Family Ties

As I was taking Charley on an afternoon stroll, an older lady asked me what kind of dog he is. "To be honest, I have no idea," I replied, which is my standard answer for that question. It's the truth - he's the love of my life and I have no idea what breed he is. I suppose I should get one of those doggy-DNA tests to figure it out once and for all... I digress. So we start chatting (the lady and I, not the dog and I) and turns out, she knows my Great Aunt Kay and my Grandma that I live with. "I've lived in Highland Park for 80 years," she said. "I've known your family for a long time."

After a nice chat, we said goodbye and Charley and I continued on our way. It got me thinking: I really am lucky to have such a large, close family. I like being tied to that legacy, being associated with generations past and have people in my town that say, we know you. There's a comfortable and warm feeling that comes with these conversations, it makes me feel like I'm not just some random person on this huge planet but rather one person with many social ties in my little community of Central New Jersey. I used to think I was better off in Florida, where I didn't have much family, nobody "holding me down." But in hindsight, I realize my family doesn't hold me down - they are actually the support group that keeps my head and spirits high.

With Mother's Day around the corner, what I want to say is this: while it is nice to show the Mom's and Dad's in the world extra love on these "holidays", every day should be "I love my family" day because let's face it, they are one of the only things we can count on in this world. Well, that and the comforting effects of ice cream. Luckily, some things never change.

Oh the Weather Outside is... Weather

What is it about a sunny, hot day that puts everyone in such a good mood? Today was the first taste of summer 2011 with temperatures in the low 80s and bright blue skies and I did as much as I could to take advantage of it. Laid out with some light reading, did a deep-clean of the inside of the car, vacuum, wipe down of the interior, windows, the whole nine, then took Charley for a brisk walk. I love watching him move along the sidewalk, stopping at each bush or telephone pole to decide whether or not to pee on it. What a life.

My original goal was to take him down to the park but on the way the there I found a hidden trail that led into the woods and figured, what the heck, let's check it out. Trying to calm all the Law and Order SVU scenarios that were running through my head of creeps jumping out of the bushes, we trekked on... Sure enough, there is a great hiking trail that runs along this little stream and it made for a nice little afternoon hike.

Charley was tired afterwards, I got a tan (or should I say a slight forehead burn), everyone's happy. While we did spot a deer in the distance (which, I'm not gonna lie, I jumped when it moved towards us) there were no creepers waiting for me in the bushes. I guess my life is just not as exciting as a TV show. But for a day like today, I'll take what I've got.

Words with Friends

Since my boyfriend works on the Mobile Team for ESPN, he is always bringing home cool gadgets to try out and play around with. This past weekend, I saw him enthralled in some game on his Samsung Droid phone so I asked him what he was playing. "Words with Friends," he says. "You haven't played this?" Sure enough, I download the app and my life has never been the same. It's basically Battle Scrabble and you can find your friends based on their User Name and play against them interactively. I am not usually a gamer or an App freak, but this one has changed it all for me. I currently have 5 open games and am always looking for new friends to connect with. Do you play "Words with Friends?"

Products I am Currently Living By

Do you ever think to yourself, "man, what would I do without this shampoo or this pair of sneakers?" Well, in honor of this question, here is a list to pay tribute to the products that I just can't live without these days:

Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliners - in Regular, Waterproof and Diamonds

Bare Minerals Foundation

Reebok RunTone Sneakers

ProActiv

BioSilk Hair Serum

Jergens Body Lotion

Confetti Nail Polish Colors

Glamour Magazine

Jansport Backpacks

Dell Laptop

Bic Mechanical Pencils in .9 mm lead

IPod Nano - Gen 2

Blistex Chapstick

Advair

Claritan-D

DSW

Planet Fitness Gym

Starbucks Coffee (I know what you're thinking, how they don't support Fair Trade and blah blah, if you research Starbucks they spend more time and money supporting the Coffee Farmers through the Chiapas project and other programs...)

Capri Sun

Fiber One Bars

FaveRed Starbursts

NCAA Basketball Finals Tonight

Tonight is the end of this years March Madness tournament for Mens NCAA Basketball with Butler taking on UConn in the Finals. And like most of those bracketmasters out there, I did not have this predicted as the final game. Well, let's be serious, I was no bracketmaster and didn't even come close to the Final Four! This years NCAA Basketball Tournament was one of the hardest to predict - in fact, according to the ESPN Brackets, only two people out of 5.9 million had all final four teams correct! Two people! One of these 2 people was a local East Brunswick, New Jersey man and I am tempted to look him up and ask him whether he picked the Final Four based on some shred of intellectual knowledge or did he lose a bet to his friends over a round of beers?

Either way, should make for a great Final game. I am picking UConn to top Butler, but as my bracket suggests, that is clearly just a guess. Who is your pick for the Champ? And what will the final combined score be?

BodyCandy.com for all of your piercing needs

I know, belly button rings are so 1990s. But I never took mine out and occasionally I get inspired to switch it up and get some new rings. The ring I had in for over a year finally gave up on life last week so I decided it was time to put in an order. If you go to the mall or any jewelry store they will charge you $10-$20 for a ring and it's a rip off! I've been using BodyCandy.com for 6 years and I have to tell you, I have never been disappointed; this shipment was no different.

I got 10 rings shipped to my door for $25! All orders over $20 get free shipping and if you get on their email list they will always send you a 15% off coupon code. I did the free shipping offer, placed my order on Wednesday and had the package on Saturday, so they are quick to get the orders out the door.

I wanted to get a variety so I got:

5 dangling rings and 1 large stud (the pink butterfly, I am currently wearing this one and it's fantastic). The first one on the left with the crystal icicle is actual crystal, that was my one splurge for the purchase, coming in at $11.

And 4 standard bent bars in colors to match my bathing suits (I'm thinking ahead to beach time!)

So if anyone is still like me and rocking their belly button ring, or any other piercings (they have everything from tongue rings, nose rings, eyebrows, etc.) check out BodyCandy.com.

Cable Knit Canine

Cable knit sweaters: A must have piece for any complete wardrobe. A chunky cable knit is great for winter and colder seasons, while a lightweight cable knit is perfect for spring time and transitional seasons. Well, how could I leave my fashionable (pup) friend out of the stylish loop? Charley currently rocks a Cerulean cable knit but he also has a bright green version that he was seen wearing last week in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Here are some pictures of Chic Charley to show you how he rocks them, what's your preferred cable knit style?

My New Favorite Nail Polish

The latest trend for nail color ranges from wild neon colors to muted nudes and anywhere in between. Personally, I love the muted tones, like taupes and tans. I find them to be chic and classic. Unfortunately, after 5 months of winter and genetically pale skin, I have a hard time pulling off these shades because they just blend into my skin tone.

Yesterday, I found my new favorite color that blends muted chic with creative color and I am simply loving it. It's called Fine Pruned in the Ulta Nail Polish Line, and on top of being inexpensive, (I paid $2 for the bottle, they are having a sale right now 2 for $4) the color pops and the polish is great. It dried quickly and evenly and has already conquered 2 sink-fulls of dishes and some yard work.

It's a keeper!

Spring Cleaning!

What is it about the first warm day that makes me want to clean every inch of my house and car? Yesterday, with high temperatures around 60 degrees here in New Jersey, I was sent into a full-on cleaning frienzye with a spree that totaled 5 hours. I cleaned out my car, organized the inside and the trunk (with pop-up bins from the previously mentioned Dollar Tree), insert a new air freshener, and aired out the inside. In my loft, I oiled and waxed all of the wood furniture, cleaned all of the sheets and blankets, cleaned out drawers and started a new "giveaway bag", dusted all of my photo frames, organized certain "sketchy" areas to make better use of the space, and even had time to put together Spring Gifts for my boyfriend, mom and grandma.

By the time dinner rolled around, I was indulging in my annual corned beef and cabbage, and yes, I was exhausted. But the smell of clean and cool fresh air made me drift to sleep with a wide grin on my face.

Happy spring everyone! May the warmer weather and longer days bring cleanliness and organization to even your dirtiest of areas.

The Ultimate Dollar Store

Everyone knows and loves the Dollar Store. But has anyone else noticed those "dollar stores" that charge more than a dollar for items in their stores? How can they call themselves a dollar store, if anything it should be the "Few Dollars Store."

Alas, I have found a great dollar store chain, Dollar Tree, that has many locations throughout the northeast, a great selection of quality products, and nothing in the store is more than one buck! My favorite store is on Easton Avenue in Somerset, NJ (in the same shopping center as Stop & Shop, Chase and BK). I stopped there today and all of the spring and easter items are front and center. I'm not going to lie, I spent $36 in there today but I got SO many great things including but not limited to:

• Store bins, I put 1 in my car and 1 in the trunk to organize loose items
• Paper lantern lights, for a summery designing touch
• Easter and Spring gifts for my boyfriend and family, including their Easter baskets
• Cute ankle socks, 3 pairs for $1!
• Extend-a-bra, which are bra clips that you can use to loosen up a tight fitting bra (sorry boys)
• The Amazing Hanger, hang 5 items on one hanger, closet space saver
• Gardening Gloves, with cute spring patterns
• Reusable Shopping Totes, in strawberry and watermelon designs

Where's your favorite dollar store and what was the best thing you ever found in there?

The Grand Unveiling of Design Create Communicate

Today marks a special day for me: the unveiling of my personal website project Design Create Communicate. I started this project back in October with the help of my brother and his company Alpha Blue Technologies, LLC and can't believe the day has come that I can actually invite others into the project to see what I have produced. In celebration of this day, I have started this new blog that will coincide with the website where I can share my thoughts, work processes and perhaps inspire your creative juices to flow. At the very least, I hope you will put Design Create Communicate on your list of favorite websites and check back often!