And Really Quick....

I just added some new songs to the playlist:

1) "Keep it Together" Dedicated to Brooke & Brittany Maness for their miraculous 1400 mile trip to save shelter dogs! Go girls!

2) "Bad Things"- the opening credits to "True Blood" that I'm SO glad is back for it's second season.

3) "Beautiful Mine"- the opening credits for "Mad Men" that starts back August 14th! Can't Wait!

4) "A-punk"-the opening credits for my favorite XM radio show "Broadminded" that I can now listen to at home with my new XM receiver! YAY! I was so worried that I would miss out during my maternity leave...thank God for good incentives!

My Big Fat Geek Wedding...

I just have a photo post today: a couple of pictures of my cousin took(she is getting married next spring) . She is very fancy in her thrift store wedding dress...aren't these are the most awesome pictures ever!?!

Wines for the Weekend...

With yet another weekend upon us, I thought I'd offer up some general assistance this time around. Summertime offers several unique opportunities for indulging. Here are my recommendations:

Grilling Out-

I could drink Zin all the time and be a happy camper, but the varietal does offer a certain something special when matched with just about any grilled food. The wine usually has a burst of juicy fruitiness and a touch of some exotic sweet spice, making it a perfect match for that nicely charred goodness. Burgers, steaks, barbecue...you name it and Zinfandel brings out the best in it.

Disclaimer: Friends Don't let Friends BBQ Drunk!

Boating-

On a hot humid day, there's nothing better than being out on the water catching some rays. One mostly thinks of a cooler full of beer in these types of situations, which can be oh-so refreshing. But let's take a moment to think outside the box. Or in the box for that matter. My recommendation is the *gasp* box wine for any mobile water fun. We aren't talking about your parent's Franzia anymore, people. The quality of most boxed wines has improved dramatically over the past decade or so. Just make sure you fork out at least 20 bucks for a 3L box (it IS four bottles of wine, y'all) and you'll be sure to get something that doesn't make your mouth pucker. If it really is a hot day, I'd try to find a Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling to cool yourself off, just make sure you take the time to chill thoroughly before departure!

Black Box now makes Marlborough SauvBlanc in a Box!

Pool Party-

Okay, here I will recommend one specific wine. It's portable, it's refreshing, it's just cool: Sofia Coppola Cans. It's sparkling wine in (what looks like) a soda can! You can lounge by the pool with your pals and the kiddies won't even know! Now keep in mind it is a Blanc de Blanc, meaning it is a true, yeasty French-like sparkling. You'll need to have some nibbles nearby or you might find yourself with a case of the dry-mouth. Find it (or ask for it) at your local specialty store:

It even comes with a tiny straw!

Consumer Reports...

I have to admit, both D and I are not really into this whole "Global Warming" trendy green movement. Don't get me wrong, Darren's not driving down the interstate throwing wads of paper out the window and I'm not running the water while I brush my teeth...God Forbid! We are both just thinking more along the lines of not being wasteful than trying to prevent Florida from being overtaken by the Atlantic. So sue me.

Nevertheless, the endless displays of "green" dog treats and recycled toilet paper at the grocery store don't tend to catch my eye. But imagine my delight when I first see the new Dial Eco-Smart Refill Pouches! The idea is so simple! No more trying to tip the gigantic economy size plastic tubs of refill at exactly the right angle to pour into the soap dispenser only to have it come out too fast and doughnut up over the sides. To me it doesn't matter if it says "Eco" anything on the front...if it saves me time and money *dingdingding* I think we have a winner. (Although I must say it is satisfying to think of all the plastic bottles I won't be throwing in the trashcan.)

Here's a video that explains it a little more. Don't worry, you're not a bad person if you laugh at the SuperSavetheEarth-man narrating it....I found it very humorous too.

Wilderness Adventure

This is unfortunately the only picture I was able to take before my camera battery died because I stupidly left the thing on for the whole car ride down. But yes, this is the view from the Lake House that D, myself, and 14 of my co-workers stayed at for a week at Lake Oconee in Greensboro, GA (aka the Wilderness).

We had a heck of a time relaxing, cooking-out, and playing poker....which I won by pulling out a Full House in the last round of our game....Sweeet! For a work trip, I must say that I rather enjoyed having a domestic, low-key vacation. (For those of you who remember last year's Cancun fiasco and my 2 week near death experience afterward which I termed the "Mexican Flu," you will recall that I never want to see a Mexican Airport ever again.) The house was amazing and we ate the most marvelous food. Between the waffles, filets, and Mitchell's killer Cast-Iron Pot Jambalaya, I'm not sure what was my favorite. Remembering the food makes me almost forget that I missed almost a day and a half of our trip after a horrific spider bite that landed me in the ER in Deliverance Country. Good thing it was a run-of-the-mill spider and not a scary-fancy-spider, otherwise the syringe of Benedryl they gave me might not have been enough. I guess it wouldn't be a trip to the wilderness without someone getting bitten by something....

(One thing I did learn from this experience, however, is that I will never use sleeping pills again! One Benedryl and I'm out like a light for at least 9 hours.)

What I'm Listening to....

You have to have a certain amount of respect for the children of famous people who don't end up a total waste product, much less make something of themselves. Here are some artists who are beginning what I think will be pretty amazing careers. Check them out:

Ben Taylor, son of James Taylor and Carly Simon

His voice sounds just like his dad's if you catch it just right. And although some tracks on his album 'Another Run Around the Sun' are misses, there are a handful that I really love. Look for "Nothing I Can Do" on my MixPod (a song played at D and I's wedding) and "Digest." He also has a wonderful cover of Macy Gray's "I Try" out there, although I'm not sure what album it's on.

Schuyler Fisk, daughter of Sissy Spacek and Jack Fisk

I've been a fan of Schuyler's music since the beautiful duet with Joshua Radin called 'Paperweight' was released on The Last Kiss soundtrack. I've been a fan of Schuyler in general since her debut as Kristy in The Babysitter's Club, one of my favorite flicks from teendom. (Do you recognize her without the ballcap??) At long last she has come out with an album, called "The Good Stuff." There are some outstanding songs, like the catchy "Hello" and "From Where I'm Standing" that have been in her repetoire for years. Newly written tracks like "Good Stuff" and "Sunshine" show that there is only good stuff to come for Ms. Fisk.

Consumer Reports

There are very few things in life that I say I could live without. Shoes, contacts, computers, thai pickle chips from PM....the list is actually quite small in the whole scheme of things. I am going to start a new mid-week series of posts, however, for those household items that I believe have been the greatest consumer products launched on the market in my short 27 years. I will start with my favorite:

Ladies, what did we do before the Pledge Multi-Purpose wipe?? I mean besides constantly spraying (and inhaling) Windex micro-bubbles of cleaner. Someone really had their thinking cap on when they thought of this ingenious product. Or maybe it was just a distraught housewife, tired of constantly being on the dust-bunny hunt. I find that keeping a pack of these in a drawer in each one of the rooms in the house really helps me keep my sanity. (And D probably doesn't even know they're there.)

One Dog at a Time...

Nellie says click HERE!

Please visit my friend Brooke's blog "One Dog at a Time" to learn more about an awesome adventure she is undertaking this summer....all in the name of puppy love. I had no idea that people do what she and her sister are planning to do. (You must click to learn what I'm talking about.) It is so admirable! Please help her help shelter animals!