My Style Monday and Gameday!

It's another edition of Game Day My Style Monday!

I wore the strapless dress most of the day but the white cardigan when I got cold.

The dress that Hubs got me for our anniversary from "What a girl wants"

Cardigan is from F21

Boots: target

Necklace: Target

Earrings: Etc by Nikki

We got down to Tuscaloosa on Friday, to set up the tailgate.. and *gasp* someone had stolen our spot. Now, we may not own this spot, but it's been our for a while. 

 So, what did we do? We got as close as we could to the other tents. We are mature like that. 

They ended up moving their tents back.

 Late night Target shopping brought us upon this.. 

It's fun.. in da-middle. I am not sure why this was so funny to us. 

 I spied Big AL... and I had to get my pic with him.. even if he did mess up my hair. 

 I got some red sparkly nail polish at Sephora.. it's called "What's your Poison?" Get it.. like a poison apple??

I forgot to take pictures from once people actually showed up at the tailgate.. but it was a good time had by all, with lots of laughs that wouldn't be funny to you, since you weren't there. But.. you are invited!! 

I took this picture for Becca.. I realize the game was a nobody, but there was no sense in the woman next to me falling asleep. I mean, you could only cat nap with the 2 boys that got up at least 10 times a piece before halftime. 

 This picture got a little out of order.. whoops. 

One of the many reasons I love sitting in the zone.. besides real chairs, a locker, air conditioning, and all the Cherry Coke I can drink.. is the red velvet cupcakes. 

Also.. I have a complaint. The student section should NOT be this empty at halftime. It's not cool with me. 

Oh yeah... one more reason I love the one.. Cup holders.

There's only one way to celebrate a victory in my book. And it's doing the Cupid Shuffle in your tailgating neighbors tent. 

Now.. onto my running lately.

The plan was for me to get up Saturday morning before we left for the tailgate and go run my long run of 6 miles.. I mapped out my run only to be told my way in and out of Jay's weren't the best running ideas that I had. So, I decided to go with my safety over my run. The run went through a bad part of town and a busy section with no sidewalks, on top of the fact I forgot my Garmin.. so I decided to a) not get stabbed b) not get hit by a car and c) not get lost. 

I said, "Oh, I'll just do 8 on Sunday instead." So.. I set out to hit the treadmill. Sunday was one of those days where nothing went right. I took my iPad to the gym so I could watch Gossip Girl and found this beauty and thought my luck had turned around!

A PINK treadmill!! I knew my day was sure to pick up! But.. alas, technology hated me and I couldn't figure out how to get the Gossip Girl to play full episodes on the iPad. 

Also.. it was brought to my attention that my treadmill running has been so easy since I don't do an incline, therefore my road races kick my booty because the road is harder to run on then the treadmill. So, I decided to start running on a 1 incline.. which, is taking some getting used to and makes me feel like I am the most out of shape person ever. Which really does a number on my mental toughness. I am extremely stressed right now, and I let all of the other things that I needed to be doing come crashing down on top on my run and I started to feel like I was drowning. I did something I have never done before. I quit. Yep. I stopped running and got off the treadmill. The whole time I was disgusted with myself but I knew what was coming. A mental breakdown. I could feel it coming last week. Being gone on vacation, running a business, 5 weekends in row being out of town-2 of which are out of state, gymnastics, school, laundry, cleaning the house, training, Ladies of the Houndstooth, photography assignments and projects, social networking... it's all so much. Because everything needs something from me. Right. NOW. I guess a good description of me right now is overwhelmed. Or over booked. Or not enough hours in a day.. Take your pick. 

So, instead of throwing a fit and crying and taking it all out on John, I decided to sit down and write out a list. And I delegated certain tasks for John and am trying to look at what is the most important for my mental health to get finished this week. I feel like a mature adult, acting like that! 

I will try to be around the Internets this week.. but I can't make any promises, as I need to drop a ball or two that I am currently juggling. 

See you on the Flip Side. 

Ahh.. Saturday.

Saturday. A day for relaxing. Right? Well, what was going to be a fun day for Princesses, quickly turned to crap. A stop at Duchess Doughnuts, first thing, earned Addison the beating of her life because she ran out into the road after I told her to stay right by me. 

Yes, I beat the crap out of her in the middle of the road. Right after I had my heart attack.

She continued to not listen, which had me wondering if she is just now starting to get jealous of Claire? Is that even possible? 

I must show you my new snack. Toast, Nutella, and banana. YUMMY. 

Also thought I would share my new favorite summer dish. It's called Summer Pasta. I used penne, because we had it at the house, but you can use any kind.

Mix 1 cup EVOO, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, 4 Roma tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper together and let it get to room temperature.

The keep to this, is letting the pasta cool off some. I noticed the last time that the cheese melted immediately, and caused for clumpy cheese, but I let it cool a little this time and it didn't.

I mixed faster this time also.

Mmmm... yummy. If you like pasta, garlic, and tomatoes.. it's delish.

But then.. I had this to do.. (Which didn't get done.)

I blew up a pool and a bouncy ball and let the girls fight over them. Seriously.

The sat in the pool and watched Pinocchio.

And I looked like this at the end of the day. Crazy hair. Crazy eyes. Nutella on the face.

The moral of this story? Don't let your husband go out of town for 3 days. Especially when your children are daddys girls.

A New "Family Trip"

In approximately 12 days, I will be boarding a plane headed for Jamaica. We are going to Sandals. I am so excited, because we have never done anything like this. We always go on cruises, and after the last one, I put my foot down. I said, NO MORE, until you take me somewhere else. You see, the last time we went on a cruise, Addison was Claire's age. John didn't want to take her, he said it wasn't a good idea. But this trip was labeled a "family trip" which now included her. So, I said, either she goes or I don't.

John's parents rented the MAC DADDY room on the Liberty of the Seas, which was Royal Caribbeans newest ship at the time. The Presidential Suite was all ours. It was HUGE. 4 bedrooms and baths, plus a living room with a balcony which covered the entire back of the boat with an outdoor bar and a hot tub. This place was awesome.

The first night, Addison threw up a little. But I figured it was just from sea sickness. She didn't have anymore problems. The third morning on the boat, which was our first port- John woke up not feeling well. Since this was during John's anxiety times, we ended up in the Infirmary. Where they confirmed that John was indeed sick with the Noro Virus. In case, you haven't ever heard of it, it's the sickness they warn you about on cruises. It's highly contagious and an airborne pathogen. We were now quarantined to our room for 36 hours. John was the first victim. I fell not 4 hours later. We are talking, you would take death over this virus. It's vomiting and diarrhea. Sometimes simultaneously. For 24 hours. I seriously contemplated having them helicopter me out of there and back onto American soil where I could die in peace. They came in changed all the sheets everyday. Cleaned the bathrooms, everyday. The only upside to it was everything had to be delivered to the room and it was comped. We paid for NOTHING while we quarantined. Poppy's beer? Free. Water? Free. They brought us anything we asked for. And we paid nothing for it. Once the vomited and diarrhea ceased, you feel like you have been hit with a baseball bat for a good 4-5 days. No appetite. Weak. It took a good 2 weeks to feel normal again.

Joseph was the third victim, followed closely by Jay and MeMac. Poppy was the last. Tracie never got it and while Addison never showed signs of it, we found out that she was the carrier for it, and since everyone had to take care of her while we were sick, they got it. Tracie had been on antibiotics the week before, so we figured that's why she didn't get it.

We missed one of our ports, but we were able to get off at Cozumel. We came home with a story, that's for sure. That expensive fabulous room became somewhere we never wanted to see again.

This was also the week before Christmas, so once we got back, through all the get togethers and dinners, Addison ended up passing it to every.family.member. My aunts, uncles, cousins, Dad, Karen, Mom and Bill. Even my Grandmother, who had to go the hospital with it and passed it around her nursing home. They were ALL sick on Christmas that year. MeMe didn't get it, b/c by that time, we knew what had happened, thanks to Google, and didn't allow her around Addison.

So, this is the story that takes my guilt away for a "family trip" without my children. I don't care what anyone says- that was hell. Pure and utter, Hell.

Very First Vlog

Okay, I'm really worried that I sound like a redneck. Also, I can't seem to stop playing with my hair.





So, if Nick Pappageorgio comes to look at your house, don't let him in!! :) I'm off to try to hang on to my sanity!