Relief

So, had my event last night...so relieved it is OVER. It was nice though...we honor a lot of people, but my favorite award is the Lifetime Achievement Award...I was able orchestrate a few special surprises for our recipient that made him get teary eyed...it was awesome. We had a few snafus, but nothing anyone noticed. Here's a pic of the room:

There were some really wonderful stories told....and you can read about the man we honored here. I got this guy, this guy, and this one to all send a special message to him. Very cool. But the best part was having this gentleman there to present the award....very emotional. I know I'm being vague but I don't want my blog to come up if people google any of these people, thus the links! Now, I don't have any big crazy events until July. Yea!

Bag, You're It

This is my first "tagging," so I hope I do this right....

1) Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out a cute purse...and a picture of whatever is inside.

2) Tell us how much it cost. This is not to judge…this is for entertainment purposes only. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, please do tell.

3) Tag some chicks. And link back to this post (Beth @ Total Mom Haircut) so people know why you are showing your bag.

(and yes, Hill..I totally copied and pasted your blog for this, editing out the Diaper Bag parts)

So, here is my bag...

I got it at the Gap Outlet in early fall. Black canvas with patent trim. Very simple and cheap....$10, if I remember correctly. I'm kind of over it, but haven't found any new bags I like enough. I usually go very funky in the bag department, so this is a little boring for me. By the way, I took this pics at work (productive, I know...but I had a big event last night, so I take a day to recover!)...that is NOT my carpet!

Here's all the stuff in it:

That would be, in a clockwise pattern: makeup bag with about 70 lipglosses and lipsticks, spare change, business card case, advil packets, small notebook, pen, gum, sunglasses, tin of Smith's Rosebud Salve (wonderful stuff!), fortune from fortune cookie ("Comprimise is always wrong if it means sacrificing a principle" - by the way, I get annoyed when fortunes are statements and not fortunes. Not that I believe them at all, but the ones that say "something exciting is coming in the mail" are way more fun!), my grandfather's silver dollar, and my wallet. There were also three tampons, but I was a little shy to put those on the table at work.

On that silver dollar note, it's a cool story. My grandfather (Mom's Dad) died in his early 40's. He had a bad heart...had been a sick child. His name was Branham Merrill. My mom is named after him, she is a junior! Everyone called him Brother. My mother was 21 when he died, so obviously none of us children ever knew him, but my grandmother made sure we knew all about him. There were so many stories, and we did feel like we knew him. I used to have dreams that I got to visit him in Heaven...and I always knew that when my grandmother passed away, it would of course be sad, but I was happy for her being reunited with him in Heaven, and she was, nearly 40 years later). I guess the best way to describe him in all the stories I have heard was that he was full of life and love, always...and a friend to everyone. Anyway, one Christmas, my Mom and grandmother got together and decided to give all the grandchildren a silver dollar that had been my grandfather's. He wasn't a coin collector, but just held on to silver dollars....not for luck....it was just his thing. I keep this in my purse (don't you love the clip art, printer style and ink from 1999):

It's a 1921 silver dollar, and I do keep it in my purse at all times. Just a neat connection to my grandparents.

ok, bag to the bag thing..I did want to share my laptop bag with you as well. It was $24 at Target and I love it:

Ok, now for tagging...not sure who all reads this but Jennifer, Candice, and Sara have all left comments, so I know you do! Have fun!

overload

I have a big event I have planned tomorrow night and it is killing me. I know, overdramatic but I cannot wait until about 10 p.m. tomorrow night when it will be OVER. I use a lot of excel spreadsheets in my planning process, and that is all I see right now. I need a 50-foot screen to see it all on and keep it straight....I guess I could hook it up to our jumbotron....anyway, this is my break, so back to it!

Favorite Wedding Things

Since I got married in Austin, and not in Alabama or the beach, I wanted to have little elements that reminded me of home. A big part of my childhood and life as a whole is the beach, so I pulled a few things from the lovely Florida Gulf Coast. I have always collected Mother of Pearl shells...I love their shimmer and beauty. I have made a few gifts out of them (a necklace for my sister, and crosses for my Mom and Mother-in-Law). So, when I found this on Etsy....I knew it was the perfect ring-carrier. My nephew (the tow-headed moppet to the right) carried this with our rings nestled safely inside. I love this seller on Etsy, and while she doesn't have this for sale right now, all of her items are unique and beautiful. Best of all, I now have the shell displayed in my home on a shelf...so it keeps on giving. More wedding favorites coming.....

Product Recommendation

I have seen ads in magazines about these yoga toe contraptions...I always am a sucker for stuff like this. However, they were expensive online...but, I found a knock-off at Walgreens called "Flex-Tastic." It is "inspired by the healthy benefits of Yoga" and helps "realign and relieve pain of mistreated toes" to "restore foot health, relieve stress and tension in both feet and legs, and increase circulation." They are $10 at Walgreens, and I recommend you go check 'em out. I wore them for about 10 minutes tonight and immediately felt relief in my feet and calves...and I didn't even realize they needed relief! Now, I have had both acupunture and acupressure massage and stuff all along those lines, and I know how stress can really be relieved through the toes ...so that was my reasoning in forking over the $10. I see myself using very often!

11.22.08...

...was a really good day

I'll be posting my favorite wedding things in a bit...the little touches and planning tips and diy projects that worked for me.

To have your LOVED ones - family, dear friends- surround you as you promise to love your best friend forever...that was the most amazing part.

Tasty

I tried this recipe from Cooking Light last night.....very good and surprisingly easy.

Peanut Crusted Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Pick up a container of fresh pineapple chunks in the produce section of the supermarket; chop into half-inch pieces for the salsa.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 cutlet and 1/4 cup salsa)

Ingredients
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
Cooking spray
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Preparation
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, tossing well.
2. Combine peanuts and bread slice in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over chicken. Dredge chicken in the breadcrumb mixture.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Serve chicken with pineapple mixture. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.


I'm back on the blogging wagon...again....:)