This Blog Rocks~

Hey y'all! Happy Monday! It's time for this week's installment of "This Blog Rocks".  **If you missed last week's post, Megan at Mackey Madness started a new link up party called "This Blog Rocks" to showcase all of the amazing blogs that we frequently visit and love!**

This week, I chose to showcase Lauren at Peace, Love & All Things Creative. 

When I first started blogging, Peace, Love & All Things Creative was one of the very first blogs that I came across.  I began following and the rest is history... it quickly became one of my favorite blogs to visit!  Lauren is not only super sweet, but she is also amazingly creative and artistic.  In her posts, she shares all of her favorite things: design, photography, fashion and DIY projects.  Her blog is fun, yet personable.  I enjoy reading her blog and always looking forward to future posts.  I hope that you will check it out and enjoy Peace, Love & All Things Creative as much as I do! :)

**Just a reminder: I'm currently hosting my first giveaway of a $20 CSN gift certificate! The giveaway ends on Friday.  If you're interested, check it out here :)

Happy Blogging! xo

My Favorite TV Apartment~

Can you guess whose apartment this is?

"I like my money right where I can see it... hanging in my closet."

after a remodel ...

LOVE the blue and the gallery wall!

If you thought it belonged to this pretty lady while you were looking at the pictures...

then YOU ARE CORRECT!!

This is the NYC apartment of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City!  

One of my FAVORITE SHOWS and MOVIES!

"Later that day I go to thinking about relationships.  There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back.  But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself.  And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous."  ~ Carrie Bradshaw

Coming Soon:  Sex and the City fashion

Accent VLOG~

Hey everyone!  Over the last few weeks, I have seen the accent vlog on lots of blogs.  After watching and hearing everyone's accents,  I really wanted to take part and just never actually did.  Jessica from Her Posh Palate posted her accent vlog today and seeing hers really encouraged me to get going and do it too.  So without further ado, my accent vlog...

If you'd like to do it to, here are the words and questions:


The Accent Vlog: Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

• What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
• What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
• What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
• What do you call gym shoes?
• What do you say to address a group of people?
• What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
• What do you call your grandparents?
• What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
• What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
• What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

What did you think of my accent vlog? Do you think I have a New York accent?
Please feel free to leave comments to let me know what you think 
... and if you have an accent vlog, please comment so I can go see yours too :)

Blonde~

So ...I have this obsession with being blonde.  It's more than just a hair color for me, it's an attitude and a huge part of my way of life {haha ... probably sounds silly, I know}.  I've been a blonde my whole life and while I do have blonde moments on occasion, I don't believe the stereotype that blondes are "ditzy" and "unintelligent".  Those are personality traits and have nothing to do with your hair color ;)  My hair is naturally dirty blonde but I like to lighten up, so I color my roots monthly.  It is a little high maintenance but the results to me are totally worth it!  I had my four-week appointment last night and here's how it came out ...

a self-portrait of yours truly ;)

view from the top.

Well I can't believe I just created a post about my hair {haha}.

Anyone else get as excited as me about dying your hair? 

Much love to all my beautiful haired friends! xo

YAY! My First Giveaway!

Hey lovies! Happy Friday!  I am SO happy to announce MY FIRST GIVEAWAY! I'm super excited! I was approached by CSN stores to either write a product review or host a giveaway and of course, I chose a giveaway because I'd really like to do something special for all of you!  You have all been so wonderful and today is the perfect day ... since I hit 25 followers :) (pretty good for a newbie, right?!).  CSN stores are awesome!  They have over 200 stores and have so much to offer!  They have everything from bedding to home decor to kitchen appliances to really amazing modern furniture for all you trendy decorators out there ;) 

Here are a few things I love ...

I love the colors gray and yellow.  I think they really accent each other.

I love palm trees! I think this rug would look great in a beach themed bathroom.

I love anything that keeps you organized.  I'm a big fan of baskets for storage too!

There are so many more wonderful things on the CSN website! Check it out for yourself :)
CSN has generously offered a $20 gift certificate to one lucky winner!


Here's how to enter:

1) Follow my blog and leave a comment saying you are a follower!

2) Mention this giveaway on your blog and link it back to me! (...and leave a comment letting me know) 

Each is worth one entry so you have a chance for a total of 2 entries!  (Be sure to leave a separate comment for each!)  You must be at least 18 years of age and it can only be shipped within the United States or Canada.  The giveaway is open now and will end Friday, February 4, 2011 at 9 pm.  I will announce the winner the following day using random.org.  Once the winner is announced, you will have 3 days to claim your prize! I AM REALLY EXCITED!  I can't wait to see who wins! Best of luck to everyone! :)

Baking Day~

This post is dedicated to by baking buddy, Danielle.  She is an ahhh-mazingggg baker and cook ...and is a HUGE inspiration to me!  She is always in the kitchen whipping up absolutely delicious treats!  Each week, Danielle hosts a bake along on her Facebook page.  She shares her awesome recipes with us, we try it out, and share our pictures with her on Facebook.  I have learned so much from her and enjoy baking along each week.  (If you have Facebook, check her out @ Hugs & Cookies xoxo... all of her treats are AMAZING! Seriously, you won't be disappointed you stopped by!)

Here are my goodies for this week ...

I was very lucky to have a snow day today to catch up on my baking. 

Yeah, we got more snow! We accumulated a foot of snow last night.  Long Island is breaking records ...we just broke our previous record for most snowfall inches in January.  It's crazy ...and we are not even close to down with winter!

Here are a few pictures...

Have a great night!

xo

To ALL my Blog Friends~

Although you are a friend of mine

and letters we exchange,

I wouldn't know you on the street,

and doesn't that seem strange?

You hold a place within my life, 

unusual and unique;

We share ideals and special dreams,

and still, we do not speak.

I picture what I think you are, 

perhaps you picture me.

An intriguing game for both of us

for someone we can't see.

So for this friendship we possess, 

we owe this mail a debt,

Perhaps the charm lies in the fact

that we have never met.

{author unknown}

This poem was shared by Terri at one of my favorite blogs, Peace, Love & Applesauce.  She was so sweet to let me share it too!  I love this poem because it reminds me of all my wonderful blog friends! Although, I do not know you personally, I consider all of you my friends.  I love hearing from you!  Your comments and e-mails always make me smile and brighten my day.  I am so happy that the blog world has brought us all closer and I look forward to continuing our friendships!

...and since you're all so special to me ...I feel my first giveaway coming very soon!

Let's continue to spread the blog love!

Happy Blogging! xo

What I'm Loving Wednesday~

Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a wonderful week!! 

Today I'm linking up with Jamie at This Kind of Love for What I'm Loving Wednesday.

1.  I'm loving my SNOW BOOTS.  They have really gotten good use this winter! It snowed all day today and we're expecting 6-10" more inches tonight.  (I'll be loving a snow day tomorrow even more ... fingers crossed!)

2. I'm loving KNEE HIGH FLAT BOOTS.  They are my favorite thing to wear this winter with a dress or tunic and a pair of leggings.

3.  I'm loving BLOGGING and my NEW BUTTON.  I am having such a great time blogging and am so grateful to have such sweet followers! It is so nice getting to know all of you and reading your blogs. I am also so happy to have had the chance to work with Jamie at Designs by Jamie.  She gave my blog an awesome makeover a few weeks ago and was so kind to help me out again this week by creating my new button ...that I love!  So grab my button, if you'd like ;)

4.  I'm loving that I got tickets to see DIERKS BENTLEY.  He is starting up a new tour and is coming to New York in March.  I can't wait! Come a little closer, Dierks ;)

I love him! ... but I love how much he loves his dog, Jake more!

5.  As always, I'm loving my SWEET PUP. 

What are you loving?

xo

To Kill a Mockingbird~

One of my favorite books is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  The first time I read it was about 5 years ago when I began my teaching career in a local high school.  I surprisingly had never read the book while I was in high school and was happy to have the opportunity to read it with my students.  I not only loved the book and but loved the life lessons it taught.  I left high school to teach elementary school three years ago and packed up my high school materials in boxes.  This past weekend, I was cleaning and came across the boxes.  The first thing I pulled out was ... To Kill a Mockingbird.  The book is such a classic and I love it ... so I decided to reread it.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.  It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.  You rarely win, but sometimes you do." ~Atticus Finch

"I think there's just one kind of folks.  Folks." ~ Scout

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." ~Atticus Finch

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." ~Miss Maudie Atkinson

To Kill a Mockingbird was also made into a movie and was very successful.  Actor Gregory Peck played "Atticus Finch" and won an Academy Award for his role.  The movie was also nominated for Best Picture. 

Have you ever read To Kill a Mockingbird or saw the movie? What did you think?

If you've never read it before, I definitely recommend it ... especially if you have a bucket list and are looking for a classic novel to read!

Blog Lovin'~

Today I am showing love to two of my favorite blogs as I'm linking up with Megan at Mackey Madness for the first installment of "This Blog Rocks". She thought it would be a great idea for us bloggers to showcase the blogs that we frequently visit and love ... and well, I couldn't AGREE more! As you all know, I am new to blogging and I have learned so much already! I owe that to the amazing blogs that I follow and the blog friends I've made who are my inspiration!

The first blog I'm going to shout out is Mackey Madness. Mackey Madness is a blog that I read on a daily basis and if you recall the name from above ... this blog belongs to Megan, the awesome creator of this new link up.  Megan was one of my first blog friends and is most deserving of this shout out!  She is so sweet and down to earth!  One of my favorite things about her blog is "One Kind Act". She and a few of her blog friends encourage random acts of kindness and each week, everyone links up and shares what they've done.  Reading everyone's random acts of kindness really makes you smile and it is a feel good, rewarding experience when you take part as well! That's only one of many things I love about her blog ... Megan is such a positive person and always has such wonderful things to say! So go see for yourself, I'm sure you'll love her blog :)

The second blog I'm going to shout out is Lindsey's My Dolce Vita.  This is another blog that I love and follow religiously. Lindsey, like Megan, is sweet and down to earth!  Her blog has a very personal feel and I feel like I really know her when I'm reading it.  I also love her "30 by 30", which is a list of 30 things that she would like to do by the time she turns 30. I think is so great to have a list of things you'd like to see and do, as well as goals for yourself.  It reminds me of my bucket list and it's always fun to see what people have on their list ... and hopefully, we can motivate each other to start checking things off! Her blog inspires me and I hope that you'll head on over to My Dolce Vita and check it out! :)

Happy Blogging! xo

Lifetime Bucket List~

Hey lovies! Hope you all are having a great weekend!  

A few weeks ago, I shared my 2011 Bucket List (if you missed it and want to check it out, click here) and said that I would share my lifetime bucket list in a future post ... so without further ado, here it is :) 

My Lifetime Bucket List

• get engaged and married to the love of my life
• start a family
• decorate and own a house
• create family traditions -- attend Christmas Eve mass, host Thanksgiving and other birthday & holiday celebrations
• maintain a successful teaching career
• go back to school for my Doctorate
• become a principal or school administrator
• write a children's book
• spend NYE in Times Square
• go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
• take guitar lessons
• meet Jason Aldean!  
• attend CMA Fest in Nashville
• raise money and run in a marathon to support a charity/foundation
• speak spanish fluently and learn another language or sign language
• learn how to ballroom dance
• own a Louis Vuitton bag
• go scuba-diving
• swim with dolphins

**now to the rather ambitious side of my bucket list (let's just say I should have put "marry a multi-millionaire or "win mega millions" to complete this ...haha) ...the travel side:

• stay in a five-star hotel
• drive across country
• visit all 50 states (11/50 ** see map below)
• hike and raft through the Grand Canyon
• visit all major cities in the state of California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, etc.)
• visit Alaska, see a glacier
• visit Hawaii, see a volcano
• go to Washington DC to visit the White House
• attend Marti Gras in New Orleans
• visit all of the islands in the Caribbean
• vacation in Tahiti & Bora Bora
• swim in all four major oceans (1/4)
• share a kiss under the Eiffel Tower
• drink a beer in an irish pub in Ireland
• go on a gondola ride in Venice, see the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and travel down the Tuscan countryside
• visit Rome, see the Colosseum
• see Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace in London, England
• visit the Greek Islands
• go to Germany during Oktoberfest
• eat Chinese in China, see Great Wall of China; eat sushi in Japan
• visit Spain, Brazil and Argentina
• visit the pyramids in Egypt
• go on an African safari, ride a camel in the desert
• visit Australia, see the Great Barrier Reef

Great Websites for TRAVEL INSPIRATION:
25 World's Best Places to Visit

25 Wonderful Places to Visit in your Lifetime

**Please note:  This list is a work in progress ... I'm sure I will add/revise this list from time to time.  I will also update my travel list to reflect places that I have already traveled to.   Opinion: Would you count "driven through" states? LOL ... I didn't, but I am curious what y'all would think.

Do you have a lifetime bucket list? What types of things made it on your list?  

Please share, I'd love to hear what you have to say :)

Marilyn Monroe~

Love.

More SNOW~

Last night, we were hit with our 6th SNOW STORM of the winter season.

Long Island has accumulated 40+ inches of snow since Christmas!  

I LOVE SNOW, even though it has a been a little much lately.  Our roads haven't been fully cleared since before a blizzard we had the day after Christmas.  We've had snow 1-2 times a week and we are only a month into winter. But it is winter and it is supposed to snow! So you have to make the best of it, right?!  Yes! My school district has a two-hour delay today ... which leaves me just enough time to post a few snowy day pictures.

my little snow pup (above) and measuring 5 inches of snow (below)

                                                   

Happy Friday! xo