Friday Five-Summer Beach reads

It's getting closer to fun beach read time! So in honor I thought I would share 5 of my favorite books.

1. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Really anything by her is great but I really like this book.  It's definitely chic lit but it has substance and heart.  I bought this book for my flight to NYC when we moved. Since most of the story takes place in the city it was cool for me as a newbie to hear street names and restaurants...etc. It hold a special place in my heart.  The movie was pretty fun too!

2. Beach Music by Pat Conroy
This book is brilliant.  I love how the story goes back and forth from South Carolina to Italy.  He definitely doesn't hold back on the gut wrenching parts but it's worth it. His descriptions of food is mouth watering.  It's a great story of family...and pain...and love.

3. The Spoils of Time Trilogy by Penny Vencenzi
This trilogy follows a publishing family in England.  It starts at the turn of the century and ends after WWII.  The characters are well developed and there is so much conflict it's hard to decide if the family is their own downfall.  There is love, greed, wars, lust, evil, and peace.  I highly recommend!

4. Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews
I love books set in the south and this one gives it's readers charm and humor.  This is chic lit-girl power book to a T. The main character, Weezie, is a hoot in her adventures as a divorcee who is an antiques dealer. She goes from glam or grim and shows she can still hold her own.  Add some mystery in there and you've got a great book!

5. Watermelon by Marian Keyes
Who wants to get left by their husband the day of the birth of their first child? That's what happened to Claire the heroine of this story.  This book follows her to Dublin where she lives her family while trying to pick up the pieces of her life.  You feel her pain, you cry and you laugh with Claire. You will also love the humorous ways she grows, learns and changes!

What books do you like?? i have many more but would love to hear your faves!

I have missed THEE

I have had absolutely no time to blog lately.  Things have been nuts...it's kind of what happens when I'm in a show.  Since I last blogged I have:

1. Gone to NYC (where I saw friends, saw shows, went to workshops, ate my fave thai in Astoria, saw one of my close friends at the hospital after she had her baby, ran into an ex boyfriend on the street (seriously), walked in my old neighborhood of Sunnyside, hit my fave spot Bar 43...just to name a few)
2. Openend XANADU
3. Had Drew's sister Becca and her hubby, and our other sis in law Lareine come to town for the show, my mom and aunt come to town, and this weekend Drew's folks and my bro David and sis in law Lynn. 
4.Gone to Atlanta on a whirlwhind trip to scout locations for my new job (more on that exciting news to come)
5. Spent time with my BFF Maggie who just had her 2nd baby girl, Caroline. Drew and I finally took them a meal the week after Xanadu opened. It was southern to the core: chicken pot pie, salad and banana pudding.
6.  Saw "Something Borrowed" and "Bridesmaids"-highly recommend both!
7. Celebrated Artie and Harpo's 4th birthday on May 5
8. Went to the beach twice : )
9. Made dinner...it's been AWESOME to have a couple of nights where a power bar didn't count as a meal.
10. Watched season finales of all of our fave shows (Chuck, 30 Rock, How I met Your Mother, Community, Parks and Rec, Grey's Anatomy).

How has your May gone so far? Did you have any season finales you especially liked?

I hope to get back on the blogging train soon!

NYC, Ready or Not...

...Here I come!! I head to the Big Apple this Friday and I am so excited. I haven't  been back since we moved the last week in Sept, 2009.  I am SO ready for this visit.  The one bummer is not having my main squeeze with me.  But he has a good excuse...more on that later.

The dance studio I work for is bringing our Musical Theatre Troupe kiddos to the city to see shows, take workshops, do backstage tours and just have an awesome experience.  I am SO blessed to be a chaperone.  We land Friday morning at 8am...yes that means we leave Charleston at 6am and that means I have to wake up EARLY!  I have all of Friday free until 5:30. We have one meal together and then we head to see Wicked.  Saturday we do a backstage tour of Wicked in the morning and then do a workshop with someone from the show in the afternoon.  Sat night we are seeing Mary Poppins.  Sunday morning we do a workshop with someone from MP and then we see Lion King.  This kids are going to have a BLAST!

I've seen Wicked but not the other two. Drew and I always try to see the different Musicals and shows, not the mainstream shows. But with kids we have to find what's appropriate.  So, this way I get to experience it all : ).  I am staying with one of my awesome close friends Katy. I haven't seen her since her wedding last year, so we have lots to catch up on.

Drew was planning on coming with me and we were going to take some personal days and visit all of our fave spots.  But we got cast in a show and his Mom is retiring from her job and they are having a BIG celebration evening church service in her honor on Sunday night.  She has been the director of a Christian adoption agency.  I am SO sad that I can't be there but so glad Drew was able to change his plans to go.  It's a pretty big deal!! We are hoping to make a trip this fall.

I can't wait to share my adventures with you!

Friday Five- Reasons why I love Atlanta

So the big news and long awaited news is that we are moving to ATLANTA!  We've been in a holding pattern for 6 months now waiting on answers and we are SO excited to know where we are going to be.  The big move happens at the end of June. In honor of the upcoming move I will say some of why I love Hotlanta! There are many more reasons I love the city but here are some I'm excited about.

1.  Our House

I miss our little spanish mission ranch. It might not be much to some people but we love it.  After 3 years of apt/condo living, I am READY for some space.  We are both so excited to be going back to our house.  We have a huge list of things we want to do to it. You know the best part....We've already lived there so I know where things go. You know when you move in a place and are trying to figure out the best way to arrange your stuff...well we will be ahead of the curve : ).
2.  Restaurants
The ATL is full of good eats.  Not that NYC and Charleston are shabby or anything! We love the food here.  Some of our favorites are Flying Biscuit, Willy's Mexicana Grill, Zocalo, Flip burger, and All of the Buckhead life group restaurants...I could keep going on and on.  I can't wait to hit some of our favorite neighborhood haunts. 

3. The Shopping
Shopping in NYC was great but we were poor then so it didn't happen. Charleston has a small selection to choose from.  Atlanta has a TON of different places you can go and multiple locations.  I love the option of many locations to shop. There are a bazillion malls in the ATL and we life within 5min to 40min of most of them.  Ex. If the H&M at one mall doesn't have it you can call or check the other one.  I also love that we have Publix, Trader Joes (of course Charleston is getting one in July but that's beside the point), Whole Foods, and the Dekalb Farmer's Market...I think you guys know by now I am a grocery store snob!

4.  Location
Atlanta is a great little hub. I love being a couple of hours from the beach and a couple from the mountains. The airport is also one of the biggest in the world...some people hate it but it doesn't bother me.  It's pretty easy to travel from and it's WAY cheaper then living in some other places.  We also are close to some neat attractions: a large amusement and water park , Stone Mountain, Lake Lanier, and Piedmont Park.  (there are a ton of other attractions but I am tired of tagging them...lol).

5.  Great Entertainment options
There is a ton of great theatre!  I won't name them all but some of my favorites are The Alliance, Theatre in the Square, Aurora Theatre, Dad's Garage, and Shakespeare Tavern.  You can also see lots of great music performances at any of the many civic centers, The Tabernacle, and outside at Chastain Park, Lakewood Amphitheatre or even the Olympic Park.  There are museums, historical monuments and homes, art galleries and more! 

We can't wait to go home : ).  While I am super excited about Atlanta know that I am going to miss Charleston a lot.  That will be a whole other blog or Friday Five.

I wanna be a mommy

For those of you who actually know me, you know that I want to be a mommy.  I am beyond ready to expand our family.  I know it's all in God's time but I am READY!

All around me people are being fruitful and multiplying.  My closest gals are reproducing...some multiple times. I am so blessed that my close gals allow me "aunt" time with their kiddos. I love them more then life. 

I also work with the sweetest kids ever.  Last Saturday morning, one of my baby ballerinas made me artwork before she came to class. It made my day and of course made me tear up. 

Yesterday one of my closest friends Maggie had her 2nd baby.  I am blessed enough to live close to Maggie and got to go to the hospital and meet Little Caroline. First of all...adorable...but the whole baby thing...the blessing and miracle of life just put me on a HUGE life high.  It's just amazing how we are all created.

I look forward to the day the Drewster and I are given this gift...whether it be biologically ours or not...our baby will be a gift from God! For the time being I will be thankful for all the kiddos that are in my life.

Where did she go George?

Sorry I've been MIA folks.  I promise, to my 3 followers, that I'm not gone for good. I have just been SLAMMED with life.  I have lots of news, recipes, and stories to share and I promise I will get back in a groove asap. 

We also have some big news in our life and I'm hoping to share this Friday as part of my friday 5...So stay tuned, all 3 of you ;). And no, it's not the baby type news, akthough that would rock, it's still exciting, life changing news.

Friday Five-Feel Good Movies

These movies can always put me in a good mood and if they are on tv I will stop what I'm doing to watch them.  I also own them and can watch them whenever I want...and I do : ).

1. So I Married An Ax Murderer

This hilarious movie is one of my favorite Mike Myers flicks. It's pre-Austin Powers and Shrek and has an even better Scottish character, Mike Myers as his Dad.  It has a great supporting cast-Nancy Travis, Brenda Fricker, Anthony Lapaglia, soundtrack-Toad The Wet Sprocket, Spin Doctors and some of the best lines ever- "What is this Campbells Cup-o-Chino, I thought I ordered the large?", "Head, Pants, Now!", "Come let us dance like children of the night."-just to name a few.  When I went to San Francisco, Christmas of '99, I made my poor mother take me to all of the places in the movie...I'm a movie geek like that!


                                                                     


2. When Harry Met Sally

Seriously, do I have to say much about this film.  It is one of the funniest, sweetest romantic comedies ever.  I love the 80's hair, all of the great NYC shots, and the Harry Connick, Jr. soundtrack.  I also adore all of the real couples sharing their stories of love.  When of my best gals, Maggie came to visit we trekked all over the south end of Manhattan looking for this (in pic below).  Do you recognize this from the film?

Here is Maggie after our trek...she is preggers with Molly in this one. Crazy that Molly will be 2 at the end of May and her 2nd is due at the end of April : )

Oh Washington Square how I love thee!


3. Dirty Dancing
This movie has dancing, love, and Mr. Swayze...need I say more.  I love the oldies soundtrack, (can you tell I love movie soundtracks) the amazing cast (Jerry Orbach, Kelly Bishop, Jennifer Grey) and the story in general.  I can probably tell you every line in this movie.  I'm not ashamed.  Have you ever watched the ABC Family version of the movie...there are scenes that have NEVER been shown before...it's like being in the Twilight Zone. "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"

                                                 


4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Hawaii, Jason Segal, a Dracula musical...really...what's not to like?  I love this male perspective of a break-up. It also has a great supporting cast-who doesn't like Paul Rudd as a sunned out surfer?  This movie is a repeat in our house.  ps-did you know Jason is doing the new Muppet Movie...yes I said a NEW ONE!!

                                                             
5. Bend It Like Beckham
This movie has a lot of firsts for me.  My first Jonathan Rhys Myers, Keira Knightly and Parminda Nagra sightings, it made me fall in love with all things India and Bollywood and a greater love for futball...aka soccer.  It also has a kick butt soundtrack.  It's a great growing up story with a little love thrown in. 

                                                          
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