This past weekend, Ang and I got to do something that we rarely get to do (thanks to a super clingy 8 yesr-old!).We snuck away with friends to Atlantic City for some much needed R&R (ok, R&R for me, and gambling for him!). This was my first trip to Atlantic City, and I must say that it was very fun..We stayed at Caesar's Palace which is right on the famous Boardwalk--if anyone watches HBO's Boardwalk Empire they definitely know what I am talking about. The hotel was amazing! One of the neatest things was that it was attached to a mall that was actually built on a pier..I have never seen anything like it. As you can imagine, the shops were top notch, especially since it was adjacent to a casino....think Tiffany's, Louis Vuitton, Burberry-hey, you've got to spend your mega winnings somehere, right??--We definitely did not fit in that caragory, though!
Here are just a few quick pics...
The hotel...
The Shops at the Pier...
The "dancing" fountain inside the mall...
Mack and Ang fooling around with the Roman Gods...
View form the mall...the sunshine is deceptive..it was freezing cold!
In the lobby before leaving...:(
We had a great time..there's nothing like time alone with your honey on Valentine's Day...:)
In addition to the trip, I got spoiled in other ways, too...a wonderful spa treatment while there and a new Pandora bracelet..I've been wanting one for quite a while..I can't wait to fill it with special charms..So far I have a suitcase (very fitting!) and a Murano heart bead.
This has been a relatively uneventful week...in fact, right now I am watching a DVRed episode of The Pioneer Woman and trying hard to think of something that has really moved me this week. I'll try and come up with a few things...
1. Purses...
Two purses recently caught my eye...a girl can dream, right?
The first is the Kate Spade Sophie Flicker bag...drool! (I especially love the name:)
The second is the Coach Poppy Leather Glam Bag...it is adorable and I love all of the colors--especially the rose and the silver.
2. Television
I've tried but I can't get into all of the shows that the rest of America is watching (like the Bachelorette and The Voice). However, I am enjoying this season of Top Chef: Texas.
As previously stated, I enjoy watching The Pioneer Woman on Food Network. Of course, everything is DVRed...I never watch shows when they come on.
3. Movies
Have you seen Crazy Stupid Love yet? It's amazing to say the least, and don't get me started on Ryan Gosling...:)
4. Books
Right now I'm finally reading The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. So far it's great. Next on my list is The Omnivore's Delimma...I can't wait to read it!
Today I decided to link up with Between Naps on the Porch to talk about 20 products that I could not live without. I'm not quite sure I can come up with 20, but I will give it my best shot.
I'll start with things around the home first and then finish with personal products...
1. My Kuerig coffee pot. When I was younger I never drank coffee, but I definitely love it now! I don't think that I'm addicted like some people I know (my SIL..cough, cough), but I do enjoy a cup in the mornings. I LOVE my Kuerig Platinum because it makes it easy to make just one cup...before I would never make myself a pot because I felt like I was wasting it. Now I partake as often as I wish! My favorite K-cup is Green Mountain French Vanilla...yum...
2. My Kitchen Aid mixer. I'm not gonna lie...I do not use this everyday. However, I absolutely love it and do not know how women who bake or cook get by without one. I broke down and bought one about three years ago, and I can honestly say that it makes cooking fun. Mine is a red Artisan--such a classic, beautiful color.
3. My Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner. This is the best vacuum I have ever had...period.
4. My Cuisinart pots and pans. I recently replaced my old Teflon pots and pans with stainless steel (all of the news about Teflon is rather frightening). I researched for months to find a type that would suit us. I finally decided on the Cuisinart set, and I absolutely love them.
5. Ms. Meyer's Clean Day Counter Top Cleaner in Lavender. I absolutely love this product. It is quite pricey, but I love the way it smells and the way it cleans.
6. Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner. My mom used it and so do I. I love the way that it cleans the bathroom. I keep one under every sink in the house.
7. Murphys Oil Soap. This is the greatest product I've ever used to clean hard wood floors.
8. Pledge Furniture Polish. Once again, my mom used it, so I do, too. I love the way it cleans. I only use the lemon type.
9. Vera Wang sheets and towels from Kohl's. I love the sheets so much that I am on my second set. I had Pottery Barn sheets before, but I like the Vera Wang ones better, They are softer, and they have lasted a lot longer. They also do not wrinkle which is a big deal to me--ironing is not my forte! :) The towels are also huge and soft.
10. Tervis Tumblers. They are a great product..keep hot things hot and cold things cold plus they are super cute. What more could you ask for? :)
Electronics...these are all self-explanatory..I love them all and I need them---NEED them, I tell you!
11. IPhone with an Otter Box case..the case is a MUST because I'm some-what accident prone (okay, accident prone a lot!).
12. My Kindle...love it!!
13. My Dell laptop. I have to have it for very important work...cough, cough...ok, I need it for blogging, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, etc. :)
14. My label maker. This is a must for any organized person. I use it several times per week. The Dymo brand is awesome, but there are other great ones out there, too.
15. Slatkin and Co. candles from Bath and Body Works. These candles are amazing...they last a long time and have wonderful scents. I always get them when they have half off sales.
Personal Products...
16. Secret Deodorant. I've used this stuff since high school and have never even tried another brand. My philosophy is if it isn't broke, don't fix it.
17. Matrix Biolage Shampoo and Conditioner in Cooling Mint. I have an extremely dry scalp and the mint is very soothing. It is the best shampoo I've tried in a long time.
18. Loofah sponges. I'm not a wash cloth girl...I love these because they allow whatever body wash I am using to get a good lather.
19. Philosophy Purity Face Wash and Hope in a Jar Moisturizer. I've been using these for a few years, and I really like them. They are really good for sensitive skin, as well.
20. Q-tips. I use these things all the time, especially when applying make-up.
Well, I made it to 20, Now that I think about it, I probably could have added a few more (such as Bath and Body Works Antibacterial Soaps).
Okay...you know it's time to blog more when your friends very casually send texts to remind you that you have a blog! (thanks Mel!)...well, just so everyone knows, yes, I do know that I have a blog and, yes, I know that I have been avoiding it lately. My only excuse is that I have been in a very lazy odd mood and have only been wanting to do a few things (more on that later)...
I think that you will see what I've been up to in this edition of What I'm Loving Wednesday. Of course I know it's almost Thursday, but I figure better late than never, right?
1. One of the main things I am loving is following a few channels on YouTube. I have no clue how this obsession interest started, but I will say this: apparently I like being a voyeur and catching a glimpse of how others live. Two of my favorite channels to watch are My Housewife Life and Organized Like Jen. The channels belong to Jennifer Ross, a housewife in Chicago, and she videos her extremely organized home and shows various things she likes and buys. It helps that she has the most amazing home and fashions! I cannot get enough...I know, weird, right??
Even odder than that, though, is the other channels I follow. Apparently beauty gurus are extremely popular on YouTube, and I must admit that I follow a few. Let me preface these statements by saying this: yes, I know that I am 40 (!) and way too old to be watching these young girls and their makeup obsessions, but for some reason these videos are cathartic and relaxing...go figure....If you've never heard of Elle and Blair Fowler you must check them out. They are two normal girls from Tennessee who hit it big by simply getting on YouTube and talking about their life, fashion, and make-up. It's amazing how social media changed their lives. They are also very entertaining to watch--they have several channels that I subscribe to. I also watch Make-up by Tiffany D, too.
2. I am loving anything that has to do with organizing (thanks to Organized Like Jen, I'm sure)...I have been making serious progress all over the place, especially the kitchens and the bathrooms...the true test will come this spring, however, when it's time to organize the garage...ugghhhh....There are also several great organizing blogs that I follow. Two of my favorites are I Heart Organizing and A Bowl Full of Lemons.
I have recently made two--yes two!!--trips to The Container Store and made several Elfa purchases during their annual sale...one of my next posts will be about my pantry...I stayed up almost all night one night and redid it completely...it is an organizers dream (at least for right now!)...
Speaking of organizing, did you know that Martha Stewart released a home office line with Staples? Love it!!
3. Like most women in America, I have fallen completely under the spell of Pinterest...I was reluctant to start it because all I heard people say was how addictive it is...after being on it for a week, I can say that they were absolutely right! I think that these "funnies" sum it up perfectly....:)
4. Thanks to all the beauty gurus I watch, I have a few beauty products that I love (I use the word "beauty" lightly here!)...
Revlon's new Color Burst Lip Butter is AMAZING...if you can find it in stores, I highly recommend it. I got Pink Truffle, and it's perfect for me--they are long lasting and very nourishing.
I also love the EOS Lip Balm Sphere...I have them in my car, purse, and at work...they are great, too...
And last but not least, the Naked 2 Eye Make-up Palette from Urban Decay is (for lack of a better word) AMAZING! You will throw out all of your other eye shadows and replace them with this...
I'm Kelley...a thirty-something, travel-lovin', book-obsessed, pseudo-crafty, Southern girl who commonly poses as an English teacher by day. The best part of my life, however, happens after the school day has ended! I am the happy wife of a stereotypical Greek husband (think BIG personality and always the life-of-the-party) and proud mother of two girls...Sophie, a green-eyed blonde who's the epitome of a girly-girl and Stephanie, a brown-eyed, brunette with a FIESTY personality. Welcome to my big, fat Greek life!
