Strong Women

I'm back in Maine this week. When I walked from the airport to the car rental office I think my nose froze, literally.

I mean, it eventually thawed, but seriously, this is just cold! I feel like each time I come up here I remember how cold it can be, but when it's cold, it is COLD!

Which makes me long for warmth and sunshine. For drinks outside on patios with the sun still out and shining. It makes me long for times when we all are happy & tan...kind of like this.


Which is a great reminder of the fact that Mr. Potts and I will be in MEXICO in less than two weeks! More on that later, promise!

But this also is a reminder of the friendships that are so dear to me, to us. Friendship has been on my mind and in my heart lately.

I've been so blessed in finding these friends, especially the girls, since girls can sometimes be a bit catty. But these women in my life? They're

Fabulous

Vibrant

Beautiful

Thoughtful

Caring

Kind

Funny (like make me snort funny)

Loving

The kind of women you laugh and cry with, sometimes at the same time!

The type of woman that you long to be like and love that you are friends with

And I'm so thankful for each of them.

It makes me so thankful to have these wonderful women (and let's be honest, men too) in my life. It makes me want to be a kinder person so that people who may not have this regularly in their life may get a small slice of that happiness from me.

How do you describe the women in your life? Tell me how fabulous your friends are. In fact, this Friday may be a Fabulous Friday, Friend Style.

Side note: Re-reading that first link (Fabulous) made me giggle out loud.

PS: Hi to all the new lovelies! How did you come across this little spot of mine? Come say hi, I want to "meet" you!

Dress me

Dress me! Yes, please!!

Remember when I asked you for feedback about what to wear to a formal wedding?

The overwhelming majority said that even though the traditional route is to go long, that short would be appropriate as well.

I decided to check with Mr. Potts' best friend's wife. He's also a groomsman, so I thought it would be good to see what she was thinking.

I emailed her & hoped that her response back would be "Short".

Yay!

I've started looking for ideas and found the following three that I love.

What do you think?
1. Love the color & the shoulder detail


2. Love the cut & the sparkle

3. Overall, just a pretty dress

Let me know which one is your favorite.

Sign me up, Take me away!

I love a good vacation in the winter. One where you come back relaxed & smiling more. Where you glow just a little more.

Because we all know that while self-tanner is great, in the winter it tends to look a little Snook'ish - at least on me.

In just 17 days Mr. Potts and I will be leaving with another couple-friend of ours and heading to the Mayan Riviera (Mexico) for a little winter relaxation!

The Aventura Spa Palace Resort is adults only (18+). While I enjoy little ones, there are times, like on my vacation, that I'd rather not be surrounded by them!

A little eye candy for your viewing pleasure.




I just can't wait to get there & relax! I promise to have a margarita for each of you.

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

Like Buttah

Mr. Potts and I went to the mall on Sunday to return a few Christmas gifts and to see if there was anything we could find to replace these things.

When we walked into Banana Republic I saw a few things that caught my eye, but nothing that screamed, "BUY ME!!!"

Until I laid eyes on this jacket. It was like it had a spotlight shining down on it & I swear, I heard the baby angels singing.

In slow motion (in my mind at least) I reached out to touch it and felt the leather melt into my hands. You know, like buttah.

Pulling the jacket open, I saw a slight lining and knew I had to try it on. Pulling Mr. Potts over, I showed him the jacket. And I swear, he saw the gleam in my eyes.

I pulled it on and fell in love.

You know how a woman should always have a fabulous jacket? One that makes them feel hot, sexy, tough, sweet, smart, sophisticated? Sometimes it's tough to imagine all of that in one jacket.

When I turned around to look in the mirror (again, in slow motion in my mind with the baby angels singing and suddenly, a glow surrounding me) I knew I had hit the motherload. The proverbial nail on the head.

This was the perfect jacket and I knew I had to have it. I had gift cards, I had Banana dollars (it's a perk of having a card that earns points) and I had a 25% off coupon.

It was mine.

Isn't she beautiful?

via

I can't wait to break her out. Perhaps this weekend?

Any great post-holiday finds you've made?

On Resolutions

Over the past few days I've enjoyed reading everyone's resolutions. Some of you are focused on your health, some on saving more/spending less (I applaud you!), some are focused on eating better or planning meals in advance, etc.

I'm thrilled to see these, especially the ones where people are going to focus on themselves and take one day at a time.

I've made resolutions in the past. Usually revolving around health, working out, eating better, etc.

I think for the most part (minus the occasional Philly Cheese Steak/Onion Ring combo) I am healthy. I work out regularly, I cook healthy meals, I take time for myself, etc.

However, when I've made resolutions, they tend to revolve around me. How I can make myself better, how I can build myself up.

And I think that for me, that needs to be an everyday focus, not a great big once a year idea.

So instead of making resolutions to improve myself (not that I don't have room for improvement, because I do!), my focus this year will be to try to have a positive impact on others.

It is the little opportunities we have each day to help others that I want to embrace.

The person trying to turn into traffic, the woman struggling to get the door open, encouraging people when they're down & cheering on their successes. How can I make a positive impact on them and others?

That is where I want my big focus to lay this year.

Good luck with each of your resolutions this year! Here's to us all keeping up with them!

And with a slight hiccup, Christmas was gone

We spent Sunday evening taking down the remainder of our Christmas decorations and the tree. We'd already pulled the stockings down and put the wrapping paper away, but as some of you may be aware, it is "bad luck" to take down your decorations before the New Year arrives.

Oh, ok, who am I kidding? No such thing as bad luck, but I just really loved how pretty our tree and decorations looked this year.

As we packed away our ornaments for last year Mr. Potts and saw something streak out from under the tree!

Was it a tiny little reindeer left behind?

Nope, just Mr. Pepe Cat.

This holiday season he's really enjoyed laying under the tree and looking at the lights. Which was quite a sight to behold before he was blocked out by presents.

Every once in a while, we'd see the glow of his eyes blending in with the glow of the lights.

Mr. Potts at first worried that he would try to climb it or pull off ornaments.

I assured him that he would not do that, but I did voice my biggest fear. That Pepe Cat would have a hairball attack under the tree after we had left for Kentucky.

So on Sunday as we were pulling the ornaments and lights off and disassembling the tree I kept that thought to myself and said a little prayer that Pepe Cat would not have given us an extra special late Christmas present.

As I pulled the skirt out from under the tree I realized that my little prayer had been in vain.

Pepe Cat had indeed saved a special present for us.

And with that little hiccup, the skirt went into the trash and Christmas 2010 was officially over.

Thank goodness everything is on sale now, right?

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

On Love

When I think about this past year, it has been a happy one. I've learned a lot. I've lived a lot. I've loved a lot.

Not only have I been blessed with Mr. Potts and my family (especially the munchkins!), I've also been fortunate enough to make some wonderful friends.

We've shared a lot the past year with a birth at the beginning of 2010, a wedding, birthdays and holidays. We've also shared loss.

I never imagined that one of my closest friends would experience a loss so great, a grief so profound.

Her loss isn't mine and I certainly would never claim it as my own. But I find myself constantly thinking of her, thinking of her precious baby.

When you find someone that you love, be it husband, family or friend, your heart breaks some when they're hurting. And y'all. My heart is so broken for her.

I also find myself longing to comfort her, to let her know that she isn't alone. That I love her so dearly that my heart is broken for her.

I never thought that any of us would go through this; and yet, I can't imagine any of us facing it alone.

So to you, my friends, I raise my glass and share my love with you and all of my hopes for a wonderful 2011.