Easter is coming!

This is Holy week and it is so important to remember the reason behind this week. I, like everyone else enjoy Easter baskets, Easter hunts, and lamb cakes, to name a few...

But Jesus died for our sins and that is the greatest gift of all. I mean he died for us, all of us, sinners. He died for you, he died for me, he died for that neighbor you can't stand, and all of the politicians good and bad. He did this because of his great love for us. While reflecting on the season of Easter and Holy week I thought I would share a few photos that I enjoy. To me they bring about the merriness of Easter Sunday and the Risen Lord. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.


















































































Enjoy your Holy Week! Do you have any traditions for Easter that you'd like to share? I so enjoy your stories, and traditions are wonderful to learn about.

P.S. My giveaway is still going on, make sure you've signed up for it for Lilly stationary!

Better to Give Than To Receive

Alright, here is it everyone. My very first giveaway. I mentioned I'd gone to the Lilly Store in Memphis, The Pink Door. I bought myself from adorable goodies, but I thought of you my wonderful readers. I feel such a great connection with so many of you and absolutely love love love reading your blogs. As a way to send thanks and perhaps spark up some buzz in the blogger world, here goes:

I am going to gift one lucky reader with some Lilly stationary.














In the Patchtastic print I have One Mini Notebook and in the Bamboo Patch print I have One Pocket Lilly Pad up for grabs. They are adorable, for journaling, writing out shopping lists, remembering birthdays, or whatever the heart can think of.
So here are the rules:
For 1 entry: You must be a follower and leave a comment
For 2 entries: You must also mention this giveaway in your own lovely blog
For 3 entries: You must have a fellow blogger become a follower and have them reference you in their comment.

The giveaway is open until Friday, perfect timing for a belated Easter gift from yours truly.

I wish you all the best of luck and hope this stationary brings you as much happiness as it does me.

The Darling South

I love the South, everything there is about it. Really, it's so comforting. I feel the south is like a breath of fresh air. It enables that feeling like visiting a grandmother who wants to take care of you. It's cozy and even if it's new, it's still familiar.

On the way down to Ocean Springs, Miss. we stopped in Memphis, Tenn. and Jackson, Miss. In Jackson I quickly used my Yelp.com application and found a cute restaurant called Julep. It reminded me of the wonderful blogger Pink Julep, and really the south in general. It also has won numerous awards for their fried chicken. Don't mind if I do.












I am uncertain on whether these photos even do this adorable place justice. The battered chicken melted in my mouth, I swear! It was delicious.

We continued our sojourn and landed in Ocean Springs, Miss. My Mom's Uncle and Aunt live there. Let me just say, I've never met them. They live roughly 14 hours away, and I was very nervous to meet these relatives, especially because I was staying in their home.

I think my great-aunt J may define hospitable. No, really. Look.

Hospitable. Pronunciation: \hä-ˈspi-tə-bəl, ˈhäs-(ˌ)pi-\

Function: adjective

Date: circa 1570

1 a : given to generous and cordial reception of guests b : promising or suggesting generous and cordial welcome c : offering a pleasant or sustaining environment d : Katie's great-aunt J

I told you, I can't make this stuff up.

They were affected by Katrina like so many others, but their home is ridiculously gorgeous. It basically belongs in a Southern Living Magazine article, I felt so blessed to stay with them. Their home has tremendous character. The planks in their wood floor are made from the roof of an old farm house that was hundreds of years old. Their mantle is a faux stone, yet you couldn't tell. And they are right on a bayou, though for the life of me I'll never be able to pronounce that darn word.












We ate at a variety of restaurants all with such character. In Chicago when you say "The Shedd" people assume you mean the aquarium. In Mississippi, they assume you mean the best barbeque and blues joint, even Regis and Kelly dubbed them "the best" on their show. Yes, that was their final answer. Sorry, I couldn't resist.


















I was sad to leave my newly met family, but we still had yet to embark on New Orleans.

NOLA is a city like no other. I had never seen such lively people, and everywhere. I must admit, those flooding out of Bourbon Street and down the main drag were a little crass for my style, but the city was more than enough to make up for its visitors. The first night we ate at Landry's and to my astonishment a man around the age of 60 at the table behind us was so drunk he fell asleep on the table. You can't see him in this photo though...


















We were exhausted too, but managed to make it back to our respectable beds before calling it a night. The next day was such fun. I again used my trusty blackberry Yelp app and found some of the cutest boutiques I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. I also walked around the city openly with a "Louisiana Lemonade" in tow. Not bad. My Mom was so excited to have craw fish, we don't have them up north. I withheld from the little critters, but didn't mind a photo or two...









I saw Coyote Ugly. Note to self, do not venture in alone, it's not like the movie. The bartender on stage had a microphone and commanded I come over by her. There were bikers everywhere and when I approached they all started to cheer. At this point I began to get a little warm and nervous. The bartender bellowed into her mic,"You entered Coyote Ugly, you saw the bikers everywhere and now you have two choices!" She took my hand and folded down all but two of my fingers before continuing to me and the audience. "You either get up on this bar and dance or you drink!" This was followed by tons of cheering and hooting by the local biker gang. I was clad in a dress, not that I would grace any bar top. I'm a lady, amateur hour ended many.years ago. I told her I'd prefer a drink, but didn't feel like paying for one at the moment. I only wanted to see what the atmosphere was, after all! Thankfully yet strangely, a woman who looked to be about 75 walked in with her family and I scampered the heck out of there. I ran! Only to hear the bartender beckon into her microphone,"We had ourselves a goody goody, look at that shy girl go!" What in the world...

While traipsesing through the city it is impossible to not run into fortune tellers. I found this both sad and ironic. Ironic because they are all camped out in front of the beautiful cathedral. I wish I could tell their patrons the only real answers they're going to get are from in those doors, not a crystal ball. A trash can went ablaze and after a few cocktails I asked one of the firemen if any of the fortune tellers had at least forewarned them, which he got a chuckle out of.


















Then like my post from the other night said, we stopped in Memphis. I was so excited to finally get to a Lilly Pulitzer store, and wanted to try on one of their little white dresses they produced for this summer. They didn't have it, but I picked up stationary. Lilly stationary is just so precious, it makes writing a note or a letter more fun. They had an adorable sales floor with a Lilly couch and gator.


















Downtown Memphis is adorable, and their carriages are lit up like Cinderella's pumpkin. I loved the lights, it felt a bit magical.


















And now I'm back to the grind...

Live From Memphis

I can't believe I am home to suburban Chicago tomorrow.
















But today, tonight, I am in Memphis, Tennessee.

I'm sure I will recap my travels more extensively with photos and stories, but right now I needed to send out an update for all y'all. Less than a week and I've taken to saying "y'all", something that will be nixed when I return home; replaced I am sure, with you guys. But in Memphis, it's okay.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this past week. I've been to:

• Memphis, Tenn.
• Jackson, Miss.
• Biloxi, Miss.
• Ocean Springs, Miss.New Orleans, La.

I think I've enjoyed the state of Tennessee the best, I've always loved Tennessee. It is the most hospitable state as a whole and so beautiful. Everyone seems so warm and inviting here, and there is a great deal to do.
What is your favorite state to visit, or maybe you've fallen so in love with it you've made it home? I'd love to hear!

P.S. This Chicagoan will not be returning empty handed, I will officially have my first give away next week, stay tuned.

Birthday Bonanza

So it was a few weeks late, but last night I went out and celebrated my birthday with my friends. It was really the first time a lot of people would be able to make it out, and I was so happy with the turn out.

We started the night off by going and getting sushi. I didn't realize that yesterday the Catholic church pardoned the eating of meat during lent for the day, due to St. Joseph's day. I felt terrible that a few of my friends who hadn't tried sushi weren't terribly fond of it.

After grabbing sushi we headed over to an irish pub that I love. There was a really great band playing that typically plays downtown, so it was a treat to get to see them play in my neck of the woods. Everyone seemed to have a good time and get along great.

I don't know if any of you ever feel nervous for this reason, but I seem to get nervous over the idea of different groups of friends coming together and having to entertain them differently. Maybe one knows your prim and proper side while another pal may be someone you grew up with and can make you laugh at the mention of some mundane experience from ten years ago. It's part of the reason only a handful of people who know me in person know about this blog. I get intimidated and nervous about everyone who knows me seeing my inner thoughts and ideas. I hope you can relate to this and it doesn't seem odd..

Anyway, here are some pictures from last night. I am truly blessed to have such great friends celebrate the night with me.






















































































Cheers to all of you! I hope everyone had an incredible weekend. I will be posting more infrequently next week, as I am going to Biloxi Mississippi and New Orleans with my Mom. We're going to visit her aunt and uncle whom I've never met and I am so excited! I have never been to either city. If anyone has any recommendations on places to visit, restaurants to eat at, or shops to check out please please let me know! I look forward to keeping you posted and reading your blogs while I am away.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."- Galatians 5:22-23

Baby Beluga in the Deep Blue Shedd

Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea...

If you could hear my singing voice you'd say,"That's enough Katie!"

Anyway, first, my apologies for being MIA for the past few days. I have been super busy this week and with Bob home most of my blog time has gone to him. It's not his fault, really.

Tuesday night I was so excited, my great-aunt Kay took my Mom and myself to an event at the Shedd Aquarium. The Shedd is Chicago's aquarium and is absolutely architecturally magnificent. It was thought up by John G Shedd, aka Marshall Field's right hand man. My aunt kept saying, "Can you imagine what that man envisioned for this aquarium and what it has grown to become?" So true!

The Shedd event was in honor of the aquarium's newest addition, a baby beluga! The baby was born this past December and is an adorable hefty boy. He is currently nameless but weighs in around 300 lbs. I took some photos of the Shedd's show Fantasea which premiered this year and started out the evening. It is so magical and the water in the auditorium gives the illusion of spilling out into Lake Michigan, as you'll see here..




































Pretty impressive affects, yes in my twenties I was still very amused.
Then came time to actually meet the Baby Beluga. He was darling, and might I say the first time I've ever thought 300+ lbs was darn cute. May I present, Baby and Mama..


















Alas, it was dinner time where we dined on our non fish entrees and marveled at the Shedd. One part has a glass floor with sting rays underneath. I'll keep my comfortable distance, thank you.


















Afterward we asked the head of design for the aquarium to take a picture with us by the aquaculture and on both shots he took he managed to get the Shark in the background. Talk about some creative genius at play!


















We were the last to leave, and I had no qualms with that. Afterward, although, I was quite tuckered out, please don't mind my mother's finger print in the bottom left corner...

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."- Romans 15:13

Patience

Patience can be so difficult when we want. And we're human so we of course want.

I want everything to begin. I want to start my life with Bob. I want to have the direction I need to be the best I can in whatever job I am intended to do. I want to strengthen my bond with the Lord. I want to be a woman that people look up to and I am proud of. I want to be a supportive Mom raising Godly children. I want to be an outstanding wife. I want to be active and organized. I want a home of my own to decorate. I want to have it together. I want to feel complete.























I feel this is a more personal post than most I write, but its late at night and I'm more honest and open when I'm tired. Part of my says, "Silly Katie, life has begun, enjoy the ride." Another part of me says, "In due time." And then there's the child in me stomping her feet and saying "I've been patient, I want it now!"

Does anyone else suffer with this? Suffer with these human imperfections and feelings of being unsettled and restless? In Church on Sunday I felt like God was saying "Follow me and life will happen beautifully", and by Monday night I'm worried and too too human.

I read so many tremendous blogs of great Christian women who are living their lives and following God's will and it makes me so excited for the future. Some how I need to bring myself back down to where I am now and accept it's for a reason.

'To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun. A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal ... a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance ... a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to lose and a time to seek; a time to rend and a time to sew; a time to keep silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace."- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Weekend Recap

This weekend Bob and I headed downtown to Chicago's "Family Farmed Expo". It was on the University of Illinois, Chicago campus and featured different organic businesses and their various offerings.




















We saw apple orchards offering apple trees for lease. You read that right, apple trees that can be leased. When the apples are ready the family is called to come pick their apples and tow them on home.

We saw restaurants that were completely vegan and other cattle ranchers where the meat is 100% grass fed. If any of you have seen Food Inc. you may remember that cows that are fed grass and have had corn eliminated from their diets for a week's time already show 80% of E. coli eliminated from their bodies! For more crazy statistics on food, I really recommend renting Food Inc. today! Truly, an educated consumer is a healthy consumer.

We indulged in chocolate samples that were gluten-free and chips and guacamole from Chipotle. Chipotle was giving away free buy one get one free cards and discussing the importance of using local and fresh produce. Chipotle, chips and guac aside, is way too spicey for this girl's taste buds so Bob got to have my free card too, this equaled one happy boyfriend.

















We also heard a lecture on raising bees in the city. It's shocking but bees are actually raised on top of multiple sky scrapers in the down town vicinity. Bob's grandpa used to raise bees, and Bob would one day love to have his own hives. 100% natural honey, there is nothing quite like it.

Not Your Athlete's Jersey

I have been crazy about jersey lately. And no, not my vintage Michael Jordan jersey, though I love that one too. I have been crazy about jersey dresses. They're so flattering, they have great patterns, and they are comfortable. It's so nice in the Spring and Summer months to throw on a dress and flip flops, I thought I'd share a couple I am in awe of. And for practicalities sake, and true to EBH fashion, let's keep 'em under $100 dollars..

Jersey Dresses by Corso Como South Beach, $89

"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth... Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given for man by which we must be saved. " -Acts 4:10-12

Gluten Free Glee!

I have received some requests for some gluten free recipes, and I have a confession. I don't do a great deal of cooking, but I do love to bake. With this in mind I thought well, I can offer restaurants that offer amazing gluten free menu items and a cake recipe to boot. Also if you look back at my chili recipe I made before it is gluten free and the best chili imaginable. Especially if you like your chili a bit sweet.

Gluten free basically means food without wheat and flour. Luckily Mexican food can be ordered with corn tortillas, and is quite often gluten free on its own. A great deal of Asian dishes are gluten free, though most sushi places I encounter do not use brown rice unfortunately. What is really awesome is gluten free dishes do not taste any different and are so much healthier for everyone.

Should you be minimizing your gluten intake? In my humble opinion... yes! There are many gluten intolerance's that are currently undiscovered. Just because one doesn't have celiac disease (the most common gluten free diagnosis known) does not mean they are out of the woods. This test really shocked me, every answer I had told me I likely have a gluten intolerance.

My Mom's specialist told her "Gluten is what is killing this nation". That has truly resonated with me, especially because of how much people believe they need to eat bread because of our skewed food pyramid. I recently spoke with a family friend who is a nutritionist and she was telling me how wrong she was taught in school and how she is just now "relearning" the importance of a gluten free diet. Wow.

Well now that I've shared here is where you can enjoy a gluten free meal with ease:

• PF Changs
• Wildfire (person favorite)
  
• Cheeseburger In Paradise
• Maggiano's
• Bone Fish Grill
• Outback Steak House
• Biaggi's Ristorante
• Carrabba's Italian Grill

These are just off the top of my head. Also Trader Joe's grocery stores have a "g" logo on the front of their packaging if an item if gluten free. Whole foods is wonderful with their selection as well.

Now on to that pistachio cake. I made two of these for Christmas this year and it was quite the success. I've even had a request from my little sister's boyfriend to have this for his birthday this year. I recieved this recipe from my dear friend, Paula, and tweaked it to make it gluten free. Here goes:
You will need..
2 Boxes of Pistacho (JELLO) pudding
5 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 yellow cake mix box (Betty Crocker now sells gluten free cake mix. It's perfect and makes this recipe gluten free! Go get it and click your heels in gluten free glee)
Quarter Cup of Water
2 tubs of Cool Whip

Mix cake mix with one box of pistachio pudding and blend this with eggs and your oil.
Bake this for approximately 30 minutes but check with tooth pick for no remnants.
Let cool..
In a bowl mix two big tubs of cool whip (yes 2) and add a box of pistachio pudding to this. Layer this approximately an inch thick all the way around the cake and decorate as desired.
Enjoy!
I was so hectic this Christmas I didn't take a picture of my gluten free cake but found a similar one and decided to show you what the end result will roughly look like:























I just realized how appropriate this is for St. Patrick's Day too. Let me know if you make it, I'd love to hear feed back.
Enjoy your weekend!

"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."- Romans 8:28

Tag You're It

I don't know what got into me today but I couldn't sit down for a second. I was so antsy and needed to keep going, going, going. I ran a bunch of mundane but necessary errands for starters.

Then I headed over to Tag Ltd. They're a wholesale home decor company and they happen to have an outlet open attached right to their warehouse. Everything is so adorable and ridiculously priced. Think Easter plates for $4 and pillar candles for $2. Here's a sample of some of their current products- Ooo la la!



























When I visited Bob last weekend we stopped into an adorable boutique that carried a wide array of home goods and saw Tag products that were marked up about 5x. It was then I remembered the well hidden outlet and decided to take a gander.

I went today and bought all sorts of decorations for our screened in porch. We're not getting that new furniture any time soon and when life throws you lemons I sure hope you make lemonade. I also painted a table we have out there to match the wrought iron furniture, though it will need another coat or two. I can't wait to share pictures with you of all the goodies I got there, and I truly encourage you to buy from Tag too, I know they have a catalog. You'll love it, I know it.

Following this I decided my garage needed some spring cleaning. My Dad has been in the works of expanding their master closet and used the garage as his makeshift workshop. This has left us without any garage room and our drive has been so crowded that I feel we look like we're having a party every night. I've since fit one car in the garage, and hey it's an improvement.

I also am still doing the 21 day challenge and for Day 2 we're encouraged to reach out and do something nice for others. I decided to make sure I was exceptionally nice to everyone I encountered in my day to day activities. I have great disdain for people who do not smile back when I offer up a smile. It is a pet peeve. But when I smile at someone and they smile back, there is a connection and the day gets a little brighter.

Alas, I also picked up Bob from the train today. He is home from school on spring break and I couldn't be happier!

And with all of this said and paint in my hair, I am off to bed. But stay tuned, I'm going to be doing a post on the yummy finds that are gluten free (ie. rice krispie treats, and starbucks has a delish one) and dear I say it.. My first give away will be coming up very soon. God Bless you all!

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:9-11

Nothing Worth Doing is Ever Easy

I decided to try to embrace 2010 and essentially 24 by making it a proactive year. How have I done this so far?

• I enrolled in a television and film acting class
• I am taking an online webinar for staging homes
• I quit my horrendous job. (Think 9 to 5 starring Dolly Parton and you're on track)
• I am enrolled to begin Realtor courses at the end of this month
• I'm trying to pray more and build on my relationship with God
  
• I'm trying to say "yes" more
• I remind myself I deserve everything I tell the ones I love to go after

So now, what is my newest conquest? A challenge; I always say "nothing worth doing is ever easy". I truly believe that.

I stumbled upon Le Musings of Moi yesterday and was incredibly intrigued by her challenge she has started. It's a 21 day challenge where by following the guidelines for each day you ultimately better yourself.

Today I am on day 1. Day 1 consists of thinking of something to give up for 21 days and holding yourself accountable for it. I have decided to give up gluten. It is horrible for everyone, and I believe like my Mom I have a gluten allergy. So let's see if with this 21 day hiatus of gluten I feel better.

It was already hard, before my acting classes I usually stop at panera and get my usual sandwich on a whole grain bagel, and I really struggled to think of a quick fast place to grab something sans gluten.








If anyone is up for the challenge, let me know! I'd love to know of others doing it with me.
What about you? Have you ever taken to improving your life one day at a time? Did you change an eating habit? Commit to think positively? Vow to do random acts of kindness? Or maybe live your life to its full potential every day? I'd really love to hear!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" -2 Corinthians 13:4

Rebel Girl Scout

I once was one of them, the girl scouts. I was part of their ranks and I sold girl scout cookies with sheer determination. I scoured my neighborhood with a fierce competitive nature that would have made my troupe leader proud, had she not been a mother of a competing girl. And I hope it doesn't go against the girl scout laws that I share this information with you...

Girl Scout cookies, you can get them year round at your local grocer.

You read that absolutely right. I once worked for a woman whose parents were devoted Keebler employees for decades. She said that Keebler is one of the bakers of Girl Scout cookies and they have a conveyor belt that leads to either Keebler packaging or Girl Scout cookie packaging. It's that simple.

Wait. How would you know which cookies were your Girl Scout favorites? I'll help you of course. Just don't turn me into any Girl Scout officials, I really don't want to give back my Brownie sash.














The cookies on the left are respectively from The Girl Scouts and the cookies on the right are Keebler's wrapped version. I understand another bakery also makes Girl Scout cookies too so these were the only Keebler ones I was able to hunt down for the time being. I trust you'll all be running to your local grocer upon reading this entry.

Sidenote: Thin mints always taste better after being in the fridge.

Enjoy!

"In your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and resepect." -1 Peter 3:15

Pleasure of a Porch

My Parents have a screened in porch they added to their home in the last decade and I absolutely love it. It's the perfect place to:

• drink morning coffee
• watch a rain storm
• cozy up with a book
  
• enjoy a glass of wine and some company
• serve dinner
• and so much more...

But like a lot of the rooms in my home I think it requires some TLC. Screened in porches are easily neglected in the cold months and then when spring begins to grace us with her presence the state of the porch becomes a shock. It's like the need for a pedicure after being bundled up all winter long and one day you notice this and need to pamper those puppies and do it now.

Thought I'd first share with you some outdoor spaces I'm using for inspiration. They're from HGTV.com, Southern Living, and various google images.
























































































With these precious porches in mind I'd love to buy some outdoor furniture that would make this space feel cozy and inviting. The problem is outdoor furniture adds up so quickly, not something an EBH is ever a fond of. I did some searching on Target's site and found some adorable different options.























The outside items are all individually sold, and the center set is sold together. The center set would be the bargain of these, but I still can't decide. If anyone knows of any good places to find reasonable outdoor furniture, you'd make this EBH ridiculously happy.

Upgrade from Kate Spade

I am so angry, and it really does take a great deal to get me so mad. This weekend when I visited Bob I brought my new Kate Spade purse. The morning after I arrived I looked down and noticed a massive tear in the leather that should really not happen from normal day to day wear, and in under 12 hours of using the bag. I hadn't done anything out of the ordinary.

I called the Kate Spade Outlet where I purchased my bag and after the woman was contradictory by telling me they'd never had a problem like this before. But wait, was it a metallic bag? (No.) She told me she couldn't do a thing for me and to call their customer service line. I did this and the customer service center was closed, even though it was during normal business hours. I then called the Kate Spade store again and explained to the woman how disappointing this was and I'd like an exchange or a refund. I mean if a bag can't put up 12 hours with me, I can't imagine a year and a half, like my last bag. After telling me she couldn't trust I hadn't done something crazy with the bag (like place it in my blender?) she finally said she knew exactly which bag I was talking about and would put one on hold for me until Monday.

Insert Today.

I went to said outlet mall with my mother. I was so happy to have her with me in case I was given a hard time. I'd thrown out my tags and such before using the bag so I knew this may be a problem. When we arrived the bag I was told would be on hold was a different bag then the one I had bought. It was about the size of a grocery satchel, far too big for my 5'0" and 3/4 frame.

I asked if they would allow me to exchange the bag for something worth less than this grocery satchel and they said no. They would only allow me the grocery satchel unless I would wait for them to check other outlets for the ripped bag. At this point I asked for the manager. She was as cryptic as Ann Wintour, and not nearly as posh. I know that is not nice, but she treated me horribly. She told me it was my fault I didn't tell the woman on the phone exactly which bag is mine and therefore the manager I spoke with wasn't to blame. She too told me she didn't know what wear I had done to the bag.

I wanted to take a polygraph. And then I remembered, alas! My Mom had scolded me for going to put my receipt in my shopping bag like usual, and made me put it in my wallet. She'd had a shopping bag stolen before and liked the idea on not letting it be any easier for a thief, so she always holds onto her receipts now. Bravo, Mama. I looked and there it was! I asked the manager "Please, can I just have my money back now." She snidely said "We'll see if I can take it." My Mom then said "Well its a 14 day return policy, it's been about a week, there's no reason for you not to." The woman then laughed and gave me back my money.

I felt I had to defend myself, my integrity, and my check book at the store. It was so upsetting, especially because I'd looked forward for so long to owning a Kate Spade bag. I am going to write a yelp review on this, it just isn't right for a customer to be treated like they're on a witness stand.

It was like they were clinging so desperately to not losing my sale they didn't even care about what is the right thing to do. The woman never apologized or said thank you or good bye when we were done with the transaction, and I walked right over to Coach.

I am sorry that this has been a rant, but I was just so angry. It's so disheartening to have your word questioned when you earnestly were just as upset with the defected product as the sales person. Have any of you had such a horrific customers service experience? Or even better, have you had one that was incredible you'd like to share?

Below is a picture I found of my new rip free bag..

She's got the Gruve

I am a subscriber to Self Magazine. I love it, it gives good solid advice and such motivation for a healthier life style. I, however, do not receive Shape. It's probably for the better, I feel I barely have time for all of the reading I would love to do. I did peruse the entire Shape issue while meandering through Whole Foods yesterday, and was so excited to learn some new things.

In the latest issue of Shape a woman talks in depth about the use of her pedometer. She talks about challenging herself daily by trying to step more than she had the previous day. She also says that in order to lose weight one should step approximately 5,000 steps a day. Do you think you step that much?
I know I don't.
Sadly, until I was made aware, I probably only did about half of that. I don't care how old it may make me sound, I'd been wanting a pedometer for ages. Then one day, while I was still at my old job, a co-worker came over and handed me my tax forms, it went a little something like this:

Co worker: Here Katie, here's the form we've all been waiting for. And oh yeah, here's a free pedometer, State Farm sent us. I doubt you want one, but I thought I'd of-
Yours truly: YES! YES! I mean, sure I would like one.

So I have been repping my State Farm pedometer proudly. But I've been eyeing this new gadget, also seen in Shape, and its made me curious. It is called Gruve.
Basically the Gruve measures your calories burnt daily, along with your physical exertion through various activities. It lets you know when you've burned your desired daily calories by changing colors. It also notifies you if you have been stationary for too long of a time period. You can in addition, use their website to track your progess and better reach goals. It sounds like an advanced pedometer to me.

While I adore my little red pedometer (red pedometer: /pidommiter/noun, a device State Farm has given away for free. also know as swag, stuff we all get. This device enables Katie to advance her daily walking habits and feel special for owning her free device. ) I think this device seems like a lot of fun too.

Do you think it seems too complicated or worth looking into?

Here's a peak at what the Gruve looks like.

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."- Isiah 55:8-9

Gifts for yours truly, from yours truly

I figured this year, why not buy myself some birthday gifts? I mean, I know myself better than anyone, right? I also happen to have been wanting several things, that I wouldn't ask anyone for. So I thought I would share with you my purchases.

I also am an EBH, an extreme bargain hunter. I am as stubborn as a mule, and I simply refuse to pay full price. I mean, why pay full price when I can find the same thing for less? My Mother is Bohemian, so maybe that translates into this determination, either way my check book and my pride are always in tact in the end.

In fact, I've been wanting to hit up this outlet mall today, but I don't think I have time. I'm going to visit Bob by train tonight. I'll be visiting him in college town Illinois (translation: rural, rural, rural) until Monday. So if I'm sans posts, that will be the reason. Although, he knows how into my blog I am and I'm sure I'll have time for an update or two.

Anyway, back to my EBH finds. Being an EBH is not for the faint of heart. It takes passion, assertion, aggression, and a transfixed idea of what things should be purchased at. Please, proceed with caution. I bought a Kate Spade bag, Tory Burch sandals, and Stephen Bonanno sandals. These were respectively found at a Kate Spade outlet, Nordstrom Rack, and ebay. I hope some of you swoon as much as I do at the mention of outlets, Nordstrom Rack, and my beloved ebay.




























Anyway, happy hunting.

Simply Stated, I adore 24

Yesterday was my birthday, and I couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was shining and every song on the radio from Michael Buble to Josh Turner, seemed like I'd requested them.

When it came to my birthday cake, I let my Mom have at it. She is gluten free (something I should be too) so she made a gluten free cake.












































I have a confession, I love birthday cake. I love cake shows and how unique cakes can be. I thought I'd share with you some gorgeous crazy cakes.

Thanks for all your birthday well wishes. Do any of you have a certain cake you would absolutely go wild for?