Clorox Ad? Keeping it Squeaky Clean?

Was anyone else baffled by this Clorox ad that appeared last night during Mad Men?  I realize that I am about to complain about a company marketing itself based on the pitiful behavior of some business men while watching a show that glorifies it.

If you can't access the video above, a synopsis of the commercial is as follows:  a simple and easily identifiable white oxford button down tainted with the image of red lipstick on it's collar sits in a perfectly situated pile.  After fully scanning the image, the quote "Getting ad guys out of hot water for generations" appears on the screen. 

Imagine my surprise!  I suppose that Clorox feels that if we watch this show we have succumbed to the notion that a little mischief is charming, much like Don Draper.  Well, Clorox, there are still some people in this world who don't find much humor in infidelity.  I am one of them. 

Perhaps I am making a mountain out of a holemill  molehill, but where does it end?  Maybe next week, we can advertise for aspirin by showing an ad man popping his secratary on the bottom and say "taking the pain out of the a$$ for generations..."

What do you think?  Do you find it funny, or in poor taste? 

It's Raining, It's Pouring

I don't know how the weather is in your neck of the woods, but here in Beaufort, it is pouring!! 

 

One of my best college buddies is staying with us for a few days, and we ventured out for lunch at our favorite Mexican joint, La Hacienda, for lunch.  I had the chicken soup, and it was warm and spicy and perfectly suited for this stormy afternoon.

 

We had planned to see Eat, Pray, Love after lunch, but even with an umbrella in hand, our race from the restaurant to the car found us completely soaked from head to toe.

Instead of shivering through Julia Roberts' two and a half hour soul search, we decided to head home, cozy up on the couch, and have a Parenthood marathon.  Have you seen this show?  It is wonderful!!

I think the only thing left to make this a perfectly fabulous rainy day is a nap!

 

Blogger BFF Award - I'm so excited

So the rules to receiving this award are simple- see below:

1. Blog about your award and the person who sent it to you including their link.
2. Tell 7 things no one knows about yourself
3. Pass the award onto 6 new blogs that make you smile and give you inspiration. Don't forget to let them know about their new award! Then sit back and know you just made someones day:)


Jessica over at Kitchen Belleicious was so incredibly sweet to pass along this award to me.  I LOVE her blog and feel so special that she appreciates mine.  Jessica posts the most amazing recipes on her blog!!!  You must go over and check it out!!

1. We were required to take Home Ec in high school.  I loved it so much that I took the second level of classes including an advanced sewing class.  When I was a freshman at Loyola, I sewed my own formal dress for my first Delta Gamma formal.  It was a black one shoulder satin gown with an extra high slit because I had to take it up and forgot to account for that when I sewed the slit.  Oops!
2. When I was in eighth grade I asked for a subscription to Bride's magazine.  I would trace all of the dresses and then imagine that I was a wedding and formal wear designer.  
3. I took a speech class in high school where we had to give an extemporaneous address.  I gave an Oscar acceptance speech holding a baseball trophy and shed real tears through  my speech.  If your interested, I won for the role of Katie Raspanti in the adaptation of the book Night Jasmine (my favorite book of all time).
4. I love accents!!!  I played a character from Boston in a play once and had to listen to hours of tapes on the Mid-Atlantic dialect.  Since then, I have developed a knack for accents.  Now if only I could develop a knack for learning to speak French.  
5. If choosing between a pool and a beach, I would always choose the pool.  I don't actually like the feeling of sand between my toes.  I know, I know.  
6. I have a collection of perfumes.  For each birthday and Christmas, I ask for a new perfume.  I love waking up each day and looking at all of the pretty bottles and how different they all are.  I also love deciding what scent I feel like that day.  I know some people have a signature scent, but I love that every day is a little different.
7. I would like to one day be the mayor of New Orleans. 

The fabulous girls receiving the BFF Blog Award are none other than: 

Grow  

The Soho 

Oh the Places We'll Go 

The Vintage Pearl

All That Inspires

Paris Pastry

Thanks to these bloggers, I am constantly inspired!

Joisey Sure Pictures

If you haven't yet hosted a Jersey Shore party, you should!  We had SOOOO much fun.  The costumes were all hysterical.  The funny thing is, I think most of the girls bought their costumes, and mine came straight from my closet.  I'm not sure what to think about that yet.  Maybe I have a little more Jwow in me than I thought!

The Bday girl and her hubby

Look at our party favors - shades and punk bracelets!

Fun times!

Our attempt at a pout.

The three rights and a left.

Why must I make this face when I dance?

Dance Party USA!!

More and more like Snookie every minute.

There were some other really great costumes at the party, but I only posted the pics of the bloggers, just in case people didn't want the bloggy world to see their Snookie alter-egos!

Hope yall had a great Friday!

This and That

Here's "The Situation"

Tonight we are having a birthday party for my good friend Margaret. Can you guess what the theme of the party is? Jersey Shore, baby! Here's the situation though, I will sheepishly admit I haven't actually seen Jersery Shore, although I have read a captivating (jk) article on them in People. Wow - they're not exactly the movers and shakers of our generation. Anyway, I have been at loss for a costume for a while. Here's what I have for my outfit - denim leggings, black off the shoulder jersey shirt with sequins down the sleeves, and either leopard pumps or these fabulously tacky plastic strappy platform pumps I love. The outfit will be capped off with a lovely beige fedora. For makeup and hair - I plan to make the most giant "poof" ever (as seen being sported by Snookie above) and wear dark orangey base, fake eyelashes, and tons of smokey eye shadow. I think I might just look like a clown, but it should be tons of fun!

You've got Mail

Two days in a row I cam home to the sweetest little packages sent from the sweetest girls in the world. First, LSU Melanie sent me three fabulous gifts. The first was a Saints toothbrush, which has already been put to good use. The second was a Saints Superbowl Champions koozie!!! Who doesn't love a good koozie. And this was my first Superbowl Champs item, and I couldn't have been more excitd to see those words in print!

  And perhaps the most thoughtful little treasure was a set of thank you notes with a gold embossed Eiffel Tower with Merci! written below. They are the perfect note cards for a girl who spends all of her free time planning for Paris. 

Yesterday, my friend Jaime sent us the cutest little cheese board with a Fleur de Lis on it accompanied by decorative napkins and a cheese knife!!!!  How fun!  I just love getting surprises in the mail from such great friends!!

Pig Pickin in the Pluff Mud

Tomorrow night is the Junior Service League's Annual BBQ benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of the Lowcountry.  I think it is everyone's favorite event, and one I look forward to each Spring.  I'll be serving up some BBQ and fixins in the food line from 7:30 - 8:30.  I hope to see all you Beaufort girls there!

Do yall have any other costume or accessory ideas for the party?  What do you have planned for this weekend?

What a treat!

Grosgrain Lane has certainly helped to get my day off on the best foot.  She has shared this lovely award with me and nine other bloggers who brighten her day.  The rules for the award are:

• 
  
  List 10 things that make you happy (try to do one of those things today)
• 
  
  Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.
• 
  
  Link back to the person who tagged you.

1. Looking at photographs of old bakeries and imagining I'll own one one day.  I just love seeing how neatly all of the pretty little tarts and scones are lined up in a glass case.
2. Brightly colored sundresses at the start of summer when you feel those first rays of sun on your skin.
3. Anthropologie makes me oh so happy, especially since they'll be putting one in New Orleans just in time for us to move home.
4. Reading cookbooks.  And making an attempt to prepare the dish as the author intended it.
5. Weekend getaways with Mark.  Whether to Charleston, Savannah, or Jacksonville, I love our little getaways!
6. The sound of a brass band.  I love the rhythm of their drums and the sound of their horns.  It sounds like home.
7. Travel planning.  I think this should have been the career path I chose.  I love researching every detail of a place we visit and creating detailed excel schedules of where we're going and how we can get there.
8. Our life in Beaufort.  I love walking the dogs to the dog park, and I love driving in Mark's car with the top down on a Spring day and feeling like the water is all around you.  I love the lowcountry.
9. My friends.  How'd I get so lucky to have the world's best friends.  Old friends, new friends, blog friends, you all make every day better!
10. My family.  There aren't enough words to say how much I love my family.  But I do with all my heart.

While I love all of the blogs I read, here are ten that I have found make me smile each and every day!

1. Cherry Blossoms
2. Brown Eyed Belle 
3. LSU Melanie (who sent me just the world's sweetest package yesterday - THANKS!!!)
4. Pinot after Playdates
5. Short Southern Mamma
6. Pink Preppy Lilly Lover
7. Lisa's Yarns
8. Vineyard Vogue
9. B is for...
10. Kitchen Bellicious

I love reading all of your blogs, so the list should really be as long as my blogroll, but this is just a good mix of those old and new blogs that have inspired me recently.

PS - check out my joint venture blog with my three dear friends at threerightsandaleft.

500 Days of Summer

Last night, after watching the amazing Gold medal hockey game, Mark and I watched 500 Days of Summer.  I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for a while  And I have to say it was adorable.  I just really loved it.  The cast was perfect in every way.  They were quirky and lovable and unique.  I HIGHLY recommend seeing this if you haven't already!

I loved their sweet chemistry...

I loved Summer's quirky style...

I loved the blue toile walls in Summer's bedroom

I loved the chalk headboard in Tom's bedroom

I loved the random dance sequence!

And I loved the park Tom took Summer to

There wasn't anything I didn't love about this movie!  Have you seen it?  What did you think?

Tag, You're It

Yesterday, Julie from Brown Eyed Belle tagged me in a fun little game.  She asked that I go to my picture file and click on the 10th picture and post a description of the photo!  Fun, fun!!

My 10th Picture

I LOVE this picture!  This is a photo of Mark and me (I had just gotten the Katie Holmes bob) at my birthday brunch at Commander's Palace two years ago.  As you can tell from this earlier post, that is a favorite birthday activity of mine.  It is truly the most celebratory place I know.  At the jazz brunch, there are always balloons at each table and music in the air.  And on your birthday, they bring out a chef's hat for the birthday girl to wear, and you better believe I wear mine!

I have been pondering how to spend my 30th birthday, which isn't until November, but a girls gotta plan ahead for such a monumental bday.  We'll be living in New Orleans by that time, so I wanted to do something you could only do there.  For years, I have been reading about how amazing it is to dine at The Chef's Table at Commanders Palace.  This experience includes dinner at a table for four people (no more, no less) in the kitchen at Commanders.  While bright and somewhat loud, your table is in the middle of all of the action.  The meal consists of between 8-10 courses with an option for a wine pairing for each course (gotta get in on that action).  There is no menu; each chef prepares a course based on the best and freshest ingredients they have available that day.  As they present each course to you, they give a description of how it was prepared and where the ingredients came from.  It is like real life Top Chef.  It is one of those culinary experiences you only dream of, and what better a reason to make dreams come true than a girl's 30th bday!  Mark called recently, and as we imagined, he was told weekends book more than a year in advance.  However, they were able to get a table for us for the night following my birthday!  YAY!!!!  I have been dreading my 30th bday since I turned 29, but now I cannot wait.  What an amazing way to celebrate our return to New Orleans and my 30th.

If you'd like to play along and post your 10th photo with a little description of why you love it, let me know!!  I'd love to check it out!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

It is truly the most beautiful day in Beaufort today.  It is chilly, but the sun is shining so brightly.  My trainer has been trying to get me to do cardio in the mornings because it is so good for your metabolism, but I've been having a really hard time getting to sleep which has made getting up in enough time to exercise impossible.  This morning, however, I felt motivated, so I got up and jogged over to the gym.  I am so glad I did.  Not only did the exercise help wake me up, but I got to see our neighborhood in all it's glory.  The sun was shining through the trees so beautifully I had a hard time making myself go back inside to get ready for work. 

When I was exercising, I was listening to Better Than Ezra on my phone.  They are far and away my favorite band in the world.  I can, and do, listen to their greatest hits album on repeat for hours at a time.  In high school they were so popular that every girl I knew wanted to marry lead-singer and guitarist Kevin.  My friend Corrie and I would drive to the Fly (a beautiful park on the Mississippi River in NOLA) in her dad's Miata with the top down and BTE blaring.  We thought we were so cool!  We'd get there and meet up with all of our friends and spend hours on a Saturday hanging out on the River.  Those were the days.  Maybe that's why I love this band so much.  I hear there music and I feel young and carefree.  I can here one verse of one song and immediately transport back to the Fly.  Or I can go travel in my head back to one of their concerts at Jazzfest or at House of Blues on the Saturday of Mardi Gras.  (PS - at this year's concert they opened their show with Mickey Loomis - the Saints' GM presenting the Lombardi Trophy to the crowd - AWESOME!). 

What a great start to the day!  I hope yours started off just as good!

PS - Is there a song that takes you back to the good ole days the minute you hear it?

A Nice Little Weekend

We have had a lovely weekend celebrating Mark's birthday.  He spent the day at our neighborhood's chili cookoff and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  I was able to focus more at work knowing that he was enjoying his day. After a long day of taxes and a good session with my trainer Bojan, Mark and I were ready for a birthday celebration.   We headed over to Outback Steakhouse and had a very nice meal.  After dinner, we went to our friends' house where my dear LP had made Mark a homemade strawberry cake.  It was so sweet of her to do this, and the cake was as delicious as it was beautiful.

Today was our first normal Sunday in a really long time.  I'm not complaining about all of our amazing and incredibly fun Sundays consisting of playoff games, Superbowl parties, and Mardi Gras parades, but it was so nice waking up and knowing we had no plans for this Sunday.  Mark made rounds at the hospital while I put together a menu for the week.  We got our groceries from the commissary and headed home to straighten up the house.  It's so nice to start the week with a full pantry and a clean house!

This afternoon, we took the puppies to the dog park in our neighborhood after a long walk.  It was such a gorgeous afternoon and we all had the best time chasing tennis balls and digging holes.  Sunday funday!

Beignet digging...

Beignet and Annie playing together

Mark with the puppies

Isn't this sunset incredible!

Finally, one last celebration for Mark included a meal of Smothered Porkchops, Israeli Couscous, and Green Beans.  This yumminess was topped off with chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing and sprinkles.  Mark LOVED them!!!

Mmmmm...  Cupcakes

You're never too old for sprinkles!

That's how you cap off a birthday weekend!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that your week is getting off on just the right foot!!!

Happy Birthday, Hubby!!!

Just wanted to wish the best husband in the world a Happy Happy Happy Birthday!!!!!

With Mark on call this weekend and tax season in full swing (I'll be working from 7:30-4:00 today), we started celebrating Mark's birthday a little early.  Thursday night we had a really nice dinner at our neighborhood bistro, Patois.  We ordered all of his favorite things - the meat plate and the cheese plate and a bottle of Malbec.  Today, we are planning to have dinner at Outback Steakhouse per Mark's request.  Tomorrow, I'll be making a pancake breakfast and some yummy cupcakes for later on.  Mark LOVES cupcakes!!! 

I really can't believe Mark is 34 today.  We met when he was 24 and I was 19.  Who would have known then that 10 years later we'd be celebrating his birthday together!!!  It still feels like yesterday.  I can't wait to celebrate for a lifetime!