I'm in love with this little guy...

Laugh for a Child

So this year I'm chairing Laugh for a Child, a fundraiser to help fund our free dental clinic in Spartanburg. Playing around with the Save the Date that will go out in two weeks.

What do you think?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope your holidays are wonderful!

You must watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

Found on Facebook.

One word. Tragic.

Hub City Art Park

Go "Joe the Plumber"!

I adore this man and wished the media would leave him alone. Frankly, it's nice to see someone challenge these candidates with actual questions face to face.

It's nice to see someone making Obama accountable...even if he is a semi-plumber.

Two Loves - Bikes and Art.

In efforts to bring a bike sculpture event to Spartanburg for our Creative Energy campaign, I've done a good deal of research lately concerning Montpelier, VT. It's great to see when art is created out of recycle parts.

Fabulous!

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Love it.

R.I.P. Paul Newman

You will be greatly missed.

Play Time.

Lunch Date.

In non-wedding related news...

I got into grad school! This past January, I made the typical New Years Resolutions...find new place to live (check)...ride my bike more (check)...take the GRE and apply for grad school - CHECK!

I'm now on my way to get a Masters in Public Administration. What is Public Administration you may ask...

Turn to good friend - Wikipedia:

"Public administration can be broadly described as the development, implementation and study of branches of government policy. Public administration is linked to pursuing the public good by enhancing civil society and social justice. Though public administration has historically referred to as government management, it increasingly encompasses non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are not acting out of self-interest. "

I applied to several and decided on Friday that this fall, I will be a part of the MPA program at Clemson University. While I'll doubt I'll learn all the words to "Tiger Rag" being a USC Gamecock at heart....I'm excited about this next chapter in my life.

Info Credits: Public Administration, Clemson University,
University of South Carolina

Stupid but funny...

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I think my favorite part is the awkward hand gestures.

Got to love the Muppets

It's official!

It's official! Dr. Harris Pastides is our new president

at the University of South Carolina.

Read more: http://www.sc.edu/presidentialsearch/index2.php

Crazy Twins

Pretty cute.

I’m buying a horse…

Or a small pony.

Only 2 hours till the weekend...

Well said.

I need this today....

Puppets on Parade Downtown!

The puppets are coming to town here in Spartanburg on Friday!

There are days that I feel like a bee....

Sometimes I feel like this dang bee and the world is like Donald Duck.




By the way…does anyone write plots for cartoons like this anymore?

Bye-bye Charlie

My favorite, random playing radio station left on Friday and was replaced with a new format of talk radio. WHY???

Why do you have to steal another great, wonderful, puts-you-in-a-good-mood radio station and replace it with another version of talk radio? I listen to enough people talk during my workday and now you took away one of the few things that would place a smile on my face. Who’s going to play the “Love Boat” at 2 in the afternoon? Who’s going to open my ears up to other tacky songs like “Disco Duck”…who else is going to switch from Country to Polka to Gangster Rap in a matter of minutes?

Farwell dear 106.3 Charlie FM – you will be greatly missed.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

I would not be where I am today with out my Dad and Mom. Simple as that. And I am so thankful for all that they've sacrificed so I could live as a "typical" American girl. I am truly blessed.

R.I.P. Tim Russert

I really liked him. He was fair and to the point. So sad...so sad.

Positive Thought of the Day...

Do you remember this song?

I heard this song on the radio (thanks Charlie FM) and thought what ever happen to this girls? Blast from the past. I wonder if they are still around?

Uncle Sam is watching...

Did you vote today? If so and you live in the Upstate part of SC...here's a link to the election results.

http://www.wspa.com/midatlantic/spa/news/2008_election_results.html

Had an interesting encounter at the voting polls today. As it was a primary, you can only vote for one party - donkey or elephant, there is no intermingling. Unfortunately a grandmother did not realize that which resulted in a good 30 minute conversation on the difference of primaries and the overall election. Joy.

Not the best idea.

So a few days ago I got the wild idea that I should change the make-up of this blog and focus on my wedding planning. After a few days, I realized that I was wrong and decided to create a different blog - SC Nearlywed.

Here it is

http://scnearlywed.blogspot.com/

my wedding blog if you would like to see what I'm up to and if not, then back to your normal scheduled program.

It's free doughnut day!

So storm your nearest Krispy Kreme...

Not wedding related...but pretty cute

I'm a sucker for the baby sheep....

Just For Giggles...

Like the new look? I thought it was time for a change...at least for a little while. Be prepared to see some wedding planning photos on here. I mean, I know that you are jumping for joy but hopefully they'll be entertaining.

THIS is why drugs are bad....

I love the chicken that is meant to look like a duck...

So I was THAT girl...

So last night I, for a moment, was THAT girl. I bought my Sex and The City movie ticket at midnight at the movie theatre. Yep, I pulled my snazzy Jetta up to the ticket counter and looked like an insane nut in trying to buy a movie ticket for a film not showing until 19 hours later.

Seriously – who does this?!?

Me – apparently.

And 100 other young crazy girls according to our local newspaper that reported that I was not alone in this whole SATC craze.

At least I don’t have a Carrie T-shirt…well yet anyways.

A weekend of showings? Well, that's just fabulous
By Lee Gray
Published: Friday, May 30, 2008



Diehard "Sex and the City" fans who went to last night's midnight showing of the movie are probably already in a shopping frenzy per the fashion advice that is the film's wardrobe department.
For those of us who couldn't risk falling asleep at our desks today after the movie's 2 1/2-hour duration, Regal Spartan Stadium 16 and Carmike 7 have enough showings scheduled today through Sunday to accommodate even the biggest of opening weekends.
Steve Gaskins, manager at Carmike 7, 1985 E. Main St., said Thursday that the Spartanburg theater had already sold about 100 advance tickets for weekend "SATC" showings. He guessed, judging by the volume of calls received so far, that the theater will sell about 700 more tickets through Sunday.
"I would not be surprised to see the 7 o'clock (tonight) sell out," Gaskins said.
Carmike is showing "Sex and the City" at 1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. You can buy advance tickets at the theater or online at Fandango.com.
Spartan 16, at 855 Spartan Blvd., will show the movie at noon, 12:50, 3:40, 4:20, 7, 7:40, 10:20 and 11 p.m. Get advance tickets online at movietickets.com.
We asked for fans of "Sex and the City" to tell us why they loved the series. Here are their stories:
Meg Cheshier, Cowpens
"I have to begin by saying I'm not a fan - I'm a FANatic." From the 'I'm a Carrie' T-shirt, complete six-season DVD set with bonus disc, to the 'Sex and the City' game (that no one will play with me). I can even quote 'the girls' in my casual conversations.
"I was hooked from Season 1. The ritual would begin by taking the phone off the hook, making sure the kids were in bed and banishing my husband from the room. This way it could be me and 'my girls.' Cosmo by my side, I would spend the next hour laughing and crying along to their triumphs and pitfalls in careers and relationships. I think it is these real-life adventures (sprinkled with fashion) that makes women so loyal to the show.
"We see a part of each character in ourselves - all four with distinct personalities, yet all can be found in any one woman.
"Charlotte's innate Pollyanna goodness, Miranda's businesslike straightforwardness, Carrie's quick humor and fashion sense and Samantha's voracious sex drive leaves us mirroring these characteristics. All women strive to balance love, home and career. 'SATC' displays this balance with such unabashed humor and candidness, you can't help but feel you are the fifth member of this exceptional team.
"True fans won't make predictions about the movie. True fans know that Michael Patrick King will stay true in the development of the original characters. True fans will sit back and be content with two hours of complete submersion into a world we've missed for four years, into a world only 'SATC' fanatics can truly appreciate."
Erin Parsons, Spartanburg
"I love 'Sex and The City'... it is a show that all girls can relate to.
"Every woman has had a 'Mr. Big' in their life and a relationship that has changed her life forever. It also shows us that you can never make it through life without true friends to get you through it all. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha all have different lives but they all come together to teach us different things.
"I cannot count the times I have been down and out about a guy or friendship troubles and just watched a DVD from my complete series collection and felt 100 percent better!
"The best thing it teaches us girls: 'The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.'
"As far as my predictions for the movie, I think everything will work out just the way it should and they will all be happy ... because they will still have each other!"
Jennifer Orseck, Spartanburg
"The four women that are 'Sex and the City' bring to light experiences and feelings that all women can identify with. You may say that you have never done or said what they have done or said, but I guarantee that deep down, you wish you had."

366 days away...

Sums up today...

Pillsbury Dough Boy

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The
grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart
cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

Thanks Katie!

A new perspective on the week....

You have to love stories like this...

Okay - really?

New children's book takes on mommy's plastic surgery

By LEANNE ITALIE | Associated Press Writer
3:02 PM CDT, April 17, 2008

Divorce. Bullies. Foster care. There are books for children on just about every tough subject these days. But mommy's plastic surgery?

A Florida plastic surgeon has written about just that in "My Beautiful Mommy," a picture book due out April 28 that tries to calm the fears of kids with parents getting tummy tucks, breast enhancement procedures and nose jobs.

Dr. Michael Salzhauer said so many moms brought kids to their appointments that he was motivated to stock up on lollipops in his Bal Harbour, Fla., office. In "My Beautiful Mommy," he explains mommy's recuperation, changing look and desire for plastic surgery.

"Many parents don't explain to their kids what's going on," said the father of four, with his fifth child on the way. "Children are very perceptive. You can't hide a major surgery from them. When mom goes down for two weeks after a tummy tuck it affects them."


Illustrations show a crook-nosed mom with loose tummy skin under her half shirt picking up her young daughter early from school one day and taking her to a strapping and handsome "Dr. Michael."

Mom explains she's going to have operations on her nose and tummy and may have to take it easy for a week or so. The girl asks if the operations will hurt, and mom replies, "Maybe a little," warning she'll look different after the bandages come off.

The girl asks: "Why are you going to look different?"

Mom responds: "Not just different, my dear -- prettier!"

Big Tent Books in Savannah, Ga., is racing the book out after the Internet lit up Wednesday with word of its upcoming release. The initial 4,400 copies will be available for purchase only through the Web site of the company, which provides editorial and publishing services to picture book authors for fees.

Salzhauer acknowledges the subject matter may seem distasteful to some.

"There are people who are going to read this and say you're indoctrinating kids and idealizing beauty. That's not the intention of the book at all," he said. "The intention is to allow parents who are going through this process anyway to have a vehicle to explain it to their kids."

Diane Kuplack understands.

At 37, Kuplack has six biological children under the age of 12, including 5-year-old twins, along with two older stepchildren from her husband Matt's first marriage. She said it was "nerve-racking" trying to decide what, if anything, to tell her children about the breast implant surgery she scheduled for Friday.

Kuplack, who lives in Weston, Fla., and is a patient of Salzhauer's, read the book to her children.

"The older ones loved it," she said. "We were nervous that if we didn't say anything at all that they would notice I look different when I came home. It really helped them understand because it explains everything so well. They didn't have any questions after that."

The book, told from the perspective of the grade school-age daughter, has the groggy mommy home from the hospital the day after her double surgery, sitting up in bed sipping chicken soup with grandma helping out. Soon mommy is out of bed but still not able to do any heavy lifting, so the girl and her big brother pitch in around the house.

At the breakfast table, the girl tells mommy how she's learning about butterflies at school and mommy laughs that her bandages make her feel like a cocoon.

Then the big day arrives -- mommy's bandages are gone and illustrator Victor Guiza lights up the new and improved mommy with a sparkly princess pink background.

"Mommy, your eyes are sparkling like diamonds," the girl exclaims. "You're the most beautiful butterfly in the whole world."

Jerry Seltzer, general manager of Big Tent's parent company, Whimsical LLC, sees the obvious niche for "My Beautiful Mommy" in plastic surgeons' offices and among moms undergoing cosmetic procedures. He admits he initially wondered about the content.

"I thought, 'Gee, mommy looked awfully good before the surgery.' But I felt confident because it was appropriate for the market," he said. "Women are out there getting the surgery."

Salzhauer said he performs about 200 tummy tucks and breast procedures a year, the bulk on mothers. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, representing most of the nation's board-certified surgeons in the specialty, reported nearly 348,000 breast augmentation procedures and 143,000 tummy tucks on women in 2007.

"My patients do worry about their children when they're going through this," Salzhauer said. "The book just goes toward trying to make the process as understandable as possible for the kids, so they can feel included and don't have to make things up in their minds on what's going on."

A little odd...but sweet I guess...

From matching gems to the perfect match
Hacker proposes to girlfriend via casual puzzle game Bejeweled.
By Mike Smith



A hacker's romantic gesture
You're probably accustomed to seeing big-screen proposals at ball games, in crowded restaurants, and scrawled across the sky by aircraft. But popping the question by hiding a message in your intended's favorite computer game is rather more unusual.

However, for computer programmer Bernie Peng, it obviously seemed like the perfect idea. He spent a month reprogramming his girlfriend Tammy Liu's favorite video game, gem-matching hit Bejeweled, so that it would display the all-important message when she reached a certain score. As Peng told Newark's Star-Ledger: "I thought it was pretty cool, in a nerdy way."

Did she agree? Fortunately for Peng, she did, and the pair plan a September wedding. Popcap, the company responsible for Bejeweled (and consequently untold hours of lost productivity in offices around the world) is flying the couple out for a Seattle honeymoon, and supplying copies of Bejeweled to hand out as wedding favors. A word of advice to any guests, though: don't sit next to two other people wearing the same color, or all three of you will vanish.

You can try the game for yourself right here -- but don't count on it hiding any marriage proposals.

Just in that type of mood...

I adore this commercial.

“Either you’re in…Or you’re out…”

Nina Garcia Said to Be Out at Elle

Friday, April 11, 2008

By Stephanie Smith


Elle is said to have parted company with its fashion director and “Project Runway” star and author Nina Garcia sources said late Friday.

Neither Garcia, Elle editor in chief Robbie Myers nor a spokeswoman for Elle could be reached for comment.

More on that article, click: http://www.wwd.com/notavailable/dotcom?target=/issue/article/124158&articleId=124158&articleType=A&industryKw=issue&industryKw2=issuearticle


More on the train wreck..
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=5a25339f-b184-47e7-ad0b-eccd6a99dff7

Oh my.

Bride, Groom Spend Wedding Night in Jail
The Associated Press Published: Monday, April 7, 2008

A weekend wedding turned into an unforgettable first night for these two newlyweds. Police said a bride and groom spent their first night as a married couple in jail after their wedding party at a Vallejo home got out of hand.

When police had to return a second time to the home Saturday night, officers stunned both the groom and his cousin with a Taser when they both became aggressive towards the officers.

The groom and cousin were arrested for allegedly resisting arrest.

The bride was taken into custody on suspicion of public intoxication.

---

Information from: Contra Costa Times

Even the muppets are in on this...

Seriously?

Be kind, don't litter, 'county bum' warns

County enforcement agents target wastefulness
By Rachel E. Leonard
Published: Thursday, April 3, 2008



This man is no ordinary bum - he's an undercover police officer looking to catch litterbugs who throw trash from their vehicles.
This panhandler isn't keeping an eye out for your money. Just your trash.

Spartanburg County environmental enforcement officers call him the "county bum," but he's one of their own: an undercover officer who poses as a homeless man to catch litterbugs in the act. Clutching a sign reading "Be Kind," he frequents intersections throughout the county to help nab motorists who toss trash and cigarette butts out car windows or dump ashtrays on the roadside.

The "bum" calls in the offender's license number over a police radio, and a nearby officer in an unmarked vehicle - a "chase car" - catches up and issues a warning or ticket. Don Arnold, county environmental enforcement director, said officers are thinking outside the box when it comes to litter enforcement.

"We think that it's been good, and I think the awareness of it, as a preventive measure, may help," Arnold said. "When the word gets around, you have to be careful, because the people sitting out there may be 'the man' who's sitting out there, waiting for you to violate the law."

Cigarette butts, which take anywhere from two to 20 years to decompose and are not biodegradable, can also wash into streams and can spark brush fires, he said.

The last sting took place Friday during a three-day environmental enforcement campaign. The "bum" officer, whose name is being withheld because he works undercover, said some people try to give him money, but he motions them away and tells them, "No thank you, just be kind."

"You get all kinds of different looks, from just stares ... a lot of them just read the sign," he said. "You can tell some of them, from the expression on their face, they feel sorry for you."

The undercover campaign began last fall, and the Friday operation resulted in no citations. The officer said one person threw a cigarette from a window, but he couldn't verify which car the litter came from. Environmental enforcement Sgt. Jamie Nelson said local TV publicity about the sting could have put motorists on the lookout, but officers will be hitting the streets again in the future.

"It was a good day," Nelson said. "No one threw anything out while we were there, which is another aspect of the job."

Officers did ticket motorists on local interstates for unsecured loads after seeing trash fly off their trucks. During the three-day campaign, the officers issued 58 tickets, 36 of which were for litter violations.

We have a website!

Be warned...it's basic...

http://lennyandamanda.weebly.com/

No point but for a good laugh...since it is March

Great things come to those who wait...

On March 15, 2008, my sweetheart of 7 ½ years asked me to be his wife and I’m still on cloud 9! I will warn you in advance that this maybe a long post. :o)

My birthday was Friday and he threw a huge surprise party for my 26th birthday (huge surprise because I truly had not a clue that anything was going on) with all of my friends and family at his house. My fabulous DZ sisters, Leslie and Catherine were able to attend and Catherine decided to spend the night.

The next day, we went to lunch with Catherine before she headed to her home in Charlotte, NC and then we were off to go antique shopping (it was my idea) for the rest of the day. We had just left the parking lot and Leslie called (who by the way had no clue that this was going on) to ask us if she had left her keys at Lenny’s house. Since we hadn’t left the city yet, we drove to Lenny’s house to search for the keys and found them. While on the phone with Leslie, I started to search on Google to see where in South Carolina we could meet up and decided to just take them to Catherine. I had just hung up the phone and Lenny handed me my nametag from the Greenville Braves (a former AA team of the Atlanta Braves) where we had met back in 1999 before we started dating in 2000. My response was “Wow! Where did you find this?” and he asked me to look on the back.



I turned it over and there was my ring!!!

By the time I realized “oh-my-gosh-this-is-the-moment”, he was already on one knee asking me the four words we all dream of hearing…”will you marry me?”

It was FABULOUS!

Great way to spend a Sunday...

So, so impressed!

I was so impressed with the Spartanburg DMV today when I went to renew my license today! Anticipating a long ordeal, I brought along a paperback and prepped myself to sit at least an hour. But to my great surprise the DMV is on the ball! 10 minutes or less and I was gone. Talk about a fabulous surprise!

Have you seen me?

Behold the beloved 2006 Cole Haan Leather Satchel that I've been looking for the Google, EBay and various other websites to find out that apparently the fantastic bag no longer exist. I know…such a sad, sad state of affairs.

That was until I found it in a random shoe store here in Spartanburg. Amazed I asked for the bag to be placed on hold until I could bring my dear boyfriend into the store to show him exactly what I wanted for a Valentine's Day or birthday or Valentine's Day/Birthday gift.

So later on in the week, I drag my boyfriend into a all women's store to show him the bag. To the same sales girl, I ask to have the bag placed on hold just in case someone special wanted to buy it for me. Two days later my boyfriend walks back into the store to buy the bag. "Victory is mine" you think right?

Wrong.

Apparently the owner wanted the bag. The owner! So she took off the shelf and kept it for herself. Never mind the customer who had spent the last six months look for this bag, found it and placed it on hold. Nope, a $300 profit didn't matter to her.

Seriously?!?

So now I’m back to square one…no bag…and a credit to a store with the horrible owner. What luck?

Creative Energy...t-minus 10 days and counting...

Mark your calendars! The City of Spartanburg is launching our new Creative Energy initative on March 13th, 4:30 -5:30 p.m. at Beaumont Mill. Below is an article from the local newspaper here in Spartanburg.





http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080224/NEWS/802240355

More of 1986

Why I LOVE YouTube...

Having a Disney Moment

Reliving some of my favorite moments as a kid back in 1986...enjoy!

Got to love the 80s colors

You must check out this group - Tilly And the Wall! It reminds me of the 80s.

Happy Birthday Susan B. Anthony!

Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to secure women's suffrage in the U.S.

Photo credit: www.rochesterliving.com





She traveled the United States and Europe, and gave 75 to 100 speeches per year on women's rights for some 45 years. Amazing what you can do with a little spunk!

Sometimes I think that we take the littlest things for granted...

Gamecock Hitler

If you haven't had a moment to watch this hilarious video - then click on the button below.



You can thank me later...