The Weekly Essentials

Since it is Monday, I thought I'd share with yall what I consider to be absolutely Essential in my every day life & how I roll on a weekly basis!

In case yall havent guessed yet, I have a mild addiction to shopping.  However, the irony in my shopping addiction is that it honestly only applies to 2 things....
1) Make-up.  Duh.
AND
2) Clothes.  I am a clothing slut, plain & simple.  The amount of stuff I give away to goodwill on a yearly basis is borderline embarrassing.  Once I find something I like, I then feel the need to buy 2 or 3 of the same thing, except in different colors.  OR if I find something on SALE that I only kind of like, I compulsively purchase it.   Its so not normal. I guarantee if you went in my closet right now, you would find countless items with the tags still on them.  Jan (my momma) swears my closet is her favorite store on earth.
However, interestingly enough, I am a complete creature of habit when it comes to the few items I wear on a daily basis.  It seriously takes an act of congress to get me to change up my every day items.

Lemme show ya...

I'll decode the picture so it makes a bit more sense....

-Clearly, once Louis had recovered from his life-threatening burn incident, I never let him out of my sight.  He's my favorite staple.  Is it wrong I look at LV's as a lifelong investment?  I've tried to convince Kevin that I need a few more & they can be a family heirloom. Hasn't worked yet. Grrrr.

-So, the Tory Burch flats.... Being 5'2 (and that might be me being a tad generous) & one of the younger people in my field, I had completely decided that wearing flats just werent in the cards for me.  Truth be told, I still get witty questions asked to me while at work like- "So, are you sure you're old enough to have a real job?" or snarky comments from competitors, such as "You probably havent been doing this long, have you?"  However, when you combine the fact that I'm a runner AND I'm on my feet all day, every day- I finally caved.  I still wear heels 70% of the time to avoid any condescending age commentary, but believe you me, my feet are supppper happy on the days I wear my flats :)

- The Black & White shirt/Black watch- Yall, my wardrobe lacks color in a serious way, which I never really noticed before i color coded my closet.  I'm not kidding when I say 80% of my clothing is black, white, or gray.  There is very little ROY G BIV happening in my closet.  Wait, lemme go back for a sec....Ha- yes- I did say I  color-coded my closet, but before yall click the X box, don't let me confuse you- I am not in ANY WAY known for my home organization skills.  (Quite the opposite actually- I once lost my phone for 6 hours.  In.My.House.  Kevin finally found it.  In the cat condo. Normal, right?  I bet The Bargain Blonde has done that too.  Maybe while cuddly her cleverly named cat, Nicky (ask her about his namesake- you'll die.). )  The only  reason I color coded my stuff was so I could have a more accurate depiction of the clothes I actually owned.  Now I know where to look for certain clothes, and it compels me to actually hang up my stuff.  Anywho, why the obsession for black & white?  Because its timeless, does with everything, & can be dressed up or down.

I think I own about 7 dresses that look similar to this from WHBM, but hey- if it works for ya, work it hard :)  *Side note: Kevin's response when I buy something new from White House Black Market.. "Yeah babe, looks great. But um, don't you have that same (fill in blank) already?" Me: Ummm, no Kev. Don't you see the tiny subtle pattern difference?  Or the last one was short sleeve & this is 3/4 sleeves.  Come on, get in the game.

Kev: Ohhh, umm, right. I see.?) 

The man deserves a medal for dealing with me. And my shopping addiction. And the fact that hes okay w/ his wife dressing like shes fixing to go to a funeral or prepare for a move to NYC :)  

Continuing on to Jewelry:

I wear approximately 4 pieces of jewelry every single day. 

My 2 Yurman Bracelets- one from my dad, one from Kev.  Love them both, because (you guessed it!) they can go with EVERYTHING & can be dressed up or down.  **Side note- If you can't tell, I favor versatile items.  If I'm gonna spend a pretty penny on something as far as accessories or bags go, you can bet I have weighed every option incessantly & obsessed over it until I've proven to myself that I'll actually use that item on a consistent basis.  Neurotic much, right?  Can't help it- I'm 110% my father's daughter.  Sorry Big P- you know I'm right.)

Anyway, one of the other pieces of jewelry I wear should come as no surprise-- Obviously I'm gonna wear my Engagement ring & wedding bands. (That picture isn't exactly what my engagement ring & wedding bands look like, but it'll have to do the trick- it gives yall a good enough idea though, right?) I will tell you all that as much as I rag on Kev for losing his ring, it is a flippin miracle I haven't lost mine.  I literally take mine off the minute I come through the door- but luckily- I do have all 3 rings banded together to help prevent me from losing any of them (and one of our sweet cats is a huge klepto & kept taking one of the bands, but thats another story.) 

I absolute despise bulky or heavy jewelry, which is probably why I only ever wear studs in my ears.  And not real diamond studs, mind you- I go through faux diamond studs like Cameron Diaz goes through men.  It is a miracle if I hang on to a set for more than a month.

Now as for the few items that are not accessory category that are essential to my every day life.. I'll count them down for ya.

3) My Lilly Planner- This is my bible for work.  It spells out my schedule for the next 4 months, along with any other important dates.  I'm terrible when it comes to remembering bdays, so I have to write them down in the planner. (Yes- i realize they're posted on fb, but I always forget that tiny detail.)  Literally, chances are, if a specific date is not written down in the planner, I won't remember it.

2) iPhone- I've forgotten my phone maybe 3 times in my whole career, and the day was an epic disaster.  I basically go into a panic attack when I can't find my phone too- I act like I've lost a limb when I can't find it. **Side note: I hold onto my phone like it is my child, which is probably the reason I've only misplaced ONE phone in my life.  And when I say misplaced, I mean it was stolen.  At Pet Smart of all places.  I'm convinced that it was stolen by a dog who's owner taught them tricks centering around how to partake in criminal acts. Kevin thinks I'm a moron & asked me to not tell anyone I think that.  Seriously though- I thought people at Pet Smart were all nice, animal lovers like us? Sigh.)

 Since I don't report to a home office, it is my only life line to my customers, co-workers, friends, & fam.  Plus- all my music is on there, along with twitter, fb, pinterest, expedia, etc :)  It entertains me during the long days as well.  (Ps- that is not my current case.  I have a Lilly P one, but its falling apart.  Sooo if you're looking to get rid of that adorbs Kate Spade one, feel free to donate it to my sad iphone.)

1) Diet Coke- I swear I think I have diet coke running through my veins with as much as I drink of it.  I cannot live without it.  Its kind of like Kevin & Pizza- my addiction runs deep :) If I'm upset or moody, the FIRST thing my Dad always asks/tells me "Umm, have you had a diet coke yet?"  Sounds insane, but to his credit, an ice cold DC can completely turn my mood around- Plus, it is my only caffeine fix every day.  The Grays do not do coffee.  Hate the smell, hate the taste, hate everything about it.  To be honest, we don't even own a coffee pot.  To be even more honest, I don't actually have a clue how to make coffee.  Therefore, diet coke it is & always will be.  Morning, noon, and night.  As a tidbit- if you're meeting me in the morning & bring me a large diet coke from McDonalds, we will be best friends for life.  Just in case you were wondering :)

Helllooo Loverrrrrrr.

Anyway, that about does it for me today.  Gotta get in a workout before MY LAST MBA FINANCE CLASS!!!!  No more of the devil class! woooooo!!!!!!   I mean, its put me in the best mood alllll day!
Hahaha, hope yall had a good Monday!

If yall could be a fly on the wall....

When I was growing up, one of my girlfriends always used to say that my family could be on a sitcom because of all the ridiculousness that lived within the confines of our house.  Although I think it was probably her polite way of saying that my family was insanely quirky, I took it to mean that our family conversations were delightfully entertaining.

I can't lie... I was mildly concerned that once I got married, I would lose the "entertaining" aspect from my household of origin.  Believe you me,  I had NOTHING to worry about.


I would almost venture to say that life with Kevin has proved to be almost more entertaining than living with Pat & Jan.  I love my sweet husband more than all the diet cokes I have ever consumed in my life-

This melts my heart.  

 butttttt lemme tell ya, he comes out with some fantastic quotes.  Within the past 3 days, he has come out with questions, such as:

-(As we drive into downtown Indy...) "Hey Carol, who like, started Eli Lilly?"(Really? I have no words.)


-(In the middle of the Wedding reception...) "Do you think Hudson is thinking about us right now & wondering what we're doing?  Don't you kinda wish the would've invited dogs to come?" (I mean, this is a DOG we're talking about.  How insane is this kid gonna be when we produce children?)


-(Right after discussing selling our house in a few years..) Sooo, if we sell our house for MORE than we paid for it, that adds into what your original down payment was? (Yes, Kev- its how you can build up more equity." Ohhh, thats what that means.  Equity, I mean.  (I went onto comment about how this was a prime example of why I question Kentucky education versus Indiana education.  Then he proceeded to tell me that Dunbar is the best high school in the state bc of their accelerated classes.  Now, was he in that program?  Um, no, but he knows it was damn good.)


-(After me discovering he played middle school football...) "Yeah hun, I actually played quite a bit.  I was the kick & punt returner because I was just soooo fast.  Basically, I played exactly like Randall Cobb did for UK.  (For all you non-Kentucky fans, Randall Cobb was one of the best football players UK had seen for awhile & he just went on to the NFL to play. But, don't you worry, I'm sure Kevin could show you his moves bc they just MIMIC what Randall does sooo closely!)

I'm sure Kevin's moves were equally as impressive...

Now, some of his more classic quotes include (but are not limited to...)

-(While trying to convince me to eat pork chops...) "Honey, I mean, at the end of the day, its just lamb you're eating. What do you have against lamb? Its so similar to bacon." (O...M...G)


-(Before we left for one of our best friend's weddings, while trying on a new suit... "CAROLINE!!!! Do you think the Bride is gonna be mad at me? (Why, kev?)  You know, because people might be talking more about how handsome I look in my new suit versus her bridal beauty." (Gotta hand it to him, he doesn't lack much in the confidence department :)  )

-(After me calling to tell him I bought him a new paisley tie...) "OH, thats great babe.  Thanks so much.  Soo.. ummm.. What color is paisley?"

-(During our visit to San Francisco, CA...) "Honey, this is what I picture a 3rd world country to look like..." (Me: Why? Because its dirtier than Lexington?)  "No.. because of the hills & homeless people." (Ohh, the hills & homeless people.. What? on? Earth? Still haven't figured out the rationale behind that one...)

I think this was 2008?

-(His response to me questioning if he should drive after a few cocktails...) "Carol, I drive a PILOT.  It can drive itself, hints the name, duh." (Must be niiiiceeee.)

-(While missing the 1st UK home football game bc it was my best friend's wedding.) "Caroline, I literally feel like something within me is dying.  Its like I'm in a casket, & my pallbearer friends drop me to check a score I can't see. You just don't get it."


-(During the NBA draft when someone random who looked 40 but was really 18 got drafted before Enes K.) "18? Are you SERIOUS? There is NO WAY. Ohhh, well, he's from W. Africa- that explains it. (Me: Huh? why?)  Carol, you know the people in Africa don't know how to read the rules about birth certificates.  I mean, they don't even have food there. So, hes really probably 29 & I'm right." (I wish I could again connect the dots w/ that one... but I'm not even gonna try."


I mean, love his sweet heart.  He is nothing if not endlessly funny to listen to. (Okay yall, in the spirit of transparency, he could probably have written this same post about some of the blonde comments I make, butttt he doesn't have a blog, sooooooo.... sorry doll. xoxoxo)


In all honesty, we might not always have the perfect marriage or life, but I can tell you one thing, we sure do laugh a lot.  And maybe its naive, but I think if you can keep your sense of humor & laugh about things, even during the bad times, you can probably get through just about anything.
Okay yall, thats about it for me.  Talk soon!

A Very Merry Un-Birthday

**I'd like to preface this post with 2 things. #1- I wrote this out by hand during my MBA Finance class from hell, while not only faux listening to my hottie (but painfully boring. Sigh. What a waste of hotness. ) teacher drone on about Cash Budgeting but also while entering work calls.  Hows that for multi-tasking?  #2- I got permission from Kevin before I wrote this post, so don't think I'm really throwing him under the bus.  Yall know, anything I put on here, I've probably already said to him directly at some point in time. Ha- Homeboy knows I love him**

So, lets discuss my birthday.  Judging by what I wrote about in my last post, I bet yall were 20 kinds of impressed with the hubs gift-giving skills, right?  Like it was one of those birthdays where I was showered with presents all day?
Wrong.  That post was beyond misleading.
So, now is when I will tell you all about how Kevin managed to monumentally screw up my birthday, yet has somehow lived to tell about it.

On my actual birthday, he got home from work, & proceeded to ask what we were doing for dinner. Ummmm.. seriously?  Way to plan ahead, Kev.  Obviously, our lack of plans made for an unpleasant Caroline, so I left in a huff to go to the gym, in attempts of regaining my birthday glory.  Luckily, he had redeemed himself by the time I got home & had made reservations at Malones (for all you non-Kentuckians, Malones is a steak/sushi/appetizer place.  One of the best restaurants in Lexington.).
It goes without saying that I anticipated a fantastic gift during our dinner, since he had yet to present me with anything yet.  So, when he slide an envelope with "Caroline" written on the front, I was beside myself with excitement.

Once he handed it to me, I thought I KNEW exactly what it had to be because it felt like there were papers inside of it.  I just KNEW he had surprised me with a trip to VEGAS!!!!  Kevin had a trip planned to go to Vegas for a bachelor party for the week following my birthday, and he knew I had been begging to go on a summer trip.  Plus, I had been dropping hints about how cheap the airfare/hotels were out there this time of year- what a perfect birthday present.  Or not.
This is what I found when I opened the envelope.

No, that isn't money to go gambling with.  And no, there was no plane ticket inside the envelope.  That was my present.  Juuuuustttt cash.  From our JOINT Checking account.  


Sooo romantic, right?  If I remember correctly, the dating book, The Rules, tells you to seriously re-evaluate your relationship if a guy doesn't give you something thoughtful for your birthday.  Unfortunately, that book only applies to dating.  There is no instruction guide on how to react when your husband clearly hit "yes" to the cash-back option at Target for your birthday gift.  I mean, come on KEV.  I sort of thought I was being Punk'd.  But alas, I wasn't, so needless to say, I turned into a basket-case during dinner.  I mean, full on tears, hiccuping, hands over face break-down. Actually-I may or may not have even thrown out The Rules comment at some point during that breakdown. Who am I kidding? I definitely did. The guilt-trip was ON like Donkey Kong.  
Side note- I feel awful for that waiter.  Poor kid had no clue what kind of hot mess he walked into.  Kev, I hope you gave him a legit tip.  Bless his heart.


So then Kevin "claims" he tried to get a gift card at Franchescas, but they were out of them? Umm hmm. okay, sure.  So, putting cash into an envelope seemed like a good plan B?   I mean, I guess maybe he over-exerted himself- maybe remembering the pin number on his replacement debit card took all of his energy, so he couldn't get past the ATM? Ohhhh boy, where did we go wrong with you? Cash?  Really? Lets seriously evaluate this though-  literally, the only actual gift I opened on my real birthday was an Elton John Greatest Hits CD from a male nurse in one of my offices (Yall know I can't make this stuff up.  And yall also know, this gift rocked my world.) 
So, now that I have ragged on him at an exponential rate, I have to tell ya, In all seriousness, I think he realized he had royally screwed up the minute he saw my face after opening my cash-laden envelope (or maybe he was just horrified by my meltdown & was contemplating hiding under the table...regardless, I think he felt bad.).  

I don't know if I've mentioned this before but one of the things I love most about Kevin is his ability to do amazing damage control.  His thoughtfulness sometimes astounds me. Not only did he come through in a big way with post Birthday presents, but I also found this little number waiting for me in my car the morning after he got back from Vegas.

Why hello Tory B!

Not gonna lie, finding a Tory Burch bag in my car can & will make me forgive anyone for just about anything.  Especially when I find this inside the bag!

Well played, Kev.  Well played.  

Thats it for now yall!

5 Things I'm obsessed with Wednesdayyyy!

I know. I know- I've been a horrendous blogger lately.  But I've also been a super busy blogger lately--With additional responsibilities at work & the never-ending Finance Class from hell, free moments to blog have been few & far between.  Let me just elaborate a tad further...
I still love my work & job, so no worries- its all good!  A few months ago, I was asked to take on the task of organizing the 2011 United Way Campaign efforts for my work area (comprised of about 5 States), which was such a complete surprise & honor.  My first interaction with the United Way came in the 2nd grade.  At the time, our playground was beyond outdated, so no child in a wheel chair could leave the sidewalk to come play during recess.  Long story short, we ended up getting donated an amazingly fabulous (& wheel-chair accessible) new playground from the United Way.  I mean, as a 2nd grader, the United Way instantly became the equivalent of Santa Claus in my eyes.

 So, for obvious reasons, I've remained incredibly passionate about the United Way, & whole-heartedly support everything they do.  And if you don't believe me, please note the Save-the-Date magnet design posted above that is being sent to everyone in my area.  As a point of reference, I didn't even do Save- The- Dates for my own wedding- thats how much I love this organization. Actually, I am 110% sure that my team thinks I have turned into a deranged Cheerleader because I am so excited about it, but I am oddly comfortable with that title if it gets them to be more involved. (Believe you me, If you have any doubts about what they do, please please please email me.  I can detail you up & down about them!)

Sooo in other news..., I am convinced my MBA is trying to kill me.  My teacher (*Ear Muffs, Kevin*) is insanely handsome, has admitted to being a bad boy in a past life, & has a thick Southern accent, so listening to his lectures feel like I'm hearing Matthew McConoughey address the jury in "A Time to Kill." So, whats the problem? Homeboy can drone on & on & on & on & on about bonds until the cows come home.  Literally, I think my 2.5 year old niece could understand YTM, coupon rates, & NPV at this point bc he has run it into the ground.  To make matters worse, I get the distinct feeling he dislikes me.  I can't tell if hes annoyed that I actually understand the concepts (which-btw- is ridic because I did double-major in Mgt & Mkt in college, so UK would have some explaining to do to my parents if I didn't understand them), OR if he is irked that I "take notes" on my computer during his lectures (And by take notes, I mean- check twitter, price out trips on Expedia, shop on Etsy etc.).  Regardless, I seriously dread going to class every Monday.  Such a shame too, because I really think the teach & I would've been great friends in a past life, ya know- during his days as a Sigma Chi w/ him getting PI citations & such.  Now, not so much.

So, enough about my life... lets talk about what I am currently obsessed with:
1) My Birthday Necklace from the Hubs

Description from R-L: Citrine stone, Heart disc w/ Kentucky on it, Rec disc w/ our wedding date, Round disc w/ my monogram, & lastly, a pearl to finish off the look.

OMG. Obsessed!  How incredibly beautiful is this???  For whatever reason, he prefers to buy me unique jewelry vs. pieces that everyone has (ie: Yurman- although he has caved on that. twice. And don't even get him started on how terrible he thinks Pandora is. He'll go on for days...), so when we spotted a similar necklace at a horse show, he was hell bent on trying to find something just like it.  Mission accomplished with the FABULOUS Made By Sam Etsy shop.

Another example from Sam's Etsy shop. Soooo adorable!

Her designs are so beyond anything I've seen in Kentucky.  They can literally put anything on the discs & also personalize every other aspect to be customized to your liking (ie, shapes, chain, stones).  Very reasonably priced & they are incredibly prompt with their delivery! I have worn it every day since getting it in the mail, and I have gotten at least 5 compliments every day.  (Can't lie- huge ego booster on a bad day :)  ) Anywho, You must get one immediately (And tell them I sent ya!)- I promise you'll love it.

2) Spray Anti-Bacterial Pen?

Ummm, where have you been all my life?  Being around sick people all day, averaging between 9-10 medical office visits daily, I am absolutely stunned that I just found out about this little gem.  HOLY CONVENIENTNESS! No, it doesn't smell as fantastic as your perfume, but for $1.76, your immune system will thank you!

3) Whole Foods Wine Shop

I LOVE wine.  You know what I love even more?  FREE WINE!  Bet you didn't know that your local Whole Foods does a wine tasting every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday from 4-8pm? I'm not talking about tasting 1 sip & calling it a "tasting," either.  I'm talking 4-5 different wines, complete with the most knowledgeable staff who can help you find something in your budget that fits your taste, and topped off with a taste of a popular liquor (Ie: Last week, it was SKINNY GIRL MARGs!).  Seriously, take advantage.  I do.  Weekly :)

4) My new hotel-like Mirror

Also a Birthday gift from the hubs.  I have yet to come to terms with the amazingness of this being installed in my bathroom, complete with light.  I also have yet to figure out how I ever lived without this in my life, especially given my over-the-top fetish with eye make-up.  Oh, & don't worry, this little number has totally & completely given new life to my eye liner addiction.  I am more obsessed with eye-liner than ever bc I can critique each one so much better in the 50x magnifying glass, which brings me to #5.

5) Covergirl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner

So I honestly have made no excuses or apologies for my snottiness in make-up.  9 times outta 10, if its not from Sephora or Ulta, I probably won't buy it.  However, Jan (mi madre) came to visit this weekend, and turned me onto these covergirl liners.  Lets be honest, Jan shops at Walgreens for all of her cosmetic needs, so I was extremely doubtful she could teach me in anything pertaining to make-up, especially eye-liner.  Guess who got schooled? THIS GIRL.  This stuff is fantastic- goes on smooth, stays on all day, and for only $7.50, you can have your very own.  Apparently, you should only buy liners that are made in Germany- Jan tells me that "The Today Show" (aka jan's version of the voice of authority) was insistent that Germany-made eyeliners have the best quality, stay on longer, etc. Can't lie- so far she is right.

To close, I promise my blog slacking has come to an end.  I will up my blogger game :) But yall, thats it for now, so we'll talk soon!