Gone til November

Hey friends,

It's been a busy few weeks for this PTHH.  I'm working crazy hours and trying to keep up around the house.  Give me a few weeks and I'll be back as a blogger in full force.  Until then, I'll lacking sleep, full of caffeine and trying to get my brain to function a bit better and a bit quicker.  Oh, and I'll be indulging in my latest beauty purchase - seriously, heavy duty under eye concealer...and boy do I need it!  More on that when I'm back.

xo,
PTHH
share on: facebook

Gimme gimme gimme

Do you ever get a case of the "I wants"?  I have them right now.  It's not a good thing.  Everyday I've been coming up with something else to add to my never-ending wish list. 

My wish list: Amazon Kindle, Canon Digital SLR camera, HTC Droid Incredible, Pottery Barn sofa, Brick colonial home.

Luckily, my miserly tendencies have kept me from punching in my credit card digits to ever tom, dick and harry website that might sell these products. 

And yes, I am total aware that my wish list is unrealistic.  But maybe someday I can save to get one of these...
share on: facebook

Dill-icious

If you haven't noticed, I'm on a pretty sweet streak of making up words with key words or topics from my posts.  Coming up with a good title or catch phrase is definitely the most challenging part about blogging.  And there are only so many catchy puns or rhymes out there.  My creativity is usually waning after I've written a full post and the title can sometimes put me over the edge.  However, the last few days, I've had a resurgence in creativity and catchy plays on words.  Perhaps it's the fact that I haven't been posting everyday...

The reason for this post is a quick and easy trick I figured to make a not-too-great bottle of Ranch dressing taste a little better. You see, I was trying to be a fancy pants and bought some all natural organic Ranch.  To be honest, I can't even remember the brand.  But it wasn't on the main aisle with salad dressings - it was on a side display with Annie's and others.  But it's not Annie's.  Maybe it's Brianna's.  Or maybe it's Susan's or Linda's or some other women's name.  I couldn't just throw it away.  It was a solid $4 and brand new!!  So regardless of which woman makes a ho-hum ranch, I spiffed it up by adding a bit of dill weed.  I love dill.  A little goes a long way to add a nice kick to vegetables, marinades and now salad dressing.  It's the perfect addition to a blase ranch for dipping my carrot sticks or a topper for my salad.  Dill-icious!

*Photo courtesy of bon appetit.
share on: facebook

Faux and fabulous!

One of my fav looks for fall is the faux fur vest.  So great for the weekends with a t-shirt, jeans and boots.  Very chic for such a simple look.  This is definitely on my shopping list for fall...and probably a lower priced option since it is a trendy item.  Here are some of my favs from around the ether.

Splurge (clockwise from top left): Kenna-T Vest from Nordstrom, Rebecca Minkoff Faux Fur Vest from Saks Fifth Avenue, Natalie Faux Fur Vest from Piperlime.

Steal (clockwise from top left): Vest from Old Navy, Jack by BB Dakota at Paperlime, Apt 9 Vest from Kohls, Vest from MyShape.

Faux-bulous!
share on: facebook

Say hello to my little friend

I spray painted a few picture frames over the weekend and ended up with black paint ALL over my hands.  Luckily, my trusty bottle of nail polish remover was around to help.  Neither soap and water nor mineral spirits nor steel wool took it off.  But my trusty Cutex did!

*Photo courtesy of Walgreens.
share on: facebook

Thirty before thirty

Like many, I'm a little freaked out by the fact that in 364 days, I'll be turning 30.  It sounds old!  It's a new decade.  It means I've been out of college eight long years.  How did that happen?  And like lots of other bloggers who have gone before me, I'm making a list to conquer many things before that dreaded blessed day arrives.  So here it is, friends, my thirty before thirty list:

1. Run a half marathon (in the works for February).
2. Start swimming again....and not quit after 1 or 2 swims.
3. Host a dinner party for at least 12 people.
4. Stop biting my nails.  Permanently.  (already in the works)
5. Better train the dog to not be overly "friendly" with guests.
6. Work on better, more frequent hand-written thank you and hello notes.
7. Go camping. 
8. Master my wavy locks...I'm this close to being there.
9. Identify and write down my fav wines so as to avoid the haphazard gazing on the wine aisle.
10. Redecorate our living room.  The style is tired and I'm just not feeling it.  Plus it needs a rug and much, much better lighting.
11. Finish reading all the never-read books in my bookshelf before I keep buying more books.
12. Deviate from my basic cooking.  Grab some new ethnic recipes to try and like.
13. Research and purchase some investments without a lot of help from my standard financial planner (aka Dad) - mutual funds, stocks, etc.
14. Master cake decorating.
15. Perfect a 'go to' dinner meal.
16. Get back into sewing and sew some clothing. 
17. Organize my craft supplies.
18. Master herb gardening....the legal kind...
19. Make homemade pasta.  My friend S inspired me!
20. Finish all the scrapbooks I've started.
21. Find a church.
22. Learn to knit.
23. Rekindle some old friendships.
24. Visit my buddies in NYC.
25. Lose 10 lbs.
26. Learn to apply make-up really, really well.
27. Develop a signature look.
28. Be more candid with my folks.
29. Relearn calligraphy.
30. Chill about being 30 soon.
share on: facebook