Shopaholic in Alabama

Happy Wednesday, my friends! This week is an absolute blur so far, I had to check the calendar to even know what day of the week it was this morning! Whew! Are you ready for Easter weekend? I'm not. I have no idea what I'm wearing - or what DH is wearing! I feel a little behind here....obviously I have about 100 options in my closet but don't we all want to look "perfect"? Ugh. Perfection is an ideal that is increasingly difficult to maintain. What are you wearing for Easter? Tell me all about it. I need inspiration here! Have a wonderful Wednesday! My family is coming down to the beach today, so I'm getting ready. Looking forward to that - and having a little more of a tan in my Easter frock - whatever it ends up being! :-)

Happy Tuesday my friends! Last night I enjoyed an evening with my family here from out of town. My sister hosted a mini "family reunion" of sorts, complete with blackened fish, boiled shrimp, and adult beverages. :-)  We also had a wonderful surprise, my aunt and cousin's son came down with him from Oklahoma. Everyone was completely shocked, as we didn't expect them! What a great surprise! Thought you might enjoy some photos (naturally I'm wearing my Lilly!)  With cousin Tom from VA With my sister and Tom's wife Theresa Dad with all the nephews and Tom's boys, making their "silly faces" With cousin Steve and his son, Brady, from OK Of course I have to show pics of me and the nephews. This is Jake, he's the oldest and quick to tell you he is 5. :-) Last but not least, my nephew Wilson who is 2.5 yrs. He's going to break a few hearts... It's great to see family, especially when it's been so long! :-) And I have to ...

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a nice weekend, the weather on Sunday was fantastic around these parts! I finally made it to the beach for about 3 hours and it was nirvana. I got a little bit of "color" on my winter skin. My motto is "tan fat always looks better than white fat". :-) I'm so excited about this week - it's going to be fun! My cousin Tom and his family are down from Northern VA/DC area. I haven't seen them in about 5 years and have never met their youngest son. Crazy! I'm hoping they will have time to spend a day at the beach. Tom's younger brother, Steve, is driving in today from Oklahoma. Get this - Tom and Steve haven't seen each other in almost 10 years and they are brothers!!! So the visit is quickly becoming a small family reunion! Another exciting visitor is making her way down to the beach this week - my favorite jewelry designer and Twitter BFF, Caroline Grace. Can't wait to finally meet her and beach, shop a...

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you're having a fantastic weekend so far. Unfortunately our Saturday was too windy and cool for the beach :-( but DH and I went out for a nice dinner so all was not lost! Be sure to try "DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen" if you ever make it to Gulf Shores, Alabama. Today I thought I'd round up a few good sales for you, just in case you "need" something. I'm trying to get back to my normal self after an extremely rough week! Honestly, do we ever really "need" a reason to purchase a Kate Spade piece? How about "the sale is on sale"! From now though April 4, all items currently on sale are an additional 25% off. Discount is applied at checkout and website can be accessed HERE . I'm coveting the Medium Serena bag in Mettalic Cheltenham shown above. Gold is just so neutral for spring and summer, don't you think? Our friends at Under the Palm Tree, one of my favorite Lilly Pulitzer Via shoppes, are ...

Happy Saturday, Socialite Shopaholics! :-) I am gradually recovering from my dental work on Thursday, and hope to spend the day at the beach working on getting a little color on this pale skin. I absolutely must get better soon, as I have two groups of company coming in the next few days. Can't wait to see them! Earlier this week, my buddy and socialite idol Beth over at Social Climbers  crowned me a socialite! Little ole' me??? I was so excited, what an honor! A few days later, I was also tagged by my friend Town and Country . Now I am passing the love on to other blogger friends!  The rules- Click on the above button and paste onto your blog/website Answer the below questions Pass onto 10 bloggers that you Love, go to their blog and let them know they've been tagged 1. Who is your style icon? A tie between Lilly Pulitzer and fellow Leo, Coco Chanel  2. What is your favorite socialite lit book? The Devil In The Junior League...

Happy Thursday Shopaholics! Several of you have contacted me through email or Facebook today to find out how my dental work went. Well..........it was a significantly worse than expected. I was originally scheduled for one cap removal, filling buildup and new cap. Also two other teeth that needed filling "build ups". However, I was concerned about the tooth they were removing the old cap, as it had been quite uncomfortable.  Turns out, that tooth needed a root canal. Additionally (and just to keep things fun) one of the teeth that had the filling build up, had a really bad fracture that required a cap and there isn't a guarantee that it won't also require a root canal. Can you say "o-m-g"??? I was in the dentist chair for 4 hours today, and just woke up from my drug induced coma. Now that I'm a little more coherent, I just realized I could have purchased a small (albeit used) boat with the $$$$ I've spent at the dentist the past 6 month...

Happy Wednesday to you! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week and enjoying a little bit of Spring! :-) When the weather turns warmer, I enjoy making Shrimp Pasta Salad. This dish is a hit, every single time! It lasts for several days in the refrigerator (although it won't last that long - promise). Today I thought I'd share the recipe with you. SHRIMP PASTA SALAD (1) Large bottle of Italian Dressing (I use Wish Bone) 1/2 small green Bell Pepper, chopped 1/2 small red Bell Pepper, chopped Broccoli & Cauliflower florets, chopped in small, bite size pieces (1) Box of Rotini pasta, tri-color (2) Lbs. Boiled Shrimp (1) Small can Black Olives, halved Fresh parmesan cheese, finely shredded (to taste, I use a ton of cheese!) Boil pasta according to package directions. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Marinate for 8 hours, or overnight. Enjoy! Provided my dental work goes well on Thursday, I plan to make Shrimp Pasta Salad for the upcoming weekend! DH absolutel...

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today's post is bare bones basic, I'm on a different computer and it's driving me nuts. Monday was a rough day around here - started my "spring cleaning" process - which admittedly, is never fun. I loathe housework, but since I don't have a housekeeper it's one of those things that must be done. Ugh. My laptop is acting all whacky, shutting down on it's own for no apparent reason, etc. It's currently undergoing the full body scan, I'm just *crossing fingers* no major viruses or issues. Double ugh. Yesterday was DH's first day of trying (for the umpeenth millioneth time) to kick the tobacco habit. It happens several times a year, he tries to quit and usually makes it 30-60 days....only to start again. :-( These are the times that when I had a "real job" - I would request to go out of town!!! Triple ugh. Please send good vibes my way - I have a feeling it's going to be a stressful week! Combine al...

Happy Monday, Fashionistas! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend filled with lots of fun times with family and friends....or just relaxing! Our friends at Under The Palm Tree ran the BEST sale last week. With the correct promotion code, you received 30% off one FULL priced item. Did you order or were you like me, trying to "behave" and missed the sale??? How about this? I have some great news for you! For Shopaholic readers - the sale has been extended for Monday only! Even if you already ordered on the 30% off promotion, you can now do it again! How cool is that? Do you still need the perfect dress for Easter (only 13 days from today!) or Passover? UTPT has a fantastic selection of new Spring collection Lilly dresses. Check out their website HERE . When placing your order online, enter the code "SHOPAHOLIC" in the notes/comments section to receive 30% off one full priced item. If you haven't shopped with UTPT yet, they service is wonderful! Shipping is s...

Hi there, Shopaholic pals! Hope you're having a lovely weekend! Saturday was the first "official" day of Spring, but honestly you wouldn't know it here! We were all set for a beach day - new chairs, new Lilly beach towel and bathing suit, and a new 55 calorie beer. The forecast was a high of 71-73 degrees. It should have been perfection......but alas, it was not to be. The day was mostly cloudy, with a few peeks of sun here and there. The wind was blowing, about 15-20 MPH. The temperature couldn't have reached anywhere close to 70. We were in total denial for over an hour, DH and I both refusing to give up on our first full beach day and the promise of a tan line. After I put a towel over my legs, and then a second one over my shoulders, we knew it was a lost cause. Time to come inside. Shopaholic's lesson of the day - when you see a Spring Breaker walking down the beach in a bikini topped by a North Face jacket, pack it up! You're probably not getti...

TGIF, my friends! It's a gorgeous day here on the Alabama Gulf Coast, with a forecast high of 73 tomorrow. Do you know what that means? Time to start working on the tan and get a king sized dose of Vitamin D. Remember, today is the very last day of winter! I'm ready to kiss it "bye bye" and get on with warmer weather. While I love the warm weather and loathe the cold, hot weather brings a new problem to my house. Frizzy and out of control hair! You probably don't know this yet, but my hair is naturally wavy. Not curly, just wavy. And enough natural wave to be a constant pain in the bootie. Lucky me, I'm one of those people who have to work to make my hair curly, or work to make it straight.  I know, you probably find it hard to believe, because in most of the pictures you see here, my hair is stick straight! This, my friends, is the miracle of product. :-) Meet "Heat-Protective Silk Straightening Cream" by Kiehl's, another one of My Favorite ...

Happy Thursday, Fashionistas! Today I'm so excited to introduce you (or help you become more familiar) with a wonderful preppy favorite brand, Kiel James Patrick. Through the miracle of Twitter, I met Kiel James Patrick several weeks ago. After looking over the website, I was in love with the designs. Everything is so, shall we say, Preppy? And you'll notice by looking on their website, everyone is just Pretty. The models are surrounded by boats and water, the sun is shining and it all makes me think summer. :-) What's not to love, right? Recently I placed an order for a few things that were my absolute favorites. My new goodies, in no particular order below.  Drift Oak Ear Knot, Tipsy at Black Pearl Pub $35 . Let me share a secret with you about Shopaholic and earrings. I never, ever, wear studs. The backs usually just bother me. When I talk on the phone (which I do - a LOT), they dig into the back of my head. They always make my ear lobes itch. I know, I have iss...

Happy St. Patrick's Day, my friends! If you are celebrating today, please be careful but have fun! As you could see from Monday's post, my celebrating was done on Sunday. :-) In honor of St. Patrick, today I thought it would be fun to show you some accessories I'm currently loving that are green, or at least green with pink. (I'm happy to admit, most of my wardrobe is green and pink). Kate Spade Mardi Gras Glass Studs in Green, $38 Later Gator Sandal by Lilly Pulitzer, $168 LeSportsac for Lilly Pulitzer Weekender Bag, $108 Havaianas "Top Mix", $22 What are your favorite green accessories? And are you wearing green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Tell me all about it! I plan to start the day in a green exercise top with black pants, and who knows where it will go from there! Have a great day, fellow Shopaholics!  p.s. Congratulations to AHARBIN88, the lucky winner of the Elise Francesca tank dress giveaway (see original post HERE to view ...

Happy Monday to you! This Shopaholic is moving a little slower than normal today, we had way too much fun yesterday at the St. Patrick's Parade in Metairie. :-) For those who don't know the area, Metairie is a suburb of New Orleans and is known by the locals as the "south shore". The city is south of Lake Pontchartrain, and north of New Orleans. This was the second year we've participated in what has quickly become a fun tradition. DH and I ride a chartered bus from Fairhope, AL with a huge group of friends. The party starts VERY early - the bus leaves at 5:30AM and shortly thereafter, the adult beverages begin to flow. We started with champagne mimosas (me) and bloody marys (DH). Later we were boring, and just drank beer. HA. The bus ride takes about 2.5-3 hours, but honestly you're having so much fun, the time flies by! The ladies who coordinate the arrangements for the bus (collect everyone's $$$, make reservations, etc) always sell raffle tickets...

Happy Sunday to all! This Shopaholic is taking a much needed break today, to party hard in the burbs of NOLA for St. Patrick's Day. I'll be back on Monday with all the juicy details. :-) Have a great day!

Happy Saturday my friends! Hope you have a fantastic weekend planned - relaxing, shopping, spending time with family and friends, or perhaps enjoying a little sunshine? Today we're preparing for a quick trip over to the Big Easy on Sunday for the St. Patrick's Day parade in Metairie. Can you say PAR-TAY? I'll tell you all about it on Monday....when I feel human again. :-) So you'll remember that I was going to lunch with BFF Priscilla on Thursday for the big birthday celebration, and then she got sick? My "alternate" lunch date was DH, which was a nice treat. He happened to be working close by, and we had a quick Mexican lunch. Not the wine and crab cakes that were planned, but hey at that point I was glad to HAVE a lunch partner! Anyway, after I left lunch I popped into this major discount store called "Burke's Outlet". Note: this is a place I don't normally shop, not my brands, etc...but I'd heard from a reliable source that so...

TGIF, my fabulous friends! I hate to report that my dear BFF Priscilla woke up on Thursday morning with an awful virus and we weren't able to do lunch. All three men in her house had suffered from the virus over the past week and she thought she'd escaped. Not so fast.....so lunch was postponed until a day she's feeling better. Hated it, I spent the rest of the day chasing bargains! As our days get longer and turn warmer (it was 76 on Thursday!), I think of making Tomato Pie. This is a very traditional southern recipe and served at many of our family gatherings, including Easter! It's a perfect compliment to the obligatory Honey-Baked Ham. When I cook, I make things that are super easy. I'm a good cook, but I believe in the KISS method - Keep It Simple Stupid. This is probably why I don't make candy or bake elaborate cookies, cakes, etc. I'm also not known for my patience, so if I can master this, you can too! (Side note: wish I had a photo to share, but...

Happy Thursday, everyone! Hope you're having a great day! Pardon me today while we interrupt the spring shopping season to discuss something very near and dear to my heart. Today we're talking about our female friendships, all the complications of maintaining them, but all the joy they bring. How many "best friends" did you have in middle school? Probably at least a dozen, right? Don't you remember, we all signed each others yearbooks and said "You'll be my Best Friend Forever".  We wrote "notes" that were signed "BFF". Middle school was a strange time for me, I was moving out of my ugly duckling stage and slowly into the young woman that I would ultimately become. Even with all the awkwardness and self discovery, I knew survival required me to have many BFF's. (You all would NOT believe my pictures from this period of time, trust me when I tell you, they'll never be posted around here!) Then we all moved to high sch...