Just Hanging Around The House Cause It's Too Cold - Fashion Friday

I don't handle cold weather very well and the past two weeks have been miserable for me.  I'm tired of Winter and ready for it to be Summer again.  Really.  I can't take any more of it!

 Phantom has the best idea.  Find the sunniest spot in the house to nap and refuse to move until the sun moves to another spot.  Then move to that spot.  The cats know where all the sunniest napping spots in the house are.  I'm following them!

Jeans:  True Religion (old);  Black Tank: Express (old);  White Shirt:  Abercrombie and Fitch (old);  Scarf:  Portolano (old);  Necklace (old);  Leather jacket (old);  Shoes: Carlos 

With all these "old" items I'm wearing in these pictures, I think it might be time to go shopping!  It's been all wedding planning for months and now that that is behind me I can focus on other things like shopping, getting back into the pool and getting in some 50 mile bike rides.  I'm newly motivated and ready!

While we were briefly outside, we caught a rare glimpse of the Boy leaving with a friend.  He went out his "apartment" door to avoid going through the main part of the house and having to talk to us.  It's still daylight outside and therefore kind of early for him to make an appearance.  I would like to take him to breakfast or lunch before he goes back to school, but he's usually asleep during those normal times. 

 He went to his dad's for dinner last night and I forgot to set the alarm so it wouldn't go off automatically when he came in the door.  He wasn't too happy when he came in and the alarm went off.  We weren't too happy that he was so late coming home and woke us up by setting the alarm off.  It's been an adjustment for all of us.  Scheduling anything is tough with vampire boy around.  We'll probably get it right just as it's time for him to go back to school.

This was our New Year's Day dinner.  Black eyed peas for luck, cabbage instead of the usual greens (not sure why you're suppose to eat greens on New Years) and the Murph made a stuffed pork roast using a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten's cookbook.   I thought it was delicious, but the Boy didn't like it that much.

I went online and discovered that the beach condo was rented out all of January and February so looks like no beach trips for us until March.   I'm not going to be able to do the Pensacola Beach Half Marathon this year since we won't be down there.  I did find another one to sign up for in January and one in February too.  I haven't signed up for a marathon yet, but am considering the Little Rock Marathon in March.   I wish I could find an April one that's close instead of the March one.  That would give me more time to train.  March may be a little too soon.  I had a really fun holiday and need more time to recover from it.

Happy New Year 2013!

I just wanted to do a really short blog post wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!  Last night the Murph and I spent our very first New Year's Eve as husband and wife at home in our pj's.  I had champagne and he had his usual assorted imported beer selection.  It was wonderful!

Today we hung our new 2013 calendars. This Yoga Cat one is my favorite.  I hope it inspires me to participate more in the dangerous sport of yoga.  Cats are much more flexible than triathletes though so we'll see...

I don't know how anyone can do that scorpion pose.  It must be trick photography!

Below is me in the cozy socks I wore for my private New Year's Eve celebration with the Murph.

And the Murph wore his plaid "leisure" pants and a t shirt.

Today we will have black eye peas with our dinner because that's what you're suppose to eat on New Year's Day for luck.   Fresh Market was out of the can peas on New Year's Eve.  I looked all over the store as the Murph was in the meat department.  The Murph saw me running all over the store and later told me I looked like I was in some kind of game show.  A game show where you had to see who could fill their shopping cart up the fastest.   I would win that game!  He had already noticed the assortment of items I had already added to the cart, including my favorite almond pillow cookies.

Since I couldn't find any black eye peas at Fresh Market, today after our late workout, we went to Publix where there were only 5 cans of black eye peas left in the entire store.  I got two of them.  I felt that I should get greens too but the Murph said we never eat them so why get them now.  I backed down and went over to the cashier with only my two cans of black eye peas.  She immediately said, "Well I guess you guys already have your greens then, huh?"  I looked at the Murph in panic.  I KNEW I should have grabbed a can of turnip greens or collard greens or something before we left.  The Murph laughed at me.  He said he's just not that superstitious, especially when it comes to produce.

I'm still not sure, but I'm hoping that the leeks he cooked with the pork roast tonight and the cabbage will be all the greens I need for luck or money or for whatever reason I'm suppose to be eating them.

I don't know why I'm suppose to eat them on New Years Day, but I just don't want to take any chances!

Hope you ate your black eye peas and greens today!

Last Workout Of The Year

 The Murph and I just got back from workout of the day number 2 at the gym.  As we were leaving, I realized that this was our very last workout of the year.  I mentioned this to The Murph and he mumbled, "Yes, that's why I did such a terrible one."  I guess he means that tomorrow starts a new year with some serious gut busting workouts, not these little sissy workouts we've been doing for the past month or two. With all the holiday foods and easier, shorter workouts, I've gained six pounds since the Chickamauga marathon in November.

As I sit here typing on the computer, eating cookies and drinking sweet tea full of high fructose corn syrup and saturated fats, you can see I'm really concerned.  Not!

Tomorrow is a new day!

I already have my 2013 race schedule planned out, but I'm not doing the early registration so they could fill up before I register. I'm still going to take the chance of the races filling up and sign up for most of them at the last minute.  I figure that's better than registering now at the lower rate and then not being able to do the race.  The lower fees are not that much lower anyway.

My race schedule for 2013 looks like a half marathon in January and one in February, a marathon in March, one or two sprint triathlon races in May and June, an Olympic distance triathlon in July, USAT Nationals in August which is a sprint triathlon that I qualified for last summer at the Coastal triathlon, a sprint in September and a sprint in October and maybe, just maybe a 70.3 half Ironman triathlon at the end of October.  Then a marathon in November or December.  The marathon I really want to do is in December if I can make it out there.  It's sort of far from here and I don't know where we will be living.

Actually, four of the races I want to do are not close by.  It will require flying or a really long drive and I've only flown with my bike one time and it was tough getting it into that little box.  The other times I've either driven to the races or used Tribike Transport which is a really great service.  They pick up your bike at a designated bike shop near you and have it at your race all put together and ready to go.  They did not offer this for Hawaii, but I did use them when I competed in Ironman Canada.  It was great.  I just left my bike at the local bike shop and picked it up at the race venue, did the triathlon, then turned the bike over to Tribike transport after the race and a few days later picked it up at my local bike shop ready to go.

I think I'll let the bike shop take my bike apart and pack it in the bike box next time.  I could use Tribike Transport again, but now I have the bike box so I should probably use the box.  When I tried to pack the bike up for Hawaii, I left gaps in the box and some bike parts slipped out in transit.  I ended up having to purchase replacements parts.  This meant I had to go into town in Kona, Hawaii to find the bike shop and buy the part.  Then we had to take it back to the guy at the race expo who was putting my bike together because he couldn't leave the expo.  They were very busy putting bikes together.

This would not have been a problem if my bike and luggage hadn't arrived two days after I did and on the day it arrived I had a little mishap while doing a warm up swim that required stitches.  I got into a fight with some coral and the coral won.  Something that could only happen to me!  The Murph and I had to find the hospital, which was on one end of the island, so I could get stitches in my hand and elbow and then rush to the other end of the island to find the bike shop and then bring the part to the bike guy so he could have my bike put together and race ready in time for me to get it checked into transition in time.

This is me getting out of water with my hand and elbow cut up and bleeding,
 but The Murph doesn't realize it yet as he snaps away

I barely got the bike checked in transition in time and didn't get to test ride it except for the 20 minutes that it took me to ride from the hotel to the race start.  The seat was too low and my hand hurt, but there wasn't much I could do about it at that point.  I will say the Hawaii 70.3 was an awesome race in the most beautiful place in the world and I can't wait to go back and hopefully one day do the full Ironman.  Hopefully, without stitches in my hand and with plenty of time to ride my bike and test everything out on the course before race morning.

I don't know if I will actually do a 70.3 in 2013 or wait until 2014, but it keeps calling me.  I'm nuts!    I'm addicted!  What can I say...

Happy New Year!

Phantom's Christmas Present

Below is Phantom enjoying his new scratching board that he got for Christmas.  Hopefully he will keep his claws out of the furniture now.

Our Wedding Feature In Alabama Weddings Magazine

The 2013 Winter issue of Alabama Weddings magazine is finally out and our wedding is one of the real weddings featured in it.  We were very excited when Inverness Country Club asked if they could use our wedding in the magazine feature.

Holiday Fashions

Herve Leger Uncontrollable Dress

Tejani Bracelet

Herve Leger Uncontrollable Dress

Dress:  Herve Leger;  Shoes:  Calvin Klein;  Bracelet: Tejani similar Here; On nails:  OPI You Only Live Twice

Herve Leger Cyclone Dress

Kate Spade Necklace

Herve Leger Cyclone Dress

Christian Louboutin Pumps

Dress:   Herve Leger similar to this one that's on my wish list;  Pumps:  Christian Louboutin;    Necklace:  Kate Spade;  Bracelet:  David Yurman similar Here

I had a really tough time this year finding cocktail dresses to wear during the holidays.  Every time I found one I loved, my size was sold out.  I had terrible luck this year.  Finally, I gave up and decided to try out Rent the Runway, a company that rents out high end designer clothing.  I hesitantly signed up not really knowing what to expect, but just the thought of getting my paws on one of those Herve Leger dresses was enough for me to take the plunge.  And I was not disappointed.

Since I could rent a dress for $25 with every dress I rented at full price, of course I decided to try out two different Herve Leger dresses.  I was so excited when they were delivered to my door.  I had so much fun wearing them.  I told the Murph I wanted one if I could ever grab one I like on sale.  I thought I would like the one shoulder cyclone dress the best, but the winner was the black uncontrollable dress.  If I can find that one deeply discounted, it will be mine!

Since the deal was if you rent one dress, you can get another dress for $25, I rented two more dresses.  This one by Milly is the one I ended up wearing to my own Christmas party.  I love the sparkle and my Jimmy Choo's were perfect with the dress.  I rented a gold Trina Turk dress as well, but it didn't go with the Jimmy Choo shoes as well so I chose the Milly dress.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to wear the Trina Turk dress before I had to send it back to Rent the Runway.  Four days is just not long enough!

Milly Chained to you dress

Jimmy Choo Vamp

Dress:  Milly Chained to You;  Shoes: Jimmy Choo Vamp;  Necklace:  Tejani

Herve Leger Dresses and Kate Spade necklace all from Rent The Runway.  All shoes and other jewelry are mine.

I highly recommend renting if you want a high end designer dress for a special occasion where you will only wear the dress once or you can't afford to spend $1,000 on a dress. I will say it is really hard sending them back if you rent one you really love.  I wanted to keep all of these!

Merry Christmas!

Ed says, "Hope everyone had a very, Merry Christmas and was on Santa's nice list like I was this year."

Phantom says,"Just give me another slice of that honey baked ham and throw in some bacon and a sugar cookie.  I'll try harder to stay off the naughty list next year.  I promise!"

And Cadence....

Well, we haven't seen him most of the day since my brother got here bringing along his little purse dog/rodent who he calls Sassy.  He's a little attached to this particular canine, but my cats don't care for her that much.

Here's a picture of Cadence in his favorite spot during calmer times on Christmas Eve.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without pulling out the only ugly Christmas sweater I still have leftover from the mid-nineties when the Boy was small and I purchased such things.

Ugly or not, I would like it better if it had cats on it instead of dogs, but we had a dog back in those days.  A very super-hyper dalmatian named Spot.

More pictures of our Christmas day with family below.  I forgot to take pictures of not only the food, but also my mom.  I'm going to assign someone else to be in charge of the camera next year.  I don't do a very good job.

Look who got a new Coach bag for Christmas. My niece.  Lucky girl!

.

Ed's beat!

This mess is still waiting for me in the kitchen.

Wish I could train Phantom to clean the kitchen and wash dishes.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  We are having a line of strong storms coming through Alabama right now.  I heard that a tornado touched down in downtown Mobile.  I am so glad the Boy is home and not down there right now.

Stay safe everyone!

Christmas Eve

I know this isn't necessarily a traditional Christmas song, but to me it's very fitting for Christmas Eve and the birth of Jesus.  Originally, I was going to post the version with Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, but decided on this version by 7 year old Rhema Marvanne in remembrance of the twenty first graders who lost their lives a week ago in Connecticut and their families who are dealing with their incredible loss this Chrismas.

This is a beautiful version of the song, "The Prayer" sung by an amazing little girl who lost her mom to ovarian cancer.

While I've been busy shopping, cooking, wrapping presents, etc., I will never forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Happy Birthday, Jesus.