Emily Post Is Rolling

As a southern woman, etiquette is something I hold at high value. As a woman of the twenty first century, I slip sometimes. However, when it comes to "major events" I think it is very important to go back to our roots, and ACT RIGHT! No one expects for every text message, or facebook status to be the perfection of grammar or manners, but there are a few thing I think should NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER be done.

I am not going to preach about what I think is appropriate for a person should post on their own facebook page, because I do think it is a free forum and I can always use the lovely "hide" button if I don't like it. However, when it comes to posting information about others, there is a very thick, clear line.

Posting news of someone else's engagement, pregnancy, birth of child, health issues, friends or family passing or having health problems, and relationship information are strictly off limits. I feel so silly even typing that because being an adult, and having friends that are adults, I feel it should go without saying.

Here's a little story for you. I log on to my facebook one evening, and on my news feed pops up a status update from someone I do not even know. This status came up because I am friends with the two people who were tagged in the status that read:

I'm so excited for (Guy) and (Girl)!!! It's about time you two got engaged!!!!

Not even 10 minutes later, Ernie's phone rings and it is said (Guy) calling to share the exciting news!!! Ohhhh..... but wait..... we already knew because of their idiot friend who posted it for all the world to see. Bummer. :( It's such a shame that at this exciting time, this great couple didn't even have a few hours to share their own happy news with family and friends before it was blasted everywhere. And, knowing that Ernie and I each spent about 3 hours on the phone each calling loved ones when we got engaged, I sure would've flipped on someone who stole this moment from us.

Now I'll tell you another story. My oldest sister gave birth to my nephew almost 10 months ago, and she was able to call family and friends, spend time with her hubby and new baby, get a little bit of rest, and have the family come visit our newest member, all while her facebook page remained quiet. How lovely :) My sister has smart friends.

The moral of the story here folks is that, it's just not your business to share, so keep you FAT MOUTH SHUT! (and your fingers still)

BEATING THE HEAT (in style)

Ok, so really nothing can take away from the opressing heat and humidity we're experiencing here in jaaawwjuh. But we try right? In these blazing summer days it's hard to dress/ style your hair accordingly while still looking cute. I'm a hairdresser, and even I will tell you that a sexy blow-out is just not worth your time right now. I've found some cute ways to put my hair up that sure beat a measley ponytail, and can get you from grocery store to wedding attendance no problem. I'm obsessed with the messy bun, and anything involving braids (growing out the bangs).

Here's your how to. For Destiny Hope Smiley Miley Cyrus' look (that's her full name y'all.... for real) All you need to style is your bangs if you've got them. They curled her hair which is totally optional. Since we're going for easy, we'll just say we're not curling the hair.

Put your hair in a low pony. I would suggest it slightly to one side so you can see it a little from the front.

Then pick up a chunk of hair (about 1/4 your pony) and lightly tease with a wide tooth comb. This is NOT your grandmother's teasing! Just enough to add some texture and volume.

Take your chunk and wrap it around your pony-tail holder until you can't go any more. Secure it with a bobby pin, and maybe one more on the other side for security.

Keep going with you next 3 chunks. Have a look at the back and secure any really loose pieces with a couple more bobbies, but don't pick up everything, it's supposed to be a little tossled.

For some extra pizaz go with SMG's look. Start with a deep side part (end of eyebrow, anything further is a comb over, yes I'm talking to you EMO girls) do a french braid to just behind your ear and then free braid the rest. From there, continue with your low pony and follow the previous instructions.

I hope that gave you guys a little inspiration to try something fun with your hair, it's not hard to dress up that pony-tail!! Have FUN!

Bloggin' Belize!

Hey all! It's been a minute, but life is finally getting back to normal and I'm glad for that. It's hard to get in touch with everyone in a timely fashion so to I'll catch you up here.

First of all, the wedding was fantastic! We had the best time, the best weather, the best music, the best food, and the best friends & family with us. Stories for years to come!! Now I've just got to get through all the hoops it takes to change my name and we'll be set!

The honeymoon was far beyond what we could've imagined! I'm so glad we waited a day to leave b/c this provided us both with much smoother travel attitudes than we would've had on Sunday. We were just too exhausted to have pulled off all day travel the day after the wedding.

We took off on a plane that sat only about 100 people from ATL and flew direct to Belize City. We then took a 10 seater hopper plane (barf!) over to the island of Ambergris Caye to the city of San Pedro. THHEEEEEN, we grabbed a water taxi for a 6 mile ride to our home for the week: Portofino! We were welcomed by a friendly staff with rum punch in hand and shown to our room. It was so gorgeous, and totally different from anything we'd ever done.

The small resort had a max of about 40 guests and during our stay it was a little more than half full. The staff were like family and took lots of time to make us feel at home. The owners, a Swiss couple, live there full time and raise their 2 kids there. We honestly felt like we were visiting friends. A few other mid 20's- mid 30's couples who were also honeymooners gave us people to chat with at the pool and get tips from.

Days 1 & 2 were pretty calm, we spent most of our time lounging around and exploring our immediate area.

Day 3 was a long one. We started at 6 am headed out for a day of fishing and snorkling. After fishing for about 2 hours, our captain took our group over to a deserted area of the island. We pulled up and saw a few large cable spools burried in the sand to act as tables, and a campfire smoldering. He then proceeded to filet up all the fish we caught and cook it right there for us! DELISH! We mostly caught snapper, it's everywhere around there. After eating and resting we went over to Hol Chan marine park. It's a protected area near the reef where you get some of the best snorkling in the world. We saw a sea turtle, eel, parrot fish, stingray, several pretty fish, and a couple of tarpin.

Day 4 was another day of R&R complete with a massage for each of us, pure heaven.

Day 5 was another early one that started at about 7. We headed out an hour by boat through the New Belize River to a small village called Bamba. We the rode by bus for about an hour to Altun Ha, Myan Ruins. This is one of the ruins with the most reconstruction done, but it's also one that historians know the most about. It was excavated in the late '60's, and most of the digs into the pyramids caused them to crumble. Only a few of the many pyramids are still standing there now, the others look like large mounds of rocks with grass and dirt filling in around them.

Days 6 & 7 we continued our relaxation and just tried to take it all in. We saw and did things we'd never had an opportunity to before, and may never again. Belize is a very peaceful country with lots of happy people around. Some other little perks, most people there speak English, and they accept American dollars so you don't have to convert. I'd love to go back some day, but I've got to get through some of my laundry list of travel wishes before I can do that. It was not a commercialized or "Amercanized" place at all, so and authentic experience is what you'll get if you visit. We'd highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a tropical getaway!

Goin' to the.... garden

It's a mere six days until I don a white dress and become a wife. It's been a year now since our engagement, and planning this wedding has been a life changing experience. From the big things to the details, each aspect of a wedding says something about the couple. In this glorious day & age couples have so much more freedom to personalize their wedding to make it truly memorable. We wanted to have a good balance of "us" stuff and the great traditions of a wedding, minus the Electric Slide (gag).

"You're so calm" is what I've been getting from a lot of people, and it feels good. I guess the fact that I've had a whole year to pull this off helps because I haven't found myself scrambling for anything. It also probably has a lot to do with the fact that there were only a few things I was heart set on having, and everything else I was flexible on. I also surrendered about 3 weeks ago and decided that if I hadn't started it, it wasn't happening. So now I'm all done and I get to take it all in and enjoy.

A wedding is a special thing for so many reasons. Obviously the union and the start of the marriage is the most important, but little things like having many people from all areas of your life together. I mean, how often will you find my grandmother and one of Ernie's highschool friends on a dance floor together? We've also got the pleasure of having my uncle marry us. He's so official with his ordination card & all :) It's nice that we will have someone who really knows us making it official, just as long as he keeps the many embarassing stories about me to himself. It's also one of the few times our extended families will be together, friends who haven't talked in a while will hug necks, and some will finally meet that person that they've heard all those stories about.

We're pretty blessed to have a very experienced wedding party. Everyone is either married, or taking their 2nd (or 5th) stab at being a bridesmaid or groomsmen. Hopefully this will make everything go quickly so we can get on to the FUN! I'm so excited to see everyone in their duds. Picking out something that lots of people will look good in and not hate it very hard. My girls will be in this little number:

The boys will be in black suits that Ernie found at Joseph A. Bank with black suspenders and pale yellow ties. The girls' flowers will be yellow cala lillies to tie it all together. It'll look great against the green grass & multi colored flowers of the garden. The house is so precious and perfectly antebellum with a huge magnolia tree framing the wedding area.

In short, I can't WAIT! It's been such a far away thing for so long, and it's finally here. I get to annoy Ernie for the rest of our lives, and he gets to continue to leave the ice trays empty even though I've asked him 100 times not to. Mrs. Giles... here I come!

Spring Fling!

Hello all! It's been a hot second since I've blogged so I thought I'd update you on some life happenings. Spring is surely my favorite time of year: the weather, the flowers, the clothes, the activities, I LOVE IT!

We've had the fortune of having some great family and friends throw us a few wedding showers and they have been such blast. We're now going through all of our things and handing them down or donating them to make way for all of our fun new toys. The best part of all this is that I'm becoming well equiped to throw my own lil' shindig. I love hosting and party planning so I'm glad I won't be scrounging around the house to find something to serve the goodies on. Get ready for yummy finger foods and delicious infused coktails people!

Atlanta is such a great place to be in the spring. You can keep it as simple as a patio with some live music on a Friday afternoon, or you can attend one of the many outdoor festivals that takes place. The great thing about these festivals is that they all give back in some way to the city, and expose local artists, farmers, musicians, restaurants, and even breweries! Most of these festivals are free so you can just wander about, or get in on the action.

Shopping!! I'm really not a shopping addict, although I have lots of clothes. I just don't get rid of as much as I should. I pretty much hold off clothes shopping all winter. The clothes just don't get me all jazzed like a cute sundress and sweet sandals does. I've also got a wonderful bachelorette weekend and honeymoon coming up that I'm stocking up for!

My girls & I are taking off in 2 weeks for the bachelorette party and I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you get that? EXCITED!!!! We're off to Lake Lanier to lounge, sing, dance, drink, and play. It will be just the right mix of excitement/relaxation I've been needing. The play list is in the works.

Pretty much I just enjoy sitting outside, putting on some music, sipping a beer, and taking it all in. Spring is in full swing people, soak it up!

Ladies, check out this fun little site for cute spring must haves without breaking the bank:
www.lulus.com

I love their overall style and order from here a lot.

Who was Saint Patrick?

Today is my birthday, and I've always enjoyed sharing my day with the celebrations of St. Pat. However, as I've gotten older I've become much more interested in the man behind the day. There is lots of folk-lore about him banishing snakes and burning stuff, but he's really a very interesting guy who had much more up his sleave.



Saint Patick wasn't Irish born, he was actually British. Through some turmoil in his country he was kidnapped by the Irish and held as a prisoner for six years. He was made to slave away in their fields farming and hearding sheep, having little to no food or human contact. Well, this pissed him off because one day he decided to escape! 200miles on foot later he was a free man, and a devout Christian. Now most people wouldn't step foot into a country that had so betrayed them and basically ruined their life. Not Saint Pat, he.... went back.



He (in a way) took pity on the Irish and felt they needed a little guidence. Most Irish were pagans at the time and he wanted to go spread the "good word" to them. So he did, and in that time he invented the Celtic Cross, NEATO! He did this by adding the image of the sun (often worshiped by the Irish pagans) and added it to the cross. He thought this would make wearing and using the symbol more appealing to them, smart cookie. Now the entire nation of Ireland, and world, credits him with bringing Christianity to the country.



Now can you see why I find him so interesting? What if everyone went back to the people in life who scorned them, saw their struggles, and tried to help them? What a different world we would have! I also find the fact that his day of honor is marked on his death interesting. How great to know that on a day when so many were made sad, they were given a free pass to celebrate his life instead.



May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

And the rains fall soft upon your fields,

Until we meet again my friend,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand



Irish Proverb







So Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you and may we all take a little page out of his book.





Not that I don't love a good, cold, green beer.......

El Bravos

As the weather warms and we catch little hints of spring, I can think of one thing: BRAVES BASEBALL!!! I could sit here and talk to you about our newest additions to the team, or some of our vets who I'm excited to see take the field once again. I'm not going to do that. You see, this year is the last year that the Brave of all Braves, "The Skipper", Bobby Cox will be singing his swan song. I've been going to see the Braves since before I can remember, so this blog will not be about stats & records, it's going to be a "brain dump" of all of my Braves memories.



It started when I was little, my Papaw used to take us to games all the time. We'd arrive at Fulton Co Stadium for batting practice and stay until the last out was thrown. All the while enjoying snacks from Papaw's bowling ball bag (that's right, no cooler, bowling ball bag). I could shell peanuts at 4 years old faster than most adults, and I sang take me out to the ball game at the top of my little lungs. These were the highlights of these games since the Braves were terrible at the time.



My next memories of the Braves come from my elementary school years. Sitting on the screen porch with my dad, listening to Skip Caray call the game on the radio, the smell of a cigar lingering in the air, and crickets in the background. This was an exciting time in Braves franchise history because this team just could not miss. We were on fire and the feeling in the Stadium is one I'll never forget. I remember one game was "Braves beach towel night" by the end of the game the whole stadium was holding them up and chanting the Tomahawk Chop. When I was 10 I chased down the great Dale Murphy on the Berkley Hills Country Club golf course in our neighborhood. He was playing a charity tournement, and I wanted and autograph. I still have the ball and picture I took with him. He's giant.



Then there's 1995...... when all the majic happened. My parents and I went to a friends house to watch the game and it's one of the first times I remember seeing adults have "more than enough" to drink. People were setting off fireworks, and we got to stay up WAY past our bedtime. That world series win will live in infamy for me. I can't wait for the day we get another one of those!!



A few years ago Ernie and I went to a game with a couple of friends an sat on the 3rd base side in foul territory, past the dugout. Andruw Jones came up to bat and tipped the ball off the end. It landed in the stands about 10 rows up from us and bounced high back up in the air. There I was, sitting, beer in hand, chicken fingers in my lap. Ernie and my friend Corey (also over 6 ft. tall) both stood up over me going for the ball. As they went up, I simply stuck my hand straight out. CATCH!!! Needless to say, the boys were in disbelief!



Spring training trips, Friday night fireworks, birthday parties, big beers, Hebrew National hotdogs, Thank God I'm a Country Boy, Apache homerun dance, people watching, a little bit of heckling, lots of cheering, hometown heros, international super stars, still hating the Twins, always hating the Yankees, farm system all stars, date nights, family outings, and a million more memories that will never leave me. Bobby Cox is the only person who has been at EVERY game I've been to (except when he'd been ejected). I'm so sad to see him go but he will always be a baseball legend and a big part of my life story. GO BRAVES!