To Coach or Not To Coach....

While at Lake of the Ozarks over the weekend for a wedding (see here) my friends, Liz, Kelly, and I went to the Coach Outlet Store at the Osage Beach Premium Outlets.  I love the idea of having a Coach purse.  I know they are good quality, have a great reputation, great style, and everyone "wants one".  Now, I'm not one for spending $200 on a purse. I mean let's be honest, I have plenty of other things that I would love to spend $200 on, for instance this camera.

I have really wanted a Coach handbag since I started earning a "real" income after college only a year and a half ago.  At least that's when I realized I had the money for it.  Most of my friends and family (especially my husband) know how indecisive I am when it comes to purchases: Do I??? Don't I???? So naturally, I just couldn't decided between the yellow one or the blue one.  In the end I left the store with 2 new handbags for a steal of a price. YAY OUTLETS!!!

After much deliberation in the days following the purchase I wondered what really makes these handbags so desired?  Is it the cost? Probably.  Is it the widely known logo?  Eh...yeah. Is it their uniqueness?  Well, the answer to that question requires some thought.  These so desired handbags are expensive, widely known and unique however after my shopping experience at the outlet I'm not so sure anymore.  There were women and men alike with arms full of handbags some leaving the store with more than I plan on owning in a lifetime.  It made me question two things (1) were these people made of $$? (2) if people are purchasing so many at such deep discounts, my handbag that I am purchasing cannot go so unique anymore, can it? 

I do not regret my purchases and I carry my handbag with my head held high because I worked really hard to make the money that allowed me the afford (yes, I know I got them from an outlet at more than 70% off) such a nice handbag that will hopefully last me for years to come.  I just wonder what other people think when they pick up their Coach Handbag in the morning when they head out the door.

Weddings: Tim & Dawn

Such a beautiful weekend spent with friends celebrating the wedding of Tim and Dawn at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.  The winery was a beautiful background and setting for the beautiful day.

Kelly and I before the wedding.  I can't wait until her big day in October! 

And of course, a pic of my hubby and I having too much fun!

Style: Pitchers

Recently I came up with the idea to have a lunch with some girlfriends at my house. Everyone is going to bring appetizers and I'm going to provide a bunch of fun cocktail type drinks. I have only one problem with that, I only have 1 pitcher!! I love the one I have and all, but I'm just not quite sure that one will suffice. The pitcher I have is the Ona Pitcher from Crate&Barrel.  I have the larger of the two pitchers pictured below.  Have I mentioned how obsessed I am with Crate&Barrel?

So anyways, after inviting everyone to this lunch, I decided I probably should buy more pitchers.  After doing some online shopping here's a few pitchers I immediately fell in love with.

Crate&Barrel's Calypso Citron Pitcher

Luigi Bormioli Michelangelo Masterpiece Pitcher from Macy's

sengWare Pitcher in Tangerina from Target

Impressions Pitcher from Bed Bath & Beyond

White Pitcher from Crate&Barrel

After much debate and weighing options I decided to purchase two new pitchers.  The green one and the white on from Crate&Barrel. I might even get the Luigi Bormioli pitcher if I decide I need another one before the party.

I can't wait to use them!  More on my Lunch with the Girls coming up soon!

The History of Flag Day

For the past few years I've been wondering what the purpose of Flag Day is.  Every year all the neighbors hang their flags out for everyone to see.  This year I looked it up.  Thanks to 'A website dedicated to the Flag of The United States of America' I now have my answer.

Essentially, June 14 is the day the US adopted The Stars and Stripes.  It is also considered the Flag's Birthday.

Who knew!?

After reading the website's history on Flag Day, I feel very let-down by my education.  I wish I would have been taught the meaning back in school.

Next year, I will be proudly displaying my flag with the rest of the country in celebration of the Flag's Birthday!

John's Going Away Party Cake

I was asked last minute to make a cake for John's Going Away party at work. It turned out really great!

Hot Concerts: Blake Shelton

Joe and I went to a free Blake Shelton Concert at The Power & Light District. We went to a Dierks Bentley Concert last summer just before 4th of July at the same place.  They have great artists all summer long on Thursday nights.  I work near The Power & Light District so I know where all the free parking is. 

Our costs for the night:
Concert: Free
Parking: Free
Dinner: $4 from QT
Beer: $50 at the concert

So all in all, we had a great night out for only $55 including a great concert!  I forget the Blake Shelton is so awesome sometimes.  His show was fantastic! I can't wait for other awesome concerts this summer

Trisha's CPA Party!!!

Well, today was Trisha's CPA Party!  Her husband, Andy, promised to throw her a party when she passed all her test and was officially a CPA!  Needless to say, that was last May.  Trisha finally convinced him to throw her a party to kick off the summer and celebrate!  I made her a lovely cake that was so much fun.  I got the chance to decorate it in front of my mom and grandma.  They loved watching me.  The cake is 1/2 vanilla, 1/2 chocolate with bavarian cream filling and buttercream icing.  The bavarian cream was an experiment that turned out way better than I'd expected and oh so delicious.

Our Basement: Painting

Well, Joe was gone for 2 weeks in Guatemala and I decided to fix up our basement.  It was in desperate need of a new coat of paint and rearrangement.  After much deliberation, I decided on two different shades of a gray with blue tones.  I cut out pieces of paper on a small scale in the shape of the items that we had for out room: couch, pub table, two pub stools, beverage cabinet, coffee table, bookshelf, TV and dart board.  I arranged the items in a scaled room in order to figure out the best set-up.  My dad came for a few days to help me paint and get the room set up for Joe's big surprise. Here's the layout I came up with using http://www.planyourroom.com/:

The colors I chose for the room include two different shades.  Choosing this color all began when I had gathered a bunch of color cards to decide what color to paint our living room, kitchen and dining room.  I sneakily asked the hubby what color he would want to paint the basement if we painted the living room a neutral beige or tan.  He picked a blue gray color so I went with it. I picked a bunch of sample color cards up for similar colors and chose the best one for the room. I found the winning colors from Home Depot, BEHR Paint.

The room looks fabulous and I can't wait to finish it up with a new TV and sound system as well as all the decor hung up.  We're still working on a new couch, probably a reclining, black leather sofa.  I LOVE IT!