Hello long lost bloggy loves!! My sincerest apologies for completely falling off of the map over the last few weeks (months, eek!), but I promise I do have a legitimate excuse this time?!

'Tis the season for giving thanks, can you believe that the holidays are already here?!

Check out my company's blog at: www.xpertechs.blogspot.com

Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!

I thought this little giveaway that "Duet Diva" was hosting was just too cute - go check it out!!




Stay tuned for my reviews of this fall TV premieres thus far :o)

This week has been full of special birthdays for us so far!

Monday, 9/14/09, was one of my dearest friends' (who also happens to be B's sister-in-law, and Ashley Paige of ILYMTC) 26th birthday!! Ash and I became fast friends after being introduced by our related (brothers) significant others, and I can barely remember my life without her in it! Even though we didn't know each other before dating the "M" boys, we grew up only 10 minutes away from each other! It was just meant to be ....

Well, there are lots of things to talk about - like what I thought of the 90210/Melrose Place premieres (more on that later), how PROUD we are of our JMU Dukes for playing one heck of a game against UMD on Saturday night, and how good it feels that the Jets are 1-0 after week number one - all in all, a solid weekend.

BUT, the real news is that only 68 days stand in between me and this ....



Countdown to Edward/Jacob = commence.

Well, we're back from our wonderful long weekend in Hometown, NJ! Although Friday cannot come soon enough, I feel like I've been so busy this week already!

I finally got myself back into my workout routine, and for the moment, working out in the morning before work is best for me (let's hope this keeps up!) (thanks for the pat on the back!)


Aside from that, our beloved JMU Dukes will be taking on the Maryland Terrapins @ UMD this Saturday, so we're getting a big group of JMU alums together for the game! It should be a great flashback to last winter's playoff game, but with better weather! We'll be meeting up at B's place and heading down to College Park for a full day or reunions, grilling, and some adult beverages :o)

Today also marks the OFFICIAL kickoff to the NFL season! My heart is just full of excitement for this year. Being a Jets fan doesn't also prove to be rewarding, but every new season, there is still some glimmer or hope left! And, since this is the season of Sanchez (cutie), we'll see how that hope plays out! Give me some couch space, chips, a few beers, and B's 52" TV, and I'm in heaven for the next 17+weeks each and every Saturday and Sunday! (I will refrain from talking up Notre Dame until another day :o))

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In other news, we booked our plan tickets to Boston for my birthday! Well, we're not actually going on my birthday, but a few short weeks later. I am SO excited, since I've never been to Boston before! We have some friends that live up there, so we'll be catching up at a local watering hole, no doubt, but I want to get as much sight-seeing in as possible! Any suggestions on must see places in Beantown?!

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And, what would my life be without weddings and pre-wedding events?! We have a family wedding next weekend in Hometown, NJ, and another (that I'll be attending stag), in October.

A few of my dearest girl friends are planning their weddings over the next few months, so I will be up to my eyeballs busy with all of the fun details that go along with that! I feel like such a grown-up! Le sigh.

And on that note ...

GO Dukes! GO Jets!! GO Irish!

Happy Thursday!

Yes, I know that summer is not "officially" over for another few weeks, but I always felt like Labor Day was the official end of summer, most likely because North Jersey schools always let us stay on our summer break until just after the holiday weekend (which is later than ever this year, btw?!).

But, I digress .. this Labor Day weekend, we will be taking a short retreat to Hometown, NJ. B and I try to make it up to see my family once every other month (although I'd love it to be more frequently). A weekend trip to NJ typically involves a 3+ hour car trip, lots of homemade food (or meals out!), extra sleep, and just plain catching up with my parents, sisters and brother.

That's right ladies .. college FOOTBALL starts today!!

Bless my Dad's heart; he had three daughters before my brother came along, and has ALWAYS been a huge sports fan. Therefore, he needed someone to watch game after game every Saturday and Sunday with him, right?! Enter me. Thanks to my Dad, I have loved football for my entire life.

College = Notre Dame (and JMU, of course :o))
NFL = NY Jets

I am so excited for the seasons to start, after all, it is my most favorite time of the year!!

Who are your favorite NFL/college teams?

Well, we are officially the owners of brand new iPhones! I could not be more excited about it, and my productivity level will probably drop off significantly this week because of how much fun this little love is to play with!

Are you an iPhone user? What are your favorite apps?!


JOY.

Wow, is this still my blog?? I cannot believe that have basically let the entire summer go by without so much as a "hello" post? Yes, I am still alive, and yes, I do understand if you have stopped checking for updates, er, about 2 months ago. Hmph.

Perhaps it was the "sweet poke" (is "poke" an acceptable blogging word?!) I got from Ashley over at "I Love You More Than Carrots" last week? Or maybe I just realized how truly lazy I have been :o)

Whatever the case, I am making an attempt at getting my creative juices flowing again (we'll see how this goes).

So, I present to you, a summer re-cap, if you will ..

• I have made a few trips to the beach this summer, and cannot believe that I might not see the beach until next year?! Or, until November, when B and I head down to warm & sunny West Palm Beach for a mini vacay with my parents. A lil sneek ...
• 
• A few road trips, some concerts, lazy river tubing and birthday festivities have been on the menu in August.
• We are getting iPhones!! I could not be more excited about this, and will hopefully have my new iPhone by sometimes next week and will let you know about this love affair, once I've learned to use it, of course :o)
• This weekend is B's "official" housewarming party, and therefore, many of our family and friends will be gathering in MD to spend some quality time, and I couldn't be more excited!
  
• And last (for now) but certainly not least, preseason football is upon us! B and I will be celebrating our mutual love for the game by attending the Jets vs. Ravens preseason game tonight in Baltimore! GOT JETS!!

<3

That Adam Lambert SHOULD be crowned the next American Idol!! I have loved him all season long, and I will stand by my man! Even if he would never be remotely interested in me, you know, being that I'm a woman and all? Darn.

Note: If he doesn't win tonight, I'm going to go ahead and admit that I will be pretty bummed. Bring it on, America!

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In other news - YES, I am fully aware that I have been completely M.IA. lately, and I feel terrible about it. I've been super busy, and lacking the motivation to keep up with this blog as often as I should, but I'm working on it! And, I am still loving signing in each day to check out what all of you lovelies have been writing about! I love keeping up with everyone's lives via their blogs, so keep that coming!

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Hmm, what else has been going on lately?

I cannot believe that this weekend is MEMORIAL DAY?! Time has really been flying by!

All of our (my) favorite TV shows are coming to a close. Speaking of which: what is the deal with Grey's? Meredith and McDreamy get married on a Post-It? PLEASE. I will add that they did a good job keeping you on the edge of your seat with all of the George business though! Are we convinced that he will not be back next season? What about Izzy??!

One Tree Hill! I think it is safe to say that that "season finale" may have been more of a series finale. They did a great job tying up all of the loose ends, which made me happy, but they will surely be missed if they're not on the line-up next season.

I have to say that I was the most shocked/intrigued/begging for more by the Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters finales (yes, I watch too much TV!). I'll be waiting to see what's in store for next season!

But, never fear, this summer will not leave me with no weeknight boob-tube entertainment! There is still Jon & Kate, Tori & Dean (LOVE!), and my new favorite - The Real Housewives of New Jersey!

Why, you ask? Well, first of all, I am proud-to-have-been-born-and-raised-in Jersey, Jersey girl! And, it helps that my sister's ex-boyfriends family is basically the focal point of the show! Yes, you heard right. Isn't Albie just a sweetie?! I'll definitely be tuning in to see more small clips of my sister on the show! She even got her two second TV head shot/15 minutes of fame on last night's episode!!! Kind of hard to point out where it is if you don't know her, but check the show out anyway!

Real Housewives = I love NJ :o)

Happy Wednesday! Tomorrow is my last work day for the week, and I'm off to a wonderful and well-deserved four day weekend, woot!

Since I'm sure you've all been waiting on the edge of your seats for pictures of B's new place (and what I've been spending hours upon hours on for the last 3 weeks), wait no more ...


Note: We still have some projects pending over there (not that it's my house or anything .. yet), but his brothers room, bathroom, the rest of the basement and the other 2 upstairs bedrooms aren't pictured here. A new house is a never-ending project!! And, I secretly love it!

Whew, have I been out of the loop lately!! I haven't posted in 10 days?! That's mind boggling. To be honest, I still sign in each day and get my daily dose of the wonderful blogs that have become a part of my daily routine, and I thank you all for that.

So, where does that leave us?

Well, the last 10 days have been decorated with house-decorating, rainy days, workin' girl hours (and outfits!), happy hour, BBQs, reunions, American Idol (duh), playing hookie, doc appointments, more rainy days, and more happy hours (obviously). Sheesh, I sound like a broken record at times, no?

Well, rather than going into a multi-paragraph description of all of these wonderful things I've been up to lately, why not just let a few pics do the talking for me?!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend, we sure did. We went up to Hometown, NJ for Easter to spend it with my family. We had a really nice time, despite the 8+ hours that we spent in the car over the course of 2 days :o)

Easter is such a special holiday to me; it comes at the time of year where the cold and bitterness of winter are just tapering off, and the warm weather and signs of spring are just starting to appear. Easter has such a sense of refreshment, and I think I have grown to appreciate this more and more as I've gotten older. Our Easter Sunday service was really great this year, lots of praise and worship, great music and a really well-performed skit by our lead pastor portraying a Bible story in modern day. It is so important to take the time to reflect on the greatest gift that we have ever been given; Jesus dying on the cross for us. For me. For YOU. I spent some time in reflection over that this weekend, and B and I did as well; it just overwhelms me.

Perhaps the best part of the service was our rendition of Chris Tomlin's "I Will Rise" - it really captivated me. B and I really want to see him in concert, so if you know if any shows in the DC/Baltimore area, please let me know :o) Here is the song, my new favorite:





We also got to meet my sister's new puppy, Princess Bella over the weekend; she is absolutely adorable; take a look ...


I cannot believe it is already Monday! Another busy week awaits.

The Hills tonight! Yay!

ADAM LAMBERT.

swooooooooooon <3

Yes, I have, once again, been mostly M.I.A. over the last week; there has been a LOT going on with B's house, Easter weekend plans, etc. and, needless to say, I am utterly exhausted at the moment.

The good news is that we got SO much done on the house this weekend! I would say that it is between 2/3-3/4 of the way done (and when I say "done," I mean in everyday-live-able condition). This weekend was full of hard work, goal-setting (and reaching!), and plenty of decorating! I will definitely share some pictures once everything is done, as we have a few projects that we're still trying to finish up this week.

Well, Happy Monday everyone! I am just making it through these next few hours of work and jetting home for some MUCH needed rest and relaxation at my own place tonight.

But, of course, don't forget The Hills Season 5 premier TONIGHT!! I am so excited!

Ladies and gentlemen... we need your help!

Some of my friends and I are part of campaign team to help our friend Andrew raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Andrew's younger brother has had both leukemia and lymphoma. He is in remission today, but because of Andrew's work with LLS, he has been nominated as a candidate for the infamous Man & Woman of The Year campaign that the society puts on every year. Its a VERY intense fund-raiser, and we have 10 weeks to raise as much money as possible. Our goal is $50,000... but of course, the more the better! The person who raises the most money gets crowned "Man" or "Woman" of the Year.

Today is the first day of the campaign, so donations are in full swing. Obviously, its a rough time to have a fundraiser, but Andrew and the rest of our team have faith and hope that we'll be able to reach our goal. Literally every dollar makes a difference. Not to mention, since 1960, the five-year leukemia survival rate in children has improved from 4% to 80% today because of donations for cancer research. Together, we can make a difference!

Here is what you can do to help our campaign!

1. Follow our blog!! This is the BEST way for us to get the word out there
2. Grab our "button" for your blog so others can spread the word, too!
3. Join our Facebook Group!
4. Attend our events! There is an event calendar on the blog and we'll be hosting events ALL over the country in the next 10 weeks.
4. DONATE!

The more publicity the better, so please help us spread the word... we only have 10 weeks to help make a difference!

Thanks in advance for your help! :)

Hi friends!!

Welp, things have been crazy busy around here lately! This weekend included lots of basketball (close to all of my teams lost!), a going away party, sending a gift to the bachelorette party that I missed (ahh, sorry S!) and plenty of cleaning of my house, and shopping for B's new place!

It is official (well, as of 5PM today), B and his brother, J, are townhome owners! The last few weeks have been a complete rollercoaster over this house. But, I am happy to say that things have worked out (don't they always?) and we will begin the move-in/painting/organizing/decorating process tomorrow!

Will I be living there, you ask? No, not yet :o) But I do LOVE to help them out! We already chose paint colors, some furniture, and they even let me choose most (all) of the accessoies for the bathrooms and kitchen! I will leave the painting and heavy lifting to the guys, and spend countless hours moving the little things, organizing it, and making random trips to the store for more decorating ideas/items! This has been such an overwhelmingly exciting time in their lives, and I am so proud of them!

Here are a few pics for a sneek peak - I will update next week once I have some "after" pics!

Ever since we got back from our trip, I have been awe-struck by how crappy and cold the weather has been! Having grown up in NJ (woot, woot!!), I am used to cold weather, but it doesn't mean I have to like it! DC just cannot seem to get out of this damp/cold/dreary day-to-day at the moment, and I don't like it!

What to do to cure myself, you ask?! A wonderful happy hour full of basketball and friends, of course! Yes, we're headed out for a little "Hooray, it's Thursday, and we need SOME reason to celebrate!" tonight at one of our favorite spots. Why not? When traffic is bad, and the weather is worse, I think that is just what the doctor (me) ordered!

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In other news, please click on the link in the right top corner and read about MckMama's baby boy, Stellan and pray for the tough and uncertain times that her family is going through right now!

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And, I would not feel right about this post if I did not take a few moments to go over the recent happenings on Idol this week! Basically, if a guy does not win this year (I have this theory that the whole thing is rigged, and they have been able to stagger the gender that wins from year-to-year, until NOW), I will be fuming mad! They guys are just SO talented this year, and they really deserve it!

Oh Adam, be still my heart .. you pulled that hair back out of your face, and oh my! you are gorgeous! He is the perfect balance of Pete Wentz and Edward Cullen - YUM. His performance last night was unreal, and is definitely worth a watch if you missed it!




And how stinkin' cute is Kris Allen?! He's married (boo, just kidding!), so he's off limits ladies, but he's some great eye candy, and has a great set of pipes to boot! I looooved his song choice this week, and the whole guitar thing had a Jason Mraz feel to it for me. He is below, for your viewing pleasure!





And last, but certainly not least, Matt Giraud; a perfect combo of Justin Timberlake and Michael Buble, if you ask me. I will definitely be purchasing this boys CD when it comes out. He did a great job last night as well, and the judges are calling him one of the "front runners" now.





I haven't yet mentioned Danny Gokey or Scott McIntyre - I still love them both, but didn't think their performances were quite as noteworthy as the other three; but seriously, how adorable are they? I just love all of the different qualities that the guys have this year; I may just have to start texting in some votes!!

My prediction for tonight is that either Meghan or Michael Sarver will get the boot, both of which could be well deserved in my book. Meghan just isn't cutting it for me, and Michael had a bad week this week! But neither of them will keep me from wanting tickets to this summer's Idols Live Tour!

Well kids, tomorrow is Friday - woohoo!!!

A little late this week .. but definitely well deserved for such an exciting week in my book. I just adore March Madness, and you can bet that I will be deeply involved with it over the next few weeks; after all, I did enter three different pools this year?!

Yes, you read that correctly .. Saturday night, B and I went to a prom! No, not a high school prom, not really your average prom either; a few of our friends got together and threw a "Goodwill 80's Prom Party" at their house on Saturday night. It was absolutely fabulous, and the costumes were to die for!

Since none of my college friends were ever with me at my real prom, it was super fun to re-create it, although this time, the adult beverages were flowing, and everyone didn't stand around awkwardly waiting for the first brave soul to step out on the dance floor.

We decided that a "best dressed" competition was in order, since everyone did such a fantastic job .. so here's a little photo sneak of who ranked up among this years' "best dressed post-JMU 80s prom-goers!"