Be Back Soon!

I hope you all are doing well! My car broke down on Friday night and then again yesterday. What a pain! I am still driving my first car (a 1996 Nissan) and hope that it will make it a few more months. My dad thinks it is just the alternator. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. I feel terrible because with all the stuff going on with my car, I wasn't home until 7:45. Hopefully we can do something fun this weekend to make up for his birthday.

I will check back in in a few days. I hope you all have a nice week!

Fall Clothes at Old Navy

I went by Old Navy on Monday and found some great things for fall.

I love this coat! It is so similar to the ones at J.Crew except the price is so much better - it was $39.50. Women's Double Breasted Sweater Coat



I bought this cardigan to wear with jeans for $19.50. It also comes in black, white, and grey. Women's Drape Front Cardigan

I love these cotton tee shirts. They are very comfortable and they are cheap. I think these were $12 if you bought two. Women's Scoop-Neck Tees



Have a nice weekend!

GAS!?

*Update* Thanks for all your help! My husband found a gas station with premium gas, so he is fine (for now!). Something about compression in his engine caused the problem? He drives a BMW M3 and the manual says to only use premium. Now we know why!! You all are awesome! I so appreciate all your comments! :)

Apparently we are experiencing a gas shortage here in North and South Carolina. Tuesday night I ran by the Fresh Market. I needed gas and there are two gas stations nearby so I decided to fill up after grocery shopping. Both gas stations were empty, so I continue searching for gas. I pass another seven gas stations that are all empty. At this point, I am freaking out because I am headed to the not so nice part of Charlotte. Not so nice is a polite way to phrase it too ... I called my husband and told him he probably needed to come pick me up. A few minutes later I found one gas station with gas. I have a 14 gallon tank in my car and I pumped 14.01 gallons. Someone was looking out for me!

My husband's car requires premium and he hasn't been able to find any for the last week. Do any of you know what happens if you put regular in a car that requires premium??

Enjoy your week!

Personality Test

I toke this free personality test and it actually fit my personality well. It was quick, easy, and free. Here are my results -

Your personality type:

Assertive and outspoken - they are driven to lead. Excellent ability to understand difficult organizational problems and create solid solutions. Intelligent and well-informed, they usually excel at public speaking. They value knowledge and competence and usually have little patience with inefficiency or disorganization. (This last sentence really fits my personality!).

Careers that could fit you includes:

Business executives, CEOs, organization founders, business administrators, managers, entrepreneurs, judges, lawyers, computer consultants, university professors, politicians, credit investigators, labor relations worker, marketing department manager, mortgage banker, systems analysts, scientists.

Did you all try this? What were your results?

Congratulations Adelaide!

My sister is now a Kappa Delta!

Help Pass Senate Bill 1738 - The PROTECT Our Children Act

Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the sheer lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have.

The PROTECT Our Children Act will:

Authorize over $320 million over the next five years in desperately needed funding for law enforcement to investigate child exploitation.

Mandate that child rescue be a top priority for law enforcement receiving federal funding.

Allocate funds for high-tech computer software that can track down Internet predators.

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. I could not watch the entire Oprah show because it was so disturbing. I urge you all to take a few moments to contact your senator. Sippycups also posted about this last week. Feel free to copy and paste this post onto your blog. The more people that know about this the better.

To contact your senator please visit senate.gov and choose your senator by state. Underneath the senator's name there is a link titled "Web Form." Click on this and you will be able to email your senator. It took me less than five minutes to email both my senators.

If you choose to write, email, or fax your senator, here is a sample letter from Oprah.com.

Dear Senator:

I know that you believe, like I do, that we must do everything possible to protect children from sexual predators. That is why I am asking for your help.

Last year alone, U.S. law enforcement identified over 300,000 criminals who were trafficking in movies and pictures of young children being raped and tortured. Experts say that one in every three of these criminals has local child victims. Child pornography trafficking over the Internet has given us a trail of evidence that leads straight to their doorsteps, but the vast majority of these children will never be rescued because investigators are overwhelmed, outnumbered and underfunded.

As your constituent, I urge you to do everything in your power to pass the PROTECT Our Children Act (S. 1738, Biden-Hatch). This bipartisan legislation passed the House 415-2, but it is now the victim of petty partisan politics.

Now that we know where these children are and how to protect them, there is no excuse for the Senate to fail to take action this session.

(Your name here)

Thanks for getting the word out! I hope you all have a nice Sunday!

Target Pink Items

Pink is my all time favorite color. During the month of October, I have the opportunity to buy lots of pink products which benefit breast cancer research. Target featured several cute pink products in their ad this weekend.


I bought this pink Brita pitcher last weekend. Water tastes so much better to me when it is filtered. Brita will donate $50,000 to City of Hope.



I love this pink cupcake carrier. It costs $14.99 but I don't think any money goes to breast cancer research.


The Pink Kitchenaid! I got one of these when I got married and I absolutely love it. If you don't have one, I highly recommend it. Kitchenaid will donate a minimum of $1,000,000 to Susan G. Komen during 2008. If you do buy a pink Kitchenaid, remember to register your mixer to donate an additional $50.

I have been contemplating buying a pink Dyson. Everyone I know who has one loves it. Now is a great time to buy one because your purchase can benefit breast cancer research. Target and Dyson have joined together to donate $1,400,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. In addition, you will receive a $100 Target gift card with purchase.

Has anyone seen any other "pink" products to benefit breast cancer charities?

I hope you all have a nice week!

Sue and Gloria's Baked Beans

I made this for a cookout this weekend. I had forgotten how good they are. This recipe is from Paula Deen's show.

Ingredients:

4 (16-ounce) cans baked beans
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup molasses
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 tablespoon yellow or brown mustard
5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 (6-ounce) can french-fried onions, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl, mix together beans, pineapple, molasses, BBQ sauce, mustard, a third of the bacon, and a third of the onions. Add some salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour beans in 9 by 13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle remaining crushed onions and bacon on top.

Cook in oven for 1 hour or until beans brown and bubble. Serve warm.

Reader Question - Cleanser

Cari over at Live for Today asked me about my favorite cleanser. Don't you love her title? We all need to remember to live in the moment! I'll be honest, my favorite cleanser is neither glamorous or exclusive. It is Purpose by Johnson and Johnson. Every single dermatologist I have ever visited has suggested this cleanser. It it gentle yet very effective. I buy mine at Target, but you can find it at any drug store, Ulta, etc.

Click below to read about some of my other favorites -

sunless tanners

cosmetics

body care

skin care

I hope you all have a nice Monday!

Six Random Facts

I was tagged by Pink Lemonade and Peonies to list six random things about myself. Pink Lemonade & Peonies is a sweet lady who has a fun blog. She is lucky too, she just met Jamie and Bobby Deen!

Here goes!

1. I like to plan ahead. Sometimes way ahead. For example, I am shopping for Christmas cards now. I want to choose the card so that I can plan what my husband and I are going to wear for our picture. Yes, my personality leans toward type A. Thank goodness Thomas goes along with all my plans without question.

2. I love magazines. Some of my favorites are In Style, Southern Living, Garden and Gun, Us Weekly, Life Beautiful, Martha Stewart, Everyday Food, Bon Appetit, Redbook, Glamour, and Town and Country.

3. Barnes and Noble is one of my favorite stores to peruse. I love looking at all the books and absorbing all of the information that you can find in the store. Most of the time, I try to read a non-fiction self help book and a fun book. Right now I am reading The Choice and The Spark. I want to read Stori Telling when I finish the books I am reading now.

4. I love buying products and usually believe what the label says. Products include makeup, hair products, skin and body care products, makeup, and cleaning products.

5. I like my house to be clean, but I hate cleaning. When I start working I am planning to hire a maid. My husband is totally okay with this (thank goodness!). Do any of you all have a company that you love, or do you hire someone word of mouth?

6. I have a Chihuahua who is like my baby. She is 9 years old now and very spoiled :)

Please feel free to play along! I love reading random stuff about people.

Enjoy your week!

Free Subscription to Traditional Home!

I am not sure about the validity of this offer, but I signed up anyway! :) Click here to sign up for a free 2 year subscription to Traditional Home.

City Girl Taste Meets College Girl Budget

Just another reason why I adore Target ... Sigerson Morrison is unveiling a limited edition collection with Target to include peep toe pumps, boots, and d'Orsay heels (my favorite style besides pumps) all under $40.

Here is the press release: Target is partnering with renowned footwear designers Kari Sigerson and Miranda Morrison to launch a limited-edition footwear collection, Sigerson Morrison for Target. This is the third footwear collection in a series of limited-time-only accessories designers at Target. The Sigerson Morrison for Target collection will be available at select Target stores nationwide and at Target.com October 12, 2008 through December 26, 2008.

Anya Hindmarch will also have a limited edition line of handbags at Target during this time period.

The Truth About Cheating by M. Gary Neuman

M. Gary Neuman was on Oprah yesterday discussing why men cheat. Until 7:00 PM PST tonight you can download a digital copy of his book from Oprah.com. Click here to download your copy.

9-11

Please say a prayer for the families that were affected by the events of 9-11 and the soldiers who are working to secure our freedom.

Marinated Flank Steak

I made this marinated flank steak from Everyday Food last week. It was super easy and it turned out well.


Ingredients:


1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
3 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak


Directions:

In a shallow dish, whisk lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard, 1 tablespoon olive oil, sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Pierce steak all over with a fork; toss in marinade. Marinate 30 minutes, turning once.

In a cast-iron skillet, heat remaining tablespoon olive oil over high until smoking. Remove steak from marinade; cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rest, covered, 5 minutes.

In a saucepan, bring marinade to a boil; strain into serving dish.

My husband and I are both from Greensboro, NC and we were there Sunday for a family event. Chris Daughtry and his family live in Greensboro near my husband's parents. Before the party we had to run by Target to pick up a few things. While we were there, we saw Chris Daughtry. At first my husband wondered why someone would be wearing a toboggan and sunglasses inside Target, and then he realized who it was. Chris was a few people behind us in line and then he left the same time we did. It was cool to see him there.

Monday afternoon I met my mom for shopping and dinner. We had a little extra time so we went by Barnes and Noble to look at magazines. As we were leaving, I was putting my magazines back and there was Chris Daughtry again. He was right in front of the shelf where I needed to put the copy of Everyday Food.

It was so random to run into him twice in two days. I didn't speak to him either time because I am sure he appreciates a little down time when he is home. He used to work at a car dealership in Greensboro (where my first car came from). My husband and I used to enjoyed hearing him play at a local bar before he was on American Idol. I am excited for him that his music career has taken off.

I hope you all have a nice week!

Clarisonic Skincare Brush??

Has anyone tried the Clarisonic Skincare Brush? I have been dying to hear about it, but I don't know anyone who uses it. Last week I went to the dermatologist and forgot to ask him about it. I am calling him tomorrow and will let you all know what he says. Have any of you tried this?

Enjoy your week!

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I cannot wait to see this movie. It is not supposed to be in theaters until February 13, 2009 though.

Sarah Palin

Last night I was excited to watch the first Republican female vice presidential candidate make her acceptance speech! If you missed her speech, here it is.






Check out Kappa Prep's post about cute pink and green election attire from CafePress.com.

I hope you all have a nice week!

Life in the Cove Preppiest Summer Memory Contest

One of my favorite blogs, Life in the Cove, is hosting a fun giveaway! Follow the instructions below and email your entry (jennifer@calistacove.com).

How to Enter:

photo from Life in the Cove

Summer is over, and, just like the ladies of Gossip Girl, it’s time to return to reality (ha!), reminisce about romances and vet about vacations. What were you up to while Blair and Serena were gallivanting about town, hanging out in the Hamptons and criss-crossing Europe? Was it a mad-about-madras rendezvous in Rhode Island? A summer sail while decked out in Lilly? A clambake on the Cape complete with capirhinas? Email us a picture of your preppiest summer event and share your style story. We want to know the important stuff: who’s in the photo, what you and your friends were wearing, what you were doing/playing/eating/drinking and why it qualifies as a fond summer memory! Photos and entries will be posted for all to comment and vote on. Contest ends September 30th. The winner with the most votes for “preppiest summer memory” will receive a $100 gift certificate to the Calista Cove boutique. Good luck!