These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

The holidays are officially in full swing. We began our holidays with the Thanksgiving meal to end all meals. It was deliscious and we enjoyed our family time, as usual.

My favorite tradition is putting the tree up over the Thanksgiving weekend. You see, after years of saying, "I'll NEVER have an artificial tree." The truth is, I love my artificial tree. It doesn't look fake and I can put it up in November and take it down in January without the worry that I'm going to burn my house down. There is just something magical about turning on those tiny white lights every night. I think I'd keep it up year-round if I could.

Photo courtesy of RalphLauren.com

This past weekend, was a shopping extravaganza. I work at what I call Preppy Mecca...Ralph Lauren. We had an employee sale and my ticket was for the shopping time of 7 a.m. It's a heck of a way to start your day off. Truth be told, I found some GREAT deals and some great gifts. The most fun I had was watching all of my co-workers as they tried on outfit after outfit. I am not a "digger" so this kind of sale is harder for me. I don't even like shopping TJ Maxx because I just don't like digging through mounds of stuff. I did feel like the sale was a success for me and that was the point...for it to be a success. By the way, this fabulous red hat is on sale at RalphLauren.com for $19.99---A FABULOUS GIFT IDEA!

Photo courtesy of Radio City Christmas

Next, we went with my in-laws to the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. The travelling show is great. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. However, I do not recommend going to see anything at LJVM in Winston Salem. Apparently they have no desire to direct traffic there, so half of the show's patrons arrived midway through the show (only to find someone else sitting in their seats, I might add). I also recommend the show in Myrtle Beach. It's much closer to the one in NYC. My next goal is to go to NYC to see the show. Being a southern gal, I've not had the chance to get up there to see it. It's on my bucket list, though. We had a fantastic time and enjoyed a pizza dinner with my SNL and her kids and my in-laws.

Now it's time to really shop....get the lead out because Christmas is 16 days away. Here are some of my favorite finds:

Photo courtesy of The Pink Monogram

$45 for these adorable booties! Stop by The Pink Monogram in Greenville, SC...be sure to tell Monica I sent you!

Photo courtesy of Madie Deluxe

These makeup bags are just one of my favorite gift ideas from Madie Deluxe. Made in the USA, too! $34 for the two-piece set. Don't forget to check out a little something for yourself. These bags are the BEST!

Photo Courtesy of Tin Wings

By far, one of my favorite finds of the year. I ran across this artist on Facebook. Turns out, she's from my hometown, but now lives in Nashville. Her recycled (or upcycled, as she calls it) works are wonderful. This angel is just a taste of what she's got to offer. Daisy the angel is $35. Check her out!

And I would not be doing a good job if I didn't have at least ONE notepad or notecard with as much as I like to write!

Photo courtesy of Invite Cottage

This great madras plaid note pad is one of my favorite preppy finds! Boatman Gellar available at The Invite Cottage. $37.95 for a set of 2.

HAPPY SHOPPING & MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My True Love and Me

Here we are in Old Salem

I stole this little Information Quiz from the lovely Deals, Steals and Heels. I thought you might want to know a little something about the man I love and a little bit about me. I am truly a sucker for a good quiz....especially when I don't have time to write about anything else.

What are your middle names? Lawrence and Alan…I have my father’s middle name.

How long have you been together? Almost 10 years

How long did you know each other before you started dating? Approximately 7 months. Though I grew up playing soccer with his sister, our paths never crossedHow old are each of you?39 and 44 (I’m the younger one)Did you go to the same school?Technically, yes....we went to the same High School at different times (note the age difference).

Are you from the same home town? Yes. We grew up less than 3 miles apart. We knew a lot of the same people, but our paths never crossed.

Who is the smartest? We're both smart in different ways....he's way more numbers and computers smart...I'm useless trivia smart…I have a super high IQ with a heavy helping of ADD. I’ll give him this one….he really is SMART.

Who majored in what? What didn’t I major in….I majored in Interior Design/Art History. He majored in Business Management and Accounting (remember the numbers thing?).Who is the most sensitive?He is…hands down.

I will go places (like an antique truck show) with my best friend

Where do you eat out most as a couple? There’s a diner in town where we eat at least once a week.Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?Hmm….seriously, not far. I’d have to say the Outer Banks is the furthest….7 hour trip.

Where was your first date? Village Tavern in Winston-Salem.

Who has the bigger family? I do! Two sisters and a brother, plus spouses, my parents, my niece and nephew, and all the rest of my cousins.

Do you get flowers often? I used to get them. Though I love them, I find them a useless gift and now that it’s “our” money…I don’t like to spend “our” money on flowers….unless I can plant it in the yard (and when I say that “I” will plant it, I mean him.

How do you spend the holidays? Holiday Olympiad: We start with Church on Christmas Eve with his parents, then my parents’ house for dinner. We open our presents at home Christmas morning. Then we go to my parents for breakfast and family time. Then his parents for lunch and more presents….

Who is more jealous? No one

How long did it take to get serious? First date in July (many years ago) and we haven’t been apart since. We just knew.

Who eats more? It’s hard to say….neither of us is anywhere near our “starting” weight.

What do you do for a living? I’m in sales and service at RalphLauren.com (I answer the phones if you call Ralph Lauren) and he does Home Improvement work.

Who does the laundry? Do your own laundry or go naked.

Who’s better with the computer? We’re both pretty good…we’ve got our own laptops.

Who drives when you are together? It just depends. I like him to drive, but I’m also a control freak

What is "your" song? I don’t know that we have just one….when we started dating, we played this game called “I can name that song in one note.” Whoever could guess the song first won. I used to kill him with my 70’s and 80’s knowledge, but he is a worthy opponent now.

Last Two Days....

(Image Courtesy of RalphLauren.com)

Holiday Code: HOL2009

Prizes and Swaps and Gifts, Oh My!

And it's not even Christmas yet! With all the worry that I do when I don't have time to post, I totally forgot to mention that I recently won two give-aways from some fabulous people! First, I won the cutest doggie mat from Modern June. Great Oil Cloth mat in the shape of a doggie bone. It's the perfect size for my house...we have two dogs, which means two dog bowls and a water dish. I apologize to the host of this give-away...I cannot remember who you are, so if you read this, please let me know so I can "edit" this post to give you full credit.

(photo courtesy of Modern June)

The other item I won is the Vera Bradley umbrella and cosmetic case. LOVE them! I also love Lauren Nicole Gifts, too (hostess of the give-away). I almost lost the umbrella when the ol' hurricane Ida came rolling through NC. I used it once...as I was afraid the wind would pull it inside out. I do love it. It's just adorable (see older post for picture). And who doesn't love to win, right?

I also recently signed up for my very first swap. My partner, Julie, and I chatted via email last night. We seem to have the same taste, so this is going to be a lot of fun. If you've never tried a swap, I highly recommend it. I think I'll be doing this again soon. It's like Secret Santa, but not so much the secret and you can do it anytime...not just at Christmas. Though the most recent swap is closed, check out the Goodness Girls blog for the next opportunity!

Gratitude: The quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful

As I was catching up on my blog reading (which is about as much as I have been doing lately), I came across Black Labs and Lilly's blog. She's posting daily gratitude posts this month in honor of the month of Thanksgiving. It really got me thinking about gratitude. I'm so full of gratitude for where my life is today. I almost wish that I had time to post a daily bit of gratitude, but honestly, I am too busy.

What I have found is that gratitude is an important part of my daily routine. I am grateful for all of the wonderful things in my life. Each morning, while my coffee brews, I list each of these things in my gratitude journal. Along with my gratitude list, there's a list of those that I know in need of prayer. By doing this every morning, it puts my life in perspective. My day gets off to a great start this way.

What are you grateful for? My gratitude list begins with my husband, my home, my dogs and my family and seems to just snowball from there. As the holidays approach, it's a great time to think about what spurs your gratitude.

Let's Play Tag.....

I'm it...

1. Where is your cell phone:
I think it's in the side pocket inside my purse

2. Your hair:
Ponytail under my new Ralph Lauren Chino Baseball Hat I received as a gift for working Private Sale (now through Monday on RalphLauren.com. Additional 15% off sale items Promo Code NOV0509).

3. Your mother:
One of my best friends, mother of four, grandmother of two, kind, sincere, loving, giving, artist

4. Your father:
Fisherman, friend, father of four, grandad of two, giving, loving, caring

5. Your favorite food:
Italian

6. Your dream from last night:
No memory of it

7. Your favorite drink:
Diet Coke

8. Your dream/goal:
To get in shape and run a half marathon. (I have no desire to run a full marathon)

9. What room are you in:
The living room

10. What are your hobbies:
Painting, crafting, knitting, hiking

11. What is your fear:
I'm afraid of heights, but only when I arrive at the top.

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years:
Living at the beach

13. Where were you last night:
dinner with my husband

14. Something you are not:
going to be guilted into doing something

15. Muffins:
are like mini cakes for breakfast

16. Wish list items:
new floor for the den, bathroom upgrade,

17. Where did you grow up:
North Carolina

18. Last thing you did:
brushed my teeth this morning and then fixed another cup of coffee

19. What are you wearing:
Old Navy fleece and some ratty sweatpants

20. Your pets:
Daisy--the wonder westie
Gracie--the smartest dog I've ever met

21. Your friends:
Wish I had more time to spend with them.

22. Your life:
GREAT!

24. Your mood:
It's my day off...so I'm feeling great and super happy!

25. Missing someone:
Always

26. Vehicle:
Jeep Liberty

27. Something you’re not wearing:
make-up

28. Your favorite store:
Target (I'd be fibbing if I said another place more glamourous)

29. Your favorite color(s):
GREEN--all shades---it's a healing color

30. When’s the last time you laughed:
Yesterday..I don't think I've been up long enough to laugh today.

31. When’s the last time you cried:
Yesterday. Crying is so freeing.

32. Your best friend:
He's getting dressed so we can head out to the Farmer's Market. It's date-day (Travelling Tuesday has been a bust the last two weeks)!

33. One place you go over and over:
The kitchen and outside the house...work

34. One person who emails me regularly:
My sister, Hollis.

35. Favorite place to eat:
Emerywood Fine Foods

Better Late than Never

Just ran across this giveaway....but it ends today. Got to Lauren Nicole NOW to enter this fabulous giveaway.