LIVIN ON THE WILD SIDE.....

An ode to leopard print!

Last night,as I was straigtening up my room after a long day that included four outfit changes (a.m. workout....work....p.m. workout....dinner/cocktails with friends), I noticed a glaring trend in my wardrobe.  LEOPARD PRINT. I have never denied my love for animal print. Zebra, tiger and leopard...they are all good. But leopard has alway been the fave.  It has been a staple since high school. I started pulling all of my leopard pieces out and putting them on my bed and I reallized....I might be a little obsessed. I totally consider it a neutral. I mean, what color does leopard print not go with?!?!!? I've  included below some of my favorite leopard print finds. Some I already own. Some I am lusting over. What do you think? Is leopard print a neutral?

Below is my favorite leopard print thing I own. My COACH sneaks.  Not only did I get them at a great price....$59.99, they are sooooo comfy. Again....I can wear them with ANY color and they match perfectly!!!

Now...here is the leopard print I am LUSTING for ( Tory Burch Reva in size 10.....just in case you all are feeling the giving spirit. Ha!) Aren't they just perfection?  I have to save my pennies though....these puppies aren't cheap.....but they will look totally cute on my footsies this fall during football season!

Below are two cocktail rings that I have from Betsey Johnson. She is the queen of leopard print! Aren't they cute? I usually just throw them on when I'm feeling that my outfit is lacking a lil something. Thanks, Mom and Leslie......I rock them all the time.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

WARNING: Don't be fooled. Not all leopard print is good leopard print. There are some cheesy imitations out there. A general rule is if it looks like something the Flinstones wore, don't go there. I trust you to use your best judgement, but if there is a question....just ask me! Ha!

Anyhoo, I hope this inspires you to add a little animal to your wardrobe. It doesn't need to be a lot...just a simple accessory can bring out your wild side! GRRRRRRRRRRR!

Smooches,

THE DARLING DIVA

YOU DON'T REALLY APPRECIATE SOMETHING UNTIL IT'S GONE

I am a pretty self reliant girl. I don't really depend on anyone or anything to survive but myself (I kid. I couldn't even get that out without laughing in my head).  I have HUGE dependency issues, we all know this. I depend on a lot of people.   I depend on my parents, my friends, my brother, my boss, my puppy......  I also depend on THINGS. My car, my phone, my hair rollers, Proactiv....I could go on and on.  One thing I never really appreciated was my washer/ dryer.  That is, until it no longer worked.  It konked out on my during the BIG XII tournament this year. Could there be a worse time? NOPE.  And after three months, two service calls, and about $400 in repair fees, it quit for good. I don't really blame it. It takes a lot of laundry loads to keep and active young lady, with three wardrobe changes a day, clean.  I am so excited because this morning
they delivered my brand new washer and dryer:

TA DAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!Isn't she pretty?!?!?!?! Thanks, Mom and Dad for the belated birthday present. I am going to see how long I can stretch this 30th birthday out :)....Hopefully I will still be getting birthday gifts for the next six months!

I am feeling a little down today. Maybe it's the hot weather. Maybe it's "my time of the month." Maybe it's because I am so tired.  Who knows. I am going to go home tonight, eat my fresh strawberry salad, and wash my sheets.  There is nothing better than to slip into bed with clean sheets. And now I won't have to go to a laundry mat to get that done!  This day is looking up already! HA!

Smooches,

THE DARLING DIVA 

WEEKEND RAMBLINGS

This weekend can be described with four words...FUN IN THE SUN. It was beautiful outside and I took FULL advantage of it.  On Saturday I went to Johnny's for lunch with Erica and Lora. It was so fun to catch up and hear how everyone is doing. I see Lora all the time, but my time with Erica is limited becaue she lives so far away (Although she just moved 3 hours closer so I am hoping for more lunch dates and such).  She is also a full time career woman and mommy and coaches wife.  Triple threat.  After lunch with my girls I went over to the Eudora public pool with my friends from work, Katie and Ann.  Katie had her son, Charlie, with her. He is adorbs.  I went and saw him when he was a premie in the NICU after he was born and now he is running around, playing with kids, and talking up a storm.  Life is so amazing.  I got some good color and was responsible with the sunscreen. Go me.

Sunday morning I woke up and it was another beautiful day. I went over to Lora's house and played with Hudson in his baby pool. He also helped me wash my car. "Manna's car dewrty." HA!

It really was great fun except for the fact that I wasn't as responsible as the day before with the sunscreen. I swear I was only out there for two hours! OUCH!   At least I put it on my face though so I won't flake and look like I have dandriff. HA!

That night I went over to Bonnie's house to have dinner with the team. Yesterday, all the freshman got here and moved into their dorms and joined the rest of the team for summer school and summer workouts. We ate good food and watched the NBA Finals.  It was good to have the "family" back together.  Obviously, it was weird not having Coach O there. I admit, I did call her on the way home and cry. It is getting easier though. The path to the 2011/2012 season starts now................

  (This is the only pic I got of me all weekend. I would much rather be behind the camera then in front of it!)

Bonnie has a huge pond (kind of a mini lake) in her back yard so a bunch of players, staff, and family went down to check it out. Weird, we have had a million dinners at Bonnie's and this is the first time anyone has ventured out there. I stayed on the deck though.  Unless there is a boat or a dock, I am not interested. HA!

Side note: I got this swimsuit over the weekend. I got it from Linda's Online.  I shopped from this place before and been extremely happy with the results. It specializes in swimsuits for the "blessed in the chest" girls.  I wore my new zebra print one last weekend.  I got tons of compliments and was very comfortable so I decided to get this one too.  I only ordered the top, and if it fits, I will order the bottoms too. I could always wear my plain black bottoms until they matching ones arrive. I can't wait for it to come!

I am doing pretty good on the diet. I fell off the wagon a little last night at Bonnie's. Just couldn't resist the pizza and ice cream. It really was the only option. I'm lucky that I am not exposed to that stuff often because I had ZERO will power! HA! I have had two compliments this morning about how I am looking. I even got a, "It's melting off of you." I wish!!!! HA!!!! But hearing those things is good motivation.

I just booked a flight home for next week. This girl needs her Momma......and to see her Grandpa :(.   It will be a much needed trip home since I probably won't be home untill next Christmas. Hopefully the weather will be good. And I won't have to worry about getting burned. My Mom is a STICKLER for sunscreen. HA!

Smooches,

THE DARLING DIVA

BLOG POST AFTER LUNCH........

Left my darn camera cord in my other purse.....stay tuned......


Smooches,

THE DARLING DIVA

T.G.I.F!!!!

Thank goodness it's Friday.........I can't imagine how long this week would have felt if we had worked on Monday.  I am starting a petition for four day work weeks. Check your mailboxes for details. There was kind of a let down after all of my birthday festivities, but the end of the week got a little bit more exicting when we got our new work cell phones yesterday. Introducing the iphone 4..................................

I am so in love.  I can't believe in one week I went from having a crappy old cell phone and no home computer to an iphone 4 AND an ipad....I feel sooooo hi tech!  I don't mean to diss my old phone. It was really good to me. It made it through TWO whole basketball seasons, a lake season, and countless purse swappings. There was even the unfortunate bathroom sink episode of 2010.  It was a good phone. But this new phone is FANTASTIC.  I can take and receive video (Expect numerous good morning videos from Lulu, Mom). And I think, with a little research, I will be able to BLOG from it.  I don't want to get to ambitious though. We will start with the videos. HA! My next step is finding the ultimate case for it. I had blinged out cases on my old phone. It was kind of my signature.  In an extremely tough, and pretty masculine, profession everybody always got a kick out of seeing my blinged out cellphone on the scorer's table or at practice.  But I feel like my new celly deserves a more sophisticated home.I found a website on one of my favorite blogs, Confessions of a 20 Something, and they had this gem........

The website is called Marley Lilly at it is TO. DIE. FOR.  They have all sorts of cute monogramed stuff. They also had a beach/lake floppy hat that was so cute, but it probably wouldn't fit me head, right Mom?

Last night Lulu and I went over to Junior's house to eat some din din and say goodbye to Shane. He is coaching baseball in Cape Cod again this summer and he left this morning. I am so jelly.  We had such a blast last year visiting him as a family.  Here are some throw back pics from the Cape last year....

Anyhoo, this weekend is suppoused to be hot, hot, hot so I am going to lather up the sunscreen and hit the pool with my FOREVER FRIENDS.  I'm also going to get a mani/pedi at some point.  These tootsies look gnarly. A quick update:  I thought I was being so sly in my last post about "him." Turns out everyone knows who "he" is because I got tons of emails and phone calls refering to him by name. Apparently I wore my emotions on my sleeve during THAT breakup! HA!  Lets just hope his girlfriend doesn't read my blog! HA!   

If everyone could please say a little prayer today for my Grandpa. We put him in hospice yesterday. Please lift my Dad up too. I think this is tough on everyone, but especially him.  Have a great weekend!

Smooches,

THE DARLING DIVA

UNANSWERED PRAYERS

I have made a concious effort to keep this blog light.  To be honest, I don't really have many dark areas of my life.  I'm lucky that way.  I have been blessed not to have experienced most of the hard knocks that people go through. One emotion I wasn't able to avoid though was heartbreak.  I know most single girls out there can relate to this......that certain person who, no matter what they have put you through, you still just can't get over.  The person who, when their number pops up on your phone, your heart still stops.  I got one of those texts today.............................

I was having lunch on Mass Street with Hudy (wings again....ugh) and I heard my phone alert in my purse. I glanced at it, figuring it was Bonnie or Coach O or Lora or my Mom, and my heart sank.  I had to play it cool cause I knew Hudy would get mad I still communicated "him" from time to time. She was there for the mornings when I couldn't get out of bed and she was there for the fights that would send my into a tailspin. She held my hair when I was sick over him. Like a true best friend, she has no tolorence. I know I shouldn't either. To be honest, I had erased his information, but I would recognize that number anywhere.  I don't know what makes him think he can text me after weeks/months/days and act like no time has passed. Probably because I let him.   His message was simple. I don't remember exactly he said but it was basically, "What's up? Haven't heard from you...I still think about you."   Puke.  Did I respond? I won't say....cause I know there are some people who read this blog who might have an opinion (you know who you are). But whatever my response was, I now feel at peace because God was about to prove, once again, that he has my back.. Even in my darkest moments, he shines his light........

When I left lunch I headed to go re-new my passport and guess who was there?.... This guy's woman. The one he left me for.  Ironic  because I haven't seen her in a over a YEAR. She doesn't even live in my town!  I wanted desperately to show her my phone and the texts. Maybe I could spare her the same heartache he had cast on me.  I didn't though. I sat quietly next to her as she told me she was getting her passport so they could go on a vacation together. Puke again.  I walked away from the post office feeling reflective of what had just happened.  I remembered the nights I would lay awake and pray. Pray that God would make him mine. Pray that he would come home. Pray that he would call. Those prayers were never really answered. But as I walked away from her I realized that they weren't answered for a reason. God had a better plan for me.  I actually felt sorry for her.  She was planning the vacation of a lifetime (and probably paying for it. HA!)  and her boyfriend was still texting his ex.  Garth Brooks said it best, "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers."

I admit it....I lost my faith when I was younger.  Actually, a lot of that had to do with him. I kept thinking there couldn't be a God.....or if there was one, he wasn't listening. Otherwise he would be mine.  It has taken me some time to rebuild my trust in God, but days like today make me realize that he is for sure there. And he is GOOD.

On a lighter note.....check out my passport photo..........$185.00 and they wouldn't let me smile!!!! GHEESH!!!!!!!

Smooches,

THE DARLING DIVA

MY NEW OBSESSION.......

Pheeew……What a weekend.  Thanks to Lulu for filling in for me yesterday. I was swamped at work and needed to get FOCUSED after the long weekend…..As Lulu said, it was a GREAT birthday and I am so thankful.

I don’t really have any new things since Lulu basically covered it all but I just wanted to tell you guys about my new obsession…..My Dietminder.  As you all know, I have been trying the Atkins thing for a while now and have been pretty successful.  Well, up until my birthday anyways!  Ha!  I had been to Lawrence Nutrition Center  throughout the first part of the diet and had been eyeing the Dietminder. I had been keeping track of my carbs in a little notebook so when I saw the Dietminder it looked so luxurious.  Ya'all know me and luxury.....I had to have it!   The Dietminder  is just a more organized notebook.  Below are the inside/outside pics of the STANDARD Dietminder.

Now...below are the inside/outside pics of MY Dietminder. Of course my first stop after the Nutrition Center was the sticker store. No way I was going to be carrying around that BORING notebook in my glam purse.  I even give myself smiley stickers when I do good at a meal.  I know it sounds pathetic, but it really does keep me on track.  Another  tip I have is to write down your food BEFORE you actually eat it. That way if you are about to do something stupid, you might change your mind when you see it on paper. HA!

On top of the nutrition part, it has sections to track your workouts and water consumption.  It is really the best diet journal I have come across.  I am obsessed.

Anyways, I am by no means an expert in dieting but I am trying.  I want to look and feel great this summer. I know there are other women struggling with this same thing so if I can offer any advice it would be WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!

I didn't do much last night but go over to Hudy's house and do a couple of loads of laundry. I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY NEW WASHER TO COME!!!!!!  GEESH!!!!

Today I am going to get my passport for my trip to Italy. Yep, you read that right......ITALY.  The team is going on a four stop/four game/ 10 day adventure in August and I made the cut! Yeah!!!!! Shout out to Bonnie! She had to work some magic to get me on the trip but deep down she knew it wouldn't be much of an adventure without ME!!!! HA!

Smooches,

THE DARLING DIVA