Handbags & Handguns

Blog Every Day in May - Day 14

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:00:00 +0000

I'm late posting once again because our internet is still spazzing out. We have a tech coming to the house, but not until Sunday. {That's what I like to call excellent customer service, folks.} I'm enjoying another random day at home. Some of you have been wondering why I've been off work so much. To make a long story short, my company is "transitioning". Until it's complete, I'm getting to take some time off before things get crazy busy. I'm not
going to complain. My house has never been cleaner, and I can see the floor of my laundry room.

May 14 - Ten things that make you really happy

1. Random days off
2. The fact that I'm caught up on laundry
3. The sound of my children laughing
4. Olivia Pope + Fitzgerald Grant
5. 80 degrees + sunshine
6. I realized yesterday that I stopped biting my nails over a year ago. I still can't believe I did it!
7. Clean sheets
8. Receiving goodies in the mail
9. Cheese dip + margaritas
10. A book so good it makes me forget about real life

What makes you happy?

Blog Every Day in May - Day 13

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:00:00 +0000

May 13 - Issue a public apology.

I'm sorry I'm late with today's post. I was going to blog over the weekend, but didn't for various reasons. I cleaned. I did laundry. I read. I relaxed. I watched Scandal over and over again. Also, our internet has been spotty. It's hard to blog when the signal keeps going in and out. Sometimes I blog at work, but I was off again today for my son's award program. My smart boy received the Outstanding Reader award. As an avid reader, this makes me very proud.

My first born is one awesome kid.

That's all.

Blog Every Day in May - Days 10, 11 & 12

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

May 10 - Most embarrassing moment(s)

I'm a lucky girl. I don't embarrass too easily and haven't had a lot of situations go horribly wrong.

There was this one time my freshman year of college. I was walking down a flight of stairs with some friends, got distracted and totally missed the last two steps. I twisted my ankle and fell to the ground. My friends made sure I was ok then started laughing at me. {It's ok. I was laughing too.} I looked around and didn't see anyone else. I thought I was safe until I heard a guy from the landing above yell, "DAAAAAMN!" So yeah, that was a little embarrassing.

Fun fact: I'm not a klutz, but I have sprained each of my ankles over ten times each. I blame cheerleading.

May 11 - Sell yourself in 10 words or less.

I live my life in rap lyrics and Friends quotes.

May 12 - What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life)

I won't lie. Sometimes, I miss my younger days.

You know, when my parents paid the bills and my biggest worry was what I was going to wear to da club.

Speaking of da club, this used to be my jam.

Way deep down south
Yo we play this game
It's them Quad City DJ's
And yo, we call it the train

C'mon N' Ride It (The Train) (Acapella) by Quad City DJs on Grooveshark

Linking up with Jenni + Whitney

Blog Every Day in May - Day 9

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:45:00 +0000

May 9 - A moment in your day

Normally, I'd be at work in the middle of the day.

Today, I'm home alone.

Well, I'm not totally alone.

These two fools are here.

It's 73 degrees and party cloudy.

Why not spend a little time outside?

I really should be cleaning.

Maybe in a bit...

Ryan Gosling's in it? Count me in.

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:00:00 +0000

I've seen five movies in the theater this year.

So far, I've only reviewed two. Slacker!

How about I catch you up?

The bestie and I took our kids to see Oz the Great and Powerful way back in March. This is a prequel to The Wizard
of Oz. I went in with low expectations and came out pleasantly surprised. I thought the movie itself was visually stunning. The story kept my attention. I really liked everyone in the cast too. You've got James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis, and Zach Braff. They're reportedly writing a sequel which I'm anxious to see.

I was originally supposed to see Pain & Gain with my friend Kelly. Long story short.. Tony and I had a babysitter. He only wanted to see this. I promised Kelly I'd see it with her too. {Who doesn't want to see The Rock and Marky Mark twice?} I knew the movie was based on a true crime story, but not much else. I wanted to see it because it looked funny and because of the obvious eye candy. The movie is highly entertaining, funny, dramatic, and very serious at times. The story itself is pretty messed up. There's violence, cursing and nudity, which I know isn't for everyone. My favorite part of the movie was The Rock's character. He played Paul, a bad guy with a good heart. The Rock isn't just a pretty face anymore. He really shows off his improved acting chops. When it was over, all I really wanted was to
give him a big hug. Added bonus -- you get a quick peek of Marky Mark in some tight white Calvin Klein underpants.

This past weekend, I had an impromptu dinner and movie date with one of my very best girlfriends from high school. We had Mexican and margaritas before seeing The Place Beyond the Pines. I had seen one preview which doesn't really give you any idea what the film is about. The cast includes Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, Bradley Cooper, and Ray Liotta. Ryan Gosling is a poor fellow who turns to robbing banks to provide for his family. The story is absolutely heartbreaking. Something happened early on that left me stunned. There are parts that really dragged for me. In the end, I think the various character storylines pull you in. I left the theater wondering whether I liked the movie or not. I ultimately have to go with yes since I was still talking about it three days later. It just sticks with you.

Other movies I've seen this year:
Gangster Squad
Silver Linings Playbook

2013 Met Gala Fashion; My Faves

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:00:00 +0000

Alexander Skarsgard
~~Best Dressed~~
Hottest Guy in a Tux

Kristen Stewart in Stella McCartney
I don't love pantsuits.
I don't even love the fit of this one.
I will give her credit for wearing this though.
She stands out.
The color is fantastic.
What I most love is her hair and makeup.
Her stylist really does a great job when it comes to big events.

Minka Kelly in Carolina Herrera
This clearly isn't punk-inspired.
It is gorgeous though.
I love love love it!

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior
I love the netted veil.
Once again, her makeup looks great.
At 22, she really knows how to work a red carpet.

Nina Dobrev in Monique Lhuillier
Nina is quickly becoming a fashion icon.
I'm not sure if it's her, or the work of a stylist.
Either way, someone's on fire.
It's a bustier jumpsuit with a leather harness and flouncy skirt over pants!
Hello? Killed it.

Taylor Swift in J. Mendel
I like that Taylor continues to dress out of her comfort zone.
The look gives her a hard edge, but she still manages to look feminine.

Anne Hathaway in Valentino
Anne really needed to make up for her horrible Oscar dress.
I have never liked her red carpet looks.
I have to hand it to her.
This rocks.

Jennifer Lopez in Michael Kors
I think JLo, her overall look and the dress speak for themselves.
She is a red carpet knockout once again.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Giles Deacon with a Philip Treacy headdress
Who else can wear a giant mohawk headdress and get away with it?
She loves fashion, and I love her for it.
Carrie Bradshaw 4ever.

That's all, folks.
xx

images via People, InStyle & Huffington Post

2013 Met Gala Fashion; What the Frock

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Ladies, you're doing it wrong.

Anna Wintour
The silhouette's not bad. I just don't think this works on a 63-year-old.

Nicole Richie
She looks like Heat Miser.

Sienna Miller
Throwing a studded jacket on doesn't make it punk.
Also, the dress is too long.

Elizabeth Banks
It looks like she's wearing one of Elton John's blazers without pants.

Katy Perry
I don't like the dress, crown, earrings, or hair.
The shoes are bad too.

Julianne Hough
I feel like she went for punk princess, but fell short.

Christina Ricci
Plaid & pantyhose? Really?

Kim Kardashian
Head-to-toe floral when you're pregnant?
Seriously, her heels were the same print.
And did you notice the gloves?
What the frock, Kim?
What the frock!

Ginnifer Goodwin
They eyes are too distracting.

Miley Cyrus
A lot of people love this because it's punk.
I think it's too much.

Donatella Versace
I actually like this. I just think it's wrong for her.

images via People & Huffington Post

2013 Met Gala Fashion; Birds of a Feather

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:45:00 +0000

These ladies confused punk with 'dress like a bird'.

January Jones

Kirsten Dunst

Rosie Huntington-Whitely

Florence Welch

Lily Collins

images via People

2013 Met Gala Fashion; Better than Meh

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:30:00 +0000

These ladies get a pass even if I'm not totally in love with their looks.

Kate Beckinsale
I don't particularly care for the dress, but she looks fierce.

Aubrey Plaza
I like the dress because it's different. I like the heels too.

Madonna
Does she look ridiculous? Yes, of course, but she's Madonna.

Leslie Mann
I think the necklace is too big, but I really like this dress on her.

Emmy Rossum
It's not great, but it's not bad either.

Lena Dunham
This is a huge improvment. She usually looks horrible.

Jessica Biel
Surprisingly enough, I don't hate this. It's not boring. There's that.
She's just so pretty!

Rooney Mara
I don't like the front, but I do love the back.
If the makeup weren't so harsh...

images via People & Huffington Post

2013 Met Gala Fashion; Cutout Trend

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:30:00 +0000

One hot trend on the red carpet is dresses with cutouts.

If you've got great abs and don't have love handles, I say go for it.

However, several of these still bore me.

Jessica Hart

Carey Mulligan

Emma Watson

Miranda Kerr

Nicki Minaj

Jessica Alba

Olivia Wilde & Jason Sudeikis

images via People

Thoughts:
Jessica Alba's dress is very pretty.
Jason looks great in his tux. Why ruin it with tennis shoes?

2013 Met Gala Fashion; Bored to Tears

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Nothing new...

Nothing exciting...

Jennifer Morrison

Ivanka Trump

Heidi Klum

Jaime King

Amanda Seyfried

Blake Lively

Michelle Dockery

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Renée Zellweger

Alicia Keys

Claire Danes

Zooey Deschanel

Marion Cotillard

Cameron Diaz

Julianne Moore

images via People

2013 Met Gala Fashion; Big Letdowns

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

I expected more from these ladies.

It's like they forgot where they were going.

Michelle Williams in Saint Laurent

Diane Kruger in Chanel

Gwen Stefani in Maison Martin Margiela

Gwyneth Paltrow in Valentino Couture

Kerry Washington in Vera Wang

Chloe Sevigny in Proenza Schouler

images via People

2013 Met Gala Fashion; Sister Sister

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:15:00 +0000

The Costume Institute Gala or Met Gala is always one of my favorite red carpet events.

This year's theme was "PUNK: Chaos to Couture".

Some took full advantage of the theme while others completely missed the mark.

Mary-Kate Olsen in Vintage Chanel & Ashley Olsen in Vintage Dior
I just can't with these two. They're young and beautiful.
Why must they always dress so badly?

Dakota & Elle Fanning in Rodarte
I love that they're wearing the same designer.
I also love that Elle always pushes the envelope.
Dakota - like; Elle - dislike

Solange Knowles in Kenzo & Beyoncé Knowles in Givenchy
I feel like Solange is dressed for another party.
A lot of people love Beyoncé's dress. I don't.

Stay tuned. There's lots more to come.

images via People

Blog Every Day in May - Days 7 & 8

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000

May 7 - The thing(s) you're most afraid of

heights
spiders
cockroaches
enclosed spaces
a murderer hiding in my closet
something bad happening to my kids

May 8 - A piece of advice you have for others

I think Emma Watson said it best.

Stay tuned for a full Met Gala fashion recap.

2013 Kentucky Derby Fashion

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

One item on my mom's bucket list is to attend the Kentucky Derby. One item on my bucket list is to take my mom
to the Kentucky Derby. I want to wear a fancy dress, tall heels and a ridiculous hat. I want to drink mint juleps
whilst rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. I want to place my bets, sit back and enjoy the ~~show~~ race.

Doesn't it look like so much fun?

We all know I'd fit right in.

images via Kentucky Derby

Here's a look at the fashion from this year's event.

I included some randoms you won't know simply because they looked interesting.

Jane Seymour
I'm digging the red + nude heels on Jane.

Coco Rocha
She looks like an old lady.

Whittney Allen
Unfortunately for Miss Kentucky, she looks more like a call girl than a beauty queen.

Star Jones
Her hat looks like a lampshade with feathers.

Lauren Conrad
It's too monotone. How about some bright lips, Lauren?

Angela Bassett
Meh.

Krysten Ritter
I mostly like this except for the shoes.

Angela Zatopek
It's the Kentucky Derby not the MTV Movie Awards.

Martina McBride
It's ok. She could use a pop of color somewhere too.

Mallory Hagan
I feel like this is almost perfect. Maybe if the skirt were the same material as the top...

Taylor Dayne
Sorry, this is all I've got.
"Tell it to my heart
Tell me I'm the only one
Is this really love or just a game"

Jennifer Tilly
At least she has color on her lips...

Miranda Lambert
I like her heels, but that's about it.

Jo Dee Messina
I think the dress is all wrong for the Derby.

Bonnie-Jill Laflin
With less boobage, this could have worked.

Jordan Phillips
I would never wear it, but this look is very Derby.

Kid Rock
I don't want to hear it. My boyfriend can do no wrong.

Joey Fatone
See? At least Kid Rock didn't wear this.

Josh Henderson
It would have been Derby perfection with different shoes.

Stephen Amell
I'm digging the navy and green, but his shoes are all wrong too.

Chelsea Killman & Marlee Lathren
One looks like Cruella de Vil and the other looks like Lilly Pulitzer threw up on her.

Priscilla & Patricia Barnstable
Is this what Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield look like now?

Luke Bryan & Caroline Boyer
Bravo, Luke Bryan. You nailed it.

Jason Biggs & Jenny Mollen
It's not great, but it'll do.

Tiki Barber & Traci Lynn Johnson
Her accessories aren't working for me.

Travis Tritt & Theresa Nelson
Um, no.

images via Huffington Post & Go Fug Yourself

Blog Every Day in May - Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:30:00 +0000

May 6 - If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?

Since I work full-time outside the home, I feel it's worth mentioning. I'm a mortgage loan processor. I recently
started at a new company. The ladies I work with are great. We work hard, but still manage to have fun.

I certainly don't define who I am by my 9-to-5 job though.

I'm a daughter, a wife, a mother, and a best friend.

So, I do a lot of things.

hug      kiss
love      play
laugh      dance
think      teach
listen      speak
share      enjoy

Stay tuned for Kentucky Derby fashion.

Blog Every Day in May - Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Mon, 06 May 2013 01:30:00 +0000

May 5 - Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends.
What makes them great? Why do you love them?

Let me introduce you to Christina.

If you already know Christina, you know how amazing she is.

If you don't, you will know soon enough.

I have a lot of blog friends, several of which I hope to meet someday. {You know who you are.} Christina from Easily Entertained is my number one though. She is my blog bestie. We are the same age. We are both married with two kids. We both think Britney Spears is awesomesauce. She gets my love of Friends. We watch the same tv shows, read the same books and listen to the same music. I love celebrities and pop culture. Guess what? So does Christina!
What else? Oh yeah, I talked her into watching Homeland, and she talked me into watching Scandal.

The only problem with our friendship is that she lives too far away. I'm in Tennessee. She's in Washington. We were able to meet last year when she came through Memphis though. One of these days, we'll get together again.
Until then, we have our lengthy GMail and Twitter conversations about anything and everything.

If you read and love my blog, I can guarantee you'll love hers too.

Promise. ♥

Blog Every Day in May - Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:30:00 +0000

May 4 - Favorite quote and why you love it

I love it because it fits.

I believe in every single one of these things too.

♥

Blog Every Day in May - Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:30:00 +0000

I'm seriously loving this linkup, the prompts and the comments I've been receiving.

It seems like all of you are having as much fun as I am.

So, yay!

Today, you get to find out what makes me cringe.

May 3 - Things that make you uncomfortable

• parents yelling at their kids in public
• women who can't walk in heels
• knocking on the door of a house I've never been to
• strangers invading my space
• people who mispronounce library and supposedly
• men in tiny jogging shorts
• getting friend requests from strangers on Facebook
• panhandlers + hitchhikers
• wedgies

Is Jennifer Aniston really pregnant this time?

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

On one hand, I hate to blog about this at all.

Let the poor woman get knocked up in peace.

When Jennifer Aniston wants us to know she's pregnant, she will tell us.

But really, when you wear a dress like this and pose with your hand on your belly...

You're just asking for it.

Seriously, is this not the face of a woman taunting the masses?

Is she or is she not pregnant?

Place your bets, bloggers.

PS - I wonder who came on to whom.

Yes, that's right.

Brought it back around to Friends with another lesson in grammar.

You're welcome.

Blog Every Day in May - Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:30:00 +0000

May 2 - Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at

I'm not going to lie. Today's topic really stumped me. I can't draw. I can't cook. I can't sew. I can't sing or play an instrument. What does that leave? I'm a good driver. I'm an awesome mom. I'm even a pretty good employee.
Those are all boring though, right? Then it hit me as I was reading various blog posts this morning...
You people are getting an English lesson.

1. their, there, they're

These words are used and spelled differently.

• Their is a possessive adjective.
• There refers to a place.
• They're means they are.

Examples:
• Misty and Terri are fixing their hair.
• My purse is over there.
• They're watching The Vampire Diaries.

2. to, too, two

Again, these words are used and spelled differently.

• Use to as a preposition before a noun or as an infinitive before a verb.
• Use too as a synonym for also or to indicate excessiveness before a verb.
• Use two to spell out the number 2. Duh.

Examples:
• I'm going to the movies. --or-- I really don't need to buy another pair of shoes.
• I'm going to the movies, too! --or-- I do not have too many shoes!
• I'll have two margaritas, please.

3. your, you're

For this one, I leave you an 8 second instructional video courtesy of Ross Geller.

Hey!

That's one talent I definitely have.

Give me a subject, any subject, and I can relate it to an episode of Friends.

Go ahead.

Try me.

Speaking of the word definitely, it's not spelled defiantly.

That's a whole 'nother word, people.

Blog Every Day in May - Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

I've decided to join some fellow bloggers in the Blog Every Day in May challenge. There are thirty-one prompts for all thirty-one days. The genius behind this idea is Jenni from Story of My Life. It's a way for bloggers to get back to basics. You know, writing without all the pressure. Since some of the prompts only require brief answers, I may end up combining some of the days. If you'd like to join in for all or even some of the days, click the pretty button below.

May 1 - The story of your life in 250 words or less

I was born in Memphis in the spring of 1979. My parents divorced when I was young. For many years, it was just my mom and I. I went to private school and cheered competitively. I was spelling bee champion and talked too much in class. Junior high was tough, but not unbearable. I stopped cheering for a while, but started back my junior year. I was on homecoming court and voted “Wittiest” by my peers. I had the same boyfriend throughout high school. We broke up a lot. There was some partying and drinking during my college years. I studied Criminal Justice, but didn’t finish. That Algebra sure is a bitch. I met my future husband at 18 and got married at 23. I had my son at 26 and my daughter at 29. I’m 34 now and still living in Memphis. I love it and hate it here. I currently work as a mortgage loan processor. It’s not my dream job. It simply pays the bills. I still see some of my friends from elementary and high school. I feel like I should keep going until I hit 250 words. I love Kid Rock and mint chocolate chip ice cream. I hate commonly misspelled words and people who don’t wear shoes in public. The sky is blue. The grass is green. I really need to paint my fingernails. I’m hungry. What’s for lunch? This is a gigantic paragraph full of run-on sentences.
I do not care. Peace out.

I know it said 250 words or less, but that's exactly 250.

I win.

Bahama Breeze Review + Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

This past Friday night, I met up with five fellow bloggers for dinner at Bahama Breeze. I had only been to Bahama Breeze a handful of times before this. We were able to get whatever we wanted from the menu, including drinks, appetizers and entrées. We were also given one of each of their rice bowls. In total, there were six rice bowls to try.

They really gave us the VIP treatment. The manager came to our table and explained everything in detail. Our waiter was extremely nice and super patient. Six bloggers who don't know what they want and have to take pictures of everything... No problem! And he took two group photos for us because we all know one is never enough.

I had my usual drink of choice, a frozen mango margarita. {Ok, I had two!} I don't think I've ever been to Bahama Breeze and not had an alcoholic beverage of some kind. I've never been disappointed. We picked the coconut
shrimp and crispy onion rings as our appetizers. The coconut shrimp were delicious. I especially loved the
citrus-mustard dipping sauce. I don't eat onion rings, but judging by the empty plates, I'd say they were pretty
good too. I should also point out that their appetizer portions are large. This is a huge plus for me.

I ended up ordering another appetizer for my entrée. I chose the Skillet Simmered Jerk Shrimp. It was large boiled shrimp in a garlic-thyme butter sauce with Cuban bread for dunking. Y'all, it was so good. I ate all my shrimp
then dunked my bread until it was gone. The sauce was so delicious. I wanted to lick my bowl, but didn't.

Jaime, Jen-Marie, Natalie, Sarah, me, Wendy

On to the rice bowls... They have a variety of bowls which feature island flavors from all around the world. I was stuffed, so I only tried one out of the six. Plus, I'm a picky eater. I was brave though and tried one I wouldn't have chosen for myself. I tried the West Indies Chicken Curry. I'm not going to lie. We all really disliked this one. I'm guessing you really have to like curry. The Chipotle Beef, Carnitas and Shrimp Creole were the clear favorites. No one was digging the tofu bowl either. That's ok. You can't please everyone, and none of us are vegan anyway.

Overall, this was a great experience.

The food and service were excellent.

Talking and laughing with friends made it even better.

If you have a Bahama Breeze in your city, you should go!

Now, on to the fun stuff. If you live in the Memphis-area, enter the Rafflecopter below to win a Bahama Breeze "Cocktail Hour". You could win a cocktail party with free appetizers for an entire hour as well as one free cocktail per person. This is for a group of up to TWENTY people. *This prize is only valid for the Memphis-Wolfchase location.*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Our food + drinks were comped, but the opinions herein are all mine.*

Things You'll Never Hear Me Say

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

I heard about this fun linkup on Twitter last night.

So, here I am, sharing some things you'll never ever ever hear me say.

1. I'm so tired after my 5-mile run.

2. I just dropped $300 at J.Crew.

3. Christian Bale is so ugly.

4. I really enjoyed that salad.

5. Friends is the worst show ever.

6. I'm cutting out caffeine.

7. I love the heat and humidity.

8. Peach lotion smells so good.

9. I booked my first cruise!

10. Can you grab me a beer?

What are some things you'd never ever ever say?

Joey + Janice's Day of Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Misty) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a quick recap of my weekend in peeektures.

friday - local bloggers dinner at bahama breeze

saturday - mexican + movie date

sunday - arlington in april festival

linking up with sami + bre

*gold star if you get the reference in my post title*