I'm back!!!

So, it has been a busy last week, and I can't believe I haven't posted since last Monday!

I was super busy at work last Monday- Wednesday getting ready for a trip to NYC for some work related stuff. Wednesday evening I left for New York and I went straight to sleep when I got to the hotel that night because I knew the next 2 days would be insanely busy and LONG! We stayed at 70th Park, and it was so nice! My room was great, but I could not get used to the traffic/ noise outside all. freaking. night. Thursday, we headed to the office all day, as in got there at 8:30 left at 1:00 on Friday morning. It was exhausting, but kind of fun to see what really goes on during these trips.

We were so busy, we ate a super late lunch and none of us were hungry for dinner. It wasn't until I got in bed around 1:30 that I realized I was STARVING!! So I decided to do room service breakfast the next morning. I woke up to the nice man knocking with my food, but I was sadly disappointed. The food was not great and ended up being about $35 for a normal breakfast. Rip off!

However, the rest of the day was really fun and exciting! I didn't get home until midnight that night, so Saturday I slept in and then my mom and I went to look at apartments. I think we found the one I will move into if I end up going to GSU Law (which is what will most likely happen) We spent the rest of the day just hanging out and had leftovers from my mom's dinner party the night before.

Sunday, we went to church and then I made salsa and red velvet cupcakes to take to a friend's house to watch the Oscar's last night. We had a great time there and got to spend some time on their patio-type-area watching the pre-show because the weather was beau-t-ful!

Unfortunately, I am home sick today. I have some type of stomach bug and I have never been so miserable before!!! I hope I start feeling better asap because I am starting to get hungry and am tired of feeling like crap!

I hope y'all have been doing well! I will be back tomorrow for sure!

ERK


Ps- I stopped the photo challenge...I am a quitter but I just wasn't that into it.

Day 2... a lil late

So I am a little late on day 2, but I warned y'all I probably wouldn't post everyday.


So, day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

I couldn't decided to do friends or family so I will just do both!

First, my sister (for obvious reasons).

This was when my sister came to visit me in college and we went to an 80's party. And yes, that is a thong leo, very funny but SO uncomfortable!

And my friends Lauren and Sara. We have been friends since freshman year of high school. Though we didn't stay in constant contact during college, we were always able to pick right back up where we left off.

This is the three of us on a beach trip the summer after we graduated from high school. I'm creepin'

I will try to be better about posting these every day now.

I hope y'all had a great weekend!

ERK

Ok... I'm jumping on the bandwagon too!

I have seen this on many blogs I read, so I have decided to participate in the 30-day photo challenge as well. It might not happen on 30 consecutive days, but I promise I will do them all.


So here's how it works:

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 04 - A picture of your night
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture and a letter
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

 So, here goes:

A picture of me in the Louvre in Paris this summer

1. I love salt! I put salt on absolutly everything and always prefer salty snacks to sweet ones. My mom does too, and we blame it on low blood pressure (which we both have) It's not scientific, but it works for us.

2. I used to be a die hard coca-cola and dr. pepper addict. I could drink 5 or more in a day, especially if I went out to eat. It was pretty gross, and I am glad I have finally kicked that bad habit. I don't even drink caffeine anymore (I can't believe I haven't had any in exactly 1 month!!) If I have a soda, it will be a ginger ale, but at work I usually drink water or a mix of water and powerade.

3. I was in the marching band in high school.... 


...just giving it time to set in and get the laughs outta the way. I started playing clarinet in 6th grade and played through high school, including in the marching band for 3 years. People always equate marching band with not being cool, but it was actually fun and all my friends did it. I think it was a good experience for me, and I am glad I did it. And, I think I am super cool, haha

4. I am not good at managing money. at all. I have been trying to get better, but it just seems that when you get in debt it's impossible to ever get out! And I also blame it on all of the designers that make cute clothes/ bags/ shoes


5. My family didn't have cable tv in our house until I was in 7th grade, but we weren't allowed to watch tv on the weekdays anyway when we were kids. I am kind of happy about this now, because I have lots of fond memories playing outside with my brother and sister.


6. I have terrible anxiety, which is one reason I have given up caffeine.


7. Disorganization stresses me out like nothing else! I can't stand not knowing where something is and I usually obsess until I find it. I really like having everything in it's place, or at least having a specific place for everything. I also don't like when things aren't uniform, it really bugs me if things aren't even.


8. I love french fries and would eat them all the time if they weren't so bad for you!


9. I am terrible at decorating. I don't know why, but I just can't do it. My apartment for my last year of college looked like a tween lived there. I try to put things together that look good, but it never turns out well. At least my mom is pretty good at it, so when I move into an apartment she can help.


10. I want to go to law school next year, but I have no idea what I want to do with a law degree.

What I'm Lovin'

 Time for another edition of what I'm lovin' Wednesday!

1. My super sweet and amazing boyfriend for coming to Atlanta last weekend and surprising me TWICE on Monday!

2. Old Lilly prints. Some of my favorites:
Black Jack

Low Riders

Day Trippers

And, a few others I couldn't find pictures of:

Under the Palm

Palm Beach Toile

3. That I am going to NYC next Wednesday!! It is for work, so there won't be much "playtime" but I am still excited!

4. My soon to be Nook Color. I ordered it this morning and it already shipped out. It should be here by Friday! Yay, I can't wait! I have been eyeing this bad boy for a while, and my trip next week made me finally take the plunge and buy it. I also got a really cute hot pink leather case for it!

Picture from Barnes & Noble

Does anybody have any good book suggestions for me to download when it comes in?

Well I could go on and on, but I will stop there!

Hope y'all had a great day, halfway through the week!

ERK

Weekend Recap and a really sweet party!

I feel like this past weekend FLEW by but it was really fun! The bf came in on Friday night, and of course he was hungry when he got in so I took him to an Atlanta pizza staple, Fellinis. After that we headed home for him to change then went to meet a friend of ours at a bar. I usually am in bed by 9:00 and rarely go out anymore, but I actually had a great time! I think I need to start "livin it up" more before I am bogged down with law school next year. Anyways, we had a great night!

Not so cute of either of us, but it's the only pic we took together all weekend!

Saturday, we got up and went to breakfast at The Flying Biscuit which was so good. Their grits are to die for! Well actually, breakfast was after an early morning excursion to the vet for Cupie, but that's another story. After eating a ton, we relaxed and we I recovered from my food coma.  Then we headed out to a shooting range to go skeet shooting with some of my dad's shotguns. They never get used anymore because my dad no longer hunts, so they were a little dirty (which in hunting language means they don't work as well, I think) Needless to say, we had a great time, but i'm a terrible shot! I only got 3/25 then 4/25. Bf was really good though. Also, I now have a completely bruised arm because apparently I wasn't holding the gun tightly enough.

Saturday night, I decided to take my first stab at making homemade past with the pasta machine my parents gave me for v-day. I was pretty hard to do, and took a lot of rolling and kneading, but it turned out really well! I made a scallop and angel hair pasta that even I was shocked was so good. After dinner we hung out and decided to watch a movie, but I feel asleep within the first 10 minutes. Oops!

Sunday we slept in then went to a really fun restaurant/ brewery/ bar in Atlanta called Park Tavern. It is right on the corner of Piedmont Park and is so beautiful in the middle of the city. The weather was ah-mazing, so we sat outside and placed our orders. When we ordered our drinks (sangria for me, bloody mary for him) we were told they didn't serve alcohol until 12:30, what the heck? We had to wait 10 minutes because as our waitress said we are in the "Bible-belt" which I found a lil offensive, but oh well. Anyways, after great drinks and a yummy lunch, we went and redeemed a LivingSocial deal I purchased to go ice skating at the restaurant. They put in an ice rink every winter and it was really fun, other than the fact that the skates hurt and ice skating is MUCH harder than I remember!

Here we are skating, once again not great pictures, but the tent was really pretty with the Chinese lanterns.

Sunday night was my big Valentines party, so we came home after skating and I finished getting everything together. The party was so much fun, but I wish I had taken pictures!! I had all of my good friends, including my friend Adam who just got back from being in Israel for 6 months, so I was super excited to see him and hear about his trip! My good friend Sara and her bf came, along with mine and Mark's friend Harrison. Also my sweet friend Kimmy came and brought homemade cake pops that looked almost too good to eat...almost! And Lauren came with some beautiful flowers.

For appetizers, we had roasted red pepper bruschetta and spinach and artichoke dip with toasts, and for dinner we had a green salad and homemade chicken pot pie. I was a little disappointed in the pie because I made it the Sunday before as a test run and it was so good, but this time it didn't turn out as well. And, for dessert, we had vanilla cupcakes with mocha frosting. They were really tasty.

We all had a great time eating, and drinking a little, and the night was a huge success! Here are some pictures!

The cupcakes. They might not look perfect, but they tasted great!

My "party favors" were sugar cookies I made and decorated, then put in pink and red candy boxes from Bake it Pretty and put on personalized valentines labels I ordered from Tiny Prints. Then I tied it up with pale pink, hot pink, or red tulle.

The chandelier above the table, I tied pretty pink grosgrain ribbons with hearts into bows on it to make it a little more festive!

The table settings: my mom did these and I thought they were pretty and simple. The napkins were super cute and had red cupids embroidered on them!

Well, after a fun and busy weekend, and an early trip to the airport this morning, Cupie and I are just beat! We are going to sit and read and probably go to bed before 9 tonight! I hope everyone had a great weekend and Valentine's Day!!

ERK

Happy Dav of Love!

Happy Valentines Day from myself and sweet little Cupie, it is her favorite day of the year!!

My sweet little baby who is my Valentine every day of the year!

Oh, and I will be back later to give y'all a recap of the weekend with the BF and my Valentines party last night!

xoxo,

ERK

Did you seriously just do that?

Well, this post was inspired by one of the worst things I have ever seen happen at a restaurant. Ever. Yesterday, I walked across the street from my office for lunch at a sandwich shop. There are tables and a "bar" type seating area for people who are loners eating by themselves to sit. So, I parked it in one of those seats, as to not take up an entire table for just myself. (Don't you just hate when people do that?) There was only one other person sitting in that are. After my first few bites of a delish sammy, I heard the most disgusting sucking/ slurping sound. I looked up and in the mirror I saw the lady picking her teeth. In. public. With a toothpick. I immediately lost my appetite. I was amazed (hence this post's title) I have never in my life seen someone "go at" their teeth in a restaurant like that. Ok, I understand grabbing a pick on your way out, but c'mon, this is not your personal bathroom lady.

That being said, I thought I would go over some of my pet peeves and things I think every diner should know. (Stop right here if you don't want to read a SERIOUS rant)

First of all, I would not call myself the most mannered person in the world, but I have done my fair share of reading from Emily Post (gotta love it) and the Tiffany's Table Manners for teenagers book, and I feel that table manners are of the utmost importance. I think that manners in general have fallen by the wayside, but some people have no clue about what to do when sitting down to a meal.

Secondly, I would like to thank my mom for teaching me all about table manners. I am so thankful that I know what to do, and don't embarrass myself in certain situations. Thanks to dad as well, he always used to get on us at the dinner table for "pushing our food with our fingers".

Anyway, on to my pet peeves!

1. I hate when people sit down for a meal and don't put their napkin in their lap and set out their fork(s) and knife. It is easy, and it is ALWAYS what I do first. I think it might be a little of my OCD coming out, but I hate when the table doesn't look uniform.

2. Buttering bread. Many people don't know this, but when buttering your bread, you should tear off a piece at a time and butter and eat it. Never butter a big ole' slab of bread at the table with me, it gets to me!!

3. I hate when people order and say "i'll have..." or "i'll take the.." I have never worked in a restaurant, but a little please and thank you go a long way and are surely appreciated. I almost always say "may I have.. please?"

4. Chewing with one's mouth open. Enough said.

5. Since yesterday, I have added a new one I never thought I would have to. Don't EVER pick your teeth in a restaurant!!

6. Please, hold your utensils correctly!! Some people have the strangest ways of holding a fork and knife (some look terribly uncomfortable), but I just can't stand to see someone grab a fork and spear something! Also, along with this, I hate when people take more than one bite off their fork. I can't stand the thought of someone "gnawing" on a piece of meat or whatever is on their fork.

Well, I'm sure I could think of a billion more, but I will leave it with those big ones. I think I am just a little OCD about people eating in general. I can loose my appetite in an instant if I can hear someone else eating (slurping, crunching, smacking). I know sometimes it's impossible not to make a little noise, but it literally makes me nauseous.

So, now that I am off my soapbox, does anything annoy you about manners, or lack there of?

And, I was going to leave y'all with a little video I did in a journalism class last year on this very topic, but I can't find it:( Oh well...
ERK

What I'm Lovin'- Pink Edition!

Since it's almost Valentines day, I thought this weeks "What I'm Lovin' Wednesday" would be all things pink!

1. The Kate Spade Gold Coast Bright Evangeline! I don't know if y'all remember, but I was lovin' the black version of this just a few weeks ago here. I saw this baby at Bloomys today while looking for a gift for the bf (obvi I had to peruse the ladies section after looking at every men's item in the store) I am SMITTEN! This bag would be so perfect with almost every one of my Lillys and would add a pretty pop of color this winter too! the Robin also comes in this pretty hue. You can find both of these pretties at Zappos!

2. Lilly Pulitzer Finn Shift Ponte in cocktail pink! Wouldn't this be so cute to wear to work next Monday?!?

3. OPI's Elephantastic pink. This is one of my fave pinks!

4. The Vineyard Vines ladies Shep Shirt in flamingo! I have been wanting a Shep shirt forever! The men's one just looked so cozy, but when the ladies came out I knew I needed one. The colors are so pretty!

So there are some of my favorite pink things! What pink stuff are y'all lovin' this week?

ERK

Weekend Recap!

What a fast weekend!! I feel like this was the shortest weekend ever, and I was NOT ready to get up and go back to work this morning. After our delightful dinner to kick the weekend off right Friday night, my mom and I headed down to Macon Saturday morning to see my sister. We went to take her a valentines present from my parents (a neat pot that has a steamer basket and and deeper pasta basket), and we stayed for a little Marshall's outing and lunch. We took Cupie along, and when we got there she refused to go potty before we went in. SO, sure enough, the second we walked in, she ran to my sister's bedroom and peed on the bed!! I was dying! She is BAD sometimes, but mama still loves her. After picking up a few things for my Valentines party (which is this weekend!!!) at Marshall's we went to lunch at a nice little sandwich place called fountain of juice. It was pretty good. We ended up getting back to Atlanta around 5:30 and we had a new dish for dinner, spicy Asian noodles with chicken. Mom and I loved it, dad, not so much. Oh well, you can't please everybody!

Sunday, we went to church and I spent the afternoon making sugar cookies (well actually just the dough) for my valentines and I made a chicken pot pie to test it for Sunday night's party. I am glad to say it passed with flying colors and we basically ate the entire thing!! My friend Sara came over to watch the Super Bowl, so she got to test it out as well. I was glad she liked it!!

And, the Super Bowl.... the Packers won! I was rooting for them because they beat the Falcons, and I guess it makes us look a little better that we lost in the playoffs to the team that won it all. Also, the Steelers had too many Super Bowl wins already, so I wanted the Packers to have their chance.

After the game I was so tired, but decided to stay up and watch Glee, and I was not disappointed! Glee is the only show I actually follow and watch every week and this hiatus has been killin' me!! I loved last night's episode and can't wait for another new one on Tuesday!

And Finally, I will leave you with one of my favorite commercials. The dog reminds me of my friend Lauren's dog who I talked about here.

Hope y'all had a great Monday!

ERK

Miller Union Review

As I told y'all yesterday, we went to a new (or I guess not that new anymore) restaurant last night for dinner for my cousin's birthday called Miller Union. I still can't get over the fact that he is 15 YEARS OLD!!! I feel like he was just born. But anyway, to the food. I loved it!

For my appetizer, I had the farm egg baked in celery cream with rustic bread, and I swear, it was the BEST thing I have EVER eaten. It was amazing, phenomenal...perfect!

It was really dark and my pics didn't come out, so I grabbed this one here.

I had the triggerfish for my dinner, and it was quite tasty. I am not usually a big fish person, but it was a nice white fish, and was served with a beet puree and sunchokes, which were divine!

And, for dessert, a mini coconut cream pie. It was delightful!! Too bad I was so full that I couldn't finish it!

If you live anywhere near the Atlanta area and are looking for a nice spot for dinner, this place is a must! But, call ahead, because getting a reservation is still difficult, even after it has been open for a while!

ERK

Yummy dinner to look foward to!

I am beyond excited to go to a restaurant my mom and I have been DYING to try for a while now. It's called Miller Union and it is supposed to be Ah-mazing!! I checked out the menu and I think I know what I want, but i'm sure there will be some specials that might be even more tempting!

I will take some pics and let y'all know if it lives up to its reputation tomorrow!

Have a great Friday and woohoo for the Super Bowl in 2 days!!

ERK

What I'm Lovin'

Today I'm lovin...

1. That I got into Georgia State College of Law!!! I had to stay late at work, so I got home later than usual. I saw the mail was still in the box, so I decided to be nice and pick it up for mom and dad. The first thing was a letter addressed to me from GSU law, but it was a small envelope. Everybody knows (at least I think) that small envelope= no bueno. Soooo, I opened it, and I was accepted!!! WAHOOO The only problem is that I have to let them know by April 15, which is just around the corner and I am still waiting to hear from 2 other schools.

2. Kenny Chesney's new song "Somewhere with you." I just LOVE this song, and I haven't been a big fan of Kenny for the past few years. His music was always the same ole same ole, but I am really loving this one. I totally jam to it in the car whenever it comes on the radio!

3. My clean little Cupie. She had a bath yesterday, and boy did she need it. Now she looks and smells great!!

Right after her bath (sorry for the bad quality, it's and iPhone pic)

4. That I haven't had any caffeine in 2 weeks! Go me! I can't believe I haven't had a coke, or coffee or anything in that long!

Well, thats it for today. Hope its been a great Wednesday!

ERK

Bad habits die hard

I was thinking today that I have some pretty bad habits that need to stop ASAP. They're nothing super bad, like illegal, but I would be better off leaving them in the dust. Sooo, without further adieu, here they are:

1. Picking my cuticles. Ok, I know, that is GROSS but it is a terrible habit and I just cant stop!! I try to keep my nails done, which stops me from messing with them, but if my nails aren't polished you can bet I'm working on them with or without cuticle clippers. I have tried all kinds of cuticle oils and creams to keep them soft, but they always end up looking gross and hence the picking. I am, however, pretty much a professional at doing my own nails which is a huge money saver, so I am going to try to start doing my nails more to knock this habit out.

2. Flossing. Something else that is gross, but I just never floss! I am a stickler for doing my entire 2 minutes on the Sonicare morning and night, and I usually brush my teeth after lunch at work, but flossing just isn't in the routine. I will occasionally start to floss for a few days, but then I stop. I think I would benefit from flossing more for sure. So, I put a note on my mirror (like that's going to help) and I pulled the ole floss out of the back of one of my bathroom drawers to try and start flossing more. We shall see how this goes...

3. Making my bed. There is nothing I like more than getting into a nicely made bed at night, but I rarely make my bed! I don't know why, because it only takes about 2 seconds, but I just never do. I am going to try to start waking up 5 minutes earlier to make my bed every morning, because there is nothing better than untucking your sheets and sliding into bed after a long day at work.

Picture via

4. Putting away clothes. I usually take off my work clothes and throw them onto my daybed and forget about them. Now, I'm not the kinda girl who sends everything to the cleaners after each wear, that would be a little wasteful, but those clothes aren't doing me ANY good lying in a big pile in my bedroom. I really need to start hanging them up right when I change to avoid the treacherous pile that I end up having to go through and hang up every other week. 

Well I'm sure there are others, but that's enough for today. In other news, I finally got some cupcakes from Gigi's today, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Just not the best I've ever had. I think Society Bakery in Dallas is still my favorite cupcake, or my mom told me tonight that Piece of Cake, a heavenly bakery in Atlanta does cupcakes as well. 

Well, I hope y'all had a great Tuesday! Hopefully the weather wasn't too bad!

ERK