I'm hooked again!

So why in the world did I ever stop shopping at American Eagle? I think it's because when I graduated high school I thought I was a little too grown-up for it...PSH! YEAH RIGHT! Have you seen all the adorable stuff they have lately? It's so cute and Bohemian without being over the top and tacky. And the prices are not bad at all! It makes me even more excited for Spring and Summer. These are a few of the pieces that MUST make it into my closet :

Deep V Print Tee - $17.50

Floral Cami - $24.40

Floral Dress - $44.50

Knit Skirt - $24.50

Watercolor Bikini - $19.50 & $14.50

Striped Shorts - $39.50

Sunrise Sandals - $29.50

Other than American Eagle the only other thing on my mind is how excited I am that tomorrow I will hopefully be purchasing a NEW CAR! I have a Jeep Liberty right now and have had so many problems with it - I'm over it. And everyone has told me now is the time to buy since they're so cheap. So I'm looking at VWs...mainly Passats and Jettas. Cute, little, clean white car for me is what I'm keeping my fingers crossed for!

My Top Oscar Picks

Taraji P. Henson - She is adorable and seems like she has such a cute, bubbly personality

Natalie Portman - Probably my favorite look of the night!

Kate Winslet - Has she ever had a bad red carpet look?

Freida Pinto - Always picks great colors that look amazing with her skin

Anne Hathaway - The only sparkly gown I was crazy about

Angelina Jolie - Ice Queen...yes! But she looks good, as usual

Amy Adams - Wowed me in Doubt, and blew me away with the outfit!

I was super tired waking up this morning for work being as how the Oscars didn't finish until midnight, but it was worth it seeing all the gorgeous gowns, heart-felt speeches, and very funny songs and jokes by Hugh Jackman. My family and I had a mock ballot where we places our "bets" on the winners aaaaaand I won! We picked 10 categories we thought were the biggest of the night, and I only missed two (I had my money on Mickey Rourke for Best Actor and Marisa Tomei for Best Supporting Actress). Other than the Oscars, my weekend was fairly boring!

Busy week ahead of me though...tomorrow is the dreaded dentist for my fillings. Then work, rehearsal, and more rehearsal! I got asked to sing some lounge type songs from the 20s with some more regulars around our community theatre for a fundraiser Saturday night, so I'll practice for that an hour every night before my show's rehearsal. I'm excited about that - I love all the jazz and blues music from that era, so I'll try to do the standards proud! Anyone else have any exciting plans for the week? I hope the Monday's haven't gotten everyone else as bad as they've got me...

Dental Disaster

Yesterday was the first time I have been to the dentist in like two years...sad, I know! The verdict - I have to get two fillings plus have a wisdom tooth removed! Why, oh why?! My mouth is so small it has no room to come in so it's growing sideways and pushing my other teeth - gross. I hate the dentist as it is, so this just makes my hatred grow. Plus, I was told my teeth look weak - probably from a lack of calcium. Very understandable since I don't eat dairy. So I stopped by GNC and got some vitamins to ensure I don't have teeth falling out when I'm 30. Then I went home and drank about a carton of soy chocolate milk...good excuse to indulge :-) She also told me the cavities were probably from my obsession with diet sodas. I've tried to cut back to only drinking it during the weekends, but there was a time I was drinking 3-4 a day. It must have caught up with me. But it's Saturday, and my hard-headed ass is sipping a diet Dr. Pepper as I type this *sigh*
Last night I hung out with some girlfriends for dinner and Rock Band (I am probably the best drummer you'll ever find...I'm hardcore!) We made the most amazing eggplant Parmesan! One of the girls is a vegan also, and since we were at her house her fridge was fully stocked with stuff I could eat and cook with. I'm mildly obsessed with Italian food, and I love trying out new recipes. It just seems like you can never mess up an Italian dish. Here is our super easy recipe we came up with.

Ingredients:
1 very large eggplant cut into disks about 1/2 in. thick
Italian style bread crumbs
3 tsp. egg replacer (or 2 eggs)
4 tbsp. water (omit if your not vegan)
2 cups soy milk
1 large jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 cup vegan Parmesan cheese
1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together egg replacer, soy milk, and water in a small bowl & put bread crumbs on a small plate.
Coat a 8x12 casserole dish with a thin layer of marinara.
Coat eggplant slices in olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Turn stove on medium heat and cook eggplant on both sides until slightly tender and golden brown.
When eggplant is done, dunk each piece in wet mixture then coat in bread crumbs. Lay pieces slightly overlapping in casserole dish over marinara.
Add a layer of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese over eggplant.
Repeat the layering until dish is filled and top with cheese.
Leave in oven 20-25 minutes or until cheese on top is golden brown.

It was such an easy thing to make, and like I said you really can't mess it up. And of course you can switch any of the ingredients for non vegan!

In other news - after dinner I received one of the most bittersweet phone calls ever. My boyfriend had a big-deal audition yesterday in St. Louis where tons of theatres nationwide recruit actors for their summer shows. He has been very down on himself lately and questioning his talents. *FYI - there is absolutely NO need in this! The boy is the most talented actor I've ever known...I'm bias of course, but I am 100% convinced he is going to hit it big one day. He's talented, but even more so he's a damn hard worker and never does anything half way.* When he called me he informed me he had about 11 job offers over the summer! The two main ones he was considering were for lead roles....but they are in Indiana and Oklahoma. He's in school all year, so the summer is really the only time we get to feel like a normal couple and see each other whenever we want. I was crushed. I did not let on, however, in the least! Of course I'm ecstatic for him and I didn't want to kill his mood, so I screamed for him and told him over and over how proud of him I was (which I am!). Inside, though, I'm just a selfish girlfriend who is going to miss having him home for 3 months. But it will pay him weekly, PLUS pay for his housing and provide 3 meals a day for him...it's an amazing opportunity with a great setup. So don't worry - I will be gushing over him and bite my tongue like a good girlfriend should.
Well it's off to a long day of rehearsals for me...I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!

Dream Giveaway

Holy dream come true, Batman! ~*The Tale of A Southern Belle*~ Is having a giveaway. She is giving away (BRACE YOURSELF) a trip to the Bahamas! Are you kidding me? Seriously the nicest thing ever! You guys go to her blog and check it out. I would give more details, but I think I'm still in shock.

*Since my dumb dumb computer at my desk still won't let me put in hyperlinks, I'll do it the old fashion way!*

http://southernbellejm.blogspot.com/2009/02/trip-giveaway.html

PS - More about me later...it's still before 8AM...zombie mode.

Beyond...

As I am now on the quest to learn some 35 (yes - it's a lot!) or so songs for our show one song replays over and over in my head. It's a song sung by Eve before she discovers the tree of knowledge. She is singing about an unexplained urge to BE more and DO more. She knows she is meant to stay in the garden and live a repetitive lifestyle of endless perfect days, but she feels deep down she is itching for something else. Do any of you ever feel this way? The more I listen to the song the more I get that itching myself. I am completely happy with the way my life is going...I have a great job, amazing boyfriend, family and friends I love being with...not that I would trade any of that for the world. I just kind of feel like I need some sort of adventure. That's why I have really enjoyed the past few weeks. I'll work a four day week then race off for a three day weekend somewhere else. This past weekend was out of state, and this weekend will just be Atlanta, but I always feel energized leaving town. When I was in New York this past October I feel like that void was filled. It was pure joy for me running on three hours of sleep a night...roaming the busy streets full of lights and glitz until the wee hours and being around all kinds of different people. The awesome shops I had never been to, beautiful architecture of churches and old buildings, museums full of art, blocks and blocks sounding with street musicians. Sometimes (okay, most times) I just feel bored with the same day in day out routine. I get sudden urges to run on the beach and swim in the ocean, rock climb, hike through a huge forest, learn to play a musical instrument. While I would hardly call learning an instrument an "adventure" I need something to take me out of my BLAH state right now. I love the feeling of having something all week to look forward to on Friday, and I don't want to lose that. I think I will make it a regular habit of having a mini-adventure every weekend to feed my restless spirit a little. This weekend I am going with my mom & step-dad to visit my aunt in north Atlanta. We are planning a big bonfire for Saturday night, and I am going to try to talk them into driving even further north to the mountains (what they call wine country). We have done this once before and it was fantastic! We will wake up early, make a big breakfast, and spend all day walking the vineyards and sampling delicious homemade wines in the cellars. Mini-getaway, here I come! It's no NYC or California, but it will do for now :-) I'll let you all know how it turns out. Any more suggestions for more things to fill up my bland weekends would be greatly appreciated! Especially those of you who live in Georgia and know what's around!


The Spark Of Creation

Beyond,beyond
It sounds full of wind and mist, doesn't it
It means other things exist, doesn't it
Beyond, beyond
It says Adam leave your list, doesn't it
Father why does my head feel this joy this dread
since the moment I said Beyond!
I've got an itching on the tips of my fingers
I've got a boiling in the back of my brain
I've got a hunger burning inside me, cannot be denied
I've got feeling that the Father who made us
When he was kindling a pulse in my veins
He left a tiny spark of that fire, smoldering inside
The spark of creation, is flickering within me
The spark of creation,is blazing in my blood
A bit of the fire that lit up the stars
And breathed life into the mud, the first inspiration
The spark creation
I see a mountain and I want to climb it
I river and I want to leave shore
Where there was nothing let there be something, something made by me
There's things waiting for me to invent them
There's worlds waiting for me to explore
I am an echo of the eternal cry of Let there be!
The spark of creation, burning bright within me
The spark of creation, won't let me rest at all
Until I discover or build or uncover
A thing that I can call, my celebration
Of the spark creation
The spark of creation, may it burn forever
The spark creation, I am a keeper of the flame
We think all we want is a lifetime leisure
Each perfect day the same endless vacation
Well that's alright if you're a kind crustacean
But when you're born with an imagination
Sooner of later you're feeling the fire get hotter and higher
The spark of creation!!!

Late V-Day Post

I have NOT been doing too good at blogging this past week! I took off work Thursday to get ready for my Valentine's weekend with my boyfriend. Got up and got my hair colored and cut, and I am SO happy with it! I went to a new stylist my mom recommended. She's really young, but owns the salon and she was so sweet...fabulous job on her part I must say! Then I made the 6 hour journey up to Indiana for a sweet reunion with my love. It really is good for our relationship going a few weeks without seeing each other. I would love to see him everyday, but when I go a month without him it really makes us appreciate our time together.
Thursday night he had a late rehersal, so I hung out in the hotel for a little while. When he got back we popped some popcorn and watched a movie...stayed up and talked for hours which was really nice. Niether one of us are really phone talkers...we like the face-to-face chats. Friday he had class for a few hours, so I made a trip to the mall and window shopped. I am SO proud to say I didn't purchase one thing! That is a serious accomplishment for me. Then we had a sushi date with some drinks at the best Japanese resturant I've ever had! And, yes, I ate sushi....the kind with fish (so sue me!)
Friday we slept in til almost noon and laid around watching movies all day. It was so great to just be able to lay around with no place to go! Then he took me to an amazing Italian place for our Valentine's dinner. We were in the wine tasting room of the resturant that they set just a few tables up for special occasions. Low lights, candles, wine, lounge music...it was absolutly perfect! Another tradition we have (may sound weird) is to get doughnuts from Wal-Mart and eat on them all weekend whenever I go to visit. Call it silly, but they are only $3.50 for a dozen, and are AMAZING! They were all pink and red decorated with hearts - so cute! I totally splurged and threw any healthy eating out the window haha! We've all got to do it every once in a while!
So yesterday was a very sad day coming home :-( I'm missing him like crazy already. But it was a very romantic weekend...just reassured me that I am with the right person! He is truly my best friend, and I couldn't ask for a better man in my life!
So how was everyone else's weekends? I know a lot of people that just stayed in and cooked (which believe me - I think it's a great idea!) If he had a full kitchen and not just a rinky-dink college apartment we might have done the same. So much for saving money! Maybe next year.

Warm Weather!

The weather today will be (drum roll please!)....70! I couldn't be happier! The weather was amazing this weekend! Sunshine all day - it totally lifted my spirits and put me in a great mood! Saturday morning I had the first read-through for the show. I did not get the part I was dying for, however, I did get a principle role. (There are only 4 roles for girls...geeze!) I'm Aphra, Noahs son Ham's wife (if any of you are Bible scholars out there - I'm sure not, sorry!) The best part - I get to play a pregnant woman haha! We've all been getting a kick our of that! I really do like everyone in the cast. It's going to be a great time!

After the read-through I went to eat at our favorite Mexican resturant and ate WAY too much food! The ate to much food where you can feel your stomach poke out for a day haha! Then I had a super fun girls night with my ol' hot tubbing buddies! Well, almost a girls night. Their two little brothers were there (ages 5 & 7) and taught us how to play Rock Band! Ever played? MAKE IT A HABIT! We had the best time! We seriosuly probably played for 4 hours. While I brought out my inner Pat Benetar and Courtney Love, my friends made us a big pitcher or Malibu Rum and pineapple juice...we have a bad habit of just making up random (sometimes not so tasty) drinks, but this one was a winner - trust me!

Yesterday we drove out to probably my favorite city in Georgia - Athens! Aaaaaand I finally bought my elliptical! It's a smaller elliptical that doubles as a bike. It was middle of the road as far a price, but it really suit me. I already can't wait to get off work and put it together. Yes - I will be putting it together myself (no help from my stepdad) while watching The Barefoot Contessa after work. I have faith in my mechanical skills! :-) I also bought a resistance band that came with 2 posters of excersizes to do with them plus a DVD - for only 5 bucks! Yay for Academy Sports! Being there (Athens) really made me miss my college days. Not the actual college part (I hate school), but the town, the environment, the people...it's such a cool place to live. Very eclectic little shops, great wine bars, awesome places to eat! I could walk around downtown all day long from shop to shop. I have got to make going back there a regular thing! Well now I suppose it's off to work for what I'm sure will be the longest dragging work week ever (since I am heading our Thursday to see the BF!) I hope everyone has a great start to the week!

Day Alone & Call Backs

Today is going to be a total "ME" day! AT least once a week (usually on Fridays) I like to spend the day all by myself. Starting off with a shower then drinking my coffee and watching Regis & Kelly. Once I'm done being lazy I'll go get a pedicure (desperately needed!) then head out to the mall. Do I need anything? Nah...I just like walking around and trying on cute shoes all day :-) Anyway, it's extra exercise, right? Hehe!

Oh - I almost forgot! I got a callback last night for the part I was hoping for - yay! I'm really excited about it, but I know there are a few other girls up for it and they all had beautiful voices. I'm for sure not the strongest singer...it takes me a little while to warm up to the people and music before I get comfortable with it. I will honestly be happy with any part, though! It's a great show and I'm glad to just be a part of it. Tons of little cute kids dressed as animals = lots of fun for Ashley! So they gave me a cd with a song to learn by 7pm tonight for callbacks. Yikes - it's a really big (but very pretty) song! It's right after the big flood and the character (Yonah) is singing to the dove to bring back a sign of land. So my all day errand running will be a good chance for me to listen to it 10,000 times in the car. Say a little prayer for me tonight!

So how excited is everyone about a 2nd SATC movie!? Aaaah! I just adore those 4 ladies. Even more - I'm in LOVE with New York! I have only been once (this past year right before Thanksgiving) and I had the time of my life. I truly think it is where I will end up one day. I just felt like I belonged there. Needless to say I will be there opening night of SATC2...fully decked in my highest heels and cutest dress :-) Ah...the life of Carrie Bradshaw. Jealous.

EBay Tricksters!

In my never ending quest for my Valentine's dress I decided to look on EBay just for kicks. Well I ended up finding the PERFECT dress! It was a red, satin, corset top dress with tags still on it for $158. My highest bid was $50! Now my morning is ruined because some trickster outbid me by one stinkin dollar at the last minute. The bidding ended at midnight, and this little girl is counting sheep by 10PM every night. No late night bidding wars for me. So I will journey on this weekend, I suppose. Do any of you girls have a favorite place to shop for dresses?
Today is the last day in my work week so I'm pretty excited about the weekend. Tonight I am auditioning for a musical at our community theater called "Children of Eden". It chronicles the stories of the Old Testamant from Adam and Eve up to Noah. I haven't studied up on it too much (which I should have) but the music is beautiful. Some really upbeat fun songs, and some sweet ballads. I also think I'm going to be doing hair and makeup for the show! That will be so much fun! All of the kids 10 and under will be dressed as animals, so lots of cute face painting! I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow!
The only other plans I have this weekend include going to a bar/club I like to see an artist I'm not crazy about. The bar is one of the biggest around (I WANT to say the biggest dance floor in the country...don't quote me!) and is a ton of fun. But I'm just not that into country music (aside from Taylor Swift & Carrie Underwood...love em!), and the guy playing is like country/rock. It will be a good time no matter what, though.
I'm sure another update will come before the end of the day! Do you girls have any fun weekend plans? Let's hear about them! :-)

Vacation

Ever feel like you just need a vacation? One all by yourself. Just a relaxing weekend with only your thoughts, shopping, wine and dinner for one, and calming music.

Since my computer here at work is not allowing me to post pictures OR links I will just put web addresses to my destinations.

Santorini, Greece :
Weekend weather : low to mid 60's
http://www.photoseek.com/greece/01GRE-04-30-Oia-Santorini.jpg

Maui, Hawaii :
Weekend weather : low 80's
http://www.concierge.com/images/destinations/destinationguide/usa+canada/usa/hawaii/maui/maui/maui_012p.jpg

Matuku, Fiji :
Weekend weather : mid 80's
http://co2calculator.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/fiji4.jpg

Nassau, Bahamas :
Weekend weather : low to mid 70's
http://www.destination360.com/cruises/images/atlantis-nassau-bahamas.jpg

Can you tell I'm sick of being cold???

25 Randoms

So it seems as though I along with everyone else in the Facebook/Blog world have been tagged in this "25 Random Things" post, and since I haven't had anything interesting happen today, I figured I'd give it a go.

1. I am deathly afraid of mice. I can handle ANY other creepy crawly bug or animal, but if I even see a mice on tv I get the chills. Yuck!
2. My favorite city in the world is London. I love the fashion, the metro, West End, crowded streets, beautiful parks, and pub beer in the middle of the afternoon. It's just amazing to me.
3. I am the oldest of 3 kids and the only girl. My two younger brothers are 17 & 13.
4. Speaking of brothers, I actually was allowed to name the 17 year old. I had (and still have) a pretty big obsession with "The Little Mermaid". My brother's name is Eric...after Prince Eric. It makes for a great story to embarass him with in front of his friends.
5. I am VERY shy when just meeting someone. I'm always really paranoid about people judging me, so I guess that's where it comes from. But once you get to know me I rarely shut up :-)
6. I eat a crazy amount of tomatos and pickles. I could eat a whole tomato like an apple and be in heaven! Ever since I was little I have eaten them on everything. It's weird.
7. I am horrible at math! I failed pretty much every math class I took in high school. But I am a Literature freak! It was the only class I ever cared about - haha!
8. If I am mad at you and you get me flowers - no matter what damage has been done - all will be forgiven.
9. I am a sucker for a guy building or fixing somthing. There's just somthing about the "manliness" of it. I love watching my boyfriend do anything from working in the shop to changing a light bulb!
10. When I was younger I was dead set on having four children...HAHAHA! Now it's gonna be one...if any.
11. I hate hate hate cold weather! And I'm not just saying that because it's insanely cold here right now. I need to live somewhere that it's sunny year round. I'm too in love with flip flops and sundresses for this crap.
12. I'm a night person - not morning. It doesn't matter if I get 12 hours of sleep the night before. When I wake up you better give me a good hour before I stop acting like a zombie.
13. I love dogs! Little yappy house dogs, huge outside dogs you can wrestle with...they're all great!
14. If I could eat one thing for the rest of my life and not gain weight it would be my boyfriend's grandma's banana nut bread. OH! MY! GOSH! I'm drooling just thinking about it!
15. No matter if it's 100 degrees outside I have to have my water scalding hot for my shower.
16. I hardly ever take medicine. Even if I'm sick (which is very rare) I won't take it. Advil for a headache? Nope. Midol for cramps? Not here. Stubborn, I guess.
17. I was an avid tennis player all my life and even hold records at my high school. What, what! :-)
18. Every woman in my family is very short and every man is very tall. Opposites attract!
19. I love theatre, but I have insane stage fright. I always do behind the scenes stuff, but the last time I got the nerve to be in a show I almost got sick every night before I went on.
20. I make tons of lists. I have about 15 cute little notebooks full of stuff "to-do".
21. Speaking of notebooks, I always keep one on my nightstand. Pretty much every night before I go to bed I doodle and draw while watching TV or talking to my boyfrind.
22. I was voted "Worst Driver" my senior year.
23. My dream car would be a black Range Rover...mmm...but :sigh: there is no point. See #22.
24. I could spend all day in a grocery store. Especially a really big one...like Farmer's Market. I just love cool, different food I never get to see in small stores.
25. I'm super weird about my undergarmets matching! I'll feel weird all day if they don't.
Black bra + black underwear = OK! They are both solid colors that go together.
Red bra + pink underwear or two different prints = not OK! Not ever!

Football & Food

Superbowl Sunday!!! YAY! In my family we are all sports nuts, especially with football! (More so college than pro - GO DAWGS!) We always have a huge Superbowl party at my uncle's house. He's in his late 20's and never been married, so he has the perfect bachelor pad for such an occasion. Everybody brings appetizers and beer and we make it an all day event - SO much fun! The house sitting has gone pretty good this weekend. The little brothers behaved themselves very well (gasp!)

I'm not much of a "party girl" at all. My idea of a good time is hanging out at the house, cooking dinner & drinking wine, then watching a movie or playing Scene It (lame...? maybe.) But every once in a while I do like going out to a bar and cutting loose. The only problem is there is really only one or two bars around here. This means when you go there you see SO many old faces from high school. This sometimes makes for awkward run-ins and forced conversation. Regardless of this, I said "what they heck" and decided to go Saturday with my uncle (the "bachelor" - see above) and I honestly had a really good time! It wasn't too crowded and I saw a few people I was actually good friends with in high school. It was really good to be able to catch up with them! PLUS we saw someone semi-famous working there! Does anyone remember Cohutta from the Real World Sydney? Well I thought he was from Texas, but it turns out he's a good ol' Georgia boy and he was working as a bartender there! I thought that was too crazy! Real celebrity? Not really...but still cool.

Yesterday was made up of drinking lots of water (3 rum & diets at the bar = dehydrated next day) and shopping with my aunt and little cousins. My two younger cousins are my heart! They are the most gorgeous children I have ever seen (I'm not bias at all - hehe) and so funny! Dylan is a one-year-old with supermodel good looks already. She's just starting to run around and talk, and it's so funny to see her developing her own little personality. Baylee is three, and let me just say...she's in charge! She's very independent and always knows what she wants. She's so smart it blows me away. I can't say enough about these little girls! Their mom (my aunt) is about ten years older than me, and she was the closest thing to a sister I had growing up. I idolized her! So it's so sweet to me seeing them look up to me the way I did to her (tear).

Baylee & I on Halloween 08...my little bumblebee! Look at her cute antennae!




Always laughing!




These girls LOVE diet coke! Haha - it's so weird!



Her future's so bright...

My favorite picture of Baylee...my uncle is a great photographer and a wiz with Photoshop

Dylan!

In my quest for the perfect Valentine's Day dress I got a great purse and four tops at TJ Maxx. I'm obsessed with this store! I could dig around for hours there. One of the tops is a dark purple cardigan - 100% cashmere that is got for $10 on clearance! I was really proud of that one. Then we went to Target so I could pick up cookie dough and frosting for my cute little Valentine's cookies. Spent more money than I thought I would, as usual! Have I even found a dress yet you ask? Nope. Sigh. There's always next weekend!