Shopaholic in Alabama

Happy Memorial Day Monday! We are enjoying time with family and friends during the holiday, and remembering why we celebrate the day! What are you doing to celebrate? We are supposed to go fishing today and Tuesday (start of red snapper season), but..... Life as we know it is getting ready to change around here, as our "oil forecast" now has oil approximately 10 miles off the Alabama coast. The whole deal has put a huge damper on our spirits and our celebration, but we're going to enjoy the next few days and take them one at a time. Congratulations BP, you've managed to kill the Gulf of Mexico. We'll be lucky if it's not a dead zone for the next fifty years. I'm pretty disgusted by your behavior and "management" of the situation. Then to find out you are having food trucked into the coast from far far away, rather than dine in and provide much needed business to local restaurants. Seriously, where does your God-complex end? Not only is that...

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! I had planned to actually blog from here at Dauphin Island - maybe I mean Gilligan's Island though! The internet connection is awful - to use my laptop, I have to get in the car and go to a "hot spot" (code: seafood market) to get online. Ugh. I'll be back to civilization soon and have lots of fun things planned. Until then, have a great Memorial Day holiday and don't forget why we celebrate the day. It's not just about the beach, boat and barbequing! Thank a veteran this weekend! p.s. Need your suggestions - how do I handle shopping next week while the DH is on vacation!?!?!? Ugh - so much "together time". Code: how do I pull the UPS boxes inside without him seeing them? Help! XOXO

TGIF, Shopaholics! Hope you're having a wonderful day and a fun Memorial Day celebration planned! Originally I had planned to talk about something else today, but after attending my nephew's high school graduation ceremony last night, I have other things on my mind. I stressed all day about whether I would be dressed up enough for this graduation. I was feeling really FAT in everything I wanted to wear - and ended up wearing a Lilly dress in a very flattering wrap style. (This hides a multitude of sins, if you need one - search for Lilly Pulitzer CORBIN wrap dress). When I arrived, I immediately knew it had been silly to worry! I observed the following fashion violations, wish I had pictures to share (like the Glamour "don't" section), but would've been in extremely poor taste to snap. 1) Jeans and flip flops are not acceptable graduation attire. 2) If the dress is too tight, don't wear it. Matter of fact, if it's too tight, don't BUY it t...

Happy Thursday everyone! Are you like me and running around getting ready for the Memorial Day holiday? Today I wanted to share my tanning secret with you! I know, I know.....we shouldn't "lay out" in the sun. It's bad for us, and skin cancer is rampant. Yep - I understand. Here's my theory - we all have bad habits that might kill us later. For some, it's smoking. I don't smoke. For others, it's drinking. I don't....well I enjoy the occasional beverage but I don't "over" indulge. I'm married and lead a rather calm existence, but I do lay out in the sun. Unlike the days of youth gone by, now I always use sunscreen with SPF - every time I'm in the sun! I always start the season with SPF 30, later backing down to SPF 15 and eventually SPF 8. (just so you know - I'm using 15 and sometimes 8 right now). I never use LESS than SPF 8. Years ago, I found the Australian Gold tanning products. They're available everywhere...

Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope your "Hump Day" is going great so far, I'm hoping for nice weather and a productive day around these parts. That's not much is it? :-) One of my favorite Lilly Pulitzer Via Shoppes, Under The Palm Tree, has a HUGE sale! Just in time for Memorial Day! And - they've been so generous to offer an EXCLUSIVE special - just for Shopaholic readers! You can access their website HERE , contact via email: underpalmtree77@aol.com or call 913-451-1445. First, "The Memorial Day Sale". Spend $200 on any store merchandise and receive $50 Off Spend $300 on any store merchandise and receive $100 Off Spend $400 on any store merchandise and receive $150 Off Spend $500 on any store merchandise and receive $200 Off Spend $1000 on any store merchandise and receive $450 Off This offer does include Sale Merchandise.  Not valid on Special Orders or Prior Purchases.  Discount will be applied when your order is processed. Place t...

Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope you're doing great and getting ready for a wonderful Memorial Day holiday. Later this week I will have some special treats, including my Beach Bag Essentials! Even though it's not "officially" summer yet, it might as well be. We've had temperatures of 90+ degrees for days, and more coming. This is the time of year I take 2-3 showers a day. Before exercise, after exercise; Before beach, after beach; one right before bed because it makes me rest so well. Heck, sometimes you just want to take one after walking outside on the deck to water the plants! All this showering, scrubbing and skin exfoliation brings a new problem - dry skin. I loathe dry skin, can't stand it. In the past, I have used fairly expensive products like Creme de Corps from Kiehls. However, I discovered something much more economical that I'd like to share with you! Welcome to my daily routine, Olay Quench Body Lotion (Deep Moisture). A while back, I receiv...

Happy Monday, my friends! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I'm happy to say, migraine is now gone and I'm ready to hit on all cylinders this week! DH is on vacation next week so lots to do around here! Fess up - did you watch the Series finale of "Lost" last night? What did you think? Now of course there are a ton of thoughts about what happened - were they dead the whole time? Was the island a "purgatory" of sorts? Why were some of the characters like Richard, Miles and Frank - they made it on the plane but weren't in the church? So many unanswered questions! Three years ago, DH said "I think they're already dead". Was he right all along? I have a feeling this will all be debated for quite some time. Similar to the ending of "The Sopranos".....BTW, do you guys think Tony is dead? :-) To add insult to injury, tonight I must say goodbye to my long time favorite drama, "24". Yes at times it has been unbelieva...

Happy Sunday, Shopaholics! Hope your weekend has been fabulous so far. I'm sad to report that I still have a slight headache, but at this point I'm not sure whether it's from a Migraine or a Mojito. Oops. Remember my resolve to lose 10 more pounds before I purchased another Lilly dress??? Double Oops, I fell off the wagon on Saturday. BUT - it was for this highly coveted Lilly Pulitzer Sullivan dress... Isn't it fabulous? I plan to find a red belt (possibly patent leather) to wear with the dress - or my red starfish Miss Trish sandals.  Perfect for 4th of July, yes? :-) If you have this on your summer "must have" shopping list - get it quickly. My sources report it is literally *flying* out of the stores! And remember, you can still use the 20% coupon at the Lilly Pulitzer corporate stores (my favorite is Southlake, TX) until May 24. I posted about it HERE originally. Now I attempt to climb back on the wagon. Stay tuned. Have a wonderful Sunday!

TGIF, Shopaholics! I'm taking a break today due to a migraine - DAY TWO. Ugh. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, don't forget about the GWP at Lilly Pulitzer Southlake (and other corp. locations) on Saturday! :-)

Happy Thursday everyone! Many of you have commented in the past about my "southern/seafood" recipes and how you've enjoyed them, so today I have a new treat for you! Below is our family recipe for Shrimp Vermicelli Salad. I have no idea where this originated, my Mother has been preparing it for years and we've tweaked it to suit our tastes. (you will notice from my notes what I adjust) Shopaholic note: I firmly believe this is also a "lucky" recipe - as we had it the night Alabama won the college football national championship. If you're looking for something new, refreshing and different - give this recipe a try! You will not be disappointed! PERFECT for summer gatherings, BBQ's, parties, etc. SHRIMP VERMICELLI SALAD 5 Cups water 1.5 lbs. unpeeled medium-size fresh shrimp 1 (12 oz) package vermicelli 3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 1.5 Cups chopped green onions 1 Cup chopped dill pickle (I reduced to approx. 1/2 cup) ¼ Cup minced fresh ...

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope you're having a wonderful "hump day" - today the DH has a day off work. One would think that might mean "Fun Day" but alas, no. We have an appointment and then some work happening in our kitchen...guess the beach will have to wait! With graduation and wedding season in full swing, I'd like to talk about thank you notes and their importance. Is it just me, or does it seem people just don't write handwritten notes much anymore? I know many bloggers have discussed this in the past, and of course we all have our own opinion. For me personally, I feel it's extremely bad manners to not send a thank you note that is handwritten. Email just won't do in most cases! My Rules/Suggestions for Thank you notes: 1) When someone sends me a gift, I send them a thank you note, unless I live under the same roof as the gift giver. That's only DH, so everyone else receives a note! :-) 2) If someone does a favor or goes out o...

Happy Tuesday, Shopaholics! Hope you had a wonderful weekend and a great start to a new week. I've been a little down the past few days, hence my lack of posts. I just haven't felt like there was anything extraordinary to tell you about - and certainly not as exciting as some of my blogger friends out there. Remember, this Shopaholic doesn't live in a major metro area so my life and events tend to be a little simple - beach, time with DH, family and friends. Not necessarily in that order, of course. :-) Moving on...I was just brave enough to take a look at the calendar and I couldn't believe what I saw! There are 86 days until my 40th birthday! Un.Flippin.Believable. For the record, I do NOT "feel" almost 40. I don't "think" I look almost 40. (If you think I do, just don't tell me, not sure I could handle it this week). Here's the thing - I promised myself I was going to lose a whole bunch of weight before I turned 40. So far, I'v...

Happy Weekend, my Shopaholic friends! Hope you're enjoying good times and nice weather. DH was off work on Friday, so we spent Friday and Saturday at the beach working on our tans. Sadly, we must attend a wake on Sunday evening. One of my Dad's lifelong best friends passed away on Thursday from complications of lung cancer. Dad is taking this very hard, he's known Randy since before he married my Mom. Please say a little prayer for him, as well as Randy's family. He was only 64. :-(   Today I wanted to tell you about another one of "My Favorite Things".  Are you familiar with LORAC Cosmetics? Have you tried any of the products this brand offers? Naturally it's sold in Sephora, Ulta, etc but I actually prefer to purchase LORAC directly from their retail website (access it  HERE ). Get this - I am totally - 100+% - addicted to their Lip Polish. It comes in a small bottle that looks like nail polish - how cute is that? My favorite colors of ...

TGIF Shopaholics! Fess up now - did you order from the Lilly Pulitzer sale on Rue La La yesterday? I was *gasp* without an internet connection most of the day, so I had to enlist the help of a trusted friend to finally score my coveted Mar A Lago tote handbag in gold. The Shopaholic was VERY happy to get the call of sweet success! And yes, before you tell me, I realize you can shop RLL from a web enabled phone....that is if your phone does not also qualify as a boat anchor or tin can with a string...Mine is in serious need of an upgrade, haha! Today we move on to the current Lilly Pulitzer collections which are still in stores, these are Resort 2009/2010, Spring 2010 and Summer 2010. Did you see the coupon in the People Style Watch Issue of May 2010? If not, I have a copy for you below!    Great news to report!  This coupon can be used at the Lilly Pulitzer corporate (retail) stores as well as online at http://www.lillypulitzer.com/ (promo code PE...

Happy Thursday, Shopaholics! Thanks so much for all your kind emails and comments about the oil spill. Admittedly, I have been consumed with this event; as well as a little depressed. :-( Today I thought it would be fun to talk about the new SATC 2 movie! I don't know about you, but I cannot wait for the movie to premiere! I get even more excited every time I see the trailer, and want to plan a Girls Night Out to see the movie! I wish all of you lived close, and we could go together! Wouldn't that be fun?!?!?!?! Of course we all remember watching the SATC series, and being inspired by the fashion. Who else wanted Carrie's show wardrobe? TDF, in my opinion of course! Didn't we all start drinking Cosmos just because Carrie and the girls did??? The pink drink, which is a mixture of vodka, Triple Sec and cranberry juice, found its way into bars all over the country after SATC made it famous. Lucky for us, SKYY Vodka has created a signature drink for each girl - ther...

Happy Tuesday, Shopaholics! Yesterday I took the day "off" from blogging, after a weekend packed with Mother's Day activities! Hope you're all having a great start to the week! Living on (or even NEAR) the coast, we spend plenty of time and effort preparing for potential tropical weather or hurricanes. During hurricane season, we watch the news and weather updates with great interest and a bit of nervousness. We watch the water temperature, as hot water is extremely favorable for development of tropical weather. As nerve wracking as all this sounds, it's just a part of life on the coast. The other 350 or so days of the year, life is grand and immensely pleasant. Here's how it works - you watch a tropical system develop - generally around the Lesser Antilles, Bay of Campiche or south of Cuba. At that point, the system is about 5-7 days from the Northern Gulf Coast. And the good news, it's so early you have no idea where it will hit. You just "keep ...

Happy Mother's Day! Before I begin the Mother's Day tribute, I want to thank you ALL for your lovely comments on yesterday's post. Honestly, I wasn't sure whether I should post about being "childless by choice" and was slightly concerned I would look super selfish to you all. I should have known better, I had tears in my eyes reading your sweet and heartfelt comments. You all have stories that were just amazing to me, and I can't wait to get to know everyone better! Thank you for being so kind and supporting me. I consider you all my friends and love you! :-)  Last night I had a fantastic dinner out with my Mother, Nanny, and my sister Amy. I wanted to share a few photos with you - and tell you we had some of the most fabulous seafood I've had in a very long time! Felt like a "last supper" of sorts, considering we're starting to hear about tar balls from the oil spill rolling up on the beaches at Dauphin Island, AL. Mom and Nanny  Lo...

Happy Saturday, my friends! Hopefully you're out enjoying a nice weekend with family and/or friends. We're having sunny and warm weather; it's absolutely gorgeous outside! Warning you ahead of time here - my post today is a little different than normal, but I wanted to share an extremely personal story with you all. I debated about whether to post this, but I hope you'll find it heartfelt and honest. I'm preparing a Mother's Day celebration tonight and tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to dinner with my Mother, my Nanny (my only living grandmother), and my younger Sister. My Dad arranged a nice dinner for us (and is paying the bill!). Don't feel too sorry for the boys though, word has it they're going to eat raw oysters and have a few cold ones. After spending a little time with Mother on Sunday morning, we will go visit DH's Mother. Seriously though, today I would like to tell you all about me and the DH being "childless by choice" - a...

TGIF, my Shopaholic friends! What do you have planned for this Mother's Day weekend? We are having a "girls night out" on Saturday - just me, Mom, Nanny and my baby sister. Then on Sunday, DH and I will go visit the in-laws. There's only one down side to all this - everything is inland so no beach for me. THAT I'm not loving! :-( Today I wanted to share one of "My Favorite Things" from Philosophy. If you're not familiar, Philosophy is a skin care, cosmetics, bath and body/fragrance line that is fantastic! I use many of their products (especially love their moisturizers, but I'll blog about those another day). Yesterday I remembered that I had a brand new bottle of Senorita Margarita, one of the 3-in-1 Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash products. Note: I would NEVER wash my hair with this. My stylist would kill me dead for fear of ruining highlights that he slaves over.....However, I absolutely LOVE this product as a Shower Gel. I also shave my l...

Happy Thursday my friends! Hope you're having a fantastic day and enjoying beautiful late Spring weather! We're lucky here - no oil - at least yet. The longer it takes to get here, the more hopeful I am for a reprieve. *Fingers and toes are crossed* Welcome to Confessions of a Shopaholic - I felt the need to confess to someone - and it just didn't seem appropriate to tell DH. (insert wink and smile). Do you remember about the fantastic sale at one of my favorite Lilly Pulitzer Via Shoppes, Under The Palm Tree? Purchase 4 or more items and receive 50% off? Do you remember how stressed I've been over the oil spill crisis? A little retail therapy was on yesterday's agenda........ These goodies are on their way to me and I'm thrilled! Lilly Pulitzer Worth Shift in Stuffed Shells Lilly Pulitzer Sandra Dress in Starfruit Yellow Dahlia Lilly Pulitzer Hightide Tankini Top & Beachy Briefs (I'm so optimistic about the oil spill I purchased a new swimsui...

Happy Wednesday, my friends and fellow Shopaholics! Today I'm happy to report that our Coastal Cleanup went off without a hitch yesterday, the weather was gorgeous and lots of items were collected in advance of the oil arriving on our coast. The current "oil forecast" says we might have landfall on Friday. Never in a million years, did I think we would have an oil forecast. It's like a surreal experience around these parts. Anyway, today I wanted to offer up some FUN items to my blog readers in a Shopaholic Blog Sale. I'm constantly cleaning up and rotating things, and I buy way more than I should (don't laugh - please!). As a result, I always have LOTS of sell. Contact me if you're interested in anything ( lori.driver@hotmail.com ) - Paypal payments only, please. Contact me if you have any questions about anything! If you guys like this, I might start hosting a "blog sale" once a month. We'll see how it goes. :-) Until tomorrow.....DH is...