Wedding Fever

Why do weddings always stir up mixed emotions? I always feel genuinely happy for the couple and it is fun to see old friends but they also suck because a wedding forces you to look at your future. To be more specific, I am talking about your future in relationships. (Married people-I'm not sure what it is like for y'all so you may not agree with this)

I went to a wedding this weekend for one of my best guy-friends from high school. That's right I said it. We are only 21-what is he thinking? Well let me tell you something, people around my hometown seem to up and get married like it's no big thing. I was a maid of honor for my best friend at the ripe old age of 19.

On with the wedding...it was beautiful. Not over done, but just right. They had a choir that was unbelievable and sang "Oh Happy Day" after the couple said 'I do'. It was pretty cool. Except I wanted to get up and dance and sing along with them, but no one else was. The reception was in the groom's multi-acre backyard under a big circus tent. It was decorated with pink light ball things that hang from the ceiling. The cake was white with pink swirls. (I'm starting to wonder if my friend, the groom, had any say in this wedding) The bride's dress was pretty-strapless with bunching all the way down.

OK enough with the boring details. On with the good stuff. Remember my friend Becky? And her texting problem? (Refer to this blog) This wedding is the event I was talking about when I said Becky, Bob and the lot would all be together again. I am sorry to report, no cat-fights broke out or anything of the sort. But some more subtle developments arose.

Warning-this might get confusing. Here are the characters:

Becky - my good friend

Bob - also a friend, but more importantly: boy who has always loved Becky (but currently has gf)

Gary - Becky's ex of 5 years

Tom - Gary's best friend

Becky and Bob got along fine...I think I even saw Becky dancing with Bob's girlfriend at one point. Buttt after the reception Becky was spotted making out with Tom. Gary does not like when Becky and Tom hang out (read:Becky and Tom dated before Becky and Gary). So when, if, Gary finds out all hell might break loose.

Oh did I mention, Becky hooked up with Gary the night before?

Oh did I mention, Gary's sister was the bride?

Oh did I mention, Gary's cousin said to Becky at the wedding that Gary and she needed to get back together and he wanted to be at their wedding?

Hmmm....only time will tell.

Boredom

OK - here is the thing. I get bored at work. A lot. More than I should. Some days I literally have NOTHING to do. This is one of the reasons I started blogging. I love reading blogs and finding new ones. I also like websites that make me laugh or are interesting (ex. collegehumor, people, etc.) If anyone has any suggestions for blogs, sites or anything to help pass the time on these dreadful days I would appreciate it!

Carpentry

I built a headboard yesterday. That's right - a headboard for my bed. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but I owe a lot of credit to my cousin and her friend. The friend had already done several of them and was a pro. If I was left to my own devices? I would have just bought one, but making one is much cheaper, and kinda fun.

You start out with plywood and cut it into the shape you want - mine was rectangle and the guy at Lowe's cut it for me. (Thank jebus because I would have lost more than a finger if I had to cut it myself) Then, you have to put foam on it...and batting...and your fabric. It is a process, but doesn't take that long if you know what you are doing.

The part that has left me virtually unable to use my thumbs was the tufting. For those of you who don't know - tufting is the part where you put the buttons on the front and have to pull them through and tie it to the back. OH MY. It is the most painful thing I have ever done. It took all three of us. One to tie, one to push the button up and one to hold a finger in place for the knot. MISERABLE.

Ok, that is my rant for now. I will post a picture of my beautiful headboard as soon as it is in its place. It was worth it, I must say. And if anyone needs tips on making their own - I'm your girl.

New Quest

Like the new look? I think it is a little more classy and grown-up. And it suits my new quest. I need to start acting my age. I know 21 isn't the oldest, but I have realized I'm not exactly the carefree kid I used to be. One inspiration being a personal finance blog: wellheeled. This blogger is 23 going on 24 and already has a great amount of money saved for retirement. I have none, zilch, zip, zero. I need to get on this saving thing immediately.

If not yesterday.

Of course I have had a finance class, but during that class I was the student who got the A's from having last semester's test and a bunch of friends to tell me how to study. I memorized but did not learn. I regret it. There is a reason your GPA doesn't matter when you leave college - because, as in my case, it is just a matter of picking the right teacher and knowing kids who have already taken the course.

Thankfully, I have learned this lesson with one year of college left (although I do wish I had learned it earlier). I vow here and now to actually learn and not memorize (a hard habit to break, I admit). So, in my quest to become a bigger and better person I am going to the bookstore today (read:as soon as I get some responses) to find books on personal finance. I need to start with the basics y'all - really basic. For example, I don't really know what a Roth IRA is, or a Freedom Fund. I think I have a 401K through my employer, but I don't really understand what it is or how it will help-EMBARASSING!!!

It is your job, readers (are there any out there?), to help me find a suitable book(s). Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Two requirements of suggested books:

1. FOR BEGINNERS - Dummies...but NOT those books called "Finance for Dummies" or any of that garbage
2. About personal finance

For the Record

I saw a post the other day by a girl who listed 100 things about herself. I enjoy reading her blog so it was nice to "get to know" who I was reading. I really admired her ability to list 100 interesting things because I, however, don't even have 100 interesting things about me. But in an attempt to let my vast array of readers* know who I am, I chose to do a "For the Record" section to which I hope will continue to grow. Soooo here we go...
*HA

For the record:

- I also drunk text, and sometimes get myself into trouble - but don't have quite as interesting stories as Becky...yet.

- Italian food is my favorite, followed by Mexican, then Japanese

- I have embarrassing road rage

- Chinese is my least favorite food

- Being at the beach makes me happy

- I want to read more interesting (smart-people) books, but right now I'm stuck on chick-lit

- My goal in the next year is to become more "outdoors-y" (I want to skydive, mountain bike, hike, maybe even rock climb woahhh don't want to get ahead of myself)

- I want to move out of my comfort zone to a new place and meet new people (When I finish college and have enough money to do so)

- Scary movies are my favorite

- I hate the feeling when you wake up in the morning and you have nothing to look forward to

- I was voted most attractive and best dressed my junior and senior years in high school (Woop Woop!)

- I LOVE to cook. Food Network is always on my TV

- Dogs are my favorite...cats can go to hell.

- When Food Network is broken, I will most definitely be watching reruns of the O.C. or One Tree Hill

- As cheesy as it may be, my all-time-favorite movie is Dirty Dancing

- Beach music is my favorite and I love to shag - even though I may not always be a great dancer

- I have taken over 6 years of Spanish, but I am still not fluent

- Although I enjoy the occasional girly drink, I much prefer beer

- Live music makes me happy

- I hate it when people interrupt me

- I try to always do things right because failing is embarrassing (but lately I have been told that I must make mistakes or else I will never learn - yuck.)

- Shopping is truly therapeutic for me, as shallow as it sounds

- I've always wanted to go to a therapist to see what she/he will say

- I'm running out of things to say. I'll continue later (hopefully) if I can think of some more things.

Drunk Dial...Whaaaa?

Drunk dialing is so out. Drunk texting however seems to be the new rave. A friend of mine, lets call her Becky, got herself into trouble this past weekend. To an ex-boyfriend Becky sent: "I love you (let's call him Bob)", "I have always loved you Bob" and last but not least, and this one is the clincher, "I think we are meant to spend our lives together."

Let me give you a little background here. Becky and Bob grew up together...he has always been in love with Becky. But Becky always had a boyfriend - the same one for a long time. Becky cheats on said boyfriend with Bob. Then breaks Bob's heart a few months later. Bob now has a serious girlfriend. Becky just rocked Bob's world. Becky, Bob, Bob's girl and Becky's ex will all be at the same place this weekend. Watch for updates. I can't wait to see what happens.

Oh, and after Becky sent those incriminating text messages she CALLED Bob and left a voicemail saying "Someone got a hold of my phone and sent random text messages, disregard any you got from me."

HAHA I'm sure Bob fell for that. Psych.

Spending Problem Update.

After work Friday I went to the mall. I thought I could control myself but I was wrong. Intending to only buy a pair of shoes...I came out with 3 things for my Mac laptop, a pair of shoes and a Sony music player thing for my iPhone. Ridiculous.



See my pretty shoes:

I have a spending problem.

It is getting serious. Up until last month all of the credit cards I have for shopping have been sent to my parents' house. My dad would generously pay them off as they came in. Until now. For some odd reason I finally put my foot down and had the address for all of my cards changed to my address (I must have been drunk).

Crazy right?

Although I feel better about not being such a burden on my parents (still), I totally regret the decision. See, with my dad paying them off I had no idea how much I was spending. And since he didn't say anything I figured it was a reasonable amount.

WRONG.

So I am reading Confessions of A Shopaholic and totally relate to the main character. She writes about becoming nervous before opening a VISA bill. And of how she justifies everything she buys. I, like the character, have a problem with "Buy One Get One Free" or "Triple Bonus Points Day" or "Spend $150 get 15% Off". Each time I see a promotion similar to the aforementioned, I automatically justify it by saying to myself, "Well the reward will be worth the price."

This habit must stop for the next couple of weeks. I am going to LA to visit some friends in the beginning of July and must have money for going out/shopping/eating at great restaurants. Here and now I am vowing to stop purchasing "wants" and only "needs" until my LA trip. (After I get the Betsy Johnson yellow polka dot heels that are 50% off at Belk's...where I happen to have $60 in gift certificates. That's OK - right?)

Help Help Help

Ok, here it is. The proverbial blog-beginner message asking for help. Everyone does it (I think?) so I don't feel as ashamed. I have spent hours -at work, oops- trying to figure out how to make my blog look different from this cookie-cutter template Blogger provides. I'm not so pleased with the intense colors I have now, and I would like to add some images and fonts to my header. I want to create my own overall theme for the page. Any suggestions? Am I biting off more than I can chew?

Pet Peeve #1: Non-wavers

While driving if I let you in ahead of me, HAVE THE DECENCY TO WAVE. I have more important places to reach, and could get there faster if your P.O.S. wasn't in my way.

While driving if you cut me off, HAVE THE DECENCY TO WAVE. I know and you know that you have just done something rude. If you do so intentionally, I will see your wave as a hysterical sarcastic gesture; and commend you fellow road-rager, for I too, am that bitchy.

Pop Off!

I love the beach. Everything about it. I love beach houses, the smell of the ocean, seafood, the hot sun, a tan you can't spray on, boating, fishing and so much more. Because of personal...pitfalls?...during the past year I do not get to the beach as much as I used to. My family, unlike most of our friends, does not own a beach house - and as I mentioned, invitations are rare these days. So when my mom had a work function at the Isle of Palms, we jumped on the chance.

The 5 days we spent at the resort were relaxing. This particular resort is brand-new (I mean literally just opened in 2008) and although could use a little more development, in the shopping/eating/entertainment aspects, it was perfect for the occasion. A great get-away from work, which has become increasingly stressful, and those woeful...pitfalls. Check out the pretty-ness.

Not only was this trip a great form of escape, our family also got a chance to bond. My sister is currently working on her PhD for Physical Therapy, I work and go to school (during the year), and both of my parents have jobs that require a lot of traveling. Needless to say, we don't get together a lot.

One particular story my sister and I enjoyed hearing my dad tell was one of his college days.* He lived in a house with two friends next door to a much older man who always complained about the noise they would make. One particular afternoon a roommate was shaking the fence between the houses and yelling when the old neighbor came out and starting yelling/cursing at the kid. At the end of his tirade he says, "All you kids do is come out here and POP OFF!" (My dad does the imitation with a deep southern accent and a high-pitched emphasis on the last two words)

Why is this story so incredibly funny? Enjoy. (There may be some offensive language so if you don't like it - don't watch it).

So, my sister and I have built this extravagant expression into our daily lives and the lives of our friends (which always evokes a barrage of laughter).

COMMENTS - What odd sayings/words have your adopted?

*College days being my favorite because my dad (who is almost bald now) had long hair and loved to party.

Tips for Shoe Shopping

One of my best guy-friends from high school is getting married a week from Saturday. To my ex-boyfriend's sister...oh the web we weave. I digress. So, this event is important to me - all of the family and friends from my home town will be there and I intend to look my best. About two months ago I bought a beautiful yellow silk Maggie London dress. Long story short, I didn't get to wear it as planned and was never photographed in it, so I figure the wedding is the perfect place to debut my first Maggie London.

I have never been a huge shoe fiend, but I want the perfect shoe to go with this dress on this very special occasion. My dad works for a particular department store that carries a great selection of shoes and including many designer labels. Natch I go to this store for most of my shopping needs (because I get an exceptional employee discount). As I scour the shoe department I'm stressed because I don't know exactly what type of shoe would look good with this dress. Straight black would be too harsh...I hate white shoes...it would be impossible to find a yellow to match exactly (and I don't like being too matchy-match really)...and to top it all off this is a formal wedding so I can't just wear my Jacks!

SO here is what I have learned over the years (and during this particular trip):

1. Always carry a photo/cell phone pic/magazine cut-out of the piece you need to accessorize

2. NEVER settle - if you don't find exactly what you are looking for wait another day (if possible) or visit another store.

3. No matter how much they are on sale and how much you LOVE them, don't buy shoes that aren't the right size. The "No pain-no gain" rule does not apply here ladies.

4. Impulse buys are never good for the wallet. Just because there is a pair of Marc Jacobs heeled rain boots for 60% off doesn't mean you need them.

Anddd I'm sure there are a ton of other tips, but I just can't think of them at the moment; and I probably just need more shoe shopping experience!

Here are the shoes I bought:

To go with this dress:

Comments/other shoe tips welcome!!!!!!

Title Explaination

To further explain myself, I would like to reveal the meaning of my shallow blog title. "Jacks, Yurman and Bobbi Brown" actually refers to three things I have on at (almost) all times. "Jacks" alludes to my all-time-favorite flip-flops. Jack Rogers. These shoes are perfect for almost all occasions. I wear them with jeans and a t-shirt to go get lunch. I wear them with my bathing suit to the beach. I wear them to engagement parties with dresses. I wear them out on the town with my girlfriends. They come in all colors and you can even have them MONOGRAMMED. Brilliant. (Whoever invented monogramming rocks, because I put my sacred three initials on anything and everything)

"Yurman" undoubtedly refers to David Yurman. My single favorite jewelery designer. And also items you most always will find adorning my body. Sorry Tiffany's - you come in second. Although Tiffany blue is probably my favorite color.

Finally, "Bobbi Brown" - a genius. Previously a Chanel make-up fan, I recently made the switch. All of my years growing up in high school Bobbi Brown was all the rave among the other girls. I stayed true to Chanel, however, because I have always idolized my grandmother and Chanel is her make-up of choice. Now I will document my life-changing (or maybe just appearance-changing) experience at the Bobbi Brown counter:

Me: Idly browsing the BB counter noncommittally.

BB rep: May I help you find anything?

Me: Yes, actually I have a hard time finding a foundation that is light enough for the summer, won't dry me out but at the same time won't make me oily. (Ha! Impossible! No fear Chanel counter - I will be there in a minute!)

BB rep: Well, we have these options to choose from -blah, blah and blah. What are you currently using?

Me: I have a great foundation/power combination from Chanel but during the summer it wears off easily and I wanted to try a few other options. (The betrayal begins - don't hurt me CoCo)

The BB rep then explains the benefits of all of the different products and coerces me into a example. After hesitantly accepting this "test run" on my face, I realize it really does look good...healthy. And then comes the clincher -

BB rep: Bobbi really focuses on making your skin look "doughy."

I was sold. Doughy!?!...doughy?...an interesting adjective for skin, right? At first mention I was turned-off by the word in reference to my face, but as I continued to look at her magnificent work I realized that this was the healthiest my face has ever looked.

So, after about $250 of Bobbi Brown merchandise, a new look and many compliments later, I decided this genius make-up designer/artist (whatever you want to call her) deserved the only two-name reference in my title. And a prime location all over my face. Everyday.

Blog Virgin

Hi. This is my first blog post...ever. I am so new to this I'm embarrassed. First off let me say this is not how I want my page to look...format, colors, etc. I love pink, green, yellow, turquoise and pastel colors but this isn't exactly how I pictured it. So if anyone happens to stumble upon this site and can give me advice/be willing to show a newbie around, that would be great.

I considered myself computer-savvy. Until today. There is so much I don't know. For example, how to make this freaking page look cute like I want it. What is this HTML garbage? Isn't there a paint-by-numbers type of program I can use? Call me stupid, but I can't for the life of me figure this mess out. So until I do, don't expect anything too fancy out of this page.

I guess I should say a little something about myself considering I am a blog virgin. I don't know what to tell you - the trivial stuff seems necessary but boring so I will start there...I moved around most of my life until middle school where my family finally settled down and decided to send me to private school (best decision EVER made by my parents). I am now in my final year of college and could not possibly be more subtly scared of graduating. I have a sister, both of my parents (thankfully), and two dogs. I do not live at home anymore (again, thankfully) but love my family none the less. Well that is the basic information to which you may all now use to put me in a certain stereotypical category of your choosing.

Here is some more information that may help place me:

Likes:

• Designer ANYTHING (I have a Kate Spade pencil case for crying out loud)
• The South. Not the redneck/NASCAR type, but the southern-belle, Lilly Pulitzer-wearing families.
• The beach. Again, not the bring-you-plastic-chair-get-burned-to-the-point-of-no-return type of beach experience, but the simplicity of taking your boat out to an island for a day of bocce-ball and cocktails.
• Cooking. There is something relaxing and equally as pleasing about preparing a meal for someone and having them truly enjoy it.
• Organization. I find with more organization comes less stress.

Well...I hope that helps. There is much more to me than I lead you to believe here, but I supposed this gives you reason to check back. I hope to use this blog not only to document my life, opinions, etc. but also to provide entertainment and escape. We'll see what happens.