FREE AT LAST!

I am absolutely ecstatic over the TomKat divorce.  Katie Holmes is, by far, better off without him.  As is Suri.  I secretly wish Joshua Jackson would come sweep her off her feet and a real-life Pacey/Joey romance would occur, but I understand that just leaving Tom Cruise is enough.  Thank you, Lord!

TMZ posted the most beautiful picture of her today, post-divorce filing.  She is smirking and looks like the Katie of old (circa 1999).  I seriously was (OK, still am) obsessed with Dawson's Creek, so much so that I used to try to dress the part frequently.

In discussions with my friends and family (yes, multiple throughout the weekend and my life), there is a defining Dawson's Creek moment when most people lost respect for Dawson.  Dawson, aka James Van Der Beek (who was like 25 playing 15) was Joey Potter's crush and I mean crush.  They were childhood buddies who had a funny feeling that something was going on once puberty hit.  Dawson tried skirting the issue by courting next-door neighbor/skank, Jen (aka Michelle Williams).  HATED HER (Jen, not the actress) and wanted Joey and Dawson together, until they were together at the conclusion of season one, which is the "cliffhanger" into season two.  Season two LITERALLY picks up where season one left off, leaving the Creek Kids a year behind me in school (which disappointed me, as I thought we would all graduate together).  OK, I digress.  So all respect is lost for Dawson at the conclusion of Season three when Pacey and Joey take off for the summer aboard Pacey's boat (yes, a 16-year-old with a boat) and Dawson does THIS:

Dawson, you literally missed the boat and make me vomit every time I see this screencap.


Congratulations, Katie Holmes.  You successfully avoided that mess above as a teen/early 20 and are now leaving this mess behind:

Hairspiration

I have been DYING (no pun intended) to change my hair. It isn't so much of a change, but an update.  I love the Kardashians' hair.  I am super jealous of it!  I really love Kim's hair on the Oprah interviews.  It looks fabulous and I will absolutely need to copy it.  It is really similar to the way I wear my hair, so good stuff!  I just have a picture to bring with me for the cut and color.

Very boring post, but love it. Love it, KK:-)

Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Edition of Things I am LOVING!

OK---so Friday came and went without a Friday Five, so I am going to post the things I am loving today.

Part of the reason I didn't post on Friday is because of item #1:


1) Luso Restaurant in Smithtown, NY

Luso literally has the best "meats" I have ever had.  I really only order Rodizio (all you can eat meat).  I have gotten the chicken take-out, but nothing is quite like their Rodiz!  If you live in the area, go to Luso.  Make sure you get the Heavenly Whites for dessert!  Oh yeah, WHITE SANGRIA!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Lancome Flash Bronzer for legs.  Looks super natural.  PS I have no idea why Blogger won't let me format my post as I wanted to;-)

 3) Stony Brook Baseball.  Tough loss on Friday, but they're going to #SHOCKTHEWORLD tonight in the elimination game.  GET IT SEAWOLVES!!!

4) My J.Crew yellow linen shorts.  Super cute!

5) Best end-of-the-year gift ever from one of my students.  I love the Kardashians, especially Khloe.  I do not necessarily love everything they do, but they are fun to watch and they have great hair;-)  So thoughtful!

CHEER ON STONY BROOK TONIGHT @5!  They're on ESPN2 and online @ ESPN3!

Wordless Wednesday

Seawolves/Underdogs to Omaha!

Target Beauty Bag!

I was so excited to open my mailbox and find my Target Summer Beauty Bag today.  It's a cute little bag, perfect to throw in my beach bag and it is filled with samples of goodies.  The sizes of the items above via the Target website are a bit deceiving. I just washed and conditioned my long locks with the TreSemme Split Remedy sample.  We shall see if the remedy's promise of 80% fewer split ends is accurate!  I don't have a particularly large amount of split ends, but I am jonesin' for a haircut sometime soon.  I have been growing my hair for a while (a la Kourtney Kardashian/Kate Middleton).

I am a little disappointed about the lip gloss.  I thought it would be a little tube, but it is one of those papers with the lip gloss smeared on it and a foil seal over the top.  Oh, well.  It was FREE!  I do not typically find freebies, but I was excited to see this one pop up.  If you are not yet Facebook friends with Target Style, I suggest you join!  I do not LOVE Target's clothing lines, but every once in a while, a good bargain item will emerge at Target.  Target style shows some of the looks and deals you might otherwise miss. 

I am off to my school's awards ceremony tonight.  This week is rather busy!  Tonight is the school awards then tomorrow I will have summer basketball with my girls, and Thursday is the Senior Athletic Awards for the girls on my team (I coach at a different school than I teach).  My husband has awards tomorrow, as well.  The end of the school year is chock full of good stuff!  With that being said, I will leave off with the commencement speech from Wellesley High School in Massachusetts or as it is being dubbed, "You are Not Special."  I think the message needed to be spoken. HOWEVER, I am so incredibly fortunate to coach some of the most special people I have ever come across.  I hope by the time they graduate, they realize the end of this speech and go on to live fabulous lives.

Complaints Department

I vow to do this only once in a while...

I need to vent about something that is ridiculous, but annoying. 

I take spin because it is NOT like an old-school aerobics class.  I take it because I like to compete against myself and push myself to the limit.  I do not take it because I care about the instructors' color commentary to music or because I like to hear numbers shouted at me (5, 4, 3, 2, and 1)...I  like the idea of mimicking a real ride, but do not need a visual description of hills rolling in front of me or of FREEWAY AHEAD.  UGH!  The substitute for my spin class this evening drove me nuts.  That is all!

Be back tomorrow for a normal post ;-)

FRIDAY FIVE

Jumping on the bandwagon and offering up my Five Things that I am Loving Friday.  Here goes...


1. Pretty Little Liars

The Liars are BACK for the summer and on Tuesdays! The first ep was a little slow until the last ten minutes.  I am so excited for another season of cool clothes and ridiculous situations that would never happen in real life, but it is just FUN!

2. Bridier Baubles

Another bandwagon I am jumping on!  I am obsessed with the Britta Bead Necklace, but it is only available in pink at the current moment.  I love it in blue, but I might be ordering the pink as well.  I LOVE the Coco, even though I do not know if it is really my style.  The Yacht Club Bracelet is also on my wishlist!

3. Bare Minerals

OK Bare Minerals, I am back!  I ran out of my Clinique last week and used some of my old BM foundation.  LOVED it, so I went and got some more.  So light, but good coverage for my rosy (code word for rosecea) cheeks.

4. Trader Joe's Cookie Butter!  No explanation needed.

5. Hanging with my daughter and seeing ducks, goats, and other such animals :-)

This is a great shot my mom took of my sister (with my lady on her shoulders), the lady, and me!

ENJOY THE WEEKEND!

Someone's Got a Case of the Mondays!

Blah.  Monday was a dreary one here on Long Island.  With 65 degrees as our high and the sun hiding behind the gloom, it was hard to find something redeeming about returning to work after such a great weekend.  Enter my recent favorite shirt:

There's something about this top with rope detail that I just love.  It's a combo of classic and comfy that I just cannot get enough of.  Pair it with shorts for a weekend BBQ or with khakis for work and it WORKS:-).  I did khaki crops with it this weekend.  It's from J.Crew, which is my favorite place to shop.  It was a great purchase - on sale (although I never saw it in the regular price portion of the store in the weeks leading up to my purchase.  And yes, I do frequent the store enough to notice) with a gift card.  A good Monday surprise for me was that I had already ironed it last week and hadn't worn it because of last week's intense temperatures.  I did a little pink tank top underneath today and it was adorable.  I didn't take pictures, but I am sure I will wear it again in the near future.

In Mommy News, I am really annoyed with my husband.  You may think this is petty, but he has taught my little lady this gem: "What does Baxter (our dog) do outside?"  She responds, "Pee Pee," which I LOATHE!  So gross!  I am not ANNOYED as in angry enough to really go crazy, but it is ridiculous.

Sunday Funday!

Oh my goodness!  Two posts in one day!!!

I had the best Sunday since last Sunday!  The past two weekends have included beautiful weather, a wedding, and beach days!  I just thought I would share some shots from the past two weekends, so I could express how truly blessed my life as been as of late!

Last Sunday, we attended my dear friend's wedding.  It was gorgeous and so classic at a beautiful Long Island mansion, a la The Great Gatsby.  She was married at the same church as my husband and me.  When we were married, the church was under construction, so we missed out on the pictures on the steps of the church.  No problem, though - - - we took pictures in front of the construction, which I will share another day.  ANYWAY - - - my friend's ceremony was classic and beautiful.  The day was filled with white hydrangeas - - - a personal favorite.  Here are some photos I snagged, while not trying to be a stalker paparazzo:

 

The first is of the bride and groom behind their beautiful cake.  I am disappointed I did not get a shot with them and us, but that's OK.  I always feel like it is rude to request pictures when brides and grooms have shelled out thousands for a photographer to take care of that job.  The second photo is of my husband and me.  His head isn't really that big; he is just really close to the camera.  

In addition to all of the wedding fun last weekend, we headed to the beach and to a BBQ.  THIS SUNDAY (today) was a blast too!  The beach (North Shore), which I mentioned before was beautiful.  I feel like I got some good color, but didn't get "Snookified."  I chased my daughter with sunscreen and made a Minnie Mouse (albeit bizarre-looking) sand sculpture.  Here's how we rolled today:

I was the psycho-mom who didn't let her child take off her shirt.  Minnie is clearly enjoying the beach.  Her eyes are rocks.  She is awesome.

I don't get too many pictures of the little lady and me together, so I really like these.  Neither one is particularly artsy or fantastic, but they're amazing to me:-)

Minnie in all her glory.  

My two babies.

My husband has tattoos that I don't really care for, but I love him so much:-)  He is jacked.  He loves to hear that, but will deny it!  

I hope everyone has had as great a weekend as I did!  The past two Sundays have been so amazing.  I am ending my Sunday with some NBA and Real Housewives.  Go Celtics (anyone but the Heat)!

<3

Sunday Funday, Trader Joe's Finds, and Pinterest Musings

Just waiting for my husband to get back from the gym and then we will be heading to the beach.  One of the amazing things about Long Island is that you're never too far from a beach.  Be it a (Long Island) Sound Beach, a (Great South) Bay Beach, or an (Atlantic) Ocean Beach, there's always a spot to soak up the sun and hang for the day.  Today, we are heading to a Sound Beach (Short Beach in St. James).  Sound Beaches are on the North Shore, so they're close to us, but there aren't waves (which is good with the little lady and trying to get her to like the water), but they're also super rocky, so it is hard to walk and you definitely need flip flops or water shoes (which I refuse to wear, but will cave and buy for my daughter).  Short Beach has a little playground, which is awesome for the little lady.  I am a crazed LUNATIC with the sunscreen, as she is not yet two and very light eyed, haired and skinned.  My very good friend turned me on to COTZ, an amazing sunscreen/sunblock that contains only Titanium and Zinc.   It is amazing stuff that I wish I had when I was younger.  My daughter will, hopefully, have gorgeous wrinkle-free skin as an adult, as I will be slathering COTZ all over her on a bi-hourly basis until she is old enough to fight it and even then, I will be going after her with sunscreen in hand.  I am trying the COTZ Pure next time, 0 chemical ingredients.  I am sold! CooliBar has a great sale on the product right now and I am thinking of scooping up a tube or ten.

As I am waiting for my husband's triumphant return and his report of his workout (oh yes, I get a rep by rep report), I am dipping some delish Granny Smith apples into Trader Joe's (we call it Trader's) Speculoos Cookie Butter.  Cookie Butter has been my greatest Trader Joe's find to date.  It works well with ANYTHING you dip into it.  It was a totally impulse buy after having tasted it in the in-store sampling.  Oh my goodness, I cannot talk it up enough.  You really have to try it for yourself!  The Trader Joe's website does a fabulous job of describing Cookie Butter!

I am sure everyone has found Pinterest and has "pinned" or shunned "pinning."  I, for one, was reluctant to start, but I haven't become an obsessive pinner.  I have vowed to check it at least once a week and search for things that I am thinking about.  I have a few boards and followers.  I have definitely gotten some great, easy ideas.   Not everything on Pinterest seems possible for me to create.  The outfit finds are so doable, but the projects, we shall see.  I sock bunned my hair and do it at least once a week, but I was doing that before Pinterest.  Here's a shot of a particularly good sock bun I did for a dinner I attended:

I made my husband take a picture of it.  He's a good sport, but thought I was being ridiculous.  I would just like to add that I was looking at this:

on my Pinterest page and my daughter pointed at the photo and said, "Momma!"  YES!  I am so flattered!  Although all of the Kardashians' actions are not exactly the best, I LOVE their hair.  Kourtney and Kate Middleton are my hairspirations.  I want my locks to be just like theirs and I am trying SO hard to grow them accordingly ;-).

OK, back to some cool Pinterest finds.  I am definitely doing THIS for every cake I make in the future.  It is so fun and SEEMS super easy!

 I am also really "pinspired" to do this to our fireplace bricks:

I also really like the basket here and how the doors are inset from the bricks.  Our current setup doesn't fit in with the coastal look that I would like to go for in our living room.

Those are just a few of my Pinterest finds.  I don't go too crazy with it because I want to actually DO some of the things I have pinned.  You can check out my Pinterest account for my "Body by SchroCo" board, which includes some of the inspirations I LOVE for working out (actually, some of them are on "My Style" page---I really need to organize).  My Pinterest name is: ktc14.  Follow me and please let me follow you! :-)  I love to see people with great style.  I love "stealing" ideas and I am so flattered if you like something I find cool.


I hope this post makes up for my busy spring and lack of blogging.  I will definitely be back to blogging throughout our fun summer!  <3

Remember FORWARDED SURVEYS?!?

So, I have one follower (Ashley Brooke) WOO HOO!  I will, hopefully, have more in the future.  Since I am a blog slacker, I thought I would take it back, WAY back, to high school for this post.  When I was a high school junior and senior, email was in its infancy (I know...I am dating myself).  As a teenager, I definitely spent more time than I would like to admit filling in forwarded surveys then passing them on to friends, while always making sure the cutie patootie (or so I thought at the time) that I had a major crush on was on the list.  Here's one with what my answers would have been as a senior (17) and now (20-something).

51 PREFERENCES … Fill these out according
to you. Send to the person who sent this to you and many others.
                                                   THEN                            NOW
1. Pierce your nose or tongue?    neither/neither               
2. Be serious or be funny? funny/funny
3. Boxers or briefs? boxers/boxer-briefs
4. Whole or skim milk? skim/skim
5. Single or Taken? single/taken
6. Simple or complicated? complicated/simple
7. Law or anarchy?  anarchy/law
8. Flowers or angels?  flowers/flowers
9. Grey or gray? gray/gray
10. Read or write?  write/write
11. Color or black-and-white photos? color/black and white (hides imperfections)
12. Sunrise or sunset? sunset/sunrise
13. M&M’s or Skittles? M&M's/M&M's
14. Rap or rock? Rap/Rap
15. Stay up late or wake up late?  wake up late/stay up late
16. TV or Radio? TV/TV
17. Is it POP or SODA?  SODA/SODA
18. X or O in Tic-tac-toe? X/X
20. Eat an apple or an orange? orange/apple
21. What came first the chicken or the egg? chicken/chicken
22. Hot or Cold? hot/hot - I have always hated the cold
24. Tall members of the opposite sex or short? TALL/TALL!!!  never another option
25. Sun or moon? sun/sun LOVE THE SUMMER!
26. Emerald or ruby? emerald/emerald
28. Left or right? Left/ MIDDLE - - - I am sure at 17 I was a left-winger, but nowadays, I sometimes veer to the right on SOME issues.
29. 10 acquaintances or 1 best friend? One best friend/One best friend
30. Vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream? chocolate/chocolate
31. Skinny or fat?  Skinny/MUSCLES!
32. Green beans or carrots? carrots/green beans (carrots don't do it for me anymore)
33. Low fat or fat free? Didn't matter/Fat free - - - oh, to be young again
34. What is your biggest fear in the world? Loneliness/loneliness (at 17, I would have wanted the crush-boy to say something, but he probably wouldn't read the damn thing and now I really don't want to be lonely)
36. Kids or no kids? NO KIDS/ONE KID (haha ...)
37. Cat or dog? DOG/DOG...just not a cat person
38. Half empty or half full? half full/half full
39. Mustard or ketchup? ketchup/ketchup...mustard grosses me out and always has
40. Hard cover books or soft cover books?  NEITHER/hard cover classics
41. Newspaper or magazine? magazine/newspaper
42. Sandals or sneakers? sneakers/sneakers
43. Wonder or amazement?  amazement/amazement (you have to wonder to get to amazement, though)
44. Red car or white car? red/white
45. Happy and poor or sad and rich?  happy and poor/if I were rich, how could I be sad?
46. Singing or dancing? dancing/dancing
47. Hugging or Kissing? hugging/hugging
48. Corduroy or plaid? plaid/plaid
49. Happy or sad? happy/happy
50. Purple or green? green/green
51. A year of hot sex or a lifetime of friendship? Plead the 5th ;-)/Friendship


:-)  This one wasn't as wordy as the ones I definitely filled in at 2 a.m. in high school.  I always added comments to explain.  Crazy!

Until next time!

BACK AGAIN for Fill in the Blank Friday!

I will do a better job posting now that the busy time of year is calming down for me.  Stole this from two blogs, Queen Bee Swain and Leggings are Not Pants.  Enjoy the weekend!
Spied this over at Leggings are not Pants and decided that I just had to play along- aren't tags so fun?!

1- Today is a great day because: IT IS FRIDAY and I am home with my girl.  Dinner is in the Crock Pot!

2- Tomorrow I will: take spin in the morning, head to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods then if it is nice out, head to the park with my baby girl and if it is gross, I will watch too much TV with her!

3- My favorite time of day is: 6:30 p.m., most nights.  Spin Class!
4- Sometimes you just have to: DANCE IT OUT!


5- A song that I just cannot get enough of lately is: "Shake it Off" Florence and the Machine

6- My favorite accessory is: My Julian and Co necklace with my daughter's name and stats on it.

7- My favorite thing about this week was:Getting home today to hang with my baby!

MARCH MADNESS!

March has been a quiet month for my blog because of all of the blessings March brings.  So far, we have had beautiful weather and so many fun celebrations mixed in with the NCAA tournament.  I will do a better job with my blog in the coming weeks.  I hope your March is as blessed as mine has been. 

GO GATORS!

Wordless (sort of) Wednesday

I have been wordless all week, but will update soon :-)  Here's a shot of my two favorites at this past weekend's parade.  Enjoy!

Fun Facts Friday

Friday is (thank goodness) here at last!  I know I am lucky to get days off, so I am so appreciative when they occur!  Here are the TWO fun facts about me this Friday:

1) I am Irish, but not as much as I am Greek.  My Irish side of the family will be in town this weekend to watch my grandparents in their local St. Patrick's Day Parade.  They are the aides to the Grand Marshall of the parade and so adorable.  Little Lady will be sporting her green in the form of a gray tee shirt from Osh Kosh with a shamrock on it in green and "Lucky Little Girl" on it in pink.  We are on our way to pick up a green bracelet (she loves bracelets and calls them bras) and a pair of green leggings (babies are allowed to wear leggings FYI:-)).  She is going to wear a pink cardigan, as well.  I love dressing her:-)

2) I am a closet (well, I guess not anymore) Backstreet Boys fan.  My husband is a fan (I know...weird) and he has gotten me to like Nick, Brian, AJ and Howie.  I don't like that Kevin guy.  He's from the BSB from before I became a fan, so I am not too sure about him.  We saw them with NKOTB over the summer and it was a lot of fun!

Have a fabulous weekend!  I will post pictures of the parade on Monday!

-Coach KC-

What I Wore Wednesday

One of my favorite things about "preppy" clothes is that they never go out of style.  I love that I can mix and match pieces that I have purchased over the years and still put together a great outfit.  It is great to have classic clothes that transcend the trends and never look tired.  Today's outfit:

The mirror looks super dirty!  I think it is because I just used dry shampoo (after actually washing and conditioning my hair...it is great for volume).



The cardigan is a soft violet from Ann Taylor - a v-neck.  It was $14.88 on sale with an additional 40% off last year.  I bought it in three other colors and consider those three sweaters the best purchases I have ever made on sale.  I was super proud of the deal; they were all originally over $70 each.  Good job, Coach!

Underneath the sweater is a plain white cami from J. Crew. 

The pants are from Banana Republic.  I am not sure when I bought them, but they fit so well!  They are the Ryan fit, which I can barely find anymore.

The shoes, ah yes, the shoes.  They are THE BEST shoes I have ever worn.  Cole Haan Air Tali Wedges in the silver.  I got them in black with patent leather toes and I absolutely need another pair.  The patent leather toes are a bit tight, whereas the silver are all the same material and amazing.  They have Nike Air insoles, which make them all the better!  I never wear my orthotics with them because it is totally unnecessary! 

The scarf is a Loft infinity scarf that I purchased for myself right before Christmas.  It is gray with silver threads throughout.  Jewelry is a standard for me: either diamonds or pearls.  Today I wore my diamond earrings and silver necklace with my daughter's name and baby footprints. 

:-) Fun times with a timeless outfit!

At Least Monday TV is good!

Monday has the best lineup for shows I watch.  Thank goodness for DVR because three of my Monday shows are at the same time.  How I Met Your Mother, Gossip Girl, and Pretty Little Liars are three of the shows I watch and all three are Monday at 8:00 on three different channels! 

I am currently blogging and catching up on PLL.  I have never read the books; I only watch the show.  I am not a 13-year-old girl, but I still love it. 

How I Met Your Mother is hysterical.  I wish it was on for an hour, rather than just 30 minutes!  Gossip Girl is getting ridiculous, but I will still continue to watch until I deem it too over-the-top.  I nixed Grey's Anatomy a few years ago because it got too ridiculous.

In other news, I am still not used to living in my house.  I just woke my husband from definite REM sleep because I heard a "bump."  Maybe I am 13 after all!

:-)

Fitness Lust List

I had such a great spin class this morning at NYSC!  I am excited that I can get back to weekend spin classes, now that I have a little more time on my hands at the conclusion of basketball season.  After a great 8:15 a.m. "Super Spin" class, I have a few things I would LOVE to have for the next holiday/occasion.  I would not, at all, be insulted to get workout accessories as a gift.  Here's what I am hoping for:

1) White Cycling Shoes (These are from iO).  I like this look and I am a huge fan of white sneakers (or tennis shoes, if you will).  I have two pairs of gray sneakers, but I prefer white and would like to invest in white cycling shoes.  I won't be riding any real trails, so they'll stay pristine.

 

2) A White Heart Rate Monitor (Polar) Notice a trend?  I love white workout gear (not tops - - - they would yellow in time).

3) A Pink Squirt Water Bottle.
I had a cute blue one, but it disappeared.  Pink would not get lost!

Those three items would be killer!  The pink water bottle is a measly $5, so I probably should just order it, but I am lazy in the online shopping department sometimes.  I need the instant gratification of a purchase in my hands when I lay out the money.  That's why Zappos is awesome! 

Enjoy the weekend!!!

Fun Facts Friday

I have been reading a lot of different blogs lately (OK for a while) and everyone has Wordless Wednesdays, or other weekday themes.   A blog I really love reading, Monograms and Manicures, has Friday Five of things she is loving/using that week.  This week, she is looking for mint green jeans - - - so am I!  I want a matching pair for my little lady and I for St. Paddy's!  Anyway, I think I will institute Fun Facts Friday.  Maybe it will last, maybe it won't.  Since today is the 24th, I will list 24 today.  Here goes:

24.  24 is my little brother's football number - - - it used to be his number in everything, but since he's only a sophomore on varsity basketball (yep, I am bragging), he wore 12 because someone else already had 24.  Maybe next year.

23.  For as long as I can remember, Michael Jordan has been my favorite celebrity, HANDS DOWN.  I used to write essays in fifth grade about him.  I knew everything about him (like that he had a birthday that just passed).  I still retain a lot of that information.

22. I love Jay-Z and Beyonce's baby name.  Call it weird all you want.  It's cool.

21. Dora the Explorer annoys me to the core.  My daughter loves it.

20.  I met my husband coaching basketball.

19.  I did not talk to him the first time we met.

18.  I got a tattoo at 18 that I deeply regret.

17.  I was (and am) a Britney fan, which probably caused the tattoo.  It is a sunflower.

16.  I have one of the ugliest kitchens in America and want to enter one of those contests to have it made over because I am overwhelmed by it.

15.  My sister is an actress, model, and singer.  A lot of her music is about Harry Potter.

14.  14 was/is my number.

13.  I used to be really superstitious about things.  By used to, I mean it lasted until about this year.

12.  I am Greek, Irish, English, and Dutch - - - 1/2 Greek.

11. My daughter's middle name is my late grandmother's name, Katherine.  There were about five different ways it was spelled on a lot of her documents.  She went with Kathryn, but I liked Katherine and it was on a lot of her early papers.

10.  My mom, a few of my female cousins, and I share the middle name, Lynn.  I don't know where it came from...probably just sounded good.

9.  I do not understand why kids on Yo Gabba Gabba all have strange names when they "like to dance."

8.  I used to be able to recite Billy Madison and Forrest Gump from start to finish.

7. My husband loves the Backstreet Boys.  I have gone to see them five times.  When I went into labor with our daughter, he was at a BSB show.  He had wanted me to go.  I am glad I did not.

6.  I love the feeling of brand new socks.

5.  I wear a lot of different scents.  Summer: Lilly Pulitzer Beachy.  Fall: Kate Spade Twirl, Burberry Brit Sheer.  Winter: Burberry Brit, Vera Wang Princess.  I like Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Heavenly, and I LOVE Gilly Hicks La Perouse.  They get into the mix as well.  I am always adding new fragrances.  I used to rock Tommy Girl and Cool Water in high school. 

4.  I have the same birthday as Beyonce, 9/4.

3.  I love spin.  It is such a good workout that forces a person to challenge him/herself.  I hate cardio, but will take spin so I can get cardio into my routine.

2.  I waited until I was five months pregnant to tell people.

1.  Being a mom is my favorite.

:-)  Have a good weekend!

On Vacation Together to SHOP!

We are all officially done with basketball season.  Unfortunately, my husband's team lost last night to probably the best team in the county.  Some questionable calls put the game out of reach for his team, when they could have battled through, but doesn't matter.

I did hit two of the outlets near his game, but I was disappointed in the selection.  The J. Crew Outlet had a lot of things for me, but I did not feel like trying anything on.  They had colored jeans, which I am dying (no pun intended) to get, but I have my heart set on green for both my little lady and myself.  I think they will make a great St. Paddy's Day matching outfit for us!  Off Sacks had Jack Rogers, which I am a huge fan of, but no colors that I would care to wear.

Not to worry!  We have another outlet mall here on Long Island that my cousin, little lady and I will be hitting hard this afternoon.  There's a Vineyard Vines there as well and I really want to get some cute outfits for my girl.  The outlets we are going to have an actual crewcuts Store, not just a section of the regular J.Crew!  :-)  So EXCITED for that.  What is disappointing, though, is that I have wanted to get my little girl some sequined tee shirts, but in the size 2 and 3 (she can go between both), they just make the shirts with sparkles, not sequins.  What's wrong with that?  Nothing, but they charge the same price for sparkles as they do sequins.  For some reason that seems wrong to me, so on principle I will not buy the sparkle shirts.

Wish us luck in finding a few deals!

Worldless Wednesday is Easy to do with a Face Like This...

We Have a Winner!

My husband's team won their first-round playoff game last night!  Must have been the food...

They beat his own high school alma mater, which made it so much sweeter.  The other coach was a little bit rude leading up to the game, so on to the next round where they will play the number three seed (his team is number six) from my team's league.  We lost to them twice and I think they should have been the number one.

What I am really excited about is making a stop at the outlet mall that is just around the block from the opposing school.  I love crewcuts for my little girl, but the prices seem ridiculous since she 1. grows quickly 2. wipes her face on her shirt 3. likes to slide on her knees.  Everything seems to destroy her clothes, so hopefully I can score some good deals!  There's also a Pottery Barn Outlet, which is hit or miss, but sometimes the hits are amazing!

She needs this (and by needs, I mean I want to get it for her) dress.

Little lady and I are hanging right now, watching Little Bear and eating waffles.  She keeps feeding me the waffles, which is adorable, but gross.  She rolls them into balls then tries feeding them to me.  I can't turn her down, so I have a pocket of waffle crumbs.

Monday Q&A

I am ripping off someone else's post and making it my own.  I know I don't have a lot of (read: any) readers, but maybe this will help the one or two people who stumble upon A North Shore Pearl get to know me a little bit.  I will not be posting a video, but writing my answers.  Here it goes:

1.   What is the best advice you've ever given and received?

Best advice received: Iron your clothes on Sunday nights.  My mom and several others have told me to do this and just recently, I followed through (I used to do it until I met my husband and it went away).  My mornings are so much smoother.

Best advice given: Keep them off the boards... haha...Get a body on someone... Box out!  Get the ball inside!  Definitely good advice for any basketball team, I think :-)

2.   Type of music you like most?

I love hip hop music.  I am a big fan of Beyonce and a sucker for Jay-Z.  I know, I know...I don't look the part.  I love any kind of music that gets me moving and that I can have fun with.  I love the band, O.A.R., as well.

3.   Shoe size?

10 in Nike, 9 1/2 Sperry Angelfish, 9 Sperry Originals, 9 1/2 Cole Haan Nike Air (Air Tali Wedges need to NEVER be discontinued)

4.   Who sent the last text message you received?

My husband

5.   If you could meet any one person (from history or currently alive), who would it be?

This is a tough one.  I think it depends on my mood.  I love Bill Clinton (in a crush way, yup, I said it), so probably Bill Clinton.

6.   Have you ever been fired or “let go”?

Yes, from a teaching job at a charter school that lost its charter...says it all.

7.   What's under your bed?

Probably, embarrassingly, dust.

8.   Do you believe in love at first sight?

Nope.

9.   What is your middle name?

Lynn

10.   Do you think that you are a good singer?

Not at all, but I sound pretty good when I am alone.

"On Vacation," yet up at 5 a.m.

I have been falling asleep on my couch because my daughter has had a cough and I feel like I can hear her better from the living room. It doesn't make sense; our bedroom is just next door to her room, BUT my husband shuts the door every night. He is stubborn and doesn't change his habits, however irritating they may be. SO - the couch it is. We need a new couch soon, anyway. This explains my morning President's Day early wake up.

While flipping through the channels, I came across "The Tummy Tuck Belt." It is basically a belly band (the ones women wear to keep their pants up when pregnant) and some "special" lotion that is applied before the 10 minute session. Seriously? Seriously? Seriously? Who is buying this? What else will people do to avoid putting down the fork and hitting the gym. AND, when I say hitting the gym, I mean going hard. The Tummy Tuck Belt...

http://www.tummytuckbelt.com/about-tummy-tuck-belt.php

Pasta Party at Our House

(S'mores Brownies)

We recently purchased our first house and have yet to really have guests, as I feel it is not ready for visitors. We bought the house in October, basketball started in November, and we got about 1/100th of what I would like done finished. That being said, my husband likes to invite people over. We have no curtains, I have yet to put a switchplate on the light switch in the main bathroom, and we need a new driveway, if not an entire landscaping crew to fix up the front of the house, BUT my husband's basketball team will be coming over this evening for a pre-playoff game Pasta Party. I am not exactly the most thrilled I have ever been in my life, but I tried my best (which is very hard) to cook for them instead of catering the whole thing.

I made baked ziti, meatballs, S'mores brownies and a family favorite, our no muss-no fuss "taco dip." The S'mores brownies recipe I used was courtesy of Preppy in the Pantry. I just started reading her blog after I saw her mentioned on another blog I read. She and I had a few classes together in college, and I had no idea she was so talented in the kitchen. If you see this, Preppy in the Pantry, THANK YOU! Those brownies are sure to be a hit.

I loathe being in the kitchen, but tend to like the results when I do make food. The meatballs are definitely good (I may or may not have eaten two or more). Right now, the ziti is a cookin' at my parents' house (long story short, I broke the oven in our house about two days after we moved in. I was trying to clean it. The stove works, but the oven won't open and I want to wait until we completely redo the kitchen...which will be soon...

to get one).

Anyway, here's what the finished product of the "Taco Dip" looks like:

It is super simple and a hit every time I whip it up. Here's how-to:

Spread one block of Philadelphia cream cheese (I leave it out for about 10 minutes to soften) on a plate or platter.

Spread one jar of salsa (I like Tostitos Mild) on top of the cream cheese.

Shred one small block of extra sharp cheddar cheese on top of the salsa.

Cut green peppers and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and spread over cheese. DONE!

The version you see above is without tomatoes, as my husband is not a fan.

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy! Simple, yet perfect!

Hopefully, the food will lead to at least one playoff win in the family (see earlier post).

Go WM Patriots!

February's Worst Heartbreak

Possibly worse than ending up without a valentine on February 14 is the dreaded high school basketball playoff loss. It stings worse than frostbite (which, thank goodness we have been without this winter). It cuts deep for the many who work themselves hard year-round, but mostly from November to February.

In two days, I have been a part of two of these heartbreaking losses. I coach high school girls' varsity basketball, and my brother plays high school boys' varsity basketball. Friday night, my team lost by a tough, 6-point deficit. Yesterday, little brother's team went down by 10.

Both dealing with the same heartbreak, we are back in the gym today to shoot around with one another. Nothing like the hair of the dog to get you back on your feet! It has been years since I have played competitively. My college career was lackluster, ending after only two seasons, a transfer, and a transfer back to my original school. It doesn't matter, though, I love the game. I love to shoot, I love to score; I love to coach and teach the game to my girls.

Disappointment will always be a part of sport. Only one team can win it all. Maybe next year, little brother and I will see it through to a county championship. One thing's for sure, though: we will work as hard as we can to get there.

(Side Note: my husband also coaches girls' varsity basketball and his team is still in contention...Good luck to his girls!)

I'm BAAAACK

I've said it before, but I am going to try this blogging thing again for real!

The beginning of the school year (I am a teacher), and then field hockey season (I also coach), and then basketball season (I guess you could say I am a multitasker) got in the way of any blogging I could do. Oh yeah, and I have a one and a half year old who I love spending time with too! She literally hit keys on the laptop and added her own touch to this post about five seconds after I typed the previous sentence. No more excuses. I really want to have my own blog. I really love reading all of the amazing blogs I follow and I would like to be a part of the blogging community.

I read a lot of the preppy blogs and definitely consider myself to be preppy, especially at this point in my life. I spent some time in my late teens and very early 20's exploring style options (and hair colors!), but I have been a prep at heart since my mom bought me my first Izod winter coat as a kid and brought me to Gap Kids when it first opened (you know, back when Gap was a preppy haven). She bought me matching headbands for all of my little outfits, making sure my sister and I always looked classically adorable.

I rock Sperrys, Hunter rain boots, and have more cardigans than I care to admit. As I type, I am laying back on my plaid couch in jeans and a pink Polo oxford, but what is awesome about a preppy lifestyle is basically that it is always in style. Investment pieces last a lifetime, and even deals that one can get last a long time too. I love adding a few trendy pieces now and then, but I always head back to the button-down and cardigan. It is crisp, clean, and neat. It is a lifestyle choice as well. Preppy people always seem to have it together (which I try to for the most part, but no one is perfect).

I do not, however, care for some of the snootiness that comes along with preppiness. I do not think that true preppies are snobs. I do not think that not being preppy means that the person does not have style, money, class, or anything else. I think the snootiness that some people associate with being preppy is the antithesis of prep. Everyone has their own style and they should all be appreciated. I do not care for every preppy look, i.e. men with sweaters around their shoulders. My husband is 6'4" and 220 lbs.; a sweater around his shoulders would look wrong. Why can't you just leave the sweater in the coat room, or in your closet? What is it keeping warm? I will admit, I have tried the tied sweater shawl. It was simply annoying. Sorry if that detracts from my preppiness, but I am a mover and shaker. I cannot be tied down by an over-the-shoulder sweater. But hey, if you like it ---go for it. I think it is adorable when the ladies can pull it off, but not so much on men.

I want this blog to be more than a "preppy blog," though. I will try my best to chronicle the amusing times in my life, sales I score, restaurants I visit, foods I try, etc., then see where it takes me. Who knows? If I can stick with it this time, I may just get some followers.