You say it's your birthday...duh nuh duh nuh duh... it's my birthday too...

Well... not anymore anyways. My birthday was officially Sunday... and it was a pretty big one. I guess I need to update my bio over there to the left, because I am no longer a 20-something...sigh. I've officially started my 30's!

Duh duh duuuuuh...

Lol. Even though everyone swears your thirties are your best years... we will see. My twenties were pretty fun, so... :)

Anyways...the whole weekend was full of celebrations. My family drove up from Birmingham to Charleston for the weekend,and I had lots of out of town friends come as well.

Friday night my parents took my sister (and my niece!), my fiance, me, and a few of our friends out to dinner at Tsunami in Mt. Pleasant. I ordered what I always order there - Shrimp Hibachi - yummy! I helped kill two bottles of wine and opened presents...it was so fun! I got lots of great gifts including Seasons 1 through 4 of Mad Men (great show!), a Lilly Pulitzer cooler AND koozie, and this Lilly dress that I told my mom I absolutely didn't need, but wanted so bad... I was so excited to get it! :) I really don't need any more Lilly dresses...but this one is too cute to pass up.

Me at dinner with one of my presents!

Saturday I was so blessed to have a girls' wedding shower thrown for me by my sister and six of my bridesmaids... it was an Alice in Wonderland theme (love Alice in Wonderland!) and my friends went above and beyond... the pictures can explain it all...

Tha amazing 'EAT ME' favors! Included a picture of me from when I was Alice for Halloween, lol.

The food!!

Me with the lovely hostesses wearing the cute aprons I got them as part
of their hostess gifts. And yes..my dress has tea cups on it!

Yummy green punch with tea cups - my friend brought her china.

Fun themed decorations.

Me waiting to open gifts. One of my bridesmaids handmade
the Chesire cat above my head - it was awesome!

Me with hostesses again holding picture of missing hostess from
up North who couldn't make it. She made the favors and shipped them down!

Then after a quick nap, it was off to Locals in Mt. Pleasant for my big birthday celebration - and of course it was a theme party... "Saying Goodbye to the Roaring 20's". It was packed! I was so humbled by how many people showed up and by how many people actually dressed up! DJ CNile (former Off the Hook DJ, and currently DJ's at Suede) was there to DJ for us... everyone had so much fun and we closed the bar down. Definitely a great way to end the very last night in my 20's...

Me and my fiance.

Some of the guys...

Some of the girls!

Me and DJ CNile

Me and old college roommate and my future bridesmaid.

Sunday was a day of relaxation and recovery -- my fiance treated me all day long to lunch, a movie and dinner. He's the best!

This week has been kind of depressing as I come off of the high from the weekend and it being all about me... :) I started Monday off with the threat of a hurricane which puts our whole company into storm mode (which can be crazy!). Luckily it looks like it's blown east and will be missing us (hallelujah!).

This week is back to the normal day to day...still busy as ever in the wedding plans. Trying to decide on a final menu for our dinner so I can order our invites. Hope everyone else is having a great week!

Weekend Recap

It looks like the new trend in blogger-land is to recap your weekend activities... and so I am jumping on the bandwagon and following suit. Here goes...

Friday night was intended to be a wild ladies' night -- almost all of our guy friends were in Cancun this past weekend for my fiance's Bachelor party. So all of us ladies decided, "While the mens are away, the ladies will play!" and Friday was our designated night to do so.

We started the night off with dinner and drinks at the new Basil in Mt. Pleasant -- and unlike other Charleston area restaurants, eh hem, our expectations were met and exceeded!

{via}

Parking wasn't fun though because Basil doesn't really have their own parking lot (something they probably should have figured out maybe?) so you have to park in the limited parking along the street OR in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot about a block away - which is where I parked and it really wasn't a bad walk. Basil should work something out with Piggly Wiggly and offer valet parking - I think that would be awesome.

A few of us got there early and headed upstairs to the bar area that has a nice wrap around porch with couches, tables and flat screen tv's. This is going to be an awesome happy hour location come cooler weather. As soon as I sat down a waitress was out there to take my order and promptly brought me my glass of house Chardonnay - which was delish.

When most of us had arrived, I was sent down to let the hostesses know our party was there -- we had a reservation at 8pm, but we let them know about ten minutes prior we were there, just in case we'd have to wait. We actually expected to have to wait even with a reservation because they were packed! However, when I let the lady know we were all accounted for and ready when they were, she said, "Oh! Your table has been ready - come on down!" So I scurried back upstairs, grabbed the rest of the ladies, and we were quickly seated at a nice long table.

The food was delish! I have never had Thai, so I was pleasantly surprised. We started with bottles of wine (of course) and several apps -- we had a coconut soup that was pretty good... but it tasted like a warm pina colada to me, and I think you can only have a few spoonfuls, not a whole bowl. My description of a warm pina colada actually kept a few girls from trying it, lol. Oops.

We also had the stuffed shrimp which was SO good. It came with a sweet and sour sauce that was pretty good too.

And we ordered a few Fresh Basil Rolls -- which are wrapped in rice paper, which I noted made the rolls look like a certain male body part... but despite the appearance, lol, they were very good... but I avoided the house sauce that came with it because several girls were gulping down their water after tasting it, telling me to not go near it because it was so spicy.

I am not a spicy food connoisseur. I order mild salsa at Mexican restaurants (which, I don't even like Mexican food because most of it is spicy) because the salsa they put on your table is too spicy for me. I know... everyone says I'm crazy, but for some reason I just can't handle spicy food. So when I ordered my Pad Thai at Basil, I was pleasantly surprised that I could order it with no spice at all.

I didn't get a picture of it, but it was very, very good! I haven't had Pad Thai ever before and it tastes to me like pasta with peanut butter mixed in... lol... but it was good! And the portion size was great -- I ate half and was full with half to take home (that may or may not have gotten eaten late night later in the night).

So I definitely recommend Basil (in Mt. P!) if you get the chance to go - but a reservation is a must!

After dinner, several of the girls went home (lame!), two headed off downtown (we should have followed),  and the remaining five of us tried to rally for a girls' night out. And then there were five....

We just couldn't get motivated to go downtown and two girls actually said they'd probably go home if we went downtown... so we decided to pick a place in Mt. P to just have a beer, let our food settle and then decide on the best place to go out. For some reason we picked Hatchell's Tapas bar in Towne Center. Ugg..why did we pick there? The whole place smelled like a bathroom...for real. It was so gross. And there were three people working there: two girls on their phones texting, standing around, and one guy bartender who was awful.... I ordered a beer, handed him a $10 and watched as he held onto my money and had conversations with patrons instead of giving me my change. Finally got my change. We quickly finished our beers and were trying to get the heck out of there because the smell was so bad, so one of my friends asks the bartender to close her tab. We then proceed to watch the bartender fix other people's drinks, talk, etc. while we just sit there staring at him... he finally heard us saying, "Uh... any day now please?" and finally came over with her tab. Geez! Needless to say we won't be going back there any time soon.

One of the girls then left us to go to the Windjammer to meet up with some other folks to see a concert (she didn't get to bed until 3am, we should have followed)... And then there were four.

We. must. move. on. We tried to rally...we really tried...

The last fun night we had in Mt. P. started with a quick stop at Art's Bar for shots...so we decided to try and recreate that momentum by going to Art's on Coleman Blvd. Art's is fun and random. It's either dead or it's packed. It was pretty dead when were were there, but the live band (forget the name) was really good. We had a few beers, took that shot, sat outside and talked... and next thing we know it's almost 1am. For some reason we just couldn't get motivated to go anywhere else -- so we all agreed that while we tried to make a valiant effort, wild girls' night just wasn't in the cards for us. So we all agreed to call it a night.

Can't remember what it was - something cherry lifesaver maybe?

Fell in love with my friend's Michael Kors purse and wanted to steal it - it matches my outfit! I want it!!

We did take some fun pictures at Art's though...including our own makeshift photo booth. Turn your camera timer on, balance on top of Bud Light bottle placed on top of the bar, lean back and pose. Ha!

The rest of the weekend was pretty lazy....Saturday was quality beach time on Sullivan's Island, followed by a matinee viewing of The Help -- it was great! Totally met expectations, did the book justice, and would definitely see it again!

{via}

After the movie we went to Los Arcos for dinner where I had my mild salsa and a chicken quesadilla, the only Mexican menu item I will eat. Since my fiance and his friends were living it up in Cancun and posting pictures to Facebook, we decided to post one of our own... hey, if he's partying with Mexican girls, I can party with Mexican boys, right? Lol... these waiters were good sports.

To go box says, "She misses you Bradley". Friend posted to Facebook and tagged my fiance. :)

After dinner I was excited to head home, put on my PJ's, and snuggle up on the couch with my Willow dog. Sunday was a day of cleaning out closets, trying to get organized and cleaning -- trying to get ready for all of the company coming in town next weekend.

This week is officially the last week I will be a 20-something... ahhh!! My 30th birthday is Sunday. This coming weekend brings family and friends in town for an Alice in Wonderland themed girls' shower for me (YAY!) and then my big birthday bash at Local's in Mt. Pleasant Saturday night -- if you're a 'Local', consider yourself invited. The theme is "Saying Goodbye to the Roaring 20's" and we're all dressing up as Flappers and Gangsters. :) I can't wait!

I hope you all had wonderful weekends as well... time for me to get back to work. I will try to be better about commenting on your posts today... Cheers!

I have been M.I.A. lately...let me explain why...

.
.
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.................... I GOT ENGAGED! :)

Friday night my boyfriend surprised me in Clemson - I was in town for the game and he was supposed to be in Charlotte at the lake with some of our other friends. My close girlfriends and I had gotten to Clemson, freshened up, and headed to the Sloan St. Tap Room - which is a dive bar I worked at for 2.5 years while in grad school.

Little did I know that my boyfriend had gotten all of our friends together, his family and my family across the street at Tiger Town Tavern.

My girlfriends and I got to the Tap Room and were hanging out when all of a sudden a bunch of our friends walked in - well we were expecting to meet up with them anyways, so I wasn't really surprised to see them...just surprised they were ALL together, lol. They came in doing the Clemson cheer - so being the big Clemson fan I am, of course I joined them.

Then I see my boyfriend's brother walk in....and then his sister and her family...then my sister, holding a video camera...and then my parents (my family was supposed to be at the beach in NC). I start to realize that something is going on and I just feel tears streaming down my face because I know... at that moment I just knew.

Then out of nowhere my boyfriend comes running in and jumps up on the table - he gives a short and sweet speech and then leans down to me and proposes. And of course I say YES!!

You can watch the whole thing - courtesy of my sister - in the video below. It's hilarious because you see me doing the Clemson cheer and then I get really confused...then I throw my purse and beer down, because at that point... I know something is up! And cameras do really add about 10 pounds - geez...guess I'll need to start that wedding diet now!


So a lot of people probably go "huh?" when they hear that my boyfriend proposed to me in a bar... but it's not really just any bar, it's like my Clemson home. I spent so much time working there in grad school and made some lifelong friends with the locals who still to this day call me to check in on me or feed me at their tailgates. If I'm in Clemson for anything, I always stop by. So my boyfriend knew it would be a perfect place for me - because I love Clemson and I love that bar, lol.

Check out the bling - it's perfect! And by some miracle it fits perfectly (he didn't know my size!), so I think that's a sign it's meant to be. :) Green is my favorite color and emeralds are my favorite stone... so I really wanted them on my ring. I love it! I can't stop looking at it...

Then on Saturday, my parents arranged for us to meet up with Clemson's head coach, Dabo's parents (they go to church with my parents in B'ham) before the football game. We got to go behind the scenes in the West End Zone and saw Dabo's office, met and hung out with his wife Kathleen and met and took a photo with Dabo.


After Clemson we headed straight to Holden Beach, NC to meet up with my family for a few days at the beach and got home last night at midnight. So as you can imagine, blogging hasn't been on the top of my To Do list recently.

Tomorrow night is our four year anniversary - so we'll be celebrating with dinner and a movie.

So now I have a wedding to plan! Ahh...it's all very surreal and exciting! So I guess you'll probably start seeing a little bit of wedding stuff in my posts on here now... and I'll probably be asking for LOTS of opinions since I'm the most indecisive person ever! People have already started asking for a date and I'm like, "I've only been engaged for a week people!!" :)

Stay tuned....

A Charleston Birthday

Saturday is my birthday and I'm celebrating with a boat cruise around the Charleston harbor, followed by a delicious meal at the Boat House at Beach Inlet, and ending with drinks and {attempts at} shagging to beach music at dive bar Buddy Roe's. Happy Birthday to Me!

A Charleston Birthday by CharlestonGirlBlog featuring Anthropologie dresses

It's Monday, Let's Dance.

If the title of this blog post sounds familiar, it's probably because you're an avid reader like I am of Brown Eyed Belle's blog.

I love that she posted that today because Monday's are indeed a day of dance for me.

I have been a ballet dancer for almost 25 years - I'm classically trained and prefer pointe. I've taken jazz and lyrical in the past, but when it comes to a genre like hip hop, I'm the stiff white girl who looks anything but 'gangsta'.

But Monday's are my hip hop days - and has quickly become my favorite and most looked forward to workout in my slew of activities.


Last year when I moved to Charleston, my best girlfriend told me about a hip hop class on Daniel Island for adults. She had always wanted to go but wasn't brave enough to venture alone - so now that I was in town and both of us having dance backgrounds, we wanted to give it a try.

Meet Angel Roberts. She's the type of woman you meet and think "Wow, she's got it together!" Before moving to Daniel Island, she was out in L.A. and worked as the stylist for 'That 70's Show'. When her and her husband had two little girls, they decided they wanted them to grow up in an all American town - and they found Daniel Island.

Once here Angel decided that she would put together a class for women that was a cross between exercise (think Cross Fit) and Hip Hop. She holds four classes - Daniel Island Elementary school gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays...and two classes on Tuesday - one on James Island and the other in West Ashley.

The class is only $10 for your first class of the week - and if you attend two, the second is only $5... what's great is you get way more than what you pay for. For only $10 you get an almost 2 hour long class - the first 15 or so minutes involves warm up exercises, drills across the gym, and fun partner exercises (again, think Cross Fit). Next you move on to the dance portion...she teaches a fun hip hop dance and you do the dance over and over until you've mastered it. She'll split the gym into two groups and you do the dance back and forth until you can barely go any longer. Then the class wraps up with floor exercises - planks, ab work, stretching - followed by a cool down.

There are all levels of ability and all ages in this class... Angel is so fun and upbeat, you don't even realize you're working out (or that you're not a professional hip hop dancer). She keeps you challenged and each week you learn a new dance so you're never bored.

I just realized I sound like I'm a marketer...but I really genuinely love this class and look forward to it every week. You leave the class drenched in sweat and feeling like a million bucks - and even when you wake up incredibly sore the next morning (which you will), you know it was because you got a crazy work out.

One of the local TV stations did a story on Angel and the class last week and I wanted to embed it in this post... but my stupid work Web filter will not let me get to it. I was actually interviewed for the story... right after class...when my hair was a mess and my makeup had sweated down to my chin. Niiice. Lol. I'll try to update this later and embed it.

Update: Here's the news report with me being interviewed!


For now though, I'll embed my favorite dance we've done so far... 'Carry Out' which is also one of my fave songs. I'm in this video for only a few seconds - you'll maybe see me in the second group of dancers when the camera pans to the left.. about the 1:37 mark I appear on the left. I'm in black pants with white stripes on the sides, grey shirt, hair in ponytail, about the second person from the left, in between the two in the front. Don't laugh. :)


Another dance we did I really liked... "I Need Somebody to Love".


So I'm ready for class tonight - even though it's going to be sweltering with the incredibly high temperatures here in Charleston today (heat index of 117..no joke). But with so much going on with work and unpacking my condo, etc., I'm looking forward to some dancing and working off the stress (and the pizza I ate Saturday night).

If you're in Charleston...you should definitely try out one of the classes! It's so fun! My best friend and I have inspired several of our other friends to start taking the class because they hear us talk about it so much.

You can see more on their Facebook page. She videos the dances each week so you can watch them after class.

I showed my boyfriend some of the videos and besides telling me I shouldn't be so stiff (gee thanks), he said that he thought the dances were 'hot', lol. And then said that my friend and I should start doing those dances in the bars and clubs... he was serious. Um... no.

But.. how cool would it be if we organized a flash mob of one of these dances somewhere in Charleston where it was crowded?? I just posted the idea on the Facebook page! :)

So...what's your favorite work out? What work out do you do that you love or that you always look forward to??

Happy Monday!

My first awards!!

Hooray! I feel so special... {blush}.

Elizabeth from Queen of his Castle has given me this lovely award. Thank you!! (Update: Just found out that Jess from Polka Dots, Pearls, and Pink...OH MY! also gave me this award!)


Here's what I have to do...

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.
Danke Elizabeth! (And thanks Jess!)

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

• I LOVE dogs - especially big ones. I want a dog so bad I can hardly stand it, but I'm determined to be an amazing dog parent, so I'm waiting until I'm home more (aka after football season).
• My eyebrow is pierced - I've had it since I was 19 (got it done in Germany) and I feel like I'm too old for it and should take it out (I take it out for work daily), but it's become a defining part of me, so I can't let go of it just yet...
• I was a bartender in a dive bar in Clemson for 2.5 years while in grad school - the Sloan St. Tap Room, owned by Frank Howard's son. It didn't pay well and I didn't make much money... but it was the best job I've ever had. When I win the lottery I'm going to move back to Clemson and work there the rest of my life.
  
• I went to Hoover High School - the same school in the MTV reality show '2 a days'. I graduated with over 800 people in my class. I saw people walk across the stage on graduation that I had never seen before in all four years of high school. I often wonder if I would be a different person if I had gone to a smaller or private high school.
  
• I am ketchup obsessed and put ketchup on everything - steak, mac & cheese, most vegetables and other foods that make people stare at me strangely. Whenever I go out to eat with friends they race to get the ketchup before me because I usually empty it. :)
• I would love to go back to school and get a PHD - but going back to being broke and giving up four years of my life to studying makes this idea go quickly out the window.
  
• I'm a pretty decent bowler - highest score was a 212 and I usually average about 170. Growing up in Alabama there wasn't much to do except four wheel in the woods or go to the bowling alley. I played in my company's league for two years and I have my own bowling ball and shoes. It's pretty nerdy, but I love beating my guy friends who think they are masters at bowling. I usually shut them up. :)
  

3. Pass the award to 9 fellow bloggers that inspire you.
(This was hard to pick just 9! I am brimming with inspiration from so many blogs! Look at how fast and how long my blog roll lists are growing in my right column --->)

• Let's Be Preppy
• Sweet Carolina Girl
• Brown Eyed Belle
• Nautical by Nature
• This Free Bird
• La Dolce Vita
• The Bottom of the Ironing Basket
• Red Vines for Breakfast
• Desperately Seeking Seersucker
  

4. Let them know about the award.

And then the super sweet Andrea from Life in Dawleywood gave me this award... thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Describe where you will be in 10 years...

Wow.. I'm not sure where I'll be in 5 years, let alone 10... and geez in 10 years I'll be knocking on 40's door.

I guess I'd like to be married and have two cotton top kids. I will not be working in the corporate world any longer - but traveling the world with my family as I make appearances and sign my bestseller books... which all began of course from the novel I write based on this blog....which of course was a bestseller instantly. I'll also be finalizing the screenplay based on the novel which is being made into a big blockbuster movie - set to premiere at Cannes. The hot, young blonde actress of that time will be playing my character. Charleston Girl Barbie dolls are the big Christmas gift that year - stores can't keep them on the shelves -- and they're selling on Ebay for at least $300. I'll be in the best shape of my life, because I'll have a personal trainer, nutritionist and cook...of course. I'll be the spokes model for the latest wrinkle creme campaign and I'll own and run about five charities - one of them dog focused of course. And I'll be in talks with Bravo to star in the newest Real Housewives series - The Real Housewives of Charleston. But despite all the fame and fortune I'll be basking in... I'll still be blogging...on this blog... and being inspired and sending inspiration to bloggers all over the world.

And scene.

Ha!

I pass this award along to...

• Style Beauty Life
• Fried Pink Tomato
• Nola Girl
• Flip Flops & Pearls
• LAS Lowcountry

**Thanks again for the blog love ladies!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Today is my parents' 36th wedding anniversary. I've never seen them argue or fight ever while I grew up. And they seem to be just as in love today as they must have been when they were newlyweds...

When we were in the Buffalo airport two weeks ago, arriving for our Fourth of July trip, my parents were holding hands as we walked to the baggage claim. I'm so blessed to have parents who have such a strong relationship.

Early dating years, circa 1971

Love this photo above - early dating, 1972 - check out the bell bottoms and the old school Mustang.

The big day - July 20, 1974
my parents with their parents
Don't you love my Mom's wedding dress?? It's definitely got a 70's flair...but I've always been so in love with it (P.S. She still has it - vacuum sealed or whatever it's called - and I'm going to try it on when I get engaged). And check out the rockin' ruffles on my Dad's tux, it really compliments his rockin' stache... lol.

Here are my parents today - despite being in their 60's, I think they still look so young... Love them!

Attempting a jumping picture at the lake...

Seven questions on a Sunday night...

I've been packing and moving all day with my BF and we're pretty much done for the day until the movers come in the morning. So I'm showered, back in my PJ's, on the couch and watching a marathon of Whale Wars on Animal Planet.

One of my favorite bloggettes, Julie from Brown Eyed Belle, tagged me in a cute little blog questionnaire...my very first! You answer some questions and then tag other bloggers to do the same on their blog. So excited...and it's perfect timing since I'm only about 10 posts into my new blog venture - so this will give my newbie readers some more insight into my blog's protagonist...me!

Question 1: Favorite Color?

My favorite color is green - any shade. But I really love green and blue together - I think that's why I'm such a fan of peacocks. Imagine my excitement when Target's Liberty of London collection included a peacock pattern. Yes, I bought up about everything they offered in it..


photo i took at friend's wedding - i love peacocks! This one did not love me.
Question 2: Favorite Restaurant?
My BF and I are so in love with a small Italian restaurant in Mt. Pleasant called Cappricio. Italian food is my fave, and Cappricio by far has the best Italian I've ever had. You get a huge basket of Italian bread and you dip it in olive oil and grated parmesan cheese. We always order an extra basket!

The food isn't the only thing that makes this place one of the best in Charleston - it's also very cozy and quaint with wooden tables covered (inside) with hanging large umbrellas. The wine is delish and you eat by candlelight. The staff is awesome and the owner (who is French!) and his wife always visits your table to make sure everything meets your expectations.

Mmmm...I'm craving it now.

Question 3: Hobbies?

I have so many - sometimes I think too many! Ballet (and other dance styles) is probably one of my biggest hobbies. I've been doing ballet since I was four - I was very serious in high school and danced six days a week and did all sorts of performances. I kept up with it through college and still, in my late twenties, take classes at the Robert Ivey ballet here in Charleston. I'm not nearly as good as I used to be as my body gets older and won't move like it used to, but it's an amazing work out. Plus, it makes me feel good that I can still 'hang' in the advanced classes despite being almost 10 years older than the other girls and boys in the class. :)

me as Mary Poppins
me as Cinderella (front left) w/ Fairy Godmother & season fairies
Other hobbies: tennis, blogging, bike riding, bowling (yes, bowling..but remember I was raised in Alabama, I have my own ball and shoes!), painting...and shopping, that's a hobby, right?

Question 4: What does your room look like?

Well, right now it's all packed up in about twenty boxes since I'm moving. But to give you a general idea, it's greens and yellows and blues. I have a dark brown bedroom set from JC Penny, and my bedding is from Bed, Bath & Beyond...I love it. It's more green in person.

And since moving gives me an excuse to buy new decorative things, I bought two of these gorgeous window panels from Anthropologie to compliment my room decor.
Question 5: If you could have dinner with two people, dead or alive, who would they be?

I'm going to have to agree with Julie and say my grandparents - both sets (so I need dinner with 4 people) who are no longer here. I kick myself every day thinking about how many summers I could have spent with them while in high school or college, but how I stupidly stayed home to hang out with friends or do other so-not-important summer stuff. Now as I get older, I have so many questions for them. I want to know about my family's history and my ancestors. I wish I had spent more time with them...I miss them.

my dad's parents with my older sister; this is the grandmother I look a lot like

Question 5: What is your next big splurge?

I'm definitely making a few of those with my move, including paying double rent this month (ouch). But if "big" is really big, then probably a house in Charleston. I already own a house in Columbia that I rent out now to a tenant...but before I moved down here I lived in it for almost four years and put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it.

And despite the hardships of being a home owner (yard work, repairs, etc.), it is totally worth it. Knowing that the money you're paying each month is an investment you'll eventually get back (hopefully) someday is a great feeling. And all of the repairs and hard work feel great afterwards... knowing that you're bettering something you own. I hate paying rent..I'm doing it again for another year out of necessity, but fingers crossed next time I move will be into something I own.

in my dreams
Question 6: What is your favorite joke, quote, or saying?

My fave quote is a Winston Churchill quote - I love it because I'm really big on standing up for myself, for my friends, and for what I believe in -- even if it makes people like me less...at least I know I'm always true to myself. I am never fake..I'm a very "what you see is what you get" type of girl.

Question 7: Anything else you would like known (a random fact)?

This is somewhat random...but my dream is to design clothes for women. I know that's probably a lot of people's dreams, but if I could go back and redo things, I would have gone to school for fashion design.

I went to Clemson and got a BS in Computer Engineering...a very math heavy and very, very difficult major. After that I continued at Clemson and got my MBA in E-commerce. I am happy with my career path, after all I'm a computer nerd at heart - but corporate America and the politics of it is wearing on me. I like being creative, and I rarely get to use my creativity in my current occupation.

I love fashion and clothes - but what I really want to do is design clothes for real women. Every time I try on something and it has weird pleats or funny seams...or the top is bigger than the bottom, etc., I want to 're-engineer' the design so it actually flatters normal bodies. I don't want to be a popular, famous designer...I would just be content designing beautiful dresses and selling them in my own boutique by the beach.

I've actually bought some fashion business books and have started trying to find sewing classes in Charleston - but with all of my other hobbies (see question 3), I barely have time to even think about it.

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Now it's my turn to tag some lovely bloggesses to answer this fun blog questionnaire. Tag you're it!

Lacey in the City

las lowcountry

Buckhead Belle

Observations of a Token Yankee

Holly Sails

Bumpkin on a Swing

**Thx again to Julie from Brown Eyed Belle for tagging me - this was too fun!