Hey Y'all & True Blood

Hey y'all! 
Sorry I've been so absent lately but I've been staying pretty busy with work and every day life matters.  It's all left me little time to write and catch up on the inter webs.  I barely have time to read a few blogs in the evening, much less write one.  Lately, during the little bit of free time I have I've found myself obsessing over the HBO television show True Blood.  Yes, I know.  I'm really, really, really late to this party. 

So here I am making my fashionably late entrance in the world of Sookie Stackhouse and the rest of the True Blood characters.  So far I'm only part way through season three (I'm one of those crazy people that refuses to watch a show unless I start at the very beginning) and I'm loving every single episode.  I just can't get enough.  I don't know what I'm going to do when I finally catch up with the rest of y'all and have to actually wait until the next season begins.  I guess I'll have to find a new series to start after I finish this one.  (Speaking of, I've heard so many great things about Friday Night Lights.  Perhaps it shall be next?)

My thoughts on True Blood.  Sookie Stackhouse is adorable.  Seriously.  Adorable.  Vampire Bill?  Love him!  And he's totally cute underneath those fangs and pale skin.  (By the way, how cute is it that they're married in real life?)  Eric is pretty cute too and I also see the appeal of him, but I'm still Team Bill right now.  Hoyt and Jessica crack me up.  Hoyt is the typical southern, momma's boy and Jessica is your average teenage drama queen.  Lafayette is hysterical.  Jason Stackhouse is also hysterical.  I could go on and on about the rest of the cast...but instead I'll tell you my very own True Blood claim to fame. 

If you currently watch the show then I'm sure you've heard Alcide.  You know, the super hot construction worker/werewolf?  Well, he was my 8th grade crush.  That's right.  When I was in 8th grade Joe Maganiello (Alcide) was in high school and I had the.biggest.crush. on him.  I would walk down the high school hallways during the change of classes (the junior high and high school were connected) just so I could see him.  In case you're wondering, he was every bit as good looking back then.  :)  And now, here he is all these years later starring on True Blood.  (Note to self: dig up old photo of me and Joe Maganiello taken when he starred as Judd Frye in the high school version of Oklahoma.)  Just when I thought I couldn't love this show anymore than I already did...

How have y'all been?  Are any of you out there avid True Blood watchers? 

xoxo,
Mrs. D

Last Weekend

Last weekend was packed full of fun events!  The weekend kicked off with a shower for one of our favorite soon-to-be-wed couples, Nancy & Mike!

Awwww.  :)

It was such a fun party!  Mr. D and I had a wonderful time hanging out with some of our favorite Lexington friends! 

The Bride and her pretty hostesses!

Nancy opening our gift.

(Mint Julep cups.)

Shout out to Betsy for making such an awesome ribbon bouquet!

(I know you're reading...I told you a shout out was coming your way.  Haha.)

Mr. D & the Groom-to-be, a fellow Gator fan!  :)

CHOMP!

Elizabeth & Mr. D matched perfectly.

(My Mr. D sure is a snazzy dresser!  Wonder who he gets it from?)

The beautiful Bride!

Can't wait for the New Years Eve nuptials!!!

Saturday I attended the Picnic With the Pops event at Keeneland, featuring the Lexington Philharmonic and the Cuban music group, Tiempo Libre.  Let me just tell you - it was wonderful!  All the tables were decorated with such fun themes, dinner was delicious (I was in charge of dessert for my table so it was red velvet cupcakes), and the music was far and away the best part of the night! 



Lexington Philharmonic on stage.

Keeneland was full of people.  It was a sold out event.

The sunset was gorgeous. (sorry for my crappy picture.)

I loved this table! They really stuck with the "Havana Nights" Cuban theme.

Aren't the cigar box center pieces adorable?

The Bay of Pigs ended up winning best table.

Another cute table.

And another.

Tiempo Libre on stage with the Lexington Philharmonic & everyone is up out of their seats dancing the night away!

You know we had to get some CD's & meet Tiempo Libre after the show.

& I may or may not have had my photo taken with the group after the show.  :)

I can't wait for Picnic with the Pops next year!  I will definitely be there and I plan to host my own table next year.  Now I just need to think of a good theme.  

After all that excitement, Sunday was a lazy day by the pool with Mr. D and friends.  We were exhausted and the rest was much needed. 

Sorry I'm a little late in posting this week.  It's been a little busy around here, but I hope y'all have had a happy one.  Oh!  If you're looking for some fun salsa music and Cuban beats, check out Tiempo Libre!  You'll love them! 

xoxo,

Mrs. D

Transitioning My Wardrobe

As much as I try to ignore it, summer is almost over.  While I love the fall; fall fashion, college football, Keeneland, boots, leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, etc. I absolutely dread and despise what comes next.  Winter.  Ugh. *Shudder*

Soon it will be time to pack away all the fun summer dresses and shoes and make room in my closet for boots and sweaters.  Lately I've been on the lookout for cute dresses I can wear during the "transition" period.  You know, the time of year where it's technically fall but it's hotter than all blazes outside and you know seersucker or a summery pattern would look silly.  Believe it or not, the Keeneland fall meet is usually hotter than the Keeneland spring meet.  I've been trying to find some cute dresses to wear throughout this stage that don't scream "I'm at the beach on a beautiful summer afternoon" and I've actually had quite a bit of luck (especially on the clearance racks!).  :) 

First, I stumbled upon a gorgeous Nanette Lepore dress at a local boutique, which was perfect because I had a gift certificate that was burning a hole in my pocket.  The Violetta dress is my favorite recent purchase because it is a pretty cream color and can be worn year round.  It will look great with cute heels now, boots in the fall, and tights and heels in the winter. 

Nanette Lepore - Violetta.

At the same boutique, I found this lovely orange Tory Burch dress for a fraction of the retail price.  Perfect for summer and fall - even better for game day!  GO GATORS!  (I can't seem to own enough orange and blue apparel.)

Tory Burch - Verbena.

The last time RueLaLa was featuring Lilly Pulitzer I took full advantage of the discounted price when I saw the silk Mallory dress in the Big Bang pattern.  I love the colors, pattern and sleeves.  (btw, if you aren't already a member you definitely need to sign up for RueLaLa.  Mr. D and I have had wonderful luck with their site over the last 3 years.  If you're not already taking advantage of RueLaLa, sign up now or you're missing out.)

Lilly Pulitzer - Mallory.

And for the perfect transitional shoe, how about this black wedge espadrille pump by (my personal favorite) Kate Spade.  I bought these ages ago when Kate Spade had their seasonal sample sale and I love them.  A perfect shoe at a perfect price.  It doesn't get much better than that. 

Kate Spade - Wish.

  

It's taken me all summer to collect these pieces, but I must say, I'm pretty pumped about them (and surprised by my own patience to find the perfect pieces for me). 

Have y'all found any great items for the upcoming summer to fall transition time?  Please fill me in and don't forget to check those clearance racks!  Happy Shopping, y'all!

(Please tell me I'm not the only one hoping summer weather never ends.)

xoxo,

Mrs. D



 

Do You EBate?

Please tell me y'all are already taking advantage of the fabulous site EBates!  If not, do yourself a favor and sign up now!  You will not regret it!  EBates is a site that's kinda like a mail in rebate, except it's for online shopping and your money comes in 4 different checks throughout the year.  Oh, and it's free!  What's better than free money!?!?

If you do a lot of online shopping, and I certainly do, go the EBates site at www.ebates.com and look for the site where you're doing your online shopping.  The majority of websites can be found on EBates (seriously, they even have the site where I buy my Christmas cards) and you will earn a percentage of "cash back" for your shopping.  You will receive your EBates reward checks 4 times throughout the year.  Lucky for me, Kate Spade is one of the EBates approved sites and I can earn 3% cash back on all my Kate Spade purchases.

The only sites I've tried to use that don't participate in EBates at this time are Williams-Sonoma and Neiman Marcus.  Pretty much everything else is there.  Happy shopping friends!  Go sign up for EBates and earn that cash back!!!

I promise this is for real and not a joke.  I also promise you will not regret signing up for EBates.  I've been a member for a year now and I'm loving getting these "big fat checks" in the mail!  :)  So, go sign up for EBates and don't forget to click on your free EBates account before making any online purchases.

xoxo,
Mrs. D

A Fab Lazy Weekend & Crazy Stupid Love

In case you haven't noticed, I've kinda been on a movie kick lately.  I love going to the movies!  Or maybe it's the popcorn and peanut m&m's I love?  Either way, I always have a great time.  This past Friday night was no exception.  Nancy and I decided to have a girls date for dinner (tex-mex, yum!) and a movie.  We went to see Crazy Stupid Love and loved it!  I expected I would enjoy the movie, but I ended up loving it (minus the annoying girls sitting right next to me talking the entire way through...even after I "Shhhhhhhh!-ed" them.  Seriously, who pays $9 a person to talk the entire way through a movie?).

Emma Stone is ridiculously adorable!  I want to be friends with her.  :)  And Ryan Gosling?  Oh my hotness!  He hasn't been this crush-worthy since The Notebook (which is still one of my favorites).  The story line is cute too.  I'm not the biggest Steve Carell fan but I really liked him in this movie.  I always love Julianne Moore and even though you're kinda angry with her character she's still likable in this movie.  I won't give anything away, but it's definitely one to see at the theatres.  Have any of y'all seen it? 
Mrs. D gives it two thumbs up and suggests you check it out in the theatres.  With popcorn and peanut m&m's of course!  (But I hope those annoying girls aren't sitting next to you talking when you see it.)

The rest of the weekend was just as fun and relaxing.  I went to support the local Delta chapter and cheer on my lil cousin, Olivia, as she was gearing up for her first ever in-house recruitment week.  It was so exciting to see all the cute Delta's running around and buzzing with excitement.  It made me remember my own days like that way back when. 

My lil Delta.  :)

UK Delta House Recruitment Banner:

Go Baby, GO Greek!

(Gotta capitalize on Keeneland & our racing state when we can.)

Saturday night was double date night with Katherine and Ben.  We even survived the awful storms that came through Lexington from the Harry's patio.  Even bad weather can't ruin a fun night with friends!  Too bad we came home to find our power out...and it didn't come back on for nearly twelve hours.  The house was so hot and stuffy I couldn't sleep at all.  It was fun lighting candles and playing with the flashlight for the first hour, but after a bit it was just a big inconvenience.  Makes you realize the little things you take for granted.  Like the use of your cell phone charger, Internet, TV, lights and refrigerator...just to name a few.  We are lucky to be living in the United States and to be able afford such luxuries. 

Mr. D having fun with the flashlight during the power outage. 

I spent quite a few hours poolside on Sunday with Mr. D and some friends.  It was glorious!  We really haven't spent much time at the pool since the beginning of summer and it was nice to get out there and enjoy a few hours.  A perfect Sunday Funday!  We may or may not have found ourselves back on the Harry's Patio for dinner Sunday night.  :) 

How did y'all spend your weekend?  Are any of you dreading the end of summer as much as I am?  Can you believe it's already mid-August?  Where did the year go?

xoxo,
Mrs. D

The Help

I read The Help last summer and it was the best book I read of 2010.  I was obsessed!  It's such a wonderful book and if you're one of the random few that hasn't read it, DO IT!  You will love it too.  I was so obsessed with the book I knew I had to see the movie right away and that's just what I did yesterday as soon as I got out of work. 

Let me just tell you now, it's GREAT!  A must see!  While it's not as wonderful as the book, the movies never are because they have to leave out a lot of the detail, it's a great novel turned movie and I think everyone should see it.  The storyline is wonderful by itself; but once you add the lovely cast (I heart Emma Stone), the awesome clothes, set and music....it makes it that.much.better. 

It was so great to see one of my favorite novels come to life on the big screen.  The casting was perfection!  I left the movie thinking "wow, look how far our country has come" and "this is such a good reminder of how we should treat people." 

Another highlight for me: at one point in the movie there's a 12 layer cake sitting in the background on the table.  Reminded me of my experience with the 12 layer cake.  Yum!  (Now, I'm itching to bake another.)

The movie is wonderful!  Drop what you're doing and go see it!  I'm going to take Mr. D with me when I go see it a 2nd time.

xoxo,
Mrs. D

Weekend Fun With Louie

This past weekend Lou flew up to the Bluegrass and we had a splendid time, to say the very least.  I'm sure y'all remember seeing Lou's face on the blog many times before and I doubt this will be the last time you hear of him either.  :)  Last week was actually Lou's 31st Birthday and this summer marks the ten year anniversary of our friendship.  It was ten years ago when we met at Cambridge University in England and while a lot has changed since then, our friendship has remained a constant.  To us, Lou is family and one of the greatest human beings we know.  That's right.  He's top notch!  If you meet him I'm sure you'll agree. 

Just for fun, here's how we spent our weekend. 

Happy 10 years!  Cheers to a "constant!"

Lex friends love Florida friends.

Happy Birthday Lou, new bow tie from me & Mr. D.

(it's upside down in the pic, but the print is cigars & a bottle of bourbon.)

Saturday morning trip to the farmers market for peaches.

We lounged by the pool. 

And later ran a 5K.

(Well, to be honest, I walked it & the boys ran.)

Two of my Aunts also ran the 5K.

Celebrating post 5K.

We may or may not have blown up marshmallows in the microwave to make s'mores.

(Seriously.  Look how giant they got!)

And it is very possible I got teary eyed Sunday evening when it was time for Lou to leave.

Not pictured: many Starbucks runs, brunch at Cheapside, my creepy Raggedy Ann doll, our delightful culinary concoctions, hours wasted watching a Pickers marathon on the history channel, many laughs and hugs shared, among countless other things. 

It was a perfect, sleep deprived, laugh-til-your-face-hurts kind of weekend.

I hope you weekend was equally as charming. 

Lou, thanks for visiting and hurry on back! 

xoxo,

Mrs. D

The Vow

Good morning my lovelies!
Have y'all heard of the book, The Vow?  I admit I hadn't heard of this story until the other day when I was reading over at C Mae's blog Happiness Is... and read her post about a new book she's reading called The Vow.  Then, I read the book is being made into a new movie starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum.  I love Rachel McAdams because she's pretty much adorable.  And Channing Tatum isn't too hard on the eyes either.  Another added bonus, Scott Speedman.  Swoon!  (I've loved him ever since he played Ben on the TV show Felicity, one of my long time favorite shows.) 

And y'all know how much I LOVE to read a good book and then go see the movie.  I like to see the characters come to life on the big screen and compare the book to the movie (except I hate when when they change the storyline for the movie.  This makes me SO mad.)

After reading C Mae's blog post, I immediately had to look up the synopsis of this story and I'm so so so intrigued.  The Vow: The Kim and Krickitt Carpenter Story, is a true story about an oh-so in love newlywed couple, when one night their small car is hit from behind by a large truck.  The wife suffers severe injuries and when she wakes up from her coma, she can remember everyone in her life - except for her husband.  The book tells the tale of their struggle after she wakes from her coma and they try to piece their life back together.  This is definitely one I'm going to have to download on my kindle and read in the near future.  Obviously, I'll want to see the movie too.  Check out the movie trailer here:

Have any of y'all read this one already?  Or plan to see the movie?  It looks both heartbreaking and inspiring.  I can't wait! 

xoxo,

Mrs. D

This Commercial Gets Me Every Time

Do y'all know and love the google chrome "Dear Sophie" commercial as much as I do?  I can't help but tear up every.time.I.see.it.  Seriously.  Tears in my eyes.  Always.  It's just such a sweet idea and it pulls at my heart strings.  Anyway, watch it.  Please tell me I'm not the only lame sap out there getting all weepy over a commercial. 

What did you think?  In all honesty, I've been known to pull this one up on YouTube and watch it occasionally.  I just love it.  Yea, I know, I'm a sap. 

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

xoxo,
Mrs. D

Big Sky Country, part II

My favorite day in Montana we spent floating down North Fork and the evening shooting skeet in Kalisbell.  The weather was absolutely perfect and it was a fun and relaxing time.  We started our float right at the Canada/Montana border.  

The line in the trees is the United States/Canada border.  (The U.S. is on the left.)

In 2 countries at once.

Ready for floating!

(I know y'all are jealous of my cool neon water shoes, but try to keep it under control.)

We saw deer during our float and I was so excited I managed to snap 10,000 pictures before they disappeared.  Haha!

Taking a break.

Getting closer to the white water. Unfortunately I couldn't take any pics during this part because I was too busy getting soaked by the waves, thanks to my nice friend paddling the boat.

GORGEOUS!

I wasn't a fan of the restrooms.

Y'all ready for some skeet shootin'?

I actually did better than I thought I would and hit about 50%.  It was a BLAST!

The Elk.  They were giant up close. 

Posing in front of the Elk.

And for my big Montana purchase.....guess what I got? 

That's right!  My very own white Stetson!  :)

(I also purchased an adorable pair of moccasin shoes.)

Although, I quickly realized....Kate Middleton, I am not.  Haha!

Remember my post here?  She pulls the cowgirl chic look off way better than I ever will.

I hope y'all had a fabulous weekend!  Please go visit Montana soon.  You will love it and be so glad you did.

xoxo,

Mrs. D