Trend alert!

So first, I miss all of you! I have been on the road and haven't made it to blogging.
Visited the Frau in Buffalo. Will post pics soon.

Speaking of Buffalo, thanks to the Frau's daughter, my beloved niece Katelyn, I was alerted to the biggest trend EVER!!!!

Feather extensions. Kinda weird right? But they grow on you.
In fact, I am now selling clip on feather extensions... Like. Crazy.
So thanks to Katelyn I am on top of a Summer trend.
Love that girl.

Kinda cool...

So, you know I'm in love with my kitchen, right? So happy.
But, we still have a way to go.
 Butler's panty isn't done:

We want to put in cabinets, dishwasher, wine fridge and a ice maker in.
We also want to put in a patio:

But guess what kids?
That will have to wait while we play catch-up with all the money that went to construction and college tuition this past year.

So I put on my thinking cap and remembered that there was a girl in our town that rented out their kitchen for use in commercials, ads and movies. She felt there was little downside and that the money was big enough to put up with all the inconvenience.
I have heard some horror stories but decided to send the pictures shown above that my kitchen designer (Sharon Sherman, Thyme and Place Design, Wyckoff, NJ) had taken and generously gave to me.

Well, we were signed right away! Within a few days we received our first call and there I was running around crazy taking pictures of the french doors leading out of the kitchen, both inside and out. Apparently ABC wanted to shoot a promo with Mario Batali at... OUR HOUSE!!!!

However, it's show biz folks. They really needed a kitchen island that had a cook top on it!
Ours, thankfully does not. We were a contender unless they found one and... they did.

Aah, our brush with fame! Our location agent assured me that our house/kitchen is a star and that we can look forward to plenty more opportunities.

We're ready for our close-up Mr. De Mille!
 Or at least some bucks to do the patio!!

Jude Connally dresses 2011 OR Analili dresses and tops?

www.preppyplayer.com
Love Jude Connally dresses and believe I need to sell them. I don't think they are ready to allow folks to sell them online but hope they will allow me to sell them at special events. If not there are a few other lines that I like but they are more expensive and I feel as though these dresses have a good price point.

Such as Analili dresses and tops

Love my laundry room...

But hate doing laundry. What has really helped has been the stainless steel table I got from a restaurant supply company. It is higher than a normal table so I don't have to bend while folding and there is a shelf at the bottom so that all my laundry baskets are off the floor.
Recommend it!

Hat's off!

1. To all who have fought our wars.

2. To all who are graduating and to their parents who supported/paid.

3. To France! Yes, France. The French are allotted, (government mandated),
    30 paid vacation days a year.
    89% of them take it! How many days does our government mandate? 0

4. To all those who are volunteering at camps and programs for the under-privileged  this Summer.

5. To all those working unpaid internships this Summer... reminiscent of indentured servants?

6. To all you Moms of young children,  Summer means busier than ever!

7. To all my blog friends :)

So proud of our girl!

"Isn't she lovely
Isn't she wonderfull
Isn't she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love we'd be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn't she lovely made from love "

My favorite things, am I Oprah or what?

Seriously, I had to look up how to spell Oprah! How could I not know that?

Anyway, just like supposed religious icon, Oprah (according to Yale professor, Kathryn Lofton)
I have some favorite things that I want to share.

1. battery operated candles

They flicker, they smell like a candle, they are made of wax, and they come with a timer.
No waxy mess, no fire hazard.
I will be selling these this Summer.

2.Scout Pleasure Chest, (cooler bag)

The best scout bag to keep sandwiches, drinks and adult beverages cold. that's right, wine bottles fit into these babies! There is a zipper pocket to stash keys, beach badges, cash. You can wear it over your shoulder at all those tournaments you'll be at this Summer. They do not leak :)
I will be selling them this Summer.

3.mini cooper

We just bought our daughter one and I am in love! It is so fun to drive and the gas mileage is amazing.

4. Mophie credit card reader and app

This has changed my life! I can now attach the Mophie reader and swiper onto my iphone and take credit cards anywhere and at anytime.

5.Jude Connally Dresses

I am obsessed! I have bought two already. So comfortable, so pretty and feminine.

Although this isnt the most flattering pic, this is my fav Jude Connally right now.

This one is next on my list!
I hope to be able to sell these in the near future.
So that's it

It is that time of year...

Prom!

And there was no "proma" aka drama.
First- it takes a village,

Big sister drove home from college to do her sister's make-up.

Cousins came and helped too. Thank goodness Kim keeps bras in her car!

Then it was on to the photo shoot. All the girls and their dates looked beautiful. Everyone was happy.

So funny, it never changes. The boys look sooo young and the girls look like they are twenty.

 So glad that my daughter has such ties to such lovely girls, since kindergarten.

Same here. The girl on the right has been her friend since they were two years-old.

last but not least, her date was a nice boy, handsome too!

let us catch up!

1. Happy belated Mother's day!
I worked at the horse show and then came home early to relax, see my family and then to have chardonnay and sushi. My children were generous and gifted me with a massage at the spa. I don't like working on Mother's day but have to every year, so I really appreciate the attention I get afterwards.
It makes me feel appreciated and loved. Even after a long day of baseball ( double header, an hour drive away) my youngest still made an effort to wait on me :)

2. Horse Show- Awesome! Made a lot of money, didn't have to battle the weather much, and met a lot of nice people. Plus, it was great to be around all the horses and dogs all week.

3. Getting ready for the boutique for the Little Silver, NJ kitchen tour.

4. Getting bids for a new patio, anyone have recommendations for patio stone?

5. That show, Hoarders? I am inspired and will be purging unused items all week.

6. Tennis will be played this week. Must.

7. when to have party for my college graduate and middle school graduate?
 People have been sending invites since March! I guess I should ask the graduates!

8. Have a good week everyone and the folks in the Northeast? Enjoy the beautiful weather as who knows how long it will last.

French Preppies!

I use to read a fun blog,  "Stuff Parisians Like" as I was curious about the preppy culture in France.
It wasn't a preppy blog so I didn't learn much. (although being a francophile, I still love the blog!)

Lo and behold a lovely gentleman named Ryan left me a comment explaining everything I wanted to know and more. Thank you Ryan. I feel so informed and if you read below, you will too.

 Ryan Hilliard said...

Hi. I just read your question from a couple of years ago about French preppies on the blog Stuff Parisians Like. You may have already gotten your answer, but in case you haven't, I'll answer it here.

French "preppies" are known as BCBG, an acronym for Bon Chic Bon Genre. (Has nothing to do with the store BCBG in the US). They are sometimes from old, aristocratic families, but usually they are haute bourgeois, working in finance, politics, etc...

In Paris, BCBG usually live in the 16th arrondissement, also known as A-N-P, an acronym for Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy. Neuilly sur Seine is a posh suburb just outside of the 16th and Auteuil and Passy are the two neighborhoods that make up the 16th.

http://manstouch.blogspot.com/2009/04/passy-charming-village-in-heart-of.html

BCBG can also be found in the 6th, 7th, 8th and in other posh suburbs and in the city of Versailles.

BCBG love the Dordogne region and often have weekend/country family estates there. Ile de Re is the French Nantucket and is the first choice for BCBG summer home/get away.

http://www.holidays-iledere.co.uk/

BCBG are usually more style/fashion conscious than American preppies, though their clothing choices are always restrained, conservative and classic.

This is the French equivalent of the Official Preppy Handbook: http://www.amazon.com/BCBG-Guide-chic-genre-French/dp/2020091402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304024678&sr=8-1

It is a bit outdated, but still very relevant and will give you an idea about BCBG manners, schools, upbringing, clothing, etc...

Here is a spoof on BCBG, about 20 yrs old, but still very funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8scrJeZECdE

BCBG are generally detested in France and seen as elitist, which is very offensive to French sensibilities. Their manners are mocked and their neighborhoods are deemed passe. (There is a play on words with passe and Passy-get it?)

One other note, currently Lacoste shirts, in France, are only worn by suburban thug boys. It would be VERY un-BCBG to wear Lacoste currently. Kind of like what happened to Tommy Hilfiger in the 90s (though TH was never preppy in the true sense). This is sad, but true.

Enjoy!

April 28, 2011 2:12 PM

lafayette Women's lacrosse 2011. Forgot to mention...

This girl, #26, had her last game of her collegiate career this past weekend.
Through injuries, and a coach that had a different agenda, one that did not include the seniors and juniors-
She made it to the end, never quitting.

The final revenge to her coach that has had a HORRIBLE record- she scored 4 goals her last game!
And, she could have done that all season. But, the coach preferred to sacrifice the team rather than play the girls she didn't recruit. Very selfish.
At least my player hasn't been alone. she suffered with the other two seniors and most of the juniors.
And at least she loved the school AND the girls on her team!
Too bad there isn't a good coach right now. But hopefully that will change soon :)

See how they grow!

Two adorable, fun loving 8th graders.

And now, 1 more year until high school graduation.

I always forget about the metamorphosis that teens go through- when they are in it. It is only after that I realize such a transformation has occurred. When I am with my  fourteen year old I don't notice that they are all nose, elbows and ankles-nothing in proportion. I don't see the acne, braces, or chubby cheeks. My fourteen year old is perfect to me.

It is only in retrospect that I realize what has happened! The face grew longer, the forehead broader, the chin more pronounced and the cheekbones sharper. Now, the nose looks right and the elbows and knees aren't noticeable. And even though I always thought they were beautiful and perfect...
They really are.

And truthfully, I haven't met a sixteen year old that I didn't think was beautiful. I am not kidding.
All I see is possibilities, potential, and promise. Physically and mentally.
The two girls above are perfect illustrations as they are beautiful inside and out.
 Even when they were awkward fourteen year olds!

In honor of the Frau...

We had Spargel ! It was delicious.
When we were in Germany last year at this time (thank you volcano!)  we noticed roadside stands selling Spargel!
 It is a very BIG thing there at this time of the year. The stands were very busy, VERY!

According to Wikipedia,

"Spargel is the German name for asparagus. Most asparagus in Germany is white, as it is grown covered in soil (hilling) to prevent photosynthesis. This prevents the asparagus turning green and results in a taste a little sweeter and much more tender. It must be peeled before consumption. Spargel is generally harvested from late April to early June. Some green asparagus is available in Germany, but would most likely be called grüner Spargel.

Asparagus is very popular in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Germany. In Germany it is known as "Königliches Gemüse" (Royal Vegetable). Germany produces 82,000 tons of asparagus a year; however, that is only enough to meet 61% of consumption. Many German cities hold festivals celebrating its harvest. Schwetzingen claims to be the "Asparagus Capital of the World" and holds an annual Spargelfest (asparagus festival) in which an Asparagus Queen is crowned.

During Spargelsaison or Spargelzeit (asparagus season), asparagus is sold at many roadside stands and in open air markets: about half of all asparagus is bought in this way. It is also popular in restaurants, and fresh asparagus is advertised outside many restaurants during the season."
And now you know!

This cute little Honey....

...graduates from college in 4 weeks! Where did the time go?

Seton Hall's Adam Satz Wins National Manager Contest - Many thanks to my readers who voted!

News  Roster  Schedule  Statistics  Coaches  Media Center  More Senior Adam Satz won the national manager contest by more than 1,000 votes. Seton Hall's Adam Satz Wins National Manager Contest Release: 04/16/2011 Share| SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Adam Satz, a senior men's basketball manager at Seton Hall University, has won a national managers contest sponsored by The UPS Store. Satz was named one of four national finalists in the early spring, which carried a $5000 award to Seton Hall's general scholarship fund.  Over the last month, Satz, as well as finalists from Duke, Elon and Rice, competed for votes for the top prize which nets an additional $10,000 to the manager's school. For two days a film crew followed Satz around during his daily routine as a manager, student and member of the Seton Hall community.  Fans have been urged over the last month to view the videos of the four finalists and vote for a winner. The voting officially ended in the evening of Friday, April 15 and Satz, who led for the vast majority of the contest, was named the winner by over 1,000 votes over a duo of managers from Duke University.  In all, he received over 5,600 votes. "Thank you to everyone who supported me," Satz said.  "I found the amount of people who took the time to help, whether they knew me or not, truly humbling." Satz has been a manager for the men's basketball team for over three years.  His expertise is vast, but he specializes in video work and film exchange.  Although he traveled with the team on road trips and worked long hours in the men's basketball offices, Satz still managed to be a leader in Seton Hall's sports management program and maintains a grade point average of over 3.5. "It is a tremendous accomplishment for Adam to win this national contest," said Seton Hall head men's basketball coach Kevin Willard.  "Each of the finalists are quite impressive.  They all should be congratulated for making it this far." "Adam is one of the most dedicated and hard-working young men I've ever been around," Willard continued.  "He truly deserves this.  We couldn't be happier for him."

Windy!

 As my thought and prayers go to the people of the Carolinas and Virginia after  a devastating storm system did incredible damage, massive destruction, taking lives,
It made me think of my experience last May at the Garden State horse Show. I do the show every year and enjoy it immensely.

 I love the environment, being around the horse and dogs for 5 days is a thrill.

 The weather is often iffy as it can be in May. Rain comes and goes.

However, they always put us in a huge circus type tent. In fact the tents are so big that the horse are stalled in them. it's true. There are a few hundred horses in real stalls in up to 5 tents. There is plenty of room for the vendors and we are safe from the elements.

Anyway,
Last May the weather was beautiful. On the 4th day of the show, Saturday, the weatherman said it would be windy. Didn't bother me -I am in the tent. Around 3 o'clock the winds really began to pick up.
Still wasn't worried...

Until I could hear yelling and screaming and looked outside towards the tents where the horses were stalled and saw them collapsing! Everyone was running around crazy trying to evacuate the horses. Cars and trucks were everywhere, it was total mayhem...

When all of a sudden I heard our tent ripping! The tent was swaying back and forth. We got out as fast as possible. Out into the windy mayhem. People were running back and forth helping the vendors get their merchandise out of the tents.
So there I was in the middle of a field with all my stuff around me. Dirt and branches were whipping through the air, I had to get out of there,
But, I had a problem. I had driven my car not the big suburban I used to transport merch. Luckily, my husband came to the rescue and drove the hour to come help me.

The show was canceled the next day. Found out we had encountered 50 mile an hour winds that afternoon. Wouldn't want to do that again.
And what I experienced?
Was an nth of a degree to what the people down South encountered this weekend.
God bless them.

It's all about ME!

Thanks to my friend OHN at http://only-half-nuts.blogspot.com/ I have something to write about! 

Here is the meme that I stole/borrowed from her:

A. Age: 51, but a very YOUNG 51!

B. Bed size: queen, had a full when we were first married and then even when we first started having kids!

C. Chore you dislike: vacumning

D. Dogs: None, right now. I am working on it though!

E. Essential start to your day: Coffee and something sweet. Ideally while I'm reading the paper.

F. Favorite color: Green. Black is a big part of my life as well.

G. Gold or silver:Love them both. Especially loved selling all my broken gold jewelry and making big bucks!

H. Height: 5'5 for most of my life. seems as though I am heading to 5'4.

I. Instruments you play(ed): does the soprano recorder count? It shouldn't. I was just pretending to play the entire year of 4th grade.

J. Job title: owner operator

K. Kids: Yes, five. Perfect amount for me.

L. Live: Outside of NYC in Jersey. Please don't make jokes.

M. Mom’s name: Cecelia

N. Nicknames: Hmmm, not to my face.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Five times for the births of my children.

P. Pet peeves: Passive/aggressive people. I cant deal with people that do not say what they mean. No patience.

Q. Quote from a movie: What, the curtains!

R. Righty or lefty: Righty. 

S. Siblings: Four sisters.

T. Time you wake up:  7:30.

U. Underwear: necessary.

V. Vegetables you don’t like: over cooked, otherwise I havent met a veggie I didnt like!

W.What makes you run late: trying to do too much before I go.

X. X-rays you’ve had: lots, especially dental.

Y. Yummy food you make: I'm a wiz with a crock pot!

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Monkeys. Love watching them.

Ok, now your turn!

Spring break?

When I was in college I lived in Ft. Lauderdale. In the 1970's it was the #1 Spring break destination.
I worked in a bar right on A1A and saw Spring Break front row, 24 hours a day.
It looked a lot like the pic above.
 It was fun, but for 2 months it took twice as long to drive anywhere. The bar I worked at was right off the beach. So, about twice a day we would have some kid from Minnesota or Michigan pass out from heat exposure as they had been in 20 degree below weather 24 hours earlier and had just layed out all day in the 90 degree sun.
College kids don't tip ( the drinking age was still 18 in Fla. back then.) I had to find creative ways to squeeze some bucks out of the kids that sat at my bar for hours. We hung a sign that  said,

"Tipping is NOT a city in China!"

I learned to play Liars poker and would get a big group playing so I could win some $$. I learned tricks like bouncing quarters off my elbows and flipping coasters. I would bet the bar that I could do a certain amount ( less than I really could do) I would lose and then bet again that I could do even more! Of course they all upped their bets... and I would win. 

Before you feel sorry for these guys, remember that they sat ALL DAY at my bar and didn't tip at all!

 I was a college student too.

The most interesting thing is, I am in thousands of Spring break photo albums. Really.

Because at least 50 times a day the bartender( me) would be asked to pose with one group or another.

Also, thousands of sailors would be in town asking every girl in a bikini to pose with them. I felt obligated because they were serving our country... 

Not my friend, she would charge them $10!!!

 I couldn't believe it, but then she explained.

She said, "Patty, each one of those boys is going back to their bunk or home and showing the pictures around and saying that we were their girlfriend or conquest! I want to make sure I get paid for it!"

Not sure I agreed with that. But, it did make me think!

Anyway, my children's Spring break is this week and we are...

Home.

And I couldn't be happier. Not that we had a choice. We put on a big addition this year and there wasnt going to be trip for awhile. But, we are all enjoying sleeping in, no rushing around, catching up on movies and shows, basically, spending time together.

Bungalow Scout Bags-Four Boys Bag!

This is one of the new Spring bags-$45.

Protection!

I don't mean this type.
 A little risque for this blog. But, hey! It's Friday!
No, I meant this type. Below-

The Italian Horn is said to keep away the Devil/evil. Many Italians wear this.

 The evil eye bracelet is worn by the Greeks, the Turks, the Armenians, and other mid-eastern peoples. It is said to protect from the evil eye. The evil eye is when others wish you harm due to envy or evil. The bracelet sends it right back at them. Blue is the traditional color, but it comes in many other colors as well.

Being Catholic, we have all sorts of symbols of protection. First and foremost, the cross. There are many Saints that we look to for direction and protection.
But, for traveling we look to St. Christopher. I remember growing up having a little statue in our car!
Anyway, I sell St Christopher medals on cord and they are one of my most popular items, even for non-Catholics.
Here are the choices for Spring/Summer 2011,

I just love them. They will be on website( if we ever get it up!!!) and I sell them when I am on the road.
Can't have too much protection!