws, My Dog Collars.

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Sucking at the Teet(er)

One more day of triple coupons (up to and including $.99) at Harris Teeter! Made out like a bandit today!
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Product Review: Organic Chocolate Cake and Icing Mixes

We haven't had many sweets in the house and my sweet tooth got the better of me Saturday afternoon. It was a gloomy day and the hubs and I were working on a few things around the house in addition to giving loads of attention to our pooch. So, in happy homemaking form, I decided we needed an afternoon treat that didn't require a (rainy) trip to the store. A while back, I found some organic cake mixes that were on close out at our grocery store and decided to try a few varieties. Perfect for a rainy Saturday afternoon! I grabbed the Dr. Oetker chocolate cake mix and icing mix and went to work making two dozen cupcakes to satiate our sweet tooth.

The cake itself came out beautifully - perfect texture and good, cocoa-like flavor. It tasted fresh and lacked the fake chocolate flavor that is often found in cake mixes. The icing on the other hand, wasn't as great. It was extremely runny and I followed the directions to the letter; basically it lacked substance to properly frost the cake. I ended up adding about a cup of confectioners sugar to ensure it was thick enough for frosting our cupcakes. Overall, our afternoon baking project was a success in that it was simple and quite tasty with our icing modifications. I would definitely use both purchase both the cake and icing mixes again, knowing that I needed some extra sugar to add some umph to the icing mix. And hey, if you're not a bake-from-scratch kind of gal, these mixes are perfect!

Product Review Summary
Products: Dr. Oetker Organic Chocolate Cake Mix and Organic Chocolate Icing Mix
Price: $.42 on close out for each; about a dollar total
Required Ingredients: 3 Eggs, 2/3 C milk, 1/2 C oil for cake; 1/3C butter, 1/4 C water for icing

**This product review was in no way sponsored or endorsed by Dr. Oetker.
*Photos courtesy of Dr. Oetker.

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You may catch more flies with honey...

...But vinegar is a little more versatile around the house. I've always been a little bit of a clean freak and have always been a big fan of vinegar as an awesome home remedy. Now that we have a puppy, I have stocked up my supply once again since white vinegar can be a miracle worker for accidents. One of my Mom's tricks is to mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water in a spray bottle for puppy accidents on carpet. Soak up as much urine as possible with a dry towel or paper towel and then spray the area lightly - it shouldn't be soaking. In extreme circumstances, my Mom would put the dog's nose to the area to recognize the smell with a 'bad dog' deed.

Here are a few other tricks for white vinegar:

1. Use vinegar to eliminate weeds and grass growing in unwanted places, like your driveway or patio. Pour full-strength vinegar directly on the weeds or grass and watch them shrivel!
2. Eliminate ant hills with vinegar.
3. When boiling or steaming cauliflower, beets or other vegetables, add a teaspoon or two of white distilled vinegar to the water to help them keep their color. This will also improve their taste and reduce gassy elements.
4. To correct an overly-salted dish, add a spoonful of white distilled vinegar and sugar to try correcting the taste.
5. Hey Goldilocks! Clean and disinfect your hairbrush by soaking in white vinegar.
6. Remove soap residue in the shower, by wiping down with a vinegar-soaked sponge.
7. Have a brittle paint brush? Soak it in hot distilled white vinegar and then rinse with warm, soapy water.

A few great sites with tips on vinegar:

• http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts
• http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html
• http://www.heinzvinegar.com/tips.aspx

*Photo courtesy of Heinz.

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T-2 Days...

...until this stunning cast returns to television on the fabulous show Mad Men. My husband and I were immediately taken with this show for so many reasons. I encourage everyone to check out an episode and I dare you to not get hooked!

*Photo courtesy of AMC.
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Dog Food Deal

The site k9Cuisine.com is offering a fabulous deal on some great, grain free dog and cat food by Nature's Valley. I have been looking for dog food deals and coupons online and happened upon this site. K9Cuisine specializes in organic pet food and treats, which is pretty trendy given the organic epidemic sweeping the suburbs these days. Details for a free 4.4lb bag of food below:

Get Your Free Bag of Nature's Variety Instinct! To get your free bag, simply add a 4.4lb bag of Nature's Variety Instinct Rabbit Dog Food, Instinct Duck & Turkey Dog Food, or Instinct Rabbit Cat Food to your cart. At checkout, use coupon code 'Instinct-e-0709'.
Offer expires Aug 31st 2009. Limit 1 bag per customer.

Pretty groovy, eh?
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Another dinner for my summer corn craze

Tried a new summery dinner recipe this week and it was delish. This recipe could be easily doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Plus, it gave me a chance to attempt to re-grow some scallions.

Tortellini with Corn and Scallion Sauce Recipe

• 12 oz cheese tortellini (or you could use ravioli)
• 1 C fresh corn (about 2 ears worth)
• 1/2 C scallions (white and green sections), chopped
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 C skim milk
• 1/4 C chicken broth (or vegetable to make this vegetarian)
• 1 tsp black pepper

1. Boil water for tortellini and cook according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet over med-high heat. Once bubbling, add corn and scallions and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until corn is deeper color.
3. Add milk and broth to vegetable mixture and cook until boiling, then reduce. Add pepper.
4. Toss tortellini with sauce and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread for a fabulous meal!

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Fish and Chips for Paddy

In honor of your darling Old English Sheepdog, Paddy, we decided to prepare a pseudo-British feast. What's that you say? The Brits don't have much in the way of indigenous delicacies? Why yes, very true, but who doesn't love fish and chips?! Lucky for me, I had bought a gorgeous piece of cod earlier and it was waiting in our freezer for a yummy supper. So, off I went to grab a potato (I went with a sweet potato for our 'chips') and a suitable veggie (turned out to be a pretty plain jane green salad with a vinaigrette - let's pretend it was a rocket salad, shall we?). I found a nice looking fish recipe from Emeril on Food Network and modified to suit what I had in the house for ingredients. Yum yum in my tum tum!

Fish and Chips for Paddy Recipes

Fish Recipe:

• 1 1/4-1 1/2 lb. fresh cod, cut into medium pieces (3-4 inches, square)
• 2 C all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 8 oz amber beer (I used an IPA)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 - 2 tsp other spices (garlic powder, seasoning salt, etc - be creative!)
• 1 C oil, for frying

1. In a medium bowl, combine 1 C flour, baking powder, beer, eggs, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and other spices. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
2. Heat oil in large skillet
3. Place remaining 1 C flour in bowl. Dredge each piece of fish through flour and then submerge in beer batter. Place in hot oil, being careful not to splatter the oil.
4. Fry each piece of fish about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown, depending on thickness. Remove the fish from the skillet and place on wire rack over paper towels to drain. Season with remaining salt and pepper.

Chips Recipe:

• 1-2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fry shapes (approx 1/4 inch wide, 3-4 inches long)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• approx 1 Tbsp salt
• approx 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• approx 1 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place potatoes in bowl and toss with olive oil and seasonings. Place on greased baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes, turning once.

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Shameless plug

Hello blog-friends! Warning: shameless plug in this post. My dear friend Susan submitted her photo (see below) to earn a walk-on roll on the AMC show Mad Men. This is a fantastic show that takes place in the early 1960s, chronicling the advertising executives on Madison Avenue. It's incredibly smart, has gorgeous clothes and sets and is great cocktail party conversation! Season 3 comes back on the air Sunday, August 16th. Check out her photo below and vote for her (5 stars preferred!) here.

Good luck, Susan - we think you're perfect for the show! :)
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6 unexpected things I've learned about dogs

We've had Paddy a little under 48 hours and already, I (we) have learned a few things about having a dog.

1. They really will eat anything - like your concrete front steps, for example.
2. Bathroom breaks at 30-45 minute intervals is not unreasonable. Hey, it's better to be safe than sorry.
3. Your vet probably won't love your dog as much as you will, which may result in grouchy, irritable poochie parents.
3.5 The vet is expensive, yo!
4. Dog beds aren't as interesting as sleeping under the couch (see here), on the base of the coffee table or next to your dog bed!
5. Curiosity not only killed the cat but is innate to puppy life. Paddy enjoys playing under the grill cover (Lord knows what is under there), around our trash can and under the couch.
6. When your dog plays like this (see photo), your heart will most definitely melt. :)
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How much is that doggie in the window?

Today, we welcomed the newest member of our little family - Paddy! She is an adorable, 8 week Old English Sheepdog. Keeping with a traditional English style, her 'official' name is Lady Paddington, Poochie of Chesapeake, but for short we'll call her Paddy or LPPOC. Hey, I work for the military and we LOVE acronyms...my husband also likes to think she has a pseudo-street name as well. Everybody wins!

We've been looking for a dog for months and are so happy that we found a perfect poochie to compliment our lifestyle and who gets along so well with Flurrie bunny. She seems to be making herself right at home already!

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I heart...fab hair products

I consider myself to be a picky consumer and when I find something I love, brand loyalty inevitably ensues. Now I don't always buy the same brand of salsa or mascara or light bulbs, but I am extremely loyal to Mr. Frederic Fekkai's Glossing Cream. Seriously, this stuff is amazing! And for a gal like me with a VERY frizzy mane, it is a life saver. Even when I was an impoverished college student, this wonder product found its way into my measley budget. Yes, it's a hair pricey at $27.50 for 7 oz, but trust me when I say that it will last several months (usually 4-6 for me). I've also used the cooresponding shampoo and conditioner, which are nice, but aren't must haves.

The entire Fekkai line used to be sold at Bath and Body Works, but it was recently removed from their inventory. But fear not, ladies, it's sold at most Sephora stores and online. Happy hair do-ing!

*Photo courtesy of Fekkai.com.
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Cheese craze

I've been meaning to post my rave reviews for We are Not Martha's absolutely amazing Baked Mozzarella Sticks. I made these a few weeks ago when we had some friends over for the evening. They were a total crowd pleaser! Per usual (of late), I had bought a huge block of mozzarella from our wholesale store, which happened to be sliced into rounds. This worked out to be a great shape/size for the recipe. So instead of sticks, they were more like little patties or rounds - delicious no matter what shape you create! I highly recommend this recipe and also recommend their blog. These ladies have fabulous posts with LOTS of photos and wonderful recipes! They may not be Martha, but they are certainly young, hip and talented!
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Take me out to the ballgame

Hi friends, I apologize for my MIA-ness of late. Our work softball team made the playoffs (woo!) and we have been playing a game (sometimes two if we win the first) every other night. That makes for a tired (and bruised and sore) girl. I guess what they say about getting older and the associated impact on physical resiliency is true - ugh!

Given our schedule fluidity, I've had to plan for everything - deluges of rain, scorching heat, insane humidity and games over the dinner hour, often with an hour of downtime in between. My trusty Scout bag is usually packed with a full water bottle with as much ice as it will hold (trust me it melts verrry quickly), bug spray, sunscreen and a clean pair of flip flops. I've also included a few ballpark-esque snacks on occasion. My favorites are bubble gum (for some reason I can't find Bazooka these days), sunflower seeds (my hubs likes the dill pickle flavored ones - ew), orange slices, grapes, pretzels and granola bars. A well-stocked bag keeps this girl prepared and happy. After all, there is no crying in (soft)ball, right?!
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An industrial celebration of sorts

We spent the weekend in Waltham, Massachusetts (about 15 miles from Boston) for the wedding of a dear friend of mine from college. This was one of the coolest and most unique weddings that we have attended. Both the ceremony and reception were held at the Charles River Museum of Industry in Waltham. I sort of expected that we might see a brief glimpse of the museum content, but would be in some sort of function room for the fete. Boy, was I wrong! The cocktail hour was actually in one of the rooms with old looms and textile machines; the entire space was exposed brick with old, concrete floors from the original building when it was used as a factory. We walked through a portion of the museum on our way to the ceremony. It was such a unique place and I was envious that the couple found such a picturesque location for their special day.

The other aspect of their wedding which I loved was the incredibly personal and intimate atmosphere. From the ceremony to the toasts, the wedding just oozed of the couple's personalities - it sort of defies words and is tough for me to explain in a meager blog post. The officiant obviously knew the couple extraordinarily well (she has known my friend since she was 2!!) and spoke about each of them beautifully. She even included a few high points from their '25 random things about me' that each had posted to Facebook - how modern and chic! The best man brought down the house with his toast which included singing and speaking; it was incredible! And the dance floor was packed all night long; this was truly a rockin party!

Check out their escort cards - a multi-color lollipop tied with a card showing our table, which was named after their darling dog.

It was a beautiful celebration for a dear friend and we were so blessed to be able to celebrate with them! I know they will have an amazing time on their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic.

*Photos of museum courtesy of Charles River Museum of Industry.

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