March 2012

A Tuesday Brain Dump

by KT on March 27, 2012

I had a busy, but very fun weekend that I’m still recovering from so I thought I’d do a little brain dump for today.

  • My best friend since 5th grade celebrated her 30th birthday this past weekend.  When I step outside of the moment it is so surreal that I’ve known someone that isn’t family for that long.  When I’m in the moment it seems perfectly normal.
  • REF travels to Chicago on Thursday & Friday for work.  I really wanted to go with him, but it is  kind of last minute trip & flights were the cost of a kidney on the black market.  Maybe next time.
  • I miss college when you got a spring break.  Seeing my cousins post about it makes me really wish I were still in High School or College.
  • At the 30th birthday party we did marathon, all day & all night, drinking.  I think I did it better Saturday night then I ever did when I was in college.  The next day, however, I was so sore.  It felt like I had been doing squats the entire night before.  I’m old.
  • My nephew will be 6 months old in a couple of days.  I can’t believe how quickly time passes.
  • I absolutely love the Lilly Pulitzer spring line.  I had sort of broken up with Lilly a few years ago, but I think we might start seeing each other again this year.
  • My workout program to get in shape for that April wedding is coming along nicely.  I’ve seen a little improvement in my arms, but I decided I’m DEFINITELY getting a spray tan.
  • REF’s niece is going this summer to the summer camp where I went my whole childhood & where REF & I met.   I’m insanely jealous of the fun time she’s going to have.  I’m equally nervous that she won’t love it as much as I want her to.
  • REF & I went to see the Hunger Games this Friday.  I loved the movie.  I don’t understand why some die hard fans were upset they didn’t go into more detail on stuff.  Listen up haters, if they had done that the movie would have been 3000 minutes long.
  • Also, I don’t really know how you would understand what was going on in the movie if you didn’t read the books.  
  • I get irritated when Pandora asks me if I’m still listening.  That happened twice while writing this post.

Happy Tuesday!



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Happy Friday!

by KT on March 23, 2012

From Google Images

May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor!

 

 



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Wednesday Winesday Blogger Meet up

by KT on March 22, 2012

Wednesday night April organized a Charlotte ladies blogger meet up at Arooji’s wine room.  They run a special for a tasting of 3 wines & an appetizer for $14.95.  The appetizer was HUGE & definitely sufficed for a meal.  The folks at the restaurant were definitely accommodating to deal with loud girls!

I had met a handful of these girls in person, but not everyone.  It was was such a fun night & I was so glad that I decided to go!  After every one of these meet ups I’m more and more glad that I do this whole blogging deal.  

It’s amazing how quickly I’ve found conversation to be with other bloggers.  We were a little nerdy & went around the table to introduce ourselves, tell folks our blog name, twitter handle, home town, job, our favorite blogs that weren’t represented that evening, etc.  Christina even took notes to send out to the group which had me cracking up.  

I imagine that a lot of these meet ups could be awkward or weird, but I have yet to have that experience with any of my meet ups!

Once again Charlotte ended up being a small town & I realized I had some mutual friends with some of these girls.  I LOVE that about the blog community.  It definitely makes the 6 degrees of separation seem real.

The whole group

Back Row – Left to Right: Me, April, Annie, Kate, Sara, Jordan, Maren, Lulu

Front Row – Left to Right: Michelle, Christina, Sarah and Dee

I cannot thank April enough for putting this night together.  It was a great mid-week break!  If you’re in Charlotte, a blogger, and want to come next time let me know, because we plan on doing these more frequently!  

 

 

 



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Quirks

by KT on March 20, 2012

Quirks, we all have them.  Some of them are cute, some are annoying, some are noticeable only to our loved ones.   Some may only be noticeable to our coworkers since they are with us sometimes more then our actual loved ones.  Good or bad we all have little ticks, isms, habits, etc.

Before I got married I knew I had some…let’s call them habits.  I’m anal  type A.  I grew up with parents who expected a clean room, clean car, clean house.  I like order & so having all of those spaces in my life clean caused me to have a clear mind.  I remember getting frustrated when my notes in school didn’t look neat or organized.  It caused me a lot of anguish over the years.  You can stop laughing now.  

When I went to college I was probably the worst roommate known to man, because I just thought everyone made their bed daily or at least before they got in them to go to bed.  Or perhaps when guests came to your dorm room you’d want it to look neat & tidy.  Imagine my horror to find out this was not the case.  Living on the sorority hall didn’t make things any easier.  Just because someone is in a sorority does not a neat freak make.   Senior year when a group of us moved into an apartment off campus I was constantly running the dishwasher, wiping down the counters, vacuuming the carpet.  I may or may not have been difficult to live with that year.

As an “adult” with an adult condo & and an adult job I calmed down a little bit, but not too much.  Luckily, I had the pleasure of living with a former college roommate who was always sweet enough to overlook my quirks.  Both of us traveled extensively for work & so when we got home if common areas were clean that was all that mattered.  

On my first official date with REF his car & swanky uptown town home were immaculate.  I so relieved to have met someone who shared my crazy  thoughts on cleanliness.  It wasn’t until we had been dating for several months that I realized this initial car/home cleanliness was a rouse to impress me.  Obviously, it worked.

REF & I spent a lot of time together before we got married, but we didn’t live together.  Once we were married & I moved into REF’s home he tried really hard to make it feel like our home.  He didn’t want me to feel like a guest.  After a few months of living together each other’s QUIRKS came more present.  

We often say that REF is the king of wounded soldiers. I think this is some frat boy saying for when  you open a beer & don’t finish it , but in our house it just means that at any point in time he has 238,789,526 cups, glasses or mugs with water, lemonade, coffee, etc. in them.   I also realized that I had some BAD HABITS quirks of my own.  I’ve never been a fan of wearing shoes.  I like them & think they are pretty, but I want to take them off the second I get in the house.  This means that at any given moment I have 236 pairs of shoes throughout the house.  I also have had  a bad habit of putting dry cleaning only clothes in the regular laundry basket.  While I sorted my laundry, REF did not The first time I said goodbye to my beloved winter white wool skirt… Lesson Learned.

Over our 3 and 3 quarters years of marriage we’ve both learned to help our marriage by watching out for these quirks.  REF’s really awesome at making the bed the correct way  way I like it & I’ve learned to relax about some things.  I had to understand that the world wasn’t going to end if we didn’t clean up before bed after a party or if REF needed 3,589 cups next to bed that was okay.   I also driven in REF’s car in over a year.  It’s all about balance & compromise.  It’s also another reason why I’m mowing the lawn.  We both understand that I would want it done a particular way & to avoid an unnecessary fight I should just do it myself.  ;)

Do you have an quirks?  Have they changed over the years?   

 

 



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Happy Anniversary!

by KT on March 16, 2012

Yesterday was my parents’ 37th wedding anniversary.

They were married on the Ides of March in Cleveland in the 70s during an ice storm.  So much of that seems to point to disaster, but  somehow they’ve managed to stay together for this long.  

Growing up I didn’t really know how lucky I was to have parents who stayed together & were were happy.  They’ve been a great example to my sister and me on how to work together & grow together.

I love you very much, mom & dad!  Thanks so much for great example you’ve shown me.

 



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Eleven for Eleven from Blair’s Head Band

by KT on March 15, 2012

I can’t tell you how flattered I was to be tagged by Blair’s Head Band for this 11 question post!  Not only is Blair’s Head Band a seriously cute blog, she’s wicked smart (she’s originally from Boston, so I can say wicked) & she’s hilarious.  I’ve also never been tagged for one of these blogger deals so I’m excited to participate.

 Here are the rules:
•You must post the rules.
•Answer the 11 questions that the tagger posted for you; then create 11 questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
•Tag 11 people and link them in your post.
•Let them know you have tagged them

1. If you had been born a boy, do you know what your parents planned on naming you?

My parents were going to name both my sister and me, Baked Bean Bender, if we were boys.  Just kidding!  That’s what they joked that the were going to call us.  Our last name is Bender, but  still…  Actually, my mom claims she has no idea what my boy name would have been.

2. What’s your favorite book of all time?

Gosh, I’m not really sure I can pick a favorite.  Maybe All Quiet on The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque or Angela’s Ashes  by Frank McCourt .  There have really been few books that I did NOT like.  

3. If you could have lunch with one celebrity, who would it be and why?

Diane Keaton.  I fell in love with her when I was little & watched Baby Boom.  From that point on I’ve had an obsession with her.  I think she’s a wonderful actor & for some reason she reminds me of my mom.

4. What do you do for work, if you’re not interested in sharing on the internets, what is the industry in which you work?

I work in insurance sales.  It’s not terribly glamorous, but it pays the bills.

5. Did you go Greek in college?  If so, what house?

First, Finest, Forever: Alpha Delta Pi (another reason I love BHB)

6. Sweet or Salty

SALTY, SALTY, SALTY!!  I don’t have a sweet tooth, at all.

7. Do you prefer to make a phone call or send a text?

It depends on the person and the situation, but most of the time I like to SPEAK to someone.

8. Favorite Flower

Always & forever a tulip.

9. A Princess Z inspired question…Did you have an American Girl doll as a child?

Sadly, I’m just a little  too old for the American Girl dolls.  They came out when I was just about growing out of dolls, but my next door neighbor had Samantha & I coveted it so much!  When REF’s niece was going through her American Girl doll phase I LOVED getting the catalog.

10. What are your favorite white wine & favorite red wine varietals? 

I don’t LOVE white wine, but when the weather is nice I’ll drink a glass or two of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.  Now, I LOVE red wine.  Pinot Noir, Melbec, Cabernet… I don’t discriminate. 

11. Favorite Quote

“Eat well, Drink well, and do all things in moderation.” -My Grandpa Bender

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here are the bloggers that I’m tagging:

1. April from A.Liz Adventures

2. Annie from Classic Annie

3. Rachel from In No Simple Language

4. Melissa from The View From Five Two

5. April from You, Me & The Kid

6. EAS from Who’s Excited

7. Emily from Life with Emily

8.  Michelle from Stuttering Shell

9. Michelle from Aww Shucks – Diary of a Mrs.

10. Christin from A Classy, Southern Wife

11. Kourtney from The Queen’s Kourt

Okay, here are my questions…..

  1. Where were you born?
  2. What irrational fear do you have?
  3. Where’s 1 place you hope to travel before you die?
  4. What’s your favorite summer cocktail?
  5. Fine Dining or Casual Dining?
  6. Did you go to summer camp as a kid?
  7. Favorite comfort food?
  8. Do you have any siblings?  If so, how many?
  9. Coffee or Tea?
  10. Friends character you’re most alike?
  11. What’s the first concert you ever saw?

Here are the answers to my questions…

  1. Pittsburgh, PA
  2. I’m afraid of someone hiding under my bed at night so I basically jump in & out of the bed.
  3. Machu Picchu 
  4. Vodka Tonic or Greyhound
  5. Casual Dining, outside.
  6. Yep, Summer’s Best Two Weeks, 1 year (hated it) & Camp Cheerio, 12 years (loved it)
  7. Grilled Cheese
  8. 1 older sister
  9. COFFEE
  10. Monica, I’m type A.
  11. Paul McCartney when I was in 6th grade

 

 

 



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Weekend Warriors

by KT on March 14, 2012

This past weekend REF and I got BUSY!  Get your mind out of the gutter, not that kind of busy, house and yard work busy!  

We had a low key Friday night since I had been up early that morning for work.  Saturday we got up early and headed out the door.  We picked up a quick breakfast & got the dry cleaning.  Then we headed to Home Depot.  We needed a lawn mower & a shower curtain liner.  We had already done a bunch of research on the lawn mower so we were in & out of there in about 30 minutes.  From Home Depot we made our way over to COSTCO.  Costco on a Saturday can make you want to pull your eyelashes out one by one.  Luckily REF and I had a game plan.  We came in under budget & under time.  WIN/WIN.  

From Costco we headed home to unload.  I put away our dry cleaning & Costco items & REF got working on putting together the lawn mower.  We’ve been talking for a long time about getting rid of our lawn service & doing it ourselves so we finally bit the bullet this weekend.  Now, I used to mow the lawn as a kid.  I actually liked doing it.  It was good exercise, my dad gave me attention, and I got a nice tan.  So, I convinced REF that I’d mow the lawn if he did the blowing & the edging.  

So, I found myself outside mowing the lawn this Saturday.  Let me tell you, it is no joke.  I was SO sore on Sunday.  My shoulders ached.  I’m actually kind of glad to the bonus exercise I didn’t realize I was getting. I also worked in the yard on my flower boxes, front porch flower pots & my bulbs that I planted this fall. 

After the lawn mowing, I met my mom at Lowes to putter around.  We had invited a couple over to grill out for the night, but I had forgotten that we had just blown up our grill.  I wanted to get a cheap mini grill so we weren’t stuck using the panini press to cook our burgers.  After walking around the home & garden departments I came home with a new curtain rod & a new mini grill (thanks mom).

From Lowes I scooted over to The Fresh Market & the regular grocery store to pick up the ingredients for our dinner party.  I ran home with my goodies.  REF got working on putting together the grill, I put together the  salad, relish tray, and finally prepped the veggies to grill.  

Then I decided I was going to hang the new curtain rod I got.  I already had bought the panels a few weeks earlier, but I just couldn’t decide on a the rod that I wanted.  So, I hung the rod & the curtains all by myself.  They look good.  They certainly aren’t custom, but they are WAY better then the nasty ones that were there when REF bought the house 6 years ago. 

After my curtain success I decided I wanted to check out the out door patio cushions at Garden Ridge so I ran over there & got a few items.  I love what I picked up & the deck looks much more inviting.

I set the table outside for our dinner party, but it ended up getting a little too chilly Saturday night so we ate inside.

Finally I showered & cleaned up for our special guests.  

I’m so mad that my settings were off for this picture of JNW & REF.  He is getting SO big that before we ate dinner he wanted to show us how he can eat rice cereal now!

After the dinner party, we crashed.  

As for Sunday… We lounged on the deck & read.  

 

 

 



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Girls Night Out

by KT on March 14, 2012

Last Thursday I met Classic Annie  & April out of drinks.  We decided to meet at a fairly new wine bar/coffee house type place in Myers Park called Fabo Cafe.    It was a great location since two of us live in southpark and one works in southpark n& lives uptown.  So, it wasn’t a long drive home for anyone.  

Fabo is basically a coffee house, wine/beer bar, local art store all in one.  When I walked in I immediately felt like it was a shop in Boone.  It definitely has an identity crisis, but somehow it works.  

April had heard of a deal where on Thursday nights they would do a wine tasting for $10 or you can apply that $10 to a bottle of wine.  Sounded great to me!  So, after having to listen to the ins & outs of all the different flavors of the wine we were finally situated at a table outside.

We had such a nice time.  It was good to talk about work, marriage, weddings, babies & just laugh.  This whole blogging thing is a little strange and wacky sometimes, but thinking about how it has brought so many people into my life it definitely makes it worth it.

This is picture of me is hideous, but super cute of the other ladies so I figured I’d include it!

 

 



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Weekend in Pictures

by KT on March 6, 2012

Charlie and me talking about life.

As soon as Grumpy (my dad) started talking to him he smiled!

Saturday afternoon Charlie did some push ups to show me how to get my arms in shape!

Saturday night Charlie had a rare treat & was able to watch about 5 minutes of the Carolina/Duke basketball game.  

Duke is Puke in our house.

 

Sorry for the poor picture quality, but my camera wasn’t charged!  

 



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A Little PSA from Fire Marshall Bill…

by KT on March 1, 2012

Every home should have one of these.  This sounds like common sense, right?  Well, my happy home doesn’t have one of these bad boys.  

Last night REF & I were in the kitchen prepping dinner.  REF had just turned on the grill to get it ready to grill two chicken breasts.   All of a sudden we heard a loud BOOM from the deck.  REF looked at me then ran outside.  He came back in asking for our fire extinguisher.  I told him we didn’t have one and handed him a drink pitcher full of water.  

Not thinking it was anything big I walked outside to take a look.  What I saw was a MASSIVE grease fire.  The entire grease tray was ablaze & the propane take was engulfed.  Not thinking clearly REF grabbed the hose and started to spray the flames.  It was about this time that I came to my senses & realized it was a grease fire & I shouted: “It’s a grease fire!  The water is just making it angry! Call the fire department!”.  

REF ran around the house looking for his cell phone.  In the meantime the propane hose melted & disconnected from the grill.  This caused the fire to go down enough that I could pull the tank out from below the grill using an oven mit.  REF ran outside still unable to located the phone.  For a second or two we just starred at the fire.  I finally ran inside & grabbed an old rug trying to smother the fire.  This worked enough to allow REF to turn the propane tank off.  

Once the tank was turned off that fire stopped.  We then focused our attention to the grill.  There was fire spraying out of it.  We stamped out the embers that were falling onto the deck & finally smothered the fire enough that it died down.

In the light of day it is kind of funny, but at the time it was terrifying.  We both thought that the propane tank would explode.  I had visions of our house burning down to the foundation.  We couldn’t see in the dark last night if the deck was ruined from the embers, but it looked like everything was okay this morning.

The moral of the story?  

First, keep a fire extinguisher in your house.  Seriously, I still can’t believe we didn’t have one.   It is on my chore list for the weekend to buy one.  Second, to put out a grease fire you can smother it, but if it is as big as ours was you’ll need the aid of BAKING SODA!  If only I could have remembered that from chemistry class.  Finally, keep your grill clean.  Clean out the grease tray periodically.  Do the same for the oven.  Can you guess what else is on the chore list for this weekend?

 



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