Hippie Chic

Okay let me first start off by saying that clear straps for bra's should no longer be made! I am not sure why people think clear straps a. look good and b. are really clear. They look horrible! Please if you own clear straps, throw them in the trash and promoise you will never buy them again! Invest in a nice strapless bra that fits well and you will not need clear straps.

Now onto the good stuff! I am in LOVE with cute sundresses. The best ones are those that are slightly hippie or boho chic. They were all over the Dave concert last night. Every girl needs to purchase at least one to add to her wardrobe. I'll probably be buying one for everyday.

I am also crazy about strappy flat sandals. Very comfortable, practical, and cute! Grab a couple of pairs for your summer wardrobe.

Dave Matthews Band

We are finally back from Nashville. The DMB concert was last night (Saturday) and we thought we got super lucky when we located a Hampton Inn closer to Vandy....I'll come back to why we were not so lucky in a minute. Jesse and I had such a great relaxing weekend. We went down Thursday, stopped in at one of Jesse's clients and then headed to the hotel for dinner and vegging out. Friday we spent some time shopping at the outlets, running around downtown, and eating at Rotiers (a little hole in the wall hamburger joint). We were suppose to change hotels on Saturday and we really wanted to be down by Vandy since that's where the concert was. I looked at Hampton and luckily there was one Hampton Inn open! It was fate. I cancelled the Fairfield Inn that was out by Opryland and booked the Hampton. Saturday morning we headed to Opry Mills, checked out the mall (I found a really cute polka dot skirt at the Loft that I had wanted but couldn't find my size in Lexington...go ME!) and then we headed downtown Nashville for the Hampton. Now, I have stayed at my fair share of Hamptons, as has Jesse (Mr. Gold status). This poor Hampton looked like the Motel 6 for 34.95 a night. I used my HHonors points, so I wasn't too concerned and it was only for one night so we could deal with the "run-down" ghetto Hampton. We went to dinner at this amazing little Italian place across the street (the brewery we wanted to eat at was an hour wait) and then headed down to the concert. We knew where the concert was driving but didn't really know how to get to the Stadium on foot, so we just followed the crowd. We made it as Jason Mraz was opening (who we also passed on Vandy's campus earlier that day). Snore...sorry that was me being put to sleep by his music. After much patient waiting Dave finally came on! We had tickets pretty much as far back and up as you could go, but the seats were not bad. We didn't have anyone in front of us so we could stretch out our legs, it was great. I ran into a girl I used to work with at AE, she was about 4 seats down from me (we had ran into each other at Opry mills in the Banana Outlet dressing room earlier that day). The concert was great! This morning we got up, started getting ready and the caous hit! While Jesse was in the shower, a room around us flushed their toliet...and their flushed nastiness came up in the shower. Luckily he was done and getting ready to get out, so he hopped out and shared the gift from our neighbors with me! YUCK! I called the front desk and they quickly sent someone to our room to fix it "good as new". I was kind of shocked that the manager did not call us or check on us. It is pretty disguisting to have someone else's sewage come up while you are showering. We finished getting ready and headed to check out. If you know me, then you know that I spoke with the manager and he refunded my points so we stayed at the NASTY Hampton for free. We are finally home after a great long weekend. It's always good to be home. XOXO

DAVE!

We made it to Nashville...finally! I have decided that I hate car riding now or maybe just car riding through Western Kentucky! It has been a long week; I got home Tuesday from Jacksonville from a very successful work trip. I unpacked, washed clothes, cleaned house, washed bedding, packed and we headed back out this morning! Our friend Emily is keeping Nikki and Maddy (Beau went to my Mom's as he hates all people, except family) so this should be exciting. Our dogs are not aware that they are dogs...My cousin stayed with them last time we were gone and she found them pretty silly. We are gone so much I don't want to overwhelm one person, so I am trying to build up a little team of people we trust to keep our precious children. We may have to hire a live in Nanny if we keep overlapping travel. Jesse left this hilarious list for our doggie sitter for this weekend. The information sheet holds all important information regarding how to work our complicated remote, what not to be alarmed about (for instance if Nikki puts her head under the couch, butt in the air and makes a chu-baca type noise...this is normal, she is just trying to locate her red ball). If I get a chance, I'll post it because I was laughing so hard, I was crying! Our dogs are high maintence (which may not be surprising to some).

Jesse and I have wanted to see DAVE (yes I know it's in capital letters...he's that awesome!) in concert since we meet almost 8 years ago. Until now, we haven't really been able to afford tickets, hotel rooms, travel, food, etc. Luckily I got a free night stay on my points (one benefit to being on the road all the time) and Jesse has clients he needs to make visits to, so we came down early so he didn't have to come to Nashville twice in one week. This is totally cheesy but when Jesse and I met the "Everyday" CD had just come out and we would both chat on AIM and listen to the CD, making sure to start on the same song at the same time. DAVE was the first thing we had in commmon. If it hadn't been for my LIL Beth, then I probably would not have been a DAVE fan and then Jesse and I wouldn't have fallen in love. Thank you LIL for playing DAVE over and over and over and over =) I cannot wait to see DAVE saturday night. What does one where to see DAVE? Guess this means shopping! There are two great outlets here. I hope to snag up another Ralph Lauren Button down! I love the one I bought a month or so back. I can't believe how much cheaper the long sleeved button down is compared to the polo AND the polos fit horribly! Outlet shopping is always great and makes me smile, almost as much as the thought of finally seeing DMB in concert! XOXO

Green, Green Grass

I am obsessed with Grass today...yes grass, like the kind that grows in your yard. Like I mentioned an an earlier blog, I want to grow grass in glass containers for centerpieces for my new dining room table (like the table I saw in Pottery Barn). I did a little google researching today and found that the grass I want to grow is Wheat Grass. Very interesting, I didn't really know there are types of grass...Who knew? I found a perfect container at Michaels today and pebbles were on sale for $.99 from $2.29. What a great deal! I need to get two more containers, but will wait till I can use another Michael's coupon. I have never and will never pay full price for anything at Michaels. Now I just need to hunt down Wheat Grass seeds...where do you find that?

My other grass obsession is in the form of cupcakes, chocolate ones to represent the dirt, iced in grass for easter, and topped with some Jelly Beans for eggs! Guess this means I am headed back to Michaels for a new tip to pipe out grass. I love decorating cupcakes. I wish I had more time to decorate and learn how to use new tips. I'll let you know how the "Easter Egg Hunt" Cup Cakes go!



Update:
Well I got one and a half down of the grassy things I wanted to make. I have been searching for the wheat grass and luckily enough I found it today at Whole foods!! Can't wait to get the rest of my pots and get the grass-a-growing! The grass cupcakes turned out awesome considering it was my first time using that tip. Everyone thought they were adorable and delicious. I'm sure I will be making more.

Sitting Around the Table

We have been in our house for almost 2 years now and wondering what we were going to do with our formal dining room. Most of you are probably thinking...duh...put a dining table in it. We went back and forth between putting in a game room or a dining room. This past weekend we picked out a beautiful table and will begin decorating our dinning room. Does this mean more dinner's at home...hopefully!
New Table:

I need to get some place mats and a centerpeice for it. I found these grass centerpeices on potterybarn.com that I love and could totally make myself (or at least I think I can). I don't like anything too frilly or girly in my living room/main area. Any suggestions on how to make these or other ideas for centerpeices? I think I am going to go with a sage green curtain since the walls are such a pale, boring Khaki and we don't want to paint. We have been looking at wine painted canvasas to add more color and spruce up the walls. I have no clue where a good place to get placemats? Homegoods? Target didn't have much. Can't wait to get it all pulled together!

Grass Centerpeices:

Almost Home

So it's been another long travel week. Jesse left on Monday to head up to Philly for work and will be home tonight as will I (thank goodness). I am sitting in the lobby of a Hampton Inn, waiting for the time to leave to head to our restaurant for the last program of the week. I started out the week in Indianapolis, which I love! We stayed right downtown in a Homewood Suites; it is by far the most amazing hotel at over 100 years old, but has been remodeled to have this old rustic feel to it. If you ever stay in Downtown Indy, stay there! It's close to everything, shopping, food, and the interstate. Wednesday, I slept in, well till 8, then shopped a little and then I drove over to Columbus. Not too much happening in Columbus, but I didn't really venture out to much. Our restaurant was great and we had a great program. What more could I ask for. Today, we drove down to Cincinnati making a pit stop at the Prime Outlet Shops! Yippie for Outlet shopping. I however only bought a button down. Kinda sad, but guess I didn't break the bank. That's a positive. Being in Cinci means I am close enough to head home tonight (as I said above) and I cannot wait to see my husband, doggies and sleep in my own bed. For some reason lately I am not sleeping well in hotel beds. My cousin Sara kept Nikki and Maddy, so I'm sure that was eventful for her! I am so greatful that she was there to help out. Without her, Mom would be stuck with four dogs and going crazy. All in all, it has been a pretty boring week and I'm extremely ready to be home.

If the shoe fits.

After a long day of running around DC and a horrible night of sleep in the nosiest hotel ever there was light at the end of the tunnel in the form of shoes! Megan this is for you! I found a DSW shoe store less than a mile from my hotel (and a super Target with a pay to park lot, but I can find a Target any city I'm in!)

What a great store and I cannot wait for DSW to open in Lexington. The shoe selection is 20x better than that of Off Broadway. I almost feel sorry for Off Broadway because they might not be open long after DSW opens here in Lexington. I didn't buy the shoes I had went after, but there were a ton other that I wish I had left with. Opening day is not going to come soon enough!

I'm back!

So I am finally home from my week-long work trip. I started out the week in Baltimore and headed over to Washington, DC on Wednesday. I was really excited to go to DC, since I have never been before...and yes, I mean never. I didn't do the little kid, middle school trip where you get to go and see all the monuments and the Smithsonian. We had most of the day to kill, but didn't leave the Baltimore hotel till late as I had only really planned to go to the Smithsonian. The guy traveling with me to do my AV set at my shows decided he would go with me and show me the different sites and play tour guide for the day. We saw so much stuff in the shortest amount of time! First on the tour was the Ab Lincoln Memorial. I have seen pictures of this...but man that thing is HUGE!

So because I am five and wanted to see Dinosaur's, we had to hit up the Smithsonian before we got back on the Metro (which I have mastered, thanks to Ashley's map!) I enjoyed the skeleton's but have decided that everything looks super cool in skeleton form (well animals anyhow) because they have animals that still exist today as skeleton's and I was fascinated by them for some odd reason...Here's a few pictures. I kept thinking that the Smithsonian was the museum from "Night at the Museum," after realizing it wasn't I was not as excited. Oh well one more thing I can add to my list of Museum's to see.
There were kids all over the steps of this place, probably doing their middle school tour that I never got to do. Our next stop was the Korean Memorial, which was really cool. All these faces were etched into this wall and appeared to be holographs.


The WWII Memorial, which is fairly new was also without water...go figure, but I found KY!

The Washington Monument was really cool...also extremely large...we didn't do the tour...still not sure what you do when you go up inside the monument, but lot's of people were doing it.



Even though it was an express tour of DC I really enjoyed seeing all the sites and couldn't have asked for a nicer day in DC to walk around. The temperature was prefect and not a rain drop fell from the sky. I have conquered the Metro and can now say I have seen DC in all it's glory. Maybe next time I go back, the fountain's and water will be up and the tree's will be in full bloom.

Baltimore, MD

I'M HERE! After shortly landing in Baltimore on a flight that was way too short therefore cutting my nap short (getting up at 4:30 AM is not fun) I headed off to the rental car place. I really hate when you have to take a shuttle from the airport to the rental car place. Thank goodness my GPS worked, because I didn't rent one to save the company money and I didn't google map the hotel from the rental car place (which was pretty far off from the airport). Everything went smoothly, I picked up the AV guy and we headed into the Hampton Inn Baltimore Inner Harbor, which is near our venue for tonight's program and the Harbor. The hotel is great, parking was a bit tricky as all the streets around are one way, so the GPS took use around in a big square and then we missed our turn...go figure, I was driving...and then we couldn't find the parking garage or the valet parkers (they were parking a car, go figure).

We went to the Legendary Phillips on the Harbor for lunch. The are rated number 1 for crab cakes. Ashley and I ate here last time we came and they have the yummiest crab cakes EVER!



All the little touristy shops around the area have the cutest little mugs that say things like "I'm crabby" or "I'm crabby till I have my coffee." I almost bought my hubby one, but they were almost $10 for a little mug. Oh well, the thought was there. It's cold and dreary here today, so I am hanging out in the hotel room. The building next to us is a little creepy...like something out of NCIS where dead bodies are found, let's just say when the sun goes down, my curtains are going shut! I'll post pics when I get home.

The building next to it, got plowed by a bus in the past day or so...random! There's just a big whole in the wall.

Well just a few hours till I'm off to work. Headed to Washington, DC in the morning. I hope to get to go to the Smithsonian tomorrow since I have never been before. Talk to you tomorrow!

Travel Queen

So I am on my way to Balitmore, MD for work. The flight from Lex to Cinci is way too short...I didn't get my morning nap in :-( Oh well, maybe the next leg. As much as I hate flying, I love acutually being up in the air (usually asleep) and I love watching people in the airport. I am sad that I didn't fly in to Atlanta cause I missed out on my usual breakfast: eggs and biscuit and gravy, and I didn't get to go to the scarf store. A treat I rarely allow myself to have. I did however have Chick-fil-a...the girls at work will laugh at this. I was sad that my Chick-fil-a guy was not there to serve me and say "Thank you Mrs. Rohr." Cinci airport is not the best for outlets, I had to scower around to find an outlet to plug my laptop in to check my mail and blog; now I am sitting here with four other people sharing my extension cord from my travel kit. Needless to say, they are thankful that I am lugging this thing around. Well I am getting ready to board shortly and off to meet Mike, my new travel companion (the AV guy) and hopefully have crab cakes for lunch. Don't worry Ashley, I won't spend over my $50 a day! Thanks to everyone who is praying for my flights, it is comforting to know I'm being put on the Big Guy's to-do list. See you in Baltimore!