Spring!

I'm hoping we are done with the snow in NYC (even though we really didn't get that much this year). Here are some pictures of my first winter in the city.


Right before work one day...

Can you tell what this is? I'll let you guess.

A walk in the park after work

Daisy loves to smell the snow. She just can't figure out what it is.

Smelling snow...

Art Tour of My Apt

Sorry for the lack of posts. I'm in Chicago now. Just finished with another LONG day at the convention center and I'm now back in my comfy hotel (more on that later).

I thought it would be fun to show y'all some of the pieces of art I have in my apartment. It's no MOMA...but I love my little collection and each piece has so much meaning to me no matter what the cost. I love the color they add to our WHITE apt walls that I refuse to paint and then repaint for a temporary apt.

So...grab a drink and I'll show you around.


Above our stove is this cute plaque by my friend "S." It says, "Welcome Y'all." So appropriate and it allows me to keep my Southern roots in the Big Apple. Click to make the picture bigger

This is the door to our washing machine (a rare thing in NYC). If you can't read it just click on the picture. It was made for me by "S" and it says "Real Women Wear Pearls." Of course they do.

These are old photographs from my husband's family. One is of his great uncle with Churchill...kinda cool.

Above is our kitchen table with a small oil over it. I had to turn this tiny corner into our dining area (my husband is never home in time for dinner and we've only sat there a couple times)...that is city living for you! The oil painting was a gift from my oldest friend Sarah and her family for our wedding. I wish I had a closer up pic, but click on the pic to make it bigger. I'll post a bigger pic soon.

This fun frame was also made for me by my friend "S" as a little surprise. She'll make you one too, just click here and send her an email.


A little shot of our tiny NYC kitchen! It's actually pretty good for the city. The picture next to the bar is a map of Sonoma, CA. My husband and I went there on our first trip together. We had only been dating for 4 months and that is where he told me he loved me. Somehow, I didn't hear him...but it all worked out. We also love wine so it is a perfect fit for our bar area/kitchen.

This long quilt looking art is actually pieces of neckties. My husband's parents gave it to us and this was the piece saved for him once he got married. His great grandmother sewed all the ties together and each of the grandkids has a piece of the quilt. I love it and it looks great in our entry hall!

This little one (above and below--sorry can't figure out how to turn it) was painted for me by my friend "A" (I've talked about her here and here most recently). She gave each of our bridesmaids a special little oil as our bridesmaid gift. I love mine because she did it of one of my favorite flowers...stargazer lilies.


Most of you have seen this one before. It is of my wedding bouquet and my in-laws gave it to me this past Christmas.

These are photographs that I took that hang above our bed. I got the frames from pottery barn and each one holds a different scene from one of the 3 places we went on our European honeymoon.


This is my very favorite. I got it for Christmas from my parents. It is a Eugenia Foster Mardis Gras print. I love it.


This is another "A" original. It is a pencil drawing of the church where my husband and I were married. It was a very special wedding gift and I love it. If you send her a picture of your church, she'll do one for you too! =)


This is a little colorful painting of Fairhope, Alabama. Another one of my favorites!
I hope you enjoyed the tour. I have a few other pieces I forgot to take pictures of, but I'll update this when I return from Chicago. Hope y'all had a great weekend.

Hump Day

I still have not had a chance to get the pictures from this past weekend uploaded. I'm a little behind on pictures. But, as I mentioned before we had a wonderful time. On Friday we woke up bright and early and were at the beach by 12:00pm. My Mom picked us up and we stopped here on the way to the beach to pick up some seafood for dinner and grab some lunch.

My friend "A" came by (the one that I missed the shower for who is due in May). It was great to catch up with her and see her cute belly. It's hard to believe so many of my friends are pregnant right now, but also so exciting. After "A" left my husband had a conference call, so I bravely put on my bikini (but with the bandeau top)and went with my Dad for a boat ride. Boat rides with my Dad might be one of my favorite things in the world. We had some great Daddy/Daughter time drinking beers and catching up. My moonbeam colored skin only needed a small amount of sun so after we returned we spent the rest of the afternoon eating oysters and crawfish and drinking beer. My idea of heaven!

We had a wonderful dinner that my Mom fixed and we just hung out and enjoyed lots of NCAA basketball and family time. I feel asleep on the sofa and missed the planned trip here. My junior in college sister had about 10 friends over for the last night of spring break '08 so my nap on the sofa did not last long. Was I that obnoxious when I was her age? Probably so.

On Saturday we met my friends "S" and "L" for lunch here. We went for a long boat ride with them after lunch, but had to return to our house so my husband could get on another conference call. (I'm not complaining, I'm still glad he was able to go). For dinner, we went here with "S", "L" and my brother. We had a great time and even made it to the FB afterwards ( I even renewed my membership card--I love looking at it in my wallet it was worth the $$). Easter morning we went to mass and then had a breakfast casserole my Mom and I made, Honeybaked Ham, Fresh Strawberries, West Indies Salad, Boiled Shrimp and whatever else was leftover in the fridge. We packed our bags and headed back to the COLD city.

Monday sucked. Yesterday was better. Today, please keep me in your prayers. I have another test and it is making me nervous. I'm so ready for them to figure out what is going on with me and even more ready to feel like myself again.

I hope everyone has a great day. I'm heading to Chicago on Saturday morning for work. I've only been once before about 7 years ago. Anyone have any suggestions of things to do/places to eat/etc. I'm not sure how much free time I'll have but I would love to hear your suggestions.

~A YEAR AGO TODAY~

New Finds and Codes

Monogrammed Damask Coasters for $18.50 from In This Very Room. Only problem for me...they don't carry "U." Use code, SPRING08 to get $20.00 off your order of $100.00 or more.


These monogrammed tissue holders are at The Palm for $14.00. They makes a great present for a friend going through a hard time or a cute little something for a bday gift !
10% off from Preppy Monogrammed Gifts with code: 200800005 until 3/31/08.

~A YEAR AGO TODAY~

Back to the Grind

I'm back in the city (insert frozen tear). Easter at the beach was wonderful. My husband WAS able to come and we were so lucky he was there. Today I'm back to black pants and a JCrew cable sweater. I'm also sporting a semi-tan face (yeah for good beach weather!) and multiple people have asked me what I did to my face. It's called a TAN Yankees. You should get one. They make you look prettier this time of year. I'll recap the whole weekend later but first I need to write a quick note to the girl next to me in 18B on the Delta Flight from Atlanta to LGA last night:

Dear Curly,

I too have curly hair and when you came down the isle to sit next to me on the plane I was very excited that you looked normal. Well, I was wrong.

• You DO NOT need to use the entire bottle of calming serum. In fact, I've tried every product out there from all levels of $$ and this is what you need. It doesn't leave your hair crunchy or sticky and the best part...the smell doesn't KILL the poor girl who booked her skymiles ticket at the last minute and got stuck in the middle seat.
  
• Speaking of the middle seat, apparently you have not had to sit there in awhile. There are rules. (Please click here and see first point under "during flight.")
  
• Also, you are a lady and ladies sit with their legs CLOSED. This goes ESPECIALLY when your knee is hitting the person in the middle seat.
  
• Now, let's talk about something that is easily fixable. If you want to chew gum that is fine. But, DO NOT SMACK IT and DO NOT POP IT. It's annoying and you are lucky I did not put it in between your legs while your chemical smelling head was almost on my shoulder.

I hope that you learn a little bit about etiquette before your next trip.

Sincerely,

Girl Stuck in the Middle Seat

PS. Man in back row with screaming kids. My husband wants to write a quick note to you. But I'll just write a quick something myself. If your kids are screaming and arguing and they are sitting next to each other. Wouldn't it be smart to sit between them to help break up the arguments. The rest of the plane would have really appreciated it. My husband was closer to you and your screaming girls so he'll have a few more choice words.

More later on the rest of my fabulous trip home. I hope y'all had a wonderful Easter weekend.

~A YEAR AGO YESTERDAY~

The Weather Is Here...

In the words of one of my favorite Jimmy B songs...The Weather Is Here, I Wish You Were Beautiful. Of course, all the words don't apply, but it about a guy who's had enough of NYC and right now that is me!!! These words especially apply:

The weather is here I wish you were beautiful
The skies are too clear life's easy today
The beer is too cold, the daiquiri's too fruitful
There's no place like home when it's this far away

My favorite words right now are "There's no place like home when it's this far away." So true!

This is where I'll be on Friday at 12:30pm (God willing our flights are on time) sipping on a beer, eating oysters and watching my husband catch some fish (if they let him off Wall Street for a few hours--he has a ticket but we STILL don't know if he'll be joining me--I HATE this part of his job!) I'm going to spend Easter with my family at my parent's beach house on the Florida Panhandle and I am in DIRE need of some sunshine. I packed last night and got so excited (and a little nervous) about pulling out my swim suits and shorts.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter filled with lots of blessings! I'm not sure if I told you or not, but I gave up Italian food for lent. In NYC, where I was getting used to all the pizza and Italian spots on every corner, it was really tough. I cheated twice--once for Il Mulino and once when my hubby decided to order pizza for dinner. I think I did pretty well though considering all the temptations I had. I think giving up something for Lent out of remembrance for what God gave up for us is a great way to celebrate the season.

Another not so random thing that happened this week--after Mardis Gras I lost my diamond cross that I got for Christmas. We have TORN up the apt looking for it and it made me sick that I could not find it. I decided to clean out one of my husband's drawers to be nice the other night (after I did a ton of his laundry) and low and behold there it was. It had fallen from the top of our dresser into the bottom of his undershirts! I don't think it was a coincidence that I found it a few days before Easter while I was doing something nice. Maybe sounds silly, but I think God has a good sense of humor. I've also said lots and lots of prayers for my friend "S" and I said an extra one for her last night as she having a tough time...she got a JOB today!! I'm a strong believer of prayer. Congrats "S" I'm so proud of you. Happy Easter friends to you and your families!

Stop by the wharf for a beer if you are in the area! =)

Preppy Spring Swap

Want to play? Click here. My East Coast friend Conneticut Charm is the hostess for this fabulous swap. How could you turn up giving (and receiving) some spring treats!

50 Odd Things About Me Meme

1. Do you like blue cheese? Love it!
2. Have you ever smoked heroin? No
3. Do you own a gun? No, but I have a BB gun at my parent's house that I got from their friends when I was like 10.
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? I have never had one of them, but wish i had one now- Where is a sonic in NYC...don't think they are up here.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Depends on what I'm going for. Recently, I've had some appointments that have made me nervous.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Love them, especially from the street vendors in the city
7. Favorite Christmas Movie? Grinch that Stole Christmas
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte (or just water)
9. Can you do push ups? Maybe a couple, haven't tried in awhile
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding rings and my great aunt's pearls and the pearl earrings my husband gave me that I wore for our wedding
12. Favorite hobby? Taking pictures, planning parties, shopping, reading...and blogging
14. Do you have A.D.D? Depends on who you ask.....
15. What's one trait you hate about yourself? Temper (never would have guessed would you)
16. Middle name? pre marriage-Jane
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.. 1.do i really have time for this, I need to get back to work I have a dinner Thursday night that I'm planning 2. I can't wait for the beach this weekend 3.I hope my husband can actually come and will not have to work
18. Name 3 things you BOUGHT YESTERDAY? Lunch and that is it!! Yeah me...that calls for a pair of shoes.
19 . Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Coffee, Water, Crystal Light, Diet Coke
20. Current worry? That Wall St. starts looking a little better and there so that my husband and our friends have jobs next week
21. Current hate right now? THE FREAKING COLD...it is the middle of March dammit and I want to wear some short sleeves or at least a light sweater
22. Favorite place to be? Depends on the day and time of year- Right now I would say at the beach with my hubby and my fam and friends!!
23. How did you bring in the New Year? We went to dinner with two other couples and then watched the fireworks in the city from their roof deck
24. Where would you like to go? Anywhere out of the city.
25. Name three people who will complete this? Anyone who is bored or feels the need to complete this when they have too much to do and wants something new to post on their blog
26. Do you own slippers? Yes, but Daisy hides them and sleeps on them and so they are not so great anymore
27. What shirt are you wearing? I'm wearing a grey flannel dress, tights and a SWEATER b/c it is freaking cold outside. (I wore my pink wellies this morning)
28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Haven't but like one time and they were gross and made me sweaty
29. Can you whistle? Yes but not that well...
30. Favorite color? pink and green
31. Would you be a pirate? Yes, if I could be on a ship in the sun
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't, I'm too tired in the morning
33. Favorite girl's name? You'll have to find out when I have my first girl
34. favorite boy's name? See above
35. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing...but my cute dress does have pockets =)
36. What's something that made you laugh today? Daisy got in my bed while I was in the shower and got under the covers--it was pretty funny---I felt the same way
37. Best bed sheets as a child? No clue
38. Worst injury you've ever had? i have never broken anything and only had stitches once on my finger--my mom closed it in the car door when I was 4 (I had unbuckled myself out of my car seat and reached down on the floorboard to get my purse that I had dropped. Ouch.
39. Do you love where you live? Depends on the day, but overall I would rather be in the South--but I love my husband and I'll be where he needs me to be =)
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 1.5 (My husband has a computer screen in our bedroom made into a TV)
41. Who is your loudest friend? "Seige" or "S" =) Also most exciting to be around. Love y 'all.
42. How many dogs do you have? 1 of my own and 2 at my parents
43. Does someone have a crush on you? My doorman Avi does and tells me all the time
45. What is your favorite book(s)? To Kill A Mockingbird (but most recently Eat, Pray, Love)
46. What is your favorite candy? Oh, i love candy- anything with chocolate and peanut butter
47. Favorite Sports Team? Alabama Crimson Tide
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? That is morbid. I don't want to think about that right now.
49. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Going to bed...a little late...wanted to wait up for my husband.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? I'm tired and I don't want to walk the dog and it is going to be a long day b/c I have JL tonight for 2 hours. My hubby walked the dog...again. =)

~One of my favorite posts from A YEAR AGO TODAY~

Bring on the Rain!!

Yeah, I'm going to just a pink breath of fresh air the next time it rains! Watch out NYC! You want to be pretty in pink too? I got my boots here and my umbrella here. Happy Sloshing!

My Word Cloud

Everyone else did it...

Hicks Paper Invitation Contest Winner

"Beth" you are the winner of the Hicks Paper Invitation Contest. Send me an email to magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan@gmail.com with your info and I'll send it along to Sarah. Congrats and we look forward to hearing which invitation you pick for your bachelorette party in NYC!

Green with Envy

In honor of St. Paddy's Day, here are a few green spring essentials I have my eye on. Happy St. Patrick's day everyone!

These Green pants from Gap are precious!

These shoes are now on sale for $27.99. Does anyone own them? I'm trying to decide what size I would need.

This cute green bag is from Gap and is on sale for $14.99.


These cute flats from Ann Taylor Loft (for only $39.00)

This beach chair tote from Vineyard Vines.

These flip flops from Vineyard Vines

This fabulous Kate Spade bag.

These precious Lilly flats at PiperLime.

This skirt from Banana Republic.

This bracelet from Old Navy for $12.50

This clutch from Old Navy for $13.99

~ A YEAR AGO TODAY~ and ~ and~ and!! (I was busy)

The In-Laws Come to Visit

If you are coming over for the Ultimate Blog Party please click here....and WELCOME Y'ALL!!

The first official visit of the in-laws commences today! I was up last night cleaning after work like a mad woman to make it look like we live in complete organization. Ha, Ha. My big meeting (the point of my whole job) is in June and things are getting hectic at work. I had to work late last night again and I am really having trouble "springing forward" so I've been really tired all week. Throw in another trip to the doctor (who prescribed MORE tests), a little volunteer work for the league, and one more baby shower and all I want to do today is sleep. I got these precious invitations for my next baby shower (they don't show up that well here but they have pink polka dots in the background and are oh so cute). Thanks Paper Cafe and Paper Menu! They turned out great and I know "A" will love them.

I'm really excited the in-laws are coming and I know it means a lot to my husband to have them come see where we are living. They are a lot of fun to be around and I know we'll have a good time. Tonight we'll be dining here. Zagats rated it the best Italian in NYC for 2 years so I know we are in for a treat. Tomorrow we are going to the ACC Championship to watch the Louisville basketball game at The Garden (my in-laws are big fans). And, Saturday night we are going to see Van Morrison at The United Palace Theater in Harlem. I can't wait for all of it and I know we are going to have a great time. I have to work on Sunday, so I'm off work tomorrow.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Don't forget to leave a comment here to win 20 free invitations from Hicks Paper! You can get them blank and keep them in your stash if you don't know what kind of party you want to throw yet or they'll print them for you if you already have a party in mind. Contest ends TOMORROW!

~A YEAR AGO TODAY~

Hicks Paper Invitation Contest

If you are coming over from The Ultimate Blog Party then click here for your official welcome.

Spring is coming (even if I'm still wearing my puffy coat, gloves and a hat). Here are a few reasons and inspirations to throw a party from Hicks Paper...














Got your guest list ready yet? If you do, you are in luck! Hicks is giving away 20 printed invitations (Easter, St. Pat's or Spring related) to one lucky Marriage, Magnolias and Manhattan reader. If you win, you'll have the option to buy more if you are thinking of a big party). Just leave a comment here with your email address and Hicks will draw a winner. Check back on Friday to see if you you need to start getting your addresses together.

If you don't win, but you still want to use of of these precious spring invitations for an upcoming party. Hop over to The Paper Cafe to see the entire Hicks Paper Collection. The designer, Sara, (a former Art Director for Martha Stewart Magazines) has some really cute preppy designs that I know y'all will love.

Thanks Hicks Paper!