Question for Dog People:

Do any of you dog owners out there have wood floors in your kitchens? If so, what do you do about the water bowl situation? If your dog's like our lab.....water flies everywhere! Seriously - I swear there's more water on the floor than down her throat. It seems like somehow it's getting between the bamboo boards, and creating slight water stains. As a new homeowner, I'm totally freaking out!! We had tried to use a doormat with rubber bottom, but the water still managed to get under that. There's one from Orvis that's absorbant - - have any of you tried it??? (here's a pic) I can't tell if it really would be better than the doormat we tried - but all of the reviews are really positive.

Any and all advice will be very much appreciated!!!

Oh J.Crew...

I wish your shoes weren't quite so expensive. These are in my cart right now, but I'm having a hard time justifying the price-tag (especially for #2).


I'm also seriously considering these, from Boden - but it always takes so long for them to arrive, and returning their items can be kind of annoying...Can you tell that I'm feeling the animal print this season? Here's hoping I find something cute at a more reasonable price soon so that I can stop stalking all of the online shoe stores!

Do's and Don'ts of Tennis Fashion

It's hard not to get caught up in the excitement of the US Open -- what with a 17-year-old American phenom making her presence felt (go Oudin!), and underdogs knocking out the big guns left and right. Of course Federer and Nadal are still in contention (but not Roddick...boo) -- so this final week will be interesting!! Of course I watch to take in the unbelievable tennis -- but I always look forward to seeing what the pros wear too! So many of them are very involved in the designing process of their attire. After watching a few outfits that really worked, and a few that really didn't (does anyone else wonder why a few select players can't figure out which fabrics/colors hide sweat stains best....ahem, miss serena!!??)....I figured I had to share a few of these pics. (note, these are not all from this US Open)

DO (x3):Nice and classic, traditional. Glad to see Rafa wearing legitimate shorts, and Serena looking nice.

DON'T:

Now this just takes things a bit TOO far. I mean, you're a tennis player, not a freakin' superhero. Just not my style.....though I guess it's good to mix things up, and keep people guessing. I just think it's way to "hard" for a tennis match.

DO:

So good. So classic.

DON'T:

Ohhhh Bethanie Mattek, a stylist would do you wonders. Who let you wear this? Seriously, who? If only this outfit was her only violation.....but she is no stranger to the "worst dressed" list in the WTA (if there were such a thing!)

DO:
I want to say that Sharapova was the first to design a tennis dress that looked very much like a cocktail dress. There's something about the night matches, the lights, the glitz and glamour of NYC that makes this ok in my book.

DO:Safina keeps things pretty basic. She sticks to pretty traditional tennis gear -- the only thing that sticks out a bit to me is that she has such a long torso, sometimes her clothes look too little. It'd be nice if she didn't have to worry about the skin showing between her skirt and top.

DO (day and night versions): I tend to really like Ana Ivanovic's style. She keeps things pretty simple, but there's always a twist to the standard tennis apparel. This year, she had some ruffles (which are everywhere this fall) - and went with the color of the season...purple.

Questionable:
I don't think I totally mind the dress - I mean, it's not my taste - but there's something about that silver headband that makes me think she's in the wrong decade. What are your thoughts?

TWINS: (haha)There's nothing worse than showing up to your big event and finding someone wearing your same outfit. Looks like Will Ferrell and James Blake should have talked ;)

Long weekend off to a good start.....

Yesterday was pretty jam-packed with awesomeness. Here's how it went down:

• 9am hair cut & highlight appointment. Have I mentioned lately how cheap the cost of living is here compared to DC??? Hair salons would be a prime example. Cut and color there would be in the $180-200 range (awful, I know....and mildly embarrassing that I would actually fork that over). Here....$87! So reasonable :)
  
• Stopped by Starbucks on the way home for a slice of pumpkin loaf, and a latte....mmmmm
• Went to the Illinois v. Missouri football game. It was lots of fun (even though we don't necessarily cheer for either team.....we pulled for the "home state" to win). I met a bunch of SB's coworkers, and we all had fun hanging out in the owners' suite. Good times!
  
• Came home, watched the recorded UGA game (not such a good outcome...dang it).
• PS - how about all of the crazy underdogs in the women's bracket of the US Open?? That Melanie Oudin is at it again, and I'm loving it! Nothing like a 17-year-old American with an upbeat, likable personality to win me over :)

Ok, I'm off for a run! We have to return something to Pottery Barn.....and then we'll probably catch "500 Days of Summer" at the movie theater later on. I heart 3 day weekends!!

I heart summer....

The lovely Short Southern Momma featured this on her blog today, and I thought I'd give it a whirl! Now that it's September, and the air's a bit more crisp -- there are only a few more summer days to fully enjoy these summer favorites:

Summer cocktail: I'd say pinot grigio, or a margarita on the rocks

Summer Movie: This summer I've seen the following movies in the theater: The Proposal; I Love You, Man; The Hangover

Summer Song: Anything upbeat, and that can keep me running in the heat. This summer, I was a big fan of Beyonce's "Single Ladies," and a few choice Lady Gaga diddies :)

Favorite Summer Outfit: After a long day at the beach, I love to shower up and put on a cute sundress for a fun evening. I'm also a big fan of white -- pants + shorts (and still struggle with the idea that the "no white after labor day" rule is kind of over). Plus... any opportunity to wear my tennis gear and play outside makes for a perfect summer day :)

Summer Reading: Any good Jodi Picoult, or Pat Conroy book will always entertain me!

Favorite Summer Moment: Well this summer, that's an easy answer....getting married!! Our July 11 anniversary will be a fun date to celebrate for many years to come!

Game, Set, Match

Yesterday marked the first day of the US Open. There's just something about this tourney that makes tennis seem ultra glamorous - with the best players in the world taking over NYC. Plus, being in the fashion capital of the world, everyone (from Federer to Serena to Sharapova) seems to step things up when it comes to on-court fashion (admittedly, not always in the best of ways - think Serena with the patent leather boots). SB and I went in person in 2006, and we're already planning to go back next year. It's an awesome experience -- especially if you go in the first week, when there are tons of matches being played on the side courts. You can just get a grounds pass, and then you are literally 10 feet off the court, watching amazing tennis. Granted, there are tons of lines everywhere, the subway is like a sardine can on the way out there, and you have to pay an arm and a leg for just about everything on the grounds -- but it is sooooooo worth it. We were able to watch Nadal, Federer, Lindsay Davenport, Mauresmo, James Blake, Mardy Fish + tons more. They are amazing, and their skill level is even more unbelievable in person.

Here's a pic of us between matches in 06:

A busy week!

So Wednesday through Friday of this past week, I traveled back here:

to work for a few days in the office. It was really fun to see all of my coworkers, and to stay in a swanky hotel, and walk about the city streets of DC for a little bit. Here are some highlights of the work trip:

• my company's 10 year anniversary celebration at the National Zoo
• eating sushi at my favorite place in DC, Asia Nine
• eating at my favorite salad place, Chop't (ummm...is it bad that so many of my highlights revolve around food??)
• staying in an ultra-cool hotel (probably too cool for me....everyone was wearing skin tight black clubbing stuff -- there was a bar on top of the hotel by the pool that seemed to draw that crowd).....but the deal on Orbitz was extraordinary, and it was only 8 blocks from the office

Oh man, I forgot what it was like to be in the city in the summer. It was SOOOO hot, muggy and humid. Needless to say, the good hair days were pretty much non-existent (and not helped by the bad shower in the hotel....it never got hot, so I was in and out as fast as possible!)

I'm happy to be home now though -- after a hellish flight from Philly that was delayed 2 hours -- ugh. And now on to the Saturday fun!!! SB and I ran with Daisy this morning. It truly is my favorite way to start off a day. We have zero plans all weekend ....and we're loving every second of it! (well, actually I do have a tennis outing scheduled tomorrow with some new peeps! Here's hoping it goes well!)

New Junior Leaguer

Last night I went to an informational meeting about the Junior League of St. Louis.....and I ended up joining! I think this will be the perfect organization to help me to make some friends, and to get out and involved in the community. I'm so excited!!! We went around the room, explaining who we are and why we wanted to join. It was like 90% of the ladies were in my exact same situation (just moved here, don't know a soul, looking to get involved and meet people!). Can't wait to attend some meetings and really get involved. This will be fun!!!

Gap Discount....etcetera

Have you seen the 20% discount being offered at the Gap? They've come back to being in my favored circle of stores -- they went a weird "trendy" route for awhile, but now they're back to the basic classics (for the most part). I'm debating purchasing a few little things. I'm in need of a handful of underpinnings, and I just love the GapBody products. I've also found a few other cute things that I'm not so sure if I "need" ... but they're in my cart for now.



Now that I work from home, I really can't rationalize purchasing that much stuff. I mean, don't get me wrong - I LOVE working from home, and am so grateful for this opportunity -- but it's weird to get used to the idea of not wearing "work clothes." I can see how stay-at-home moms can get into a rut of dressing for comfort every single day. I'm doing my best to avoid the sweats...I've always believed you should dress for the position you want, and if you dress nicely - you'll be taken more seriously.....but if the only living thing that sees me is my dog, then maybe a little comfort isn't such a bad thing.

This weekend we're hosting SB's mom and her husband. SB has been working 12-16 hour days for the past 2 weeks (I was literally in bed when he left yesterday (6:30am), and in bed when he came home (11pm)...poor guy!)....tonight is the Rams' first pre-season game, so here's hoping that all goes well!!!! Have a great weekend :)

I'm in the club!

The "Newlyweds With KitchenAid Standing Mixers" Club!!


Yep, it's true....every newly married girl lusts over KitchenAid mixers. Baking is one of my favorite things to do...it's a stress-reliever, and with my crazy huge sweet-tooth, I do enjoy the baked goods (a little toooooo much, admittedly). Macy's was offering a 20% discount on registry completion....and with a few returns, that silver puppy was ours!! (or mine really since SB probably won't ever use it) Last night I baked blondie bars for SB to take to work (plus a few to keep here....just didn't want all of them in my belly!!).