happy feet

I visited Stephen Bonanno's Sandals today and picked up my new favorite pair of sandals.  They are the Emma monogram in Shell with Platinum monogram and whipstitch.  I will wear these beauties all year round and may never take them off.  I had a lovely little chat about all things bloggy (including Lisagh's monkey!) with Vivian.  In fact, if you want to see a horrible picture of me sans makeup or even hairstyling, then click on over to Vivian's blog to see me in the Bonanno boutique today!!  yikes!  :-0

what's on your Christmas list?

Sorry for my lack of posts lately but life has been a bit hectic.  My job is slowly driving me bonkers and I think I need some time off--like approximately 3 months.  You know it's not a good thing when you get into the car to drive home and start bawling.  Crying whilst driving can be embarrassing--you hope no one is looking at you.  My job is stressful sometimes, and last week was all of those sometimes bunched up together into the same week.  I'm on the verge of quitting, but don't really want to.  I could decrease my hours, but then I'd lose benefits.  Hubby says quit.   He says quit and then we can get a puppy.  Sounds like a no-brainer, hmm??  Easier said then done.  I've worked there 16 years and am at the top of my pay scale.  If I quit and then later decide to come back, I would not be reinstated at my current pay.  Anyway, that is what has been on my mind lately.  I don't know what I am going to do.  I didn't go in today because I could not take one more day.  

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Anywhoo, onto some shallow obsessing...

Lil Petunia's BFF came over to spend the night the other day wearing this strand of pearls.  I'm not kidding--she's 8 years old.  She wore them to school and I picked the girls up from school together.  "Hmmmm, those are really pretty", I thought to myself.  Then  I came across this Mikimoto ad in one of my magazines.  Same distinctive clasp--same necklace!  I think that I would really like a South Sea pearl choker for myself, but the starting price on these is $18,000 and I don't think hubby would go for it. 

So...., on to a more realistic Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary gift.  All of these dates fall in the month of December for me, so I long ago convinced hubby (who hates shopping anyway) that it would be better to just combine all 3 into one nice gift instead of 3 small gifts.  It works for me, and gives him more time to....play golf!

I love the Tiffany Celebration rings.  Here are 3 of my favorites which I think would make a pretty stack:


What's on your Christmas wish list?

Notice anything different?? Well, it's hubby's new Lilly Pulitzer tie compliments of Landlocked Mermaid!! Thank you LM!! He wore it to work on Monday and received lots of compliments. I think that his female patients especially like it when he wears Lilly, and down here he can get away with wearing it year 'round! He has many types of patients, but one of his specialties is surgery for breast cancer, so I think a little Lilly here and there always helps lift spirits.

Next is a funny picture I took the other day. It is the book that I'm reading laying next to the book hubby is reading (for the 2nd time). Mel at I Pick Pretty sent me her copy of the guilty pleasure sTORI TELLING. Thank you Mel! Hee hee--makes for some funny looks from hubby as he is reading the biography of Einstein! I think he has no idea who Tori Spelling is! Oh, well--it's probably better that way!

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary

We went on an excursion with Lil Petunia's Sunday school yesterday to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary . They are an animal refuge and hospital that takes in approximately 4,000 animals each year. The animals are rehabilitated and released back into the wild when possible.

A beautiful barred owl:

Skunks only spray when they feel threatened. Fortunately this one liked us!:

This fully grown Opossum was so cute. Did you know that Opossums are only pregnant for 10 days, but they give birth to approximately 25 babies at a time? The babies spend the next 4 months in Mommy's pouch before Mommy shakes them all off and runs like heck. Really!:

We see this size gator on the golf course! They look quite slow, but can chase you at speeds up to 25 MPH!:
A muddy turtle mugging for the camera:
The Florida Panther is quite large! He wouldn't pose for a picture.:

date night

While Lil Petunia was enjoying her sleepover at a friend's, Hubby and I had a very rare date night!  We decided that we need to start doing this once a month.  Hubs made reservations at one of our old-time favorite places that we hadn't been to in a couple of years.  It is a little restaurant in a cottage in Stuart named "11 Maple Street".  The food here is scrumptious!

Here is the quaint entrance:

We had the most delicious warm salad topped with fried calamari and white beans.  Hubby tried a new entree--tenderloin of Elk.  It was extremely tender, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and has half the fat of beef!  I would highly recommend this if you ever come across it on a menu.

And of course---dessert!  Guess who dug in before I had a chance to snap a picture???

slumber party essentials

Lil Petunia is having a slumber party at a friend's house tonight.  I told her that I would pack her overnight bag while she was in school today and drop it off at her friend's house.  She woke me up this morning at 7am to ask where her bag was because she wanted to put something in it.  I told her to just put whatever it was that she wanted to take on her cheetah rug and that I would pack it with her clothes.  She usually wants to bring one of her American Girl dolls and maybe a stuffed animal.  Well, this afternoon when I made it up to her room I had quite a giggle at all that was nicely laid out for me to pack into her duffle bag along with the requisite clothing!  Slumber party essentials for a 7 year old!  I hope it all fits!!

1. 4 Barbies--2 girls and 2 boys (Hmmm.....)
   
2. "Just Between Friends" journal (for secret stuff I'm not allowed to read)
3. "Girls Rule" Build-a-Bear bunny with roller skates
4. pink slippers with rhinestones
5. pink espadrilles 
6. Nintendo DS
7. bathing suit
8. satin sleep mask (someone gave her this and yes, she will wear it to sleep--hee hee)
9. pink camisole (???)
10. 2 pairs of satin gloves (long white gloves & short pink gloves)
11. 2 terrycloth wristbands

good things

I am already in Christmas party-planning mode.  Hubby declared that we have to have our annual party on December 5th this year!  It is mainly for all of his office (plus a few of our personal friends), and I guess this was the only date everyone could agree on.  It also happens to be my birthday.  Bah-humbug!  hee hee!

Anyway, I am looking for decorations and thinking of a silvery theme.  I found these gorgeous mercury glass tea light holders today and bought several to scatter around the house.  I'll place some on the buffet table along with a scattering of white-gold paillettes (fine glitter) from Martha Stuart at Michael's.  I also have a collection of antiqued Mercury glass ornaments that I'll hang from the chandelier over the table.  I'm trying to decide which color tablecloth to use --  white or red??

BTW--the tea light holders are a nice 4" tall size and were only about $4 each at Target!

opinions welcome!

I was just wondering about something, and thought that some of you might be willing to share your honest opinions with me.

The question is this:  What do you think about "Blog Giveaways"?  Do you think they are a silly trend?  A random desperate attempt to gain virtual friendships?  How about just a sweet and genuinely generous idea that bloggers have to thank readers for their support?  Or maybe it is different in every situation.

It seems to be a trend of late, as I don't recall any giveaways back when I was strictly a blog reader-only.  Or maybe the blogs that I originally read just didn't do giveaways.  I have noticed that some of my original favorites have never had giveaways and that hasn't affected my interest in their blogs in any way.  Often I see a giveaway and don't enter.  I'll occasionally enter if it is a blog that I read every day and feel like the blogger is a friend.  

I do notice that when bloggers have giveaways, then people come out of the woodwork to enter.  The usual 3-7 comments turns into 100 comments in some cases and I think this is really funny!  I'd love to hear some different opinions on this subject.

The first time that I did "win" a blog giveaway a couple of months ago I became so excited to receive it!  It was so silly.  It's not like I couldn't have gone out and bought one myself--it was so much more fun to "be the winner"!  Well, I was sadly disappointed that after a couple of months the item never came in the mail.  :-(    I was really bummed out and kinda feeling negative about the whole thing.  I thought to myself why would someone do something like that??  Just to get readers?  I wondered.

But, then something wonderful happened!  A super-sweet bloggy friend of mine sent me my all-time favorite movie on DVD in the mail just because!  And then another awesome friend sent me a new book in the mail just because!  And then just last week I won a tie by my beloved Lilly Pulitzer from yet another fabulous bloggy friend!  My husband is wondering what it is we all are doing in here!  He can't believe it!

In any event I am still planning a blog giveaway for December and it will have all kinds of goodies in it.  {Sorry, no iPhone!}  Hahaha!  I want to do it as a thank you to all of the kind people out there who have made my day on several occasions with their sweet and supportive comments.  :-)

Tired from a long day at work, this is what I'm doing right now.  Yum.....dessert fresh from the oven, and yes, I like a little brownie with my powdered sugar!  Don't judge!  ;-)

Catching up on all of your blogs below!

giveaway

Jill over at Peeptoe Pumps and Pearls is doing a lovely giveaway--a strand of pearls that she picked up on her recent trip to China!!!  How fabulous is that?!

Isn't her blog just the cutest?  It was designed by Danielle.  I am thinking about doing a blog makeover, but can never decide what I want to do or how I want it to look!  

And by the way, I have just pre-ordered what will be the main item for my blog giveaway---but it is not being released until December!!!   Arrrgh!  I didn't want to wait that long, but really really love this and wanted to make it my giveaway!!  Can you guess what it is???