Signs

Sign sign everywhere a sign








I really love these photos, but have been wondering "where" to save them in case a mega virus attacks my laptop. So here you go, y'all - a little housewife blogging ala 2003.

Playing with Flickr

Mainly for business reasons, but also because I might as well finally motivate, I am playing with Flickr to become more familiar with its features.

You are therefore welcome to view the trip I took with my cutie husband (sorry, please allow me that one "schmoopie comment") to Costa Rica this summer.

Costa Rica 2007

Calling All Computer/PDA Gadget-Heads

For those of you who don't know, I have recently decided to become a consultant. It's a very interesting process for someone who has only been working full-time jobs all of my life since graduating college, and it brings into question some major purchase decisions. I am realizing I now need a printer (unnecessary before when I had access to "the office" machine), a PDA (unnecessary before when the full-time employer issued me the Treo or Blackberry) and probably a new laptop.

The problem is that I am not a gadget-head. I was dying for an iPhone before they came out, then all those articles were written about how they're not necessarily the best option for business people (no encryption, etc). I see a Best Buy advertisement in the Sunday circular for a printer and I convince myself almost instantly that's probably the best way to go.

Now I know I could do a review on CNET, but maybe you, kind reader, could help me out with some tips. What are the best options for laptop, printer and PDA for someone who will have to produce a lot of basic Microsoft Office documents (Word, XLS), will probably have to purchase Dream Weaver and manipulate HTML, and will probably also have to download a handful (and by the way, my definition of "handful" is five) of other programs and applications in order to support various clients?

Gadget- and Tech-heads: Please post your comments below!

Ciao for Now

Yesterday I was sitting out on our deck emailing and chatting with friends online. It was the perfect day to just sit outside and sip cawfee all morning and let me tell you, it got me missing Ciao for Now big time!

Dear readers who live in or near Manhattan, please get yourselves over to 12th Street between Avenues A and B and visit Ciao for Now (aka, "The Ciao"). What a wonderful place to spend an hour or two reading a book or the paper, talking with Kevin about bikes or skateboards and visiting with the people in your neighborhood.

Here's Kevin and Amy - the owners of the Ciao - with their youngest, Atlas:



How can you resist? Get over there now, order an iced coffee, a grilled mozzarella sammich and finish it off with a chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing (a sample of the ones we served at our wedding)! You can thank me later.

What's Her Secret? It's All the Same Bra! (aka, Bras: You Buy Them, I Blog about Them)

Dear Caroline,

You're not much of a bra shopper I don't think, but I went into Victoria's Secret for the first time in a few years and they are literally selling ONE KIND OF BRA. It is a padded pushup bra, in about 40 different colors and THAT IS IT! I am not exaggerating. Caroline, please discuss and, if possible, explain.

- Pondering the Pushup

Dear Pondering,

You're correct when you note that I am not much of a bra shopper. Furthermore, I do not own one single under-wire bra because there's not a need. But I feel for my buxom betties and can share the following story with you.

Way back when I started wearing a bra, Victoria's Secret was truly the be-all, end-all of bra shopping. I remember a bright pink lace push-up/demi-cup number I ordered from the catalog that I proudly wore until the elastic was stretched way thin. That was when they still sold bras in A cup sizes. Fast forward to around freshman or junior year in college and I was in the store, trying on bras and convincing myself I could find one that worked for me. I finally settled on a purple satinesque under-wire job. But apparently I hadn't really looked closely at the size because once I brought that number home and ripped off all the tags, I realized I had purchased a C cup size.

Had I convinced myself it was the right size? Were there trick mirrors in the store that made me think I was a size C? Was the sizing all kinds of wrong to convince young women they are "sexy" because their knockers are bigger than they really are? Needless to say I was ashamed and pissed!

That was the last purchase I made at VS until last year when I visited EK in DC. We were strolling around the Georgetown area and she mentioned she needed some bras. So I traipsed in there with her just to be totally horrified by the merchandise. Everything is scantily constructed, there are a bunch of potions and lotions everywhere and it's all aimed at what I guess to be a 12 to 23 year-old age range.

The moral of this story? We are not the target audience of VS, my dear Pondering. I mean, have you seen those nutty "fashion shows" of theirs with the models and the wings? What the?!

Maybe all VS bras are the same, I can't say for sure, but I can tell you the cotton underwear still does me right (I bought some that day in DC). Still, my true love for all things underneath is Calvin Klein. Finally, my well-stacked sisters tell me the Elle Macpherson bra is where it's at.

South Carolina State Fair

Like a fool I forgot my camera, but last night I went to the SC state fair with MB and AB!

Things I ate (listed in order of consumption): Elephant Ear (fried dough) with powdered sugar and cinnamon, Corn Dog with mustard, Fried's French Fries with vinegar.

Rides I rode (also listed in order): Pharaoh's Fury, Zipper, Slingshot, Fireball, Bumper Cars.

We also checked out the amateur and professional art, the small stock animals and birds and the exotic animals, the giant sand sculpture and the prized flowers.

A good time was had by all!

Go Cocks!

No, I'm not using my blog to advocate the male appendage. My friends, I am now a college football fan. More specifically, a University of South Carolina GAMECOCKS fan. Yes, that is the mascot and yes, there is a ton of play-on-word paraphernalia one can purchase and no, I haven't gotten any of it yet.

I did, however, buy myself a nice little garnet-colored tshirt with a subtle palmetto tree (state tree, hullo!) in the corner accompanied by the initials USC. I know I didn't attend USC as a student, BUT my husband did for both undergrad and grad school and this is my hometown now so look out Friday Night Lights!

Last week I had the amazing pleasure of attending the USC vs. Kentucky game. I was graciously hosted by JR and PB who are master game-goers and tailgaters. I ate and drank myself silly and it was the most fun I've had in a looong time.






Here's the gang tailgating before the game (it was pouring rain at that point).








And here's me and JR enjoying ourselves wholeheartedly with the guy who has seats behind hers mugging it up behind us.




Finally, the pinnacle of the evening - we beat Kentucky big time and here's the scoreboard setting off fireworks (yes, I did say "we").

College football - who knew?!

KnowLabel

Ok, I am freaking out about this website. Check out the prices of the tops! Check out the prices of the outerwear!

This website was just featured in the "Best Bets" email from New York Magazine which (shocker) featured possibly the most expensive piece for sale on the entire website. Yes, it's a nice necklace, but you can buy a full outfit for the same price on this site.

Go there now: KnowLabel!

Fall/Winter Coat 2007 Review

This past week I had two people email me about coats so I figured tis the season to blog about outerwear!

Nordstrom.com seems to be the hook up online with the Coat Shop. Question is, what's a girl to do in order to keep up with the trends without dipping into her children's college fund? Here are some affordable alternatives. These are all $200 or less.

Calvin Klein Peacoat














Nine West Wool Melton Blend














And this is my personal favorite - Guess Sculpted Coat. Look at those sleeves! Genius.














Button, button, who's got the button?

KH introduced me to the Soia & Kyo line in her investigations for a new coat. Look at all these button-riffic coats! Equally as important, look at the brand's trippy website. This red number with the exaggerated collar has my vote for KH . How funky fresh can you get?