Guess what I did yesterday?

I went with Mr. Potts to test drive a car! Two cars in fact.

A few facts about me:

• I'm a driver. I love cars built for driving. Those with tight suspensions that can hug a turn at 55mph and not drift.
• I can drive a stick - a 6 speed, if you please. And I'll admit, I'm good at it.
  
• I used to drive a little 350Z. I miss it. It was sporty, it was fast, it was me.
• I now drive a Honda Accord named Betsy. Why Betsy? Well, she's like your girl next door. She's so not me. When she's dirty (which is frequent) she's dirty girl Betsy.
  
• I test drove 2 cars today.
  
• A 2006 BMW 325i automatic sedan
• A 2007 BMW 328i 6 speed manual coupe. After driving the 6 speed I realized what I've been missing.

Now, to find the right one for me. Our BMW dealership is searching & I'm hoping they will find what I want.

25 Things about me

I recently did this on Facebook & thought I'd share it with you all. Some of the things you may have already known.

1. I love to throw parties. I love hosting people over. I love everything to do with having people over, except for the cleaning that comes before.

2. I love to cook. I love experimenting with food. I'm really good at it too.

3. Mr. Potts was the best chance I ever took.

4. I miss Maddy every day & still look around for her. I don't think I'll ever get over losing her.

5. I told my ex-husband that I would kill him if he tried to keep Maddy. And I meant it.

6. I cry. Easily. The commercial (yes, commercial) that gets me every year is the Folgers one where the son comes home & makes coffee & his mom comes downstairs & sees him. I feel that I am extremely empathetic, which leads to my crying.

7. I once was "mis-placed" in a mall by a forgetful babysitter (could have been an aunt or friend of my mom's, I'm not sure). Luckily they found me.

8. I don't get hangovers. Yep, I know, you hate me.

9. I have an obsession with beautiful handbags. Mr. Potts indulges my obsession & usually gives me a new one for Christmas & birthdays.

10. I love to read. I've been known to buy 10 books at a time so I don't run out & not have anything to read.

11. I'm incredibly goofy. I mean, to a point that Mr. Potts just shakes his head at me. I'm so goofy that I laugh at myself. A lot.

12. I wish I had kept in touch better with people I knew from high school & college.

13. I'm pretty good at the track - the horse track. The last time we went to Derby (Mr. Potts is from Louisville) I won. I won enough that I walked out with as much as I walked in with. Even after buying food & drinks.

14. I met my father when I was 13 & we've built our relationship from there. I'm really proud that we've gotten closer over the last few years.

15. I have been to 42 of the 50 states. I'll probably never visit all 50 - I just can't think of anything that really would take me to South Dakota....nope, probably not.

16. I was mugged when I lived in New Orleans. Right in front of my house. Two days before I was to move back to NC. It was Cinco de Mayo & I had gone with my friends to eat at my favorite Southwestern restaurant (Sante Fe) and then went home. I heard someone behind me & I thought he was asking for change. So I brushed it off with a "I don't have any change." Something in his tone changed & when I turned around I saw the gun & heard the man tell me to give him my money. I was a little inebriated & laughed at him until I realized he was serious.

17. I never carry cash (see #16)

18. I can fall asleep anywhere. It is a special talent I have - this thing for sleeping. I can fall asleep on a plane, in a car, for a quick 30 minute nap. Easy

19. I drink more water than anyone I know. I probably drink anywhere from 2-3 gallons of water a day.

20. I must have coffee every morning. If I don't, I get a headache later.

21. I can only let my hair grow to a certain point. After that, I have to cut it or I get headaches because it is so thick & heavy.

22. I was born missing one of my bottom teeth. It just never grew in. So I'm short a tooth.

23. I am on a first name basis with my periodontist. I've had two mouth surgeries (I won't go into the details - enough to say it was excruciatingly painful) and am a total freak about good oral hygiene. I floss at least twice a day & am a snob about the kind of floss I use.

24. I love my job & feel that I have a lot of growth potential with it.

25. My favorite flowers are tulips. I personally think that roses are over-rated.

Interview time

I volunteered to be interviewed and had two of my blog friends send me sets of questions. Julie, I apologize for taking so long to get these on here! If anyone wants to know anything else, just ask away & I'll make another post with the Q&A.

Julie, from Wearing Mascara sent me my first set of interview questions.
1. Do you have any pets? If so, what kind and what are they like?
Mr. Potts and I have 2 pets. Hayden, the wonder dog and Pepe the cat. Hayden is a yellow lab who is full of energy. She loves long walks (do I sound like I'm writing a personal ad?) & water. We've taken her to the dog park where she loves to find the first mud puddle & jump in. From that point she proceeds to wallow in it while we hiss (cause we're trying not to be those owners who yell - yeah, who are we kidding), "Hayden! Get out of the MUD!!" Never works. She then proceeds to run & play while all the other dog owners (whose dogs somehow manage to avoid the mud puddle?) look at her, shake their heads & tell us how dirty she is.
Pepe is short for Pepe le Pew as he smelled like a skunk when I rescued him. He was 4 months old & only weighed 4lbs at the time. He was a sight, with kitty dreadlocks sticking out all over his head. He is a little spastic & loves to "hunt" my ponytail holders.

2. Do you believe in love at first sight?
For me, no. I thought Mr. Potts was really good-looking when we first met, but it wasn't love at first sight. I do however, tend to fall in love easily & allow myself to express it.

3. From the time you wake up to when you leave your house, what is your daily (M-F) routine?

• I wake up at 4:40am to go to the gym
• Bathroom for a quick swipe of my teeth & I either wear contact or glasses
• Other bedroom to get dressed - I put my left shoe on first
• Out the door to the gym
• 1 hour cardio minimum - February starts more weight training, but that will probably be in the evening.
• Back home to shower
• Walk in, let Hayden out, feed her, make coffee
  
• Shower
  
• Depending on which day it is I either wash my hair & blow dry or don't & do a quick touch up (I can't wash my hair every day)
• Brush my teeth - at a minimum 4 minutes
• Put on makeup
• Get dressed
• Go downstairs & get all my stuff together
• Make cup of coffee
• Out the door
  

4. What is your favorite or most inspirational blog and why?
I'm not sure that I can really pick. I think that there are so many people who are blogging that share their life changing experiences, that make me think, that encourage me to do or in general just make me laugh.

5. Which part of your body is your favorite and why?
This one takes a ton of thought. I've tried to adopt the thought that God made me the way I am that he wants me to keep my body healthy. So I'm trying for that. I would probably say that my favorite part of me are my legs. They're strong, they can carry me far, I tend to keep them very muscled & they're attached to my pretty cute feet.

Kristen over at Something about nothing sent me these. They were hard!
1. From your profile you say: "I love to try new ideas & recipes"
Describe some examples ( you don't have to actually give recipes unless you want to)
Well, I've started cooking fish more. I've always been wary of cooking fish - the smell, the mess, what if it was awful, etc. I recently made Ginger Lime Mahi Mahi & it was wonderful (you can find the recipe here). I also just made Chicken Francais for the first time. I'm going to make a Maple Salmon soon. I've been trying new recipes & trying to document them on my bog. I think it really is more of a commitment on my part to trying new recipes and new foods I may not have worked with before. Thai food is another - I'm working to perfect my red curry with chicken & veggies. I'll share that recipe once I'm successful with it.

2. If you could have your own Foodnetwork show what would it be called and what would it be about?
I'm awful with naming things - so probably something like Basics with Kim - I know, I know, boring. The thoughts that went into this though, were along the lines of marketing it as a show that would be the basics, but beyond. Something for a person who is comfortable in a kitchen, but would like to experiment more with different recipes and ingredients while still keeping it fairly simple. If you could recommend a name for something like this for me, what would it be?

3. Where do you see your self in 15 years?
Working successfully in Learning & Development. Most likely at a Director or VP level. No kids. Traveling often. Happy. Still in Love. Probably still in the South.

4. From your profile you say: "I'm an adventurous cook who has a not so adventurous husband to cook for" - so what do you cook for Mr. Potts?
I should preface my answer by telling you that Mr. Potts never ate condiments until he was a senior in college. He didn't eat pasta until he went away to college. As for fruits & veggies, forget it - I think he ate bananas. I've introduced Mr. Potts to the world of gourmet salads. He eats fish when I make it, where before, his idea of fish was fish sticks from a box. He has eaten a mango & now loves when I make a mango/pineapple salsa to go with chicken or fish. I make fresh green beans sauteed with onions, garlic & bits of bacon - he LOVES those.

5. What has been your biggest accomplishment in your life thus far?
Being where I am today. I was married once before and it took a lot of courage for me to leave. He was mentally abusive and would always put me down. I truthfully thought that he may physically hurt me when I told him I was leaving. To be where I am, in a happy, loving relationship is a huge accomplishment for me.

I indulged...

I left work yesterday tired & tight. I've been working so much lately & have just been exhausted. So yesterday afternoon I called my massage place & booked an hour massage at 6pm. It was phenomenal!! The guy used a more forceful (I don't know if that is the correct word) technique which is just what I needed to work out my kinks in my back & shoulders. I left there so happy & relaxed. I'm going back next week. :) So my indulgence will probably turn into a twice a month therapy.

Since it was about 7pm when I left eh massage place, I ran into the store to grab some things for a salad. Mr. Potts adores my salads - Chicken Fajita Salad, Gorgonzola and Beef Salad, etc. Last night I grabbed a rotisserie chicken, some goat cheese, a small bag of walnuts, red seedless grapes, a Granny Smith apple and a red pear. It was wonderful last night with a little Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. I also picked up a large bag of the spring mix so I could eat off of it all week. Mr. Potts asked what I was going to name this one & after pondering, decided to call it the Fruit and Chicken Salad. There are times when he requests them by name. :)

Tonight we're having homemade Roasted Butternut Squash soup topped with toasted pine nuts. I was trying really hard to think of something to go along with it & decided to pick up a loaf of sourdough bread & some fresh Fontina cheese. It will be done very similarly to an open faced grilled cheese. Slice the bread, add the cheese and broil. I can't wait for dinner!

Happy Tuesday to you all! Will you have a busy or a slow day today? Is anyone already thinking about what they'll eat for dinner tonight?

I'm Vain, I Admit it

I am vain. Not in a "Oh my, I'm so pretty I could stop traffic." Not, "My body just rocks" (although if you push me the right way, you may see it rock & roll). Not, "Mirror, mirror on the wall...."I'm vain about my hair. It is thick & heavy & wavy. It shines. I don't get split ends.Right now, however, I'm not feeling vain. I'm totally rockin Kelly Bundy roots. I am in DESPERATE need of some quality time with my hairdresser. A good 3 hour session where I can read in silence and she massages my head & neck when washing my hair. But you see, I recently "broke up" with my hairdresser. It's not her, it's me. She works so far away & it takes me 50 minutes on a good day, 1 hour 10 minutes on a bad day to get there. The worst part is that I really haven't told her yet.So on the February 7th, I'll be going to audition someone new. My stomach is all aflutter already thinking about how she'll do. Will she be good with layers? Will she get my highlights just right? You know, that buttery warm color, but not too blonde? Will she let me sit in peace (I may be weird here, but my life is so hectic right now that the chance to just sit & relax is highly appealing)?

Do I tell my old hairdresser that we're no longer together? Should I give her the old, "It's not you, it's me..." line?

Huge Success

Phew! It is 5:30, I'm exhausted, Mr. Potts is exhausted...but our house is picked up and back to normal.

Our Post Holiday, Holiday Party was so much fun! Everyone had a great time & loved the bad gift exchange. Our fab friend P. played bartender with his signature drinks. We even turned the upstairs into Dance Party a la the 80's.

Hope you all had a fun Saturday. What did you do?

It's a Party, Ya'll!!!

Tomorrow is Mr. Potts & my 2nd Annual Holiday party. Although this year, it is with a few twists. We're having it in January, because, well, December is so stinking busy! Not only that, but people tend to hibernate in January and we thought this would be a great way to get our friends together in the new year.

Our second twist involves a Bad Gift Exchange. This is where people will bring the worst gift they received at Christmas. You know the one - the full face ski mask that your sister gave you even though your average temperature in the winter is the high 40's. How about that holiday decorated candle holder that doesn't go with anything you own - not even your Christmas stuff? Mmm hmmm...should be interesting.

The most important part of our party however, involves food & drink. Obviously. :)

Bartender P will be coming by in the afternoon to set up his mobile bar in our garage - we're putting in space heaters for him & the smokers. Aren't we wonderful hosts? He always comes up with creative names for our parties. Last year my fave was a yummy pink drink - I can't remember it all, but it was SO good!!

I'm planning our menu right now for heavy snacks. What do you think? Anything that you LOVE that is easy to make that you don't mind sharing with me, I'd love!!

Roasted vegetable tapenade with garlic jalapeño bread
Spicy Sausage balls - made with chipotle cheddar cheese
Black bean & corn salsa with blue corn tortilla chips
Cheese ball with assorted crackers
Meatballs - in a sweet & spicy marinade
Toasted ravioli
Some sliced cheese & crackers

What do you think? Should I add anything?

Thankful Thursday

God has blessed me and I have so much to be thankful for that I thought I'd share.

Mr. Potts. God blessed me in brining him into my life. He loves me just as I am - dorky sense of humor, unending cheerfulness in the morning and the fact that I am happy in bed at 9:30pm.

Family and Friends - the picture below is all of our family (4 sets of parents!) and our friends who stood up for us at our wedding. You can see both of our nieces & nephews here. We have wonderful people in our lives who love us.

Our furry monsters Hayden & Pepe - I talked about them both in pictures in a recent post - The Right Place at the Right Time!

My health. I'm still working to become more healthy. A new pair of shoes would help with that, yes?A grown up bed! We registered for bedding and this is what we selected. The sheets are so nice, we just got a new mattress and the pillows are wonderful! The only thing left to do is paint.
I'm also thankful for the opportunity to share this with you. Thank you to those who have joined as followers and those who have shared me with others! What are you thankful for?

OH MY YUM!

I mentioned a few times recently that I have received my two new Cooking Light cookbooks. I have been looking forward to trying new recipes and was able to last night with wonderful results. Tonight, I'm happy to say, was even better!

I told Mr. Potts that we'd be having a chicken dish (last night's dinner), some other light meat, a seafood/fish dish and then we'd eat off of leftovers or do a simple stew/soup. Last night was the Chicken Francais; tonight we had Ginger Lime Mahi Mahi. Wow. Mr. Potts told me that if we had this ever week, he'd be a happy husband. To go alongside the mahi we had a wild/brown rice mixture and asparagus lightly cooked in garlic with a splash of the ginger lime sauce. It was a simple recipe and while the original called for swordfish, I'm still a little nervous about eating such a meaty fish. Harris Teeter had mahi mahi on sale, so there it was!

If anyone is interested, here is the recipe, substituting Mahi Mahi for swordfish.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons bottled fresh ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 4 (6-ounce) Mahi Mahi cuts (about 3/4 inch thick)
• Cooking spray - I use my handy Olive Oil sprayer from Crate & Barrel
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

• Preheat broiler.
• Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Dip each steak into the lime mixture to coat.
• Place fish on a broiling pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
• While fish cooks, place lime juice mixture over medium heat; cook until reduced by half (about 8 minutes). Serve sauce with fish.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 235 (20% from fat)

Fat: 5.2g (sat 1.4g,mono 2g,poly 1.2g)

Protein: 25.8g

Carbohydrate: 22g

Fiber: 0.6g

Cholesterol: 50mg

Iron: 1.3mg

Sodium: 397mg

Calcium: 15mg

Rave reviews!!

Tasty Tuesday

I wrote a while back about receiving my two new cookbooks from Cooking Light. I'm super excited because their recipes are always wonderful and they're healthy! As part of my New Year reflections, I'm trying to make sure that my body is healthy and loved. So tonight Mr. Potts and I will be dining on Chicken Francais. If it turns out anywhere as tasty as the picture in my cookbook, I should be in heaven!The recipe - if you're interested.

• 3/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 (6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Cooking spray (I use my olive oil mister)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a dish
2. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4 inch thinness. Discard wrap & dredge chicken in flour & dip in egg substitute mixture.
3. Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray (olive oil spray) over medium heat. Add 4 chicken breast halves; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan, and keep warm. Wipe drippings from pan & repeat with remaining chicken & 1 1/2 tsp oil.
4. Melt butter in pan; add 1/4 cup wine and 3 tbsp lemon juice. Bring to a boil & cook 10 seconds. Serve immediately over chicken.

Nutritional Info:

• Calories 266
  
• Fat 9.4g
• Protein 38.3g
• Carb 5g
• Fiber .3g
• Chol 104mg
• Iron 2mg
• Sodium 280mg
• Calcium 69mg

I'll follow up later & let you know how it goes!

***********UPDATE************

Oh Wow! This turned out so yummy! Mr. Potts said this was a definite to add to our rotation. I smiled as I told him, "Baby, this is just the beginning!"

With 2 brand new cookbooks...I can't wait to see/taste what I try next!

Mr. Handsome

I've been working all weekend. Literally working. Yesterday was a 12 hour day. Still working this morning. It isn't fun, but it is necessary right now. Needless to say, nothing super exciting went on for me this weekend, however, I did realize how amusing Mr. Potts can be.

Last night while sitting on the couch (working) he came downstairs with a cute little smirk on his face. He announced to me that Pepe has a new name. He has decided that he will now be called...wait for it.... Mr. Handsome. Uh huh. My husband has decided that our fluffy orange cat (who is admittedly quite the handsome fella) should be called that regularly. Now, Mr. Handsome, er, Pepe is quite a funny cat. He will "hunt" my ponytail holders and then present them as a prize. He was a rescue kitten who when I found him only weighed 4lbs and was 4 months old. Interesting cat to say the least. But Mr. Handsome?What do you think?

So up to bed we went and I swear, I don't know when/how this happened, but Mr. Potts is turning Mr. Handsome into a lap cat! He laid on him last night! Ever since I rescued Pepe, he's been skittish - I'm not sure how his first 4 months were. He's never been a lovey-dovey cat, more of a "That is your space, this is my space" cat. I was so jealous. :)

Hope you all have a scrumptious Monday! Don't forget to check out Mrs. G over at Mmmm...Tastes Good if you're interested in her Doodle Bugs Paper Show.

Recession? What recession?

SunglassWarehouse is celebrating it's 7th birthday and they're celebrating it right by giving people a chance to win a fee vacation! Seriously?? $2,500 for roundtrip airfare and hotel stay and services, $200 worth of essential vacation accessories (four pair of sunglasses, a beach tote, two bottles of sunscreen, and two beach towels), and the winner will also receive an extra $300 in cash for food, shopping, or whatever is needed along the way!

I'm registered. You can too by clicking here!

The Right Place, At the Right Time

I was going through my pictures on my laptop & realized that I have several pictures which embody the title of this post. The kind of pictures that aren't posed, I was just lucky to have a camera handy. Hope you'll enjoy these!

Hayden loves her Christmas Bone from Nana!!

My niece & I made cookies - she couldn't resist eating one. How cute is she??

I thought it would be a perfect Derby hat - for me!!

Pepe cat stalking one of my ponytail holders!! He does look like quite the hunter, eh?

Maddy on the ottoman. She was like her momma & loved her naps!

Maddy and Hayden napping together on the ottoman - together. It was so funny to find them this way. So sweet!

This was outside of a hotel room (cough, cough) after my girl's weekend in Charleston.


What are some of your favorite right place, right time photos?

So Thankful!!

Mr. Potts called me this afternoon in a panic, wanting to know if I was ok. He wanted to know if I had been able to leave Vermont a day early. I hadn't - thankfully. He told me about the US Airways flight that crash landed into the Hudson. I'm flying home tomorrow through LaGuardia. If I had been able to go home earlier, I would probably have been on that flight. I'm thankful I wasn't.

It also touched me that both his mom and dad called to make sure I was safe & wasn't on the plane.

Award time!

Good Gal over at Good Gals Inc sent me the Honest Scrap award. It came at a really nice time too as I hadn't left my hotel yesterday at all due to the cold and was busy busy busy working away. I opened my blog and saw the comment from her (don't you just LOVE comments, by the way - they totally make me smile!). So, thank you Good Gal! You totally made my night - well, besides watching the 3 hour long LOST last night.
The rules...

1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap." Well, there's no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.

3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

So, I'll go with the ten honest things about myself first.

1) I look in a mirror every time I pass one. I know that sounds vain & in some way, it probably is. I can't help it. My eye just jumps over to it. Are my eyebrows ok? Is my hair getting frizzy? Should I have worn a tank top under this sweater? Do I have the chin hair poking out? I wonder how hard it would be NOT to look?
2) I am fanatical about hotel room cleanliness. I worked for a vacuum company for 3 years (Crazy, huh? Whoever thinks they will work for a vacuum company??) and traveled a ton for them (the running joke was 54 weeks of the year - yeah, I didn't find that too funny either). All the cleaning product training really stuck with me. So when I check into a hotel, I usually ask for extra towels & lay them out as a "runner" in my room. I don't touch the floor barefoot (I actually have a pair of travel slippers) - especially the bathroom. I apologize in advance if you travel as a part of work - look under the sink & compare the grout under there (where nothing usually touches it) to the grout around the tub. Uh huh.
3) I love to throw parties. We're having a Post Holiday, Holiday Party - With a Twist on the 24th. We had a great holiday party last year with open bar, great food (make your own sandwiches with roasted turkey or pork, mini cheese tortes, mini quiches, my famous sausage balls, etc.) and a ton of people.
Yet December is hard, so we're having our 2nd Annual Holiday Party this month. We've also hosted a competitive wine tasting - I shared my idea with Mrs. NOLA.
My favorite was a Bad Santa party which yielded the picture to the right. Yes, that is Mr. Potts dressed up as an escaped convict elf.

4) If I could do it over, I wouldn't have cut 6 inches of my hair off right before the wedding. I still miss my hair. The picture below is an example of the length it would have been had I not cut it off.
5) I was mugged in front of my home in New Orleans when I lived there two days before I was moving back to Charlotte. I lived in the Lower Garden district, but you just have to be careful no matter where you live. It was Cinco de Mayo & I had gone with my friends to eat at my favorite Southwestern restaurant & afterwards had had cucumber cosmos (I can share the recipe if you want it). I pulled up in front of my house, made sure no one was lurking & got out of my car. I heard someone behind me & I thought he was asking for change. So I brushed it off with a "I don't have any change." Something in his tone changed & when I turned around I saw the gun & heard the man tell me to give him my money. I never carry cash - didn't then, still don't now - so I told him I didn't have any. It seemed rather silly at the time that he would continue to ask me for money when I didn't have any. I gave him my purse & he took off. I was very blessed he didn't hurt me.

6) I had a gerbil growing up named Penelope (Nellie for short) that lived for 5 years.
7) If I had my way (which obviously, I don't) Mr. Potts & I would have a new puppy. An Australian Shepherd. I really (REALLY) want a weimaraner, but we "can't" have another large dog until we have a house - we have a yellow lab who is about 65lbs. Another reason is due to my travel schedule - I'll be the trainer & therefore need to be home regularly to train it.
8) I already have children's names picked out. Both a boy name & a girl name. With approval from Mr. Potts, of course!

9) I love cook books. I just received two Cooking Light cookbooks & spent hours pouring over them deciding what I wanted to make. YUM!

10) I have a very specific routine when I wake up in the mornings. It goes in this order:

• Bathroom
• Wash face
• Put in contacts OR Put on glasses
• Go down stairs
• Let Hayden out
• Feed Hayden
• Go back upstairs
• Get ready for gym - although I'd rather go back to bed
• Go to gym

Now - I'm supposed to pass this on to 7 bloggers (I almost put bloogers & that made me giggle) who I think are brilliant. Here goes!

• Mrs. G over at Mmmm...Tastes Good - she's hosting a Doodle Bugs online show right now - you should check it out if you love stationary!
• NOLA over at With Love From New Orleans - she's going private soon - we should all be aware of who follows us!
• Shasta of Bergdorf Blondes - not only is she very fabulous, but I equally loved the novel.
• Mrs. Jetplane of Leaving and Loving on a Jetplane - she had Mr. Jetplane answer questions from her followers - you have to read it!
• Tina at Life's a journey - check out her puppy snoozing!
• Kristen over at Something about nothin - I'm really digging her new background!
• Kimmie over at Living in Dallas and Loving it! - she just hit 50 followers (will I ever get there?) so go on over & check her out!
• Julie over at Wearing Mascara - she loves Nordies - I had to add her in!
  

Two, two, 2

I'm in the hotel restaurant eating my veggie frittata and working. If you haven't tried a frittata, I would recommend it. They can be made with egg substitute & use just a small amount of olive oil for the veggies. They're so good to me at the hotel - they'll switch out the hashbrowns for fresh fruit and there is an amazing nut oat toast! For a frittata recipe which looks yummy, check this out. I've already had my early morning (5am) workout and feel great!

As I was sitting here waiting for my food, I watched the local forecast. Today's high will be 5, which, when factoring the wind chill will make it feel -14. Currently, it is -3 with a wind chill that makes it feel as if it is -20. What in the world am I doing here? The best part of the weather forecasts is that you can check out what tomorrow will be like, see what your weekend plans could be affected by, etc.

Two. Thursday will be 2. Two. So with the inevitable wind chill I am looking at -18. Lovely. I can't wait to get home!!!

Early Tuesday Musings

Good morning Everyone! It is 6:45am where I am. I've already worked out - cardio & some weights, showered, cleaned up, gotten dressed and am down in the restaurant working away. As I'm sitting here I'm looking out the window at the stalagmites/stalactites that have been formed from the snow/ice here in Vermont. Wikipedia says that stalagmites grow while stalactites drip (hang).

It looks like my high tomorrow is going to be 5. For those of you in super cold weather environments, how do you deal? Do you hunker down? Do you embrace it? Anyone hug their inner kid & go sledding?

My day will be crammed full of work "stuff". Very busy for me up here. Anyone else getting ready to have a super, super busy day? One where you catch your breath, look up and realize it is already 4pm and you still have tons left to do?

Hope you lovelies all have a wonderful day!

Not I, Small Fry!!

Littlesack over at Navigating the Quarterlife turned me on to "Not Me! Mondays". The general gist is that you list things you "didn't" (read: actually did) do this weekend/past week. All in the name of admitting that we all make mistakes and aren't perfect. Now, I'm far from perfect and I'm all about being honest & admitting my mistakes, but this is a great way to do it!

I did not come home on Friday from Atlanta and refuse to make any decisions about dinner. I did not insist that Mr. Potts was in charge of all decisions that night. Nope, not me. I'm totally all about pulling my big girl pants up & making decisions.

I did not watch the Panthers lose to Arizona. Didn't happen!
Ok, I have to amend that one - obviously we did lose & I definitely watched it.
I did not share a pizza & wings while out on Saturday night watching the Panthers lose. Nope, not me. Blue cheese dressing? Pepperoni?? Not I, small fry!

I did not get a small popcorn & Sour Patch kids at the movie on Sunday with my niece. No way. Seriously - have way more self control than that.

Are you noticing a trend here? It's all about food - I mean, c'mon!

I did not sleep on my flight to LaGuardia this morning. No way! I went to bed super early last night & got plenty of rest!

So what did you "not do" this past week or over the weekend? Is anyone else noticing that most of their's are regarding food?

Just curious, who sleeps on planes? Do you nod off as soon as the engines start or are you wide awake & alert? Anyone get anxious flying? I don't mind it - I can fall asleep as soon as the engines start & have been known to be sound asleep before we're even fully leveled out.

A totally random post...

I'm getting ready to go to Vermont for a week. Quick, look at your calendar - what month is it? Yep, it is January and I'm going to Vermont. Where there is a weather advisory for flights. Where it has already snowed - several times. Where the high at this moment is 4 (but it feels like -6). Vermont, where the highest high while I'm there is forecast for 29, while the lowest low is forecast for -16. I've been in August when the highs are in the high 70's - it is wonderful then. I'm not sold on this cold, cold weather, though. I'll definitely let you all know how cold it is. :)

I'm going to be super, extremely busy the next two months with work. We're going through a migration of our systems and as I am in Learning and Development, I'm playing a huge part in it. It will be great for me experience wise, but probably very tiring. It may also mean, shorter blog posts and shorter comments on your blogs. I'll still read, for sure - what would I do without all you ladies?

A follow up to my post about my mom recently. All her tests came back normal. She thinks the doctor was being overly cautious. After talking to her further about why she went to the doctor in the first place, Mr. Potts and I think that she is probably having anxiety attacks. She's dealing with so much right now, so any extra prayers would be so appreciated. :)

We took the sweetest girl in the world (my niece) to see The Tale of Despereaux today. She's been excited to go to the movies with us & to have her own popcorn & soda! It was a really cute movie, so if you have any little ones in your life, I recommend it.

Also, had to let you know that Shasta over at Bergdorf Blondes is having a giveaway for her 200th post. She is super fabulous & posts daily pictures of her outfit of the day. Definitely go tell her "Hello" & share some super bloggy love.

Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend - what did you do?

Changes in the air

I changed a few things about my blog - the background is a major one. I'm not sure I'm really loving it. What do you think? Should I go back to my happy pink (pre New Year background)? Should I pick another new one?

I also added a bit more to the introduction. I did start this with all intentions of it being a food blog (recipes, restaurant reviews, etc.) but it has morphed into so much more. I'll still be adding recipes, but with work for the next two months I'm going to be crazy busy & will be traveling. So you'll probably have more restaurants tidbits than anything.

I also changed my picture. I played around with several last night (whilst taking a break from working - ugh!) and kept coming back to this one picture. In it you see my Great Dane, Madeline M'Lady - otherwise known as My Maddy, Maddy Girl, Bigun', SlobberBobber, Madkins or lovebug. I'm sure there were a thousand other names, but those were my favorite. I lost My Maddy in October to progressive heart disease and am still heartbroken. I just miss her like crazy. Anyway, I'm sure that I will change that picture soon enough, but I really just miss her. This was taken by one of my bridesmaids a few days before Mr. Potts & I had to take her in & let her go. It was a fun day to go to the park & take some pictures - we also took some with Hayden, our yellow lab.

So, what do you think of the changes? Any recommendations?

Happy Saturday! I hope it stays sunny for the Panthers game today! I hope that Jake Delhomme plays consistently & doesn't throw the ball away.

Oh yes, a funny anecdote. An elderly lady stood up in church recently when asked for additions to the general prayers for people. She simply said, "Pray for Jake" and sat down. What a smart woman - Jake needs as much help as we all do!

GOOP? No, not Grand Ol' Party!

This morning on the treadmill after I finished up my USAToday (Thank you Hampton!) I started in on my new Glamour (thank you USPS for delivering the day before I leave for ATL!). While reading, I came across a snippet about Gwyneth Paltrow's new site, GOOP. I thought I'd check it out this morning - she puts together weekly newsletters about her thoughts, ideas, clothes & food. Worth a glance, definitely.

Speaking of working out - how is everyone doing on their New Year's resolutions or life changes or healthy commitments? I'm really working harder to value the body God blessed me with & take good care of it.

*********

Specials thanks go to Littlesack of Navigating the Quarterlife and SassyEngineer of A Pretty Peony. They both made my day recently by gifting me with awards!

Littlesack sent me the "Beautiful" Award. This award is given to bloggers who display beauty more than skin deep. I really appreciate this - it cheers me to think that people may get a small lift from reading my thoughts & ideas.

I want to pass this lovely award along to a few of my faves:

• Mrs. Newlywed of Misadventures of a Newlywed. Please go check out her current post. It made me laugh out loud this morning!
• Good Gal from Good Gals Inc. She is so positive & supportive of people.
  
• Belle from Une Belle Vie - a beautiful blog - I totally want to go with them on their post honeymoon trip!
  

SassyEngineer sent me the "Your Blog is Fabulous" Award! This is a new one for me & I love the fact that she chose me. I like to think that I'm fabulous, but I have my days of self-doubt. Don't we all?
The instructions are simple: list five obsessions/addictions you have, tag back to the person who gave you the award, post the rules, and then tag five people to pass the award onto.

So, five obsessions...

1. Mr. Potts - I absolutely adore him! He is kind to everyone he meets, he loves my niece & nephew (I mean, who wouldn't??) and he loves my mom. He also tolerates my chattiness, he rubs my feet after a long day, and when I'm done reading at night, he puts my book away & gets up to turn off the light. How wonderful is he?

2. Sephora - I can't help it. I'm like a kid in a candy store when I'm there. I swear, I could spend hours walking the aisles, smelling the scents & patting on lotion. At least they don't have a credit card. :)

3. Good food. I can't say much more than that - I love food, all aspects of it. I love to buy it (specialty food shops...another place I could spend an hour or two wondering the aisles), I love to prepare it, I love to cook it, I love to eat it.

4. Big handbags. I'm currently carrying a large Cole Haan bag & it is my favorite of all time. It is a great reddish color & I can fit a large bottle of water, several snacks, 2 magazines & a paperback into it. Perfect for all the travel I do!

5. Water. I constantly drink water. I may go through 8 liters a day. I just like it - plus, it makes me feel like I'm hydrating really well.
Consequently, it does have me in & out of the bathroom constantly!!

Ok, so here is where I tag 5 new people for having fabulous blogs. This is hard, because there are so many that I follow & love reading.

1. Meghan from The Randomness of Meghan. She cracks me up & reminds me frequently that we all have those days.
2. Mrs. Stilettos from Newlywed Stilettos. She just posted about going to see Marley & Me & how it brought back memories of her dog Sandy - I'm totally avoiding that movie for a long time since I just lost my Maddy. Plus, she loves to introduce new bloggers!
3. Bama Belle from Bama Belle in the Big City. She has a wonderful blog, & I LOVED her post about her conversation with the cupcake lady. You must check her out!
4. Southern Accent from A Southern Accent. She has a beautiful blog - her most recent was about closet chandeliers. Who wouldn't love those??
5. Emily from Life as I know it from Memphis. She posted pictures lately of dresses - gorgeous! Plus, she is working on 130's by end of 30 - go give her some love & support!

Phew! Happy, Happy Wednesday!!

Long Day Gone

I started to title this "Wasted Day" but realized that it was a negative title. I'm extra aware of negativity and am trying very hard to keep positive thoughts in my head.

I had to drive to Atlanta today - I'll be here until Friday afternoon. We're working with contractors here and my boss wanted us to have at least a half day with them. I arrived at 1pm - I left Charlotte around 8:30am and stopped for gas & a quick lunch. Conversation with my boss from yesterday:

Me: "So, Mrs. Boss, what time do you want me there by tomorrow?"
Mrs. B: "Sometime around 1pm - yeah, 1pm."
Me: "Ok, great! I'll see you in Atlanta! Travel safely!"
Mrs. B: "You too! I'll ping you when I leave."
Me: "Sounds good."

I knew at that point that the following things probably would occur:
A. I would arrive by 1pm
B. Mrs. B would not leave in time to arrive by 1pm
C. I'd get an email around 9am saying that she was running late

Did I tell ya' I'm psychic? Ok, I was a little off on her timing. I didn't get an email at 9am, I got a phone call at 10am! Which means she probably didn't leave until 10:30.

It is now 3:50pm & Mrs. B still has not arrived. Which leads me back to my original thought for a post title.

Sigh

So what is the "norm" for the person you report to? Do you expect them to be late? Are you annoyed if they are? Are you a patient person? (Last question is just in general - I'm not, so if you are, I'm going to ask how you achieve that zen state of patience.)

Omelet from a Bag...

Have you ever heard of making an omelet in a Ziplock bag? Both my step-mom and my step-dad in law sent me an email with instructions about how to do this. I tried it first when I hosted a bridesmaid brunch the day we went to look at bridesmaid dresses - I figured that feeding people & plying them with mimosas and bloody mary's would make the whole process less painful. The omelets were a hit! They're so easy to make & you can add any ingredients you want. In addition, the clean up time is shorter! They're so shockingly easy that I make them at work all the time!
My way of doing things; I don't use measurements when I do this. Sometimes I use more veggies, sometimes less. The type of cheese really depends on 2 things: 1) What kind I'm in the mood for & 2) Have we been grocery shopping lately. Lack of supplies can really cut down on creativity.

What I use
3 eggs (1 whole egg/2 egg whites)
Green Peppers chopped finely
Onion chopped finely
Cheese - you can use what you like
A splash of skim milk
ziplock bag
microwave

How I do it
Beat eggs with splash of milk
Pour into ziplock bag
Add veggies & cheese
Seal bag
Shake bag to mix ingredients
Put into microwave

Here's the tricky part. Depending on the strength of your microwave, you'll need to keep an eye on the bag or it will explode. Which creates a mess. Trust me on this one.
I usually set the timer for a minute at work (high power microwave) and watch until the bag expands almost to the point of popping open. At this point, remove bag from microwave using caution - bag (& ingredients will be HOT!) Open bag slightly & place back into the microwave. Resume cooking - for me this is about 1-1 1/2 minutes.

Remove bag from microwave - again, contents & bag are HOT!
Open bag fully & slide your omelet onto your plate. Garnish as desired - although if like me, you do this at work, you probably won't have garnish.

Consume
Sit back satisfied that you have "cooked" breakfast, it is healthy & you don't have a mess to clean up.
YUM!

My Fave Finds of 2008

I'm always on the lookout for fabulous new items to add to my beauty bag. This year I found a few new things and must share them with you!

Kinerase Intensive Eye Cream. A great find - it has helped to reduce my fine lines around my eyes and have kept the area moisturized without being greasy!

Hope in a Jar. A wonderful facial moisturizer that has kept me from becoming flaky & dried out those cold, winter days in Maine! A must have!
Bumble & Bumble Creme de Coco masque. My go to for healthy, smooth hair. I have super thick hair and it can get dried out pretty easily. This helps to keep me happy and pleased with my hair. Plus, it smells fabulous!!

One that I found for the wedding - Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer. This made my skin flawless for the day and also added a touch of luminosity to my face. I've continued to use it & absolutely love the way it makes my skin appear flawless!

An oldie, but a goodie - The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter. This is fabulous at keeping my skin moisturized - hotel rooms in cold locations can be horrendous! Made with brazil nut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter it smells fabulous & carries The Body Shop difference.
What are your favorite finds of 2008?

Catch up time!

Now that I've had my caffeine, I can function. Side thought - people who "give up" caffeine as a New Year resolution are absolutely out of their mind! I only wish I could. Actually, I don't wish I could because I truly savor coffee - a nice hot cup, steaming with a little cream and Splenda/sugar mix....heaven!

I digress...

I must thank Mojito Maven of Make Mine a Mojito for walking me through how to add my awards to my page! I will blame it all on a lack of caffeine! If you haven't visited Maven, you should, simply to look at the yummy header of her blog. I LOVE mojitos, so it always makes me happy to go to her page!

To begin, Tina over at Life's a journey sent me the "You Are Truly Beautiful" Award! "You are beautiful and full of grace. Beautiful, inside and out."
Thank you, Tina! If you haven't checked out Tina, now is a great time to. She has a list of 100 things about her up. Number 60 is right up my alley - I've also been told I'm way too honest!
**I know that none of you have ever seen me walk down a hallway at work. You'd laugh, I'm definitely lacking in the grace department. :) **

I'm sharing this award with everyone!


A second award! Kimmie over at Living in Dallas and Loving It! has given me a fabulous award!
The award states "This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

If you haven't been to see Kimmie, you should check out this post - she shares some exciting news about a couple that she blogged about.

Now, I follow several blogs religiously, as you can tell by my reading list and I don't think I can narrow this down. You all have been so kind in commenting and sharing your feedback with me - so each of these awards is sent out to you!