Happy Halloween!

It's a THREE post day for your Halloween TREAT! A friend of mine went to a kid's Halloween party this past weekend in South Carolina. I just had to share the pictures she sent me. The names of all of the "snacks" were so cute- Ooey Oranges, Gooey Grapes, Wiches Broomsticks, it is all adorable! The "Spiders" are painted pumpkins with pipe cleaner legs. The tablecloth was orange plastic with black felt dots glued onto it. So cute!!

Questions For You!

1) Besides Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Ballard Designs...where can I find an upholstered chair to go with my new sofa?

2) NYC readers, where oh where can this Southern gal find someone to monogram my new stockings and some pillow cases?

3) If you work, how much time do you get off for Christmas? Are you using your vacation time? How much vacation time do you get with your job? Random question...I know.

4) Anyone in NYC want to hire me? =) Just a thought.

5) What are you or your kids dressing up as for Halloween tonight? What are your plans?

Hello everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween! We had a great weekend this past weekend. My husband surprised me with tickets to Legally Blonde the Musical. It was really cute! He had to work on Saturday, so I met a friend for brunch here. Sunday we both rested and went to mass. Overall it was a low key weekend.

I'm at work today, nothing special going on at the hospital. Very sad. They need a little bit more excitement around here! At my old office we all dressed up and had a Halloween potluck lunch. I miss my old office. I need a new job, this place is so stuffy! I was hired to be an events coordinator and I feel more like an executive assistant. I haven't used my brain since I got here and I've got creative juices bubbling out of my ears!

Tonight, I've signed up in my building to welcome trick-or-treaters from 6pm-7:30pm. I'm really looking forward to seeing all the kids in our building. We had a sign up sheet in one of the elevators and it looks like out of 33 floors of apartments, only about 12 apartments signed up. Kinda disappointing I'm sure to the kids.

I'll also be working on a dessert for our JL meeting tomorrow night. I'm still not sure what I'll be making. Any ideas? Husband is working late again tonight, so we don't have any special Halloween plans. =( Last year I went to Halloween party at a friend's house and we all dressed up our dogs. Daisy was a hula girl. I'll see if I can find some old pictures to post. I hope everyone has a fabulous day!

This weekend is one of my best friend's Stock the Bar party that I'm helping to host. I'm not going to be able to go because it is on Friday night and I can't take off of work in order to get there in time (it's in Alabama). I'm sad I can't be there to celebrate with my friends. Chin up...I'll see them all at the wedding in December.

On the upside I did request two days off this week from my boss. He approved me to have the day after Thanksgiving. My Mom and Dad and my brother and sister are all flying up on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to be with me and my husband. I can't wait to see them all. I miss them so much. I've got to make some great plans for them while they are here. My boss also approved a Friday in December for the above mentioned friends wedding. I will leave NYC on Thursday night so I can make it to her brunch and rehearsal dinner in Baton Rouge, LA. I just got her wedding invitation this week and it was so pretty! I'm looking forward to spending time with my friends! My husband is even going to leave at 1pm on Friday to make it in time for the rehearsal dinner! We booked our tickets last night thanks to skymiles from my Dad. Yeah!

Ok, enough about me. Can't wait to hear back from y'all. Happy Halloween! Eat lots of candy corn!

LL Bean Advent Calendar

Well...it's Halloween so time to talk about Christmas! =) Reader Wendy's sister sent her this advent calendar as an early Christmas present and she wrote me a note to tell me she thought about me immediately! Of course, I think it is so cute and wanted to share it with y'all! Don't forget LL Bean has free shipping right now.

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&categoryId=46245&sc1=Search&feat=sr

On My Way...To the Man of My Dreams!

Happy 4 Month Anniversary Husband! I LOVE YOU!

My Wedding Albums

Check out my great wedding albums. I need to finish filling them up with all of our wonderful memories! They turned out beautiful and I ordered them both from The Pink Giraffe. If you missed my post about albums, I blogged about other great options here:
Magnolias, Marriage and Manhattan: Where To Put All Those Wedding Pictures...

Mailbox

Hey,
My name is A and I am a senior majoring in Public Relations at Auburn University. I just want to let you know that I read your blog daily and absolutely love it. The reason I am writing to you is because I am doing my internship next summer in Manhattan and was wondering if you had any suggestions or any essential items that I should bring. I was thinking about asking for gift certificates related to NYC for Christmas (spas, restaurants). Any suggestions or ideas would be so helpful. Thanks again!
A

Hi A,
Thanks for reading! I love getting notes like yours and I appreciate you taking the time to tell me that you stop by daily. Congrats on your internship! What will you be doing? Gift certificates are a great idea for Christmas. www.restaurants.com has a large selection of NYC restaurants and you can get gift certificates for $3 or $4 for $25 worth of food! I would also be sure to get a Starbucks card. There is one on every corner and you'll sure to stop in more than usual if you are working! I'm still new to the city so I haven't uncovered too many restaurants that I'm crazy about. I find that you frequent the restaurants in your area the most. I love www.menupages.com. You can pick the type of food you like and the area you want to dine in and it comes up with all of your options...complete with online menus. I haven't been to a spa yet, but there are tons of options here in the city. Again, I'm still too new to give the expert opinion on that one. I would however ask for a Amex Cash Card that you could use at any spa AND that way you could get your weekly pedi/mani at your local spot for $20.00! One of the best deals in the city! I hope this helps!

All my best,

MMM

PS. Check out my "Manhattan General label for other tidbits on NYC that I've talked about. It's a great way to find everything I've ever talked about in one spot.

Fun Things to do in NYC

I wanted to share this list of fun things to do in NYC. My JL provisonal group is going to do one of these things for a group activity and one of our members put this fabulous list together. If you live in NYC, I would love to hear if you have done any of these things. If you are coming to visit NYC...here are some great things to try!

Tea Party
Alice's Tea Cup
102 West 73rd Street (212) 799-3006

Mon - Thu: 8:00am to 8:00pm
Fri: 8:00am to 10:00pm
Sat: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Sun: 10:00am to 8:00pm

Overview
Alice's Tea Cup is a dream-come-true for us. We have spent our lifetimes enjoying afternoon tea at various hotels and restaurants around the world, fantasizing about the day when we would open our own magical and whimsical tea room with a health conscious menu and variety of unique, fresh teas
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Podunk Tearoom
231 E 5th St
212-677-7722
Hours
Tue - Sun: 11:00am to 9:00pm

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Fencing Lessons
http://www.nyfencing.com/
New Amsterdam Fencing Academy
For beginners or experienced fencers - the Adult Program is an excellent introduction to fencing and an exceptional means to improve one's abilities. We supply all equipment.
Monday 7:30 - 9:00pm
Wednesday 7:30 – 9:00pm
Introductory Special:
$15 for three classes!

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Central Park Bike Ride
http://www.centralparkbiketour.com/Call (212) 541-8759
An excellent opportunity to see Central Park! Join us for a leisurely 2 hour escorted bicycle tour of Central Park and experience Frederick Law Olmstead's landscaped masterpiece with a spirited and informed tour guide.
Price :$40 per person ($20 for children 15 and under);includes bike rental fee & tour escort

10am, 1pm, and 4pm - 7 days a week and additional tours at 9am and 11am on summer weekends.

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The New York Aquarium
Adult $12.00
Weekends & Holidays
10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
F to Coney Island stop
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Dim Sum Brunch in Chinatown
Jing Fong Restaurant. 20 Elizabeth St 2nd Fl New York 212-964-5256

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Boardgame Night (any boardgame best to do this on a Monday or Tuesday)
274 Third Avenue
(between 21st and 22nd streets)
New York, NY 10010
212 253-2178

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Salsa Party http://www.tajlounge.com/
@ TAJ - 48 W 21st St, New York - (212) 620-3033
Mondays 6pm-1am

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Sake and Food Tasting http://www.satsko.com/
Satsko--245 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002
Every Wednesday 7pm to 11pm

It's a fun way to learn about Sake and Food parings. taste 6 flights of sake (your choice) with complimentary Japanese appetizers for $28 plus tax and tip per person.
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Pottery Painting
Make Meaning http://www.makemeanings.com/
1566 Second Avenue
between 81st st. & 82nd st. (212) 570-6868
ADULT NIGHT HOURS
Thurs - Sat 5pm - 10pm
****
Little Shop of Plaster http://www.littleshopny.com/lspp.htm
711 Amsterdam Avenue (Corner of 94th Street) p 212.531.2723
We have evening hours just for adults from 6:30 - 10:00 P.M. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings. We serve complimentary wine

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Bingo http://www.tortillaflatsnyc.com/
767 Washington Street-212.243.1053
Monday & Tuesday nights:
Experience the thrill of being a Big BINGO Winner. Tingle with the sensation of a roomful of Wildcards grappling with the great game. This is edge of your seat action & titillating group excitement ignited by the outrageous coupling of numbers & letters.

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Live Music @ The Café Wha?
115 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012
Doors open and seating starts every night at 8:30 Fridays ($12) and Saturdays ($15): For our early shows, ALL members of your party must arrive by 9:15 to be guaranteed seating.

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Mohegan Sun Casino
There's 300,000 square feet of gaming excitement and more than 6,200 slots and nearly 300 gaming tables, Keno, a state-of-the-art Racebook, and so much more.

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Spa Day-- http://www.broadwayspa.com/offers.html
7 West 25th Street
(between Broadway and 6th Avenue) 212 229 0636
1 hour Bamboo massage and other low rate specials
Begin your journey with Broadway Spa's exclusive massage, where bamboo shoots treated with essential oils are used as a delightful massage instruments.
40min ginger & orange blossom spa pedicure
2hours: $125

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Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturdays
At the Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturdays, thousands of visitors enjoy free programs of art and entertainment each month from 5–11 p.m .
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Quiz Night-- http://www.bigquizthing.com/
Crash Mansion 199 Bowery NYC Mondays, 7:30pm—October 22nd
The Big Quiz Thing is NYC's premier live-trivia event! Friends gather to try their luck at wickedly smart questions on any and all topics, written by your quizmaster,

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Bitchy Bingo-- http://www.lipsnyc.com/
4 Bank St, New York, NY 10014
Wednesday Nights
Drag show plus bingo. Really fun.

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Day-Trip to Woodbury Commons
We can meet up at Penn Station and purchase a $17 ticket which includes round-trip transportation via Metro North.

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Indoor Paintball! http://newyorkcitypaintball.com/rates.html
4711 Van Dam St, Long Island City - (718) 361-8337
$42 for 3 hrs of Play
Hours 4-10 T-F 10a-1a F-Sunday

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Horseback Riding in Prospect Park
http://www.prospectpark.org/acti/main.cfm?target=horse
10 a.m. to sunset.
Horseback riding is a tradition in Prospect Park, with a 3.5-mile bridle path through scenic and varied terrain, including woodlands, meadows and a ravine.
A group lesson is $40 per hour; semi-private lessons are $45 per hour; private lessons are $50 per hour or $30 per half hour. An hour's ride is $30 per person

Fall Indoors

Colorful gourds

A pretty yellow mum (which I've almost killed now...)
My baby pumpkins
Pumpkin Muffins

Football Dog

Daisy has destroyed another shaker after watching the Tide play... Daisy's preppy Alabama coller she's been sporting this football season...

Let's play football Mom!

My Man Meme

Tag You're It
I've tagged myself!

1. Who is your man?...... My Husband

2. How long have you been married?.......Almost 4 months!

3. How long dated?...... 1.5 years - then engaged for almost 10 months (we'll have been together 3 years the beginning of March)

4. Who is older you or your man?...... He is 17 months older than me

5. Who eats more? ..... We both eat a lot!

6. Who said "I love you" first? ...... He did, and I didn't hear him. I know?? How do you not hear someone? He said it on a trip to Sonoma and Napa Valley and he thought I heard him and just didn't say anything. I HONESTLY missed this! Too much wine I think! Then, a few months later, I was tipsy and said it to him and thought I said it first and he was like...I told you I loved you a month ago in Napa and you didn't say anything back. It was funny and just fabulous to be in LOVE! =)

7. Who is taller?...... He is.

8. Who sings better?...... I do, but he can belt out a few songs! =)

9. Who is smarter? .......He knows the numbers and I am more creative. We balance each other. But, he's more book smart then me. Ok...he's just smarter and I'm lucky to be married to such a smart guy! =)

10. Whose temper is worse?......We both have tempers.

11. Who does the laundry?...... I do. Although, he'll throw a load in every once in awhile.

12. Who takes out the garbage?......We just have to walk it across the hall to the garbage shoot and I think I take it more than he does because I'm home more than he is.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?..... He does.

14. Who pays the bills?......We're still working on that. I was used to paying all the bills for my roommates and he likes to wait until the last minute to pay them which drives me crazy. I think we're all set up with auto draft now...out of his account. =)

15. Who is better with the computer?...... Definitely him. He's good at all technical stuff, but I'm not too bad myself.

16. Who mows the lawn?..... Well Jeffery Scott my alcoholic yard man (he cuts the grass at all times of the day with a beer in his hand). My hubby tried once, only to have to go get Jeffery Scott (his parent's yard man) to help clean things up. My monkey grass got a BUZZ cut. Now we don't have grass and I really miss it.

17. Who cooks dinner?..... Several chefs around the neighborhood or me. They only time we eat dinner together is on the weekends, he works late every night with his new job. When we do cook, he likes to broil the meat (we don't have a grill anymore so he has mastered broiling which is really amazing if you do it right.)

18. Who drives when you are together?...... He does and I complain a lot. He goes really fast around curves and he tailgates people and double pumps the breaks which gives me a nice headache. We don't have a car anymore, but we rented one last week and all of these things came right back only WORSE b/c we were in city traffic. I have to remind him that just b/c the taxi drivers drive insane does not mean he has too. Hmm. I'm secretly glad he drives though because it is nice to have him take charge and for me to not have to worry about it. I'm scared to drive in NYC! Have you ever seen those cabbies stay in a lane?

19. Who pays when you go out?.....It doesn't matter anymore because we're married! It's all in the same pot. He normally takes the check though because I am bad with numbers and hate doing the tip.

20. Who is most stubborn?...... Well, let's just say we're both never (cough) wrong.

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?...... We are both working on this. But, I think he is better at this.

22. Whose parents do you see the most?...... We've seen my Mom once since we moved up here and I went home once. We used to see his parents more because they lived in the same town. I miss them all and wish they weren't so far away.

23. Who kissed who first?....... He kissed me first and it was fabulous.

24. Who asked who out?...... We were set up on a blind date by my old boss and he called me. When we got there he ended up going to dinner with his friends because he thought we were just supposed to "meet." He asked me to meet him at the bar after he went to dinner with his friends. I politely declined and cussed my boss for the rest of the night. After his dinner, he called and told me which bar he was going to and I told him to have fun. I drank a bottle of wine with my roommates and some of our other friends decided (with out us knowing) to go to a different bar....the bar where he was! I had to call him back (thank goodness for the wine mentioned above) and told him we were actually coming to the bar he was at after all. Once I got there we talked for the rest of the night and the rest is history...although I did learn before the wedding that he had left the bar and when I called him back saying we were coming, he drove back to the bar to see me. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwe....

25. Who proposed?..... He did. You know the story. It was wonderful. One of the best days of my life besides the actual wedding.

26. Who is more sensitive?....... Oh me, definitely. I cry to release stress.

27. Who has more friends?...... We both have a lot of amazing friends which is why our wedding party was so big and our wedding in general. In NYC, he had more friends to begin with...but I'm catching up!

28.Who has more siblings?...... We both have one brother and one sister.

29. Who wears the pants in the family?...... He thinks he does. But I'm secretly running the show. Shhhh.... ;-)

I tag anyone who wants to do this!

Fun Gadgets from The Wishing Fish

Here are some great fun gadgets that I found from The Wishing Fish! They are currently offering free shipping with the code, NEWFALL2 for orders over $50.00. Have fun browsing and let me know if you order anything....


Caffeinated Soap for $6.99
Our Caffeinated Soap is an all vegetable-based glycerine soap which does *not* contain any harsh ingredients like ethanol, diethanolamine, polyethylene glycol or cocyl isethionate -- it's a gently invigorating soap. Scented with peppermint oil and infused with caffeine anhydrous, each bar contains approximately 12 servings/showers per 4 oz. bar with 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving. No, we're not kidding and no you don't eat it... the caffeine is absorbed through the skin!

Cabbie Napkins for $3.50. (Sold Out for now...but I had to include them)

Planning an evening of party-hopping and debauchery? Our Dear Cabbie Napkins will help you find your way home after you've had a few too many and can't remember where you live, what hotel you're staying at, or where the heck your pants are. Or, be a thoughtful hostess and pick up a few packs to assist your inebriated guests -- simply fill in their address, where to find payment, and pop them in a cab!

Mixed Herb Garden-in-a Pail for $29.95

The Mixed Herb Garden-in-a-Pail is one of our newest garden kits, beautifully packaged in a large galvanized bucket with all the ingredients to grow fresh and fragrant culinary herbs (Basil, Garlic Chives, and Parsley). Also included is a pair of the finest gardening gloves available. Grown inside or on your patio at any time of year, the Mixed Herb Garden-in-a-Pail makes a great gift for your favorite gardener or cook. You'll want to order one for yourself too!Kit includes:* Heavy Duty Galvanized Garden Pail* Pair of Atlas Garden Gloves: Medium* Wonder Soil Instant Potting Mix* Seeds: Basil, Parsley and Garlic Chives* Drainage peanuts* Growing Instructions

Labor and Delivery Survival Kit for $45.00

Soothe and support moms on delivery day with the Labor & Delivery Survival Kit. Inside a portable silver mesh tote are 12 childbirth essentials selected especially for an expecting mother's comfort and convenience. The roomy carry-all also provides space for additional personal items. Whether it's packed in advance or grabbed on the go, this kit will take some of the labor out of labor and delivery! Kit contains:
• Stopwatch
• Slipper Socks
• Headband
• Back Massager
• Body Lotion
• Lip Balm
• Preggie Pops® Lollipops
• Breath Mints
• Pre-Paid Calling Card (no cellies in the hospital!)
• Contact List
• Disposable Camera
• Bubblegum Cigars

Shemergency Kit for $20.00

What are shemergencies? They're the beauty blunders, fashion faux pas, and personal care predicaments that keep women from looking and feeling their best. Say so long to minor mishaps with the Shemergency Survival Kit! This portable, silver mesh case comes packed with 24 compact solutions for life's little emergencies. Kit contents include:
• Folding Hair Brush with Mirror
• Hair Spray
• Clear Elastics
• Earring Backs
• Hand Lotion
• Nail Clipper
• Emery Board
• Clear Nail Polish
• Nail Polish Remover
• Mending Kit
• Safety Pin
• Double-Sided Tape
• Lint Remover
• Shoe Shine Wipes
• Stain Remover
• Static Remover
• Breath Freshener
• Lip Balm
• Dental Floss
• Pain Reliever
• Deodorant Wipes
• Tampon
• Adhesive Bandages
• Facial Tissues

Poo-Purri for $14.95
Poo-Pourri is a liquid that you shake and spray directly onto the surface of the water in your toilet bowl. The all-natural essential oil formula creates a film on the surface, effectively encapsulating any waste matter and trapping embarrassing odors. Once the business is done, flushing releases the odor-neutralizing scent of Lemongrass, Grapefruit and Bergamot into the air, leaving the bathroom citrus-fresh!

The motto says it all: "Spritz the bowl before you go, and noone else will ever know!"

Clocky the Runaway Alarm Clock for $49.99
Clocky gives you one chance to get up. But if you snooze, Clocky will jump off of your nightstand and wheel around your room looking for a place to hide!

Mail for Daisy

Dear Aunt S,

I love my new Daisy toy! In fact, I've already un-stuffed it.

Love,

Daisy

Hey Mom, what ya got up there?

Waiting patiently as Mom opens the box to see if there is something maybe there for me...

Yes, I know what that is and I'm going to take it and run into the other room just in case you decide that you want it back. Hurry, Hurry...

Now I'm going to spin in circles for a few minutes and roll all over the floor!

Now it is time to see if I can un-stuff this puppy. Oh, how this brings back memories from..............................

My younger days...........................................

Surprise Box!

I received a wonderful decorated surprise package from my old friend S. We went to high school together and then we lived together for 3 years and she was in my wedding. She sent it as a late bday, happy, happy present. Inside the package were some familiar treats from the South including Golden Rule BBQ Sauce, Big Bob Gibson's BBQ White Sauce and Big Sky Bread chocolate chip cookies! I love all of this stuff and we actually made BBQ chicken on Sunday with the BBQ Sauces! S also was the one that tracked down my pink calendar I was looking for. Thanks! One of the things I loved about living with S, (besides the freezer full of her Mom's turkey tetrazzini she shared regularly and the fresh flowers she always put in my bathroom) was that she and another one of my friend have a business called Two Girls and a Glue Gun. They make hand painted plaques with cute quote on them. They are a small operation and sell to few local stores. Anyways, S was always on hand to paint me a last minute plaque for a birthday or baby gift. She also filled our house with cute plaques during the holidays. I told her I needed a "holiday set" and sure enough...here are some pictures of what else was inside my surprise box:

For Thanksgiving... And Easter...
And Birthdays...
And Year Round...(I already had this one)

And Halloween...
And Christmas (perfect for my new Yankee friends)...

And Mardis Gras...
She also sent Daisy a Daisy toy...more about this tomorrow!

My Golden Rule BBQ Sauce...mmm good!

My pink planner!
Big Sky Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies!

All my loot!!
Thanks again S for the fabulous treat. I miss you so much! Come visit us! Daisy says hi too and she has a special post later about her Daisy treat!

**You can find Two Girls and a Glue Gun plaques at the Private Gallery stores in Fairhope, AL and Birmingham, AL and at More Than Words in Memphis, TN. They don't have a website yet, but it is coming soon!If you want a special order plaque like mine, let me know and I'll put you in touch with S! Or, you can email her at their work email: twogirlsandagluegun@gmail.com!