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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

As I've said before, I have some amazing friends and thank God daily for blessing me with their friendship. From Meowmix, Reese, Roomie, JZ, The Divas, Bec, MB, mah girlz here in O-Town, etc., I'm very blessed. I could write books on the fabulous qualities each one of them have. They are all unique and I adore them.

I have been so crazy busy with my dad being here in Orlando this week that I really haven't had time to do much. Well, in cleaning out the TiVo, I was watching one of my shows and the character looked at her friend and said "It's my instinct to find you when my world is falling apart. Tomorrow I'll Be Strong". That quote beyond hit home for me. It got me to thinking of my behaviors and who I turn to when everything is going utterly crazy.

Before Nicky died, I could turn to him about anything, good or bad. When he died and I about lost it, BR lent his shoulder and I've been misappropriating it for oh, about 8 years now. After hearing that quote, I got to thinking about how whenever my world is crashing, (or at least seems it to me), I turn to him. I know that with BR, I don't always have to be the strong one and he won't judge nor do I have to make any apologies for having an occasional moment of weakness. BR is logical and points it out straight and will tell me when I'm being an azz (which *ahem* I can be on occasion). He can crack a mean joke and doesn't often get emotional whereas I can get emotional about the stupidest crap sometimes. The man was even my personal trainer and wouldn't flinch a bit when I would mutter that he was an evil torture king or something. When he was a cop, he wouldn't even pull me over for speeding. When my ex threw me through a window, BR was there and ready to bounce Mark out on his butt. Through everything with A. & H., BR has stood on the sidelines, providing counsel whenever needed. When I decided to move here - BR supported my decision and is always a phone call away. Right before a hurricane, it's almost tradition to call him to chatter about what's going on considering that he has YET to fly down here and deal with one of those lovely storms. When I visit home, catching up is a breeze - its like I never left. Plus - besides Meowmix, BR is one of the best security guys in the business. If I'm in trouble, I'm glad he's got my back.

So, with that being said - I just wanted to publicly acknowledge one of my rocks - BR. I really do find him when my world is falling apart. I know with him, he will never pass judgment and always push me to achieve the best - Thanks BR ;)

Posted by Lys :: 7:52 AM :: 0 comments

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Sunday, August 20, 2006

Sex & The City Quote for This Week...

Carrie: Samantha is my friend. She's my family. My insides. She will be fine because she has to be fine. That's how important she is to me.

Posted by Lys :: 10:16 PM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

You Know to Think Twice When...

You know you need to think twice when:

• you call a new doctor's office to get directions to their "top secret location" and the receptionist tells you "I don't know how to tell you how to get here, I just live here"
• on your way home you see an ambulance leaving Chik-Fil-A. Cross that place off of one's list of "acceptable fast food places in a pinch". Suddenly, cooking after a long day sounds so much better.
• while shopping at Whole Foods you see that an onion is $2.68 a lb. Don't onions come from the ground?
• you also see that a tuna steak at the same Whole Foods is $26.99 a lb. At Albertsons its $7.99 a lb. Both of which are frozen because you know damn well Orlando isn't near any damn fresh tuna catch of the days.
• while driving in traffic you realize that the people here in Orlando are a bunch of displaced Northern crazy drivers.
• that a "large vanilla" at Baskin Robbins/Dunkin' Donuts is either a 1 scoop, 2 scoop or 3 scoop. When the woman wouldn't give the counter person a defined version of "large", she blew up telling the counter person that she was the "guest" and in a cascade of F-Bombs (in front of children as well), that he had an attitude. Note to self: Thou should be nicer to the counter person - they can spit in your food. In a case of "power", they just trumped you.

Yeah - I can see why Orlando topped the list of America's Angriest Cities!

Posted by Lys :: 9:35 PM :: 0 comments

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Sunday, August 13, 2006

Sex & The City Quote of the Week...

Charlotte: I can't believe you're dating a politician. You're not even registered to vote!

Carrie: It's the undecideds they're really after

Posted by Lys :: 6:00 PM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, August 10, 2006

Fashion Plus...

This is an open invitation for everyone to visit Fashionista +, a fashion blog devised by Reese & myself. This is a labor borne out of frustration for today's fashion choices and to maybe point some real women who have curves into a more fashionable direction.

Granted, its a work in progress, but if you like what you see, feel free to bookmark, blogroll, or visit from time to time. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Posted by Lys :: 1:45 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006

That's It... I'm SO in the wrong city..

Reese shocked the livin' daylights out of me the other day when she ever so casually "bumped" into George Clooney. Yeah - you heard me - the wench literally bumped into the man of my dreams and then commandeered him for herself, leaving me with "the other George" (as in George Eads). Well, I would love me some George Eads, however, that's not the same as George Clooney - that’s like comparing a Louis Vuitton with it's very distant knock off cousin from Canal Street in NYC, ya know. It's NOT George Clooney. You can read about her adventures here.

Then - the gal rubs salt into the wound by saying "Well - he IS shooting on the lot until mid-September." You know what - I'm so in the wrong city - imagine just walkin' around at lunch and *boom* in front of you is George Clooney. *Sigh* She sees EVERYONE around town. Let's not even discuss her "encounter" with Matthew Perry - the universe is bent on torture, IMO. All we have around here is a random boybander, Lou Pearlman and occasionally Tiger Woods - nothing swoon-like at all.

Reese - lets hope Mr. Swooney is around during Grammy time - what is the name of that steak place again that he frequents? I think the Ivy is off the list of sites to visit.

Photo courtesy of LaineyGossip.

Posted by Lys :: 3:29 PM :: 2 comments

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---------------oOo--------------- Show Me The Coupons...

Yes, I know - I'm one of the queens of internet shopping among my friends. However, in my favor, I rarely shop online unless I have a coupon or am getting cash back of some sort (or both if I am lucky!). Anywayz.. I was pleasantly surprised when PayPerPost offered this little jewel on the Internet Shopping Nile… CouponChief.com

I was able to find coupons from everything to makeup to DVDs and you bet your bottom dollar that when I need to buy a new TV to replace the one in the living room that "kicked the bucket", I will stop by here before I make my final decision on which lovely online retailer (BestBuy or Circuit City) will get my $$$ (and has in-store pickup cuz you know this gal is not going to pay for shipping let alone trust UPS with something expensive - they did break my damn couch AND my coffee table - inept idiots - but that's a rant for another day).

Now - I wonder if they got a coupon for that NARS stuff.. Wait - Drugstore.com AHHHHH.. I think I found a new friend.

*This Blog Post has been brought to you by PayPerPost. My Opinion, as always, is my own*

coupon code(s) -or- online coupon(s)

Posted by Lys :: 2:43 PM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, August 08, 2006

On the Hunt...

When we were in Vegas, Meowmix pointedly asked me when I decided to dress all "girly-girl". Honestly, I don't know if it was the Florida sunshine or the weight loss or what, but this gal looks good in a damn skirt. So, you can imagine my shock this weekend when I go to pull a dress out of my closet for a friend's wedding, and find it bare like Mother Hubbard's cupboard.

• Well - there was the dress that I wore to the International Dance Music Awards a few years ago but, nah - it has to go to the dry cleaners.
• There was my Grammy dress, but that was way too formal for this event. Not to mention, I need to have the hem resewn - my heels - the streets of LA walking to the arena - non-mixy things.
• Well - then I had my white skirt, lace top and military jacket - looked too much like the damn JC Penny ad (cute outfit but so not for a wedding)
• Finally -there was my new brown/black chiffon skirt that I wore in Vegas. However, the tops that go with it were way too casual.
• We'll forget the beige circle skirt & cropped jacket - too suity for the wedding and lets not even get into the full length leather skirt I have. (However, it just dawned on me - I have a full length leather skirt with a sleeveless mock neck top that I got from Newport News 5 years ago that has *never* been worn.. hmmm.. remind me to check that for suit options this fall).

So, much to my dismay - I didn't have anything dressy that wasn't too "worky". I wound up wearing my favorite coral blazer, a pearl camisole and black pants, but still... I should have been more girly-girl. It was my friend's wedding after all.

So, if I will ever get out of my shopping funk, there are a couple dresses that I am interested in checking out - Reese is recommending Nordys and A Pretty Pear is recommending a gorgeous dress at Torrid. If y'all ever met Reese - she's got impeccable fashion taste - as I found out once when we both showed up for a trip to Philly with the same skirt in different colors. (Hey - that skirt is still in my closet - hmmm..yet another undiscovered treasure). So when she recommends something that she thinks is *so me*, much like E.F. Hutton - I'll listen.

Now if only my legs won't look so shockingly Addams Family White...

Posted by Lys :: 11:34 PM :: 0 comments

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---------------oOo--------------- Baby Steps, People...Baby Steps...

I'm thinking of slowly getting back to the shopping Moi that I know I can be now that my friend's wedding is over and no more shopping is required ... it's going to take some time, but I'm thinking that I might, perhaps, start with this. Now this sounds and smells heavenly. Now that I'm wearing skirts more, this might make me a tad less Casper the Friendly Flippin' Ghost and more Va-Va-Voom, if ya know what I mean.

Updates forthcoming... If anyone has tried it, please let me know your opinion. I know, I know - its a tad pricey but every makeup artist I've talked to recommends this product so, I guess, if it's *that* good, the investment might be worth it.

Labels: Shopping

Posted by Lys :: 5:54 PM :: 0 comments

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---------------oOo--------------- PayPerPost Review

PayPerPost wanted my thoughts on their service. Granted I haven't been blogging as much recently, but that's due to my previous break. I was beyond pleasantly surprised when I logged into my email and I received my first payment.

Now, many bloggers are either for or against PayPerPost, however, I find that some of the topics that they present to be interesting, the sites fun to research and you never know what you may discover. You are able to choose what you wish to blog about, your tone and if you agree or disagree. Did I sell my soul to the devil, nah - not for this. Will it help out towards Lys' shoe fund - most definitely.

Seriously - it's a decent site and you have control. It’s your words and your thoughts, not some recycled copy from some ad exec driving a Mercedes. As I always say, this post has been brought to you by PayPerPost. However, as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can't beat that.

http://www.payperpost.com

http://www.counttrackula.com/tracker/image/129/914"/>

Posted by Lys :: 12:11 PM :: 0 comments

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Monday, August 07, 2006

What's a Fashionista?

My mother shocked the living @*!*!@*# out of me the other day when she candidly asked, "What's a Fashionista?" My mother - the ORIGINAL fashionista - was unaware of the meaning of this label. Quick - get that woman some Ginko Biolba, stat!

Granted, my mom and I have our issues, more complex than can be explained, but one thing we always *got* was fashion. This is a woman who lived by the Vogue mantra, wore trends ahead of them breaking mainstream and shopped at The Forgotten Woman in NYC before Oprah gave it cred to her viewers. She knew how to tell a real Gucci or Louis Vuitton from a fake. She introduced me to shopping in "the city" aka Manhattan for fall and spring wardrobes. She knew the importance of quality over quantity (well, most of the time anywayz.) I don't always agree with the amounts of $$$ she would spend on this stuff, but back then to be able to tell my friends - "Sorry - I have to go to NYC to go shopping" (insert groan here) - truth be told, I loved hanging out with her and her friends as we visited Bloomies, Saks and countless stores up and down 5th Avenue.

She was one of the people I got some of my fashion mantras from (along with Ms. Kelly Ripa and Susie Pollick back in the day at DPUSA). My mom taught me the basics of looking at the mirror and making sure it fits correctly, that the shoes went with the outfit, and to always look put together. Kelly taught me the wonders of rockin' a mean stiletto and not falling, rhinestones *were* good with every outfit and Aquanet (at that time) was our friend. Susie taught me that Jewelry was *vital* (back then the bigger the better w/ earrings), the importance of cat eyes & eyeliner (for her it HAD to be blue - I however prefer more of a teal - makes the eyes pop and not as heavy nowadays) and we didn't have to look all slutty to be cute :) Oh - and to not look at the camera. I hated that damn camera. Now, there were trends I subjected myself to that I regret now - i.e. that damn bubble skirt, or when I had extensions 3 months later from cutting off all the hair only to have one of the producers go "Wow - your hair grows fast". What I wanted to tell Betsy that my hair was faker than the chicks from Sweet Sensation.

My mom's downfall is her hair. She needs to change her haircolor to a more normal shade of red and less of a tomato color. When she wears that with her red suit - talk about seeing her from a mile away. One of the most vivid memories of my mother's fashion sense, was this gorgeous buttery soft camel long leather skirt that was just too much for words. She would wear this with a tan angora and leather inset cowlneck sweater and a pair of boots. So chic and classic!! Needless to say, when I got a couple years older, during the divorce, she couldn't fit into this particular outfit and I was able to. You can bet your bottom dollar that this outfit was so timeless (well - for the 80s) that I could wear it not only around town, but also in Philly - oh how I miss that outfit. During the move it somehow disappeared.

Many lessons I carried on through the years, however adapting to the trends/classic edge. I'm more of an Audrey Hepburn style with a dash of Oprah. So when my mother asked "What a Fashionista" was, I realized that she had succumbed to that mindsucker, QVC/HSN and really was thinking that *they* knew the trends. So, for the holidays, I will be getting her a subscription to InStyle, Shop AND Lucky. She needs to realize that while she may be older, she's still fashionable. Even Lauren Hutton models the latest trends for Spiegel and they are pretty up on the times. They really don't cater to the same markets that QVC & HSN do. Now don't get me wrong - home shopping - hey whatever works. However, do NOT believe those hosts when they tell you that "Ponchos are in for fall". Hon, they have been out for about 2 seasons - get thee to Devil Wears Prada - STAT!

Posted by Lys :: 6:24 PM :: 0 comments

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Sunday, August 06, 2006

This Week's S&TC Wisdom...

Carrie: When you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun, then you grow up and learn to be cautious; you could break a bone, or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes you don't leap at all because there's not always someone there to catch you. And in life, there is no safety net. When did it stop being fun and start being scary?

Labels: SATC

Posted by Lys :: 8:23 PM :: 0 comments

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---------------oOo--------------- MMMmmmmmmmmmmm

Highly recommend this recipe - even Roomie gives her approval!

Posted by Lys :: 7:42 PM :: 0 comments

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Saturday, August 05, 2006

I Succumbed...

And with a 20% off coupon at FatWallet not to mention cash back, I purchased my first Cuisinart for only $23.00. Granted it's a "Mini Chopper" but hell - it's a way to start, right? As I've decided to get the "big girl version" when I buy the house, I figured this could help me cook a bit more at home...

Lately, I've been getting home from work and, upon arrival, I just don't feel like doin' squat. I guess most of that is from dealing with the emotional heave-ho I'm facing, but still. So, I decided that it was time to invest in a little somethin' that relaxes me. Cooking is one of those things I love doing. Don't know why I started playing Iron Chef - I just have. Over the past month or so, I have noticed that I'm more likely to grab take-out on the way home and my wallet is screaming for mercy. I'm a tad "empty pocketed" this month playing bill catch up, and I think I'm going to have to tighten the belt (both literally AND figuratively.)

So, with that being said, this gal is going to make a vow here on this blog to eat out only 2 x a week (either lunch or dinner) and cook or bring in lunch the rest. I'm even planning my meals ahead of time - now THAT is a shocker.

My Starbucks runs, however, stay the same. If I'm taking that 20 minute walk 3 x a week - I figure those 20 minutes of me clearing my head and taking a break midday is well worth the $4.10 investment for my Nonfat Iced Venti Caramel Macchiato. Much like the mastercard commercial, that time out of the office is priceless.

Posted by Lys :: 6:24 PM :: 0 comments

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