Scrub a Dub

The Bath and Body Works antibacterial collection is my absolute favorite. In fact, I wash my hands WAY more than necessary because I can't get enough of the Frosted Orange Spice that's in our master bath. Love is not a strong enough word. So my friends, I always try and let you know when they're having a sale. This one is colossal! Seriously unheard of prices. Unfortunately I won't be hitting the sale. Why? Because I have a stockpile of about 10 right now.

Does anybody else have an obsession with the Bath and Body Works soaps? If so- what's your favorite scent?

Highlight of My Lunch Hour

As you know, Mr. SE and I have been trying to eat healthier and more consciously. Instead of having Campbell's soup (hello sodium!) for lunch every day, I've switched to Amy's meals. I love what the company represents, and I love how their food doesn't give me stomach aches.

Eat these enchiladas. It will change your life.

Style Me Pretty Deliciousness

Perhaps you're having a hard time getting through the 2nd half of your workday. I know I am. Here's some inspiration to lift your spirits (ps it's almost Friday!).

All of these gorgeous pictures are from Style Me Pretty.

{total hair inspiration}

{husband and wife!}

{I can't resist a Westie. Duffie is already dressed in her wedding whites}

Long vs. Short

Through my (seemingly ongoing) experience of selecting bridesmaid dresses, I found myself asking lots of questions related to etiquette and traditions. Do the girls need the same style? Will it be to "off" if I let them choose their own styles? Will mis-matched bridesmaids go the way of shoulder pads in the 80's? I'm no expert on fashion, but I want my girls to look fantastic.

I don't abide by the notion that I'm the queen, and my bridesmaids are my loyal subjects. Never. These girls are my closest, absolute best friends. I want them to feel just as happy and pretty as I hope to feel on our wedding day. It was important to me that their"look" had a somewhat cohesive feel, but was able to let each girl showcase their own style. So I chose the color and material, but let them choose the style. If you've read my earlier posts, you also know that they're wearing gold shoes of their own choosing.

All of this is to say, I'm still stumped about the division between long and short dresses. It seems that the older wedding-goers associate long dresses with a formal wedding. But here's my question: Is it only the dresses that dictate the formality?

{Long dresses. Clearly formal. But sometimes these look just like a casual summer maxi dress}

{Short dresses. But they definitely look formal to me. Is it the formal updo's that make this look?}

While I love the look of long dresses, I don't want to deal (or have my bridesmaids deal) with the following things: dresses hemmed to short, dresses dragging, potential trip on said long dress, TN heat in August, slim possibility of ever wearing a fancy long dress again. Here's the plusses I came up with for the short dresses: shows off their cute gold shoes, everybody will have tan legs!, they'll be cool during our 2hr photo session between the ceremony and the reception, they can have both hands free while dancing (there's no bustle on a BM dress). And if both of their hands are free, that leaves 1 for a bouquet, and another to help hold up MY dress from the heat! Just kidding. But seriously, that tulle will be a steamer!

Well this turned out to be quite a long-winded post. So give me the deets. Long or short? What are your thoughts? Do you think there can be a formal wedding with the bridesmaids in short dresses? Or do you think short automatically dictates casual?


all images from The Knot

Food, Inc.: Watch This Movie

Nutrition is something that has always interested me. It started with health magazines (Self, Shape, Fitness) during high school and college, then I enrolled in a class (Nutrition Post 2000) while at Elon. It changed my life. I never looked at food the same after taking that course. Mr. SE and I watched this movie last night, and the fire was re-lit. I'll post later with more specific comments about the move and topics mentioned. But for now, go see this movie. Redbox it, blockbuster, Netflix, or get it on demand. Just see it.

Here's the trailer:

New Kicks

I just bought these little babies and I can't wait for their arrival! If you've been following for awhile, you know about my ankle problems. But if not- I'll fill you in. Here's the short story: cheerleading injury in 2001, surgeries in 01/02/04/09. I'm currently in physical therapy here at Vanderbilt, and there's still a lot of things that I struggle with. For instance: grocery shopping at Walmart. While I love their low prices, I hate the concrete floor and always-broken carts. Normally shopping there leaves me propped up on the couch with an ice pack. Running. I always thought people who loved to run were crazy, now I'm one of those people. Running gives me such a fantastic high, and I feel great about my body. Not so fantastic? Wanting to carry around my leg the next day. At the risk of sounding whiny, I'll stop the story here.

Needless to say, shoe comfort is at the top of my list. Merrell's are great shoes for anybody who's experienced an injury, or just wants really comfortable shoes. My mom is a huge fan too! I just ordered my 2nd pair. I like that the taupe will go with black or brown, and they're comfortable without looking too rugged.

Do any of you have a persistent injury that impacts your everyday life? How do you deal and not let it get you down?

Something Blue

My lovely friend Cat sent these photos my way. It completely articulates the vision I have for our wedding day . Le sigh.

Images from Clary Photo. Check out the blog post for this wedding; I guarantee you'll swoon.

The E-Pics are Up!

The amazingly talented Jonathon Campbell has posted our pictures. If you couldn't get enough from my previous post, head over to Jonathon's blog and see the rest.

Oikos

I love this yogurt! The plain flavor is my favorite, and I love mixing it with a drizzle of honey, frozen berries, or some Special K. Omigoodness! {Oikos by Stonyfield Farms}

Disclaimer: Greek yogurt is an acquired taste, any most people likely won't enjoy it. Case in point: Mr. SE almost spit it back at me. But if you like Greek yogurt, this IS it.

Are there any other yogurt lovers out there?

Weekend Update: First Weekend of 2010

{welcome to the last week of my life}

So I've been a little sketchy. This post will be a little bit of this and a little bit of that, hopefully everybody will be up to speed:

A. I got a new job
B. They've been waiting for this position to start for awhile. Example: there was loads of work to be done from the first day
C. Mr. SE and I have both been sick. Yucko.

We rang in 2009 downtown at Flying Saucer - what a blast! This year, because we were sick and both had to work, we opted for Fulin's takeout and watching the ball drop. Allow me to clarify. Mr. SE watched the ball drop, then woke me up when it happened. On eastern time. In all honesty, it was a perfect night.

Tomorrow marks the 25th birthday for my husband to be. Isn't he a handsome devil?!?