Top 5 Favorite Phrases

The top 5 phrases I love hearing/seeing the most are as follows (in this order):

1) Happy Hour Specials: Man, oh man, do I love a good happy hour. In fact, I've never met a happy hour I didn't like.

2) All you can eat: While the thought of the germs that run rampant on buffets is enough to send me running, the words all you can eat make my mouth water. I typically only partake in buffets at weddings...I guess I feel like I usually know these people, and their germs are "cleaner" than stranger's germs. Strange logic, I know, but it makes sense in my head.

3) Buy One, Get One Free: I love reading this! Even more so when it's used in conjunction with happy hour specials. Score!

4) Ladies get in free: I am a lady, so, why should I have to pay to get in somewhere? Women have to deal with all sorts of crazy things on a daily basis, so I think we should get into clubs for free. Let's face it, straight guys probably wouldn't go to bars/clubs if no girls were there. So, we should get in free-which is why I refuse to pay a cover charge.

5) 24/7: Even though I don't stay out as late as I used to, I love it when places are open all night. Sometimes you really need a taco, hash browns, and french fries at 4:00 AM people.

Product graveyard

Yesterday was a hectic day, so I am doing the usual Monday go green post today. I don't know about you, but sometimes it seems like I have a graveyard of unwanted hair products, skincare items, and makeup in my bathroom. These poor things just sit there awaiting their fate, knowing that I will never use them. Instead of letting these items collect dust, why not give them to your friends? That shade of lipstick that didn't look good on you might look fabulous on your friend. That hair product that made your curls give Medusa a run for her money could work wonders on someone else's tresses.

I give and get makeup, lotions, and hair/skin products all the time. There is no point in letting these products waste away in your bathroom cabinet. Put them to good use by giving them to a friend or coworker today. Believe me, you will need room for the next slew of must-have items you are destined to buy.

Happy Birthday Miss Georgia!

Happy Birthday Georgia!

I strive to be the person you think I am.

I love you.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day friends! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the beautiful planet with which we have been blessed. Instead of offering a list of go green tips, I just want to encourage you to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Let's strive to use less, reuse what we already have, and then recycle what we can't use again.

A few ideas are to only buy/cook the amount of food you think you will actually eat. If you make too much, you can always freeze it and eat it at another time. I don't know about you, but it pains me to have to throw away food because I let it go bad. My lovely friends in South Africa avoid doing this by "passing on" food they are not going to eat (not food that has already spoiled) to people who desperately need it. I watched them do this, and it warms my heart to this day. I wish we could practice this concept here.

Also, try to carpool when you can, take mass transit, or walk/ride a bike. I've made a pledge to buy a bike in the next 30 days, and I am really excited about it. Any tips for me? Let's pledge to reduce our carbon footprint by using our cars less.

I am super excited to see Disneynature's new film Oceans which hits theater today. I absolutely loved Earth; check out my review on this film at http://cestlaviebyelle.blogspot.com/2009/04/earth-movie-review.html. If you see Oceans this week, Disneynature will make a donation in your honor to help protect coral reefs. I'll do a review on the movie after I see it this weekend.

Okay, friends, enjoy Earth Day. Let's join together to stop destroying our magnificent planet and start taking care of it.

Earth Life

How will you be celebrating Earth Day tomorrow? I say we all make a conscious effort to celebrate Earth LIFE instead of just Earth Day. Let's make a pact with one another to take the most special care of our beautiful earth, so we all can enjoy it for years to come.

I will post some more green living tips tomorrow, but for now, check out last year's Earth Day blog: http://cestlaviebyelle.blogspot.com/2009/04/green-is-new-black.html.

Some beach, somewhere

Who's coming with me?

There's a new bottle in town

While we all know how much I love my SIGG and Vapur water bottles, there's a new bottle in town. Check out the latest and greatest in reusable water bottles-the bobble. The unique aspect about the bobble is that it has a filter in it. This is perfect for those of you who will only drink filtered water. The bobble is also recyclable, BPA free, and is made in the USA. According to its site, "Every bobble saves up to 300 single-use bottles from landfills." Spend $9.95 on the bobble and save up to $1,000/year on bottled water. This is a steal!

From now until Earth Day (this Thursday, April 22), if you join bobble's email list, they will give you a free bobble for every bobble you buy. That's a lot of bobbles if you ask me :)

For more information on this fantastic product, go to http://www.waterbobble.com/#/Bobble-Water-Products.

Happy Birthday Brother!

I would like to wish my OLDER brother a very Happy Birthday! He made his debut 31 years ago today and has been on the go ever since. I get to celebrate with him for the second year in a row which is quite special since he is in the military and has had to miss birthdays, holidays, and other big events over the years. Andrew, you are my brother, my friend, and my hero. I love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday. I can't wait to celebrate with you this weekend!

My space

I was looking around my condo the other day, and I thought to myself, "Wow, I am all over the place here!" Don't get me wrong, I love how I have decorated my home, but there is definitely a very wide variety of items in place. I've got everything from a giraffe mask from Kenya, a picture of a lovely scene in Paris, and a print of giant peacock feathers on my walls. What does this say about me? I'd like to think that it says I am adventurous, spontaneous, and eclectic. I love travel, exotic places, and beautiful things. Could it also mean that I can't quite put my finger on what exactly I like/want in life, and that I am indecisive and overly quirky?

I think my choice of paint even says something about me. The majority of my walls have been painted in "Favorite Tan," a neutral, khaki color. I chose to paint the bathroom and an accent wall in my bedroom in "Peacock Plume," a bright, vibrant bluish-green shade. I think that this color palette shows that I am classic with a fun and spirited kick. Even my stack of magazines is somewhat odd: Vogue, Rolling Stone, Southern Living, Elle, New York, In Style, and Fitness.

I encourage you to take a look around your home. What does your space say about you?

Butter Kisses headband

For those of you who know me well, you know that I absolutely LOVE headbands and hair clips that have been adorned with feathers, flowers, and all things fabulous. As the weather continues to warm up, I am in search of something new to add to my collection of hair accessories.

I stumbled across this amazing butterfly tiara headband by Butter Kisses on www.etsy.com the other day. I think it is beautiful, but I need your opinion. Is it too costume? Too little girly? I think I could pull it off, but I would welcome your feedback. I would pair it with a simple maxi dress and sandals for a modern, Renaissance look. What are your thoughts? Thanks loves!

To see more of Butter Kisses' shop, go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/ButterKisses.

Lion doesn't always eat dog

Check out this amazing video of a dog and lion who are roommates at a zoo in South Korea. One of my ongoing themes for this blog is how I think God uses nature to illustrate how we should all try our best to get along. We need to attempt to acknowledge but move on from the differences between us and just love each other. I realize this is quite idealistic in this "lion eats dog" world...but, I think it's incredibly phenomenal when two different species can coincide and live peacefully together.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/dog-and-lion-are-roommates/ufsawcyy

Tax return tip

Today's go green tip is quite simple-file your taxes electronically. I think most people do so anyways, but I wanted to remind you that it is better for the environment. Plus, you get your return SO much quicker. Go green today and get your green sooner!

Eye of the tiger

These male Amur Tiger cubs from Utah's Hogle Zoo
are just too cute. And, they are triplets!

Be cool

Today's go green tip is one I have used before, but I think it will serve as a good reminder for all of us. As the weather continues to warm up, opt for fans and open windows instead of automatically turning on your AC. This is much cheaper and better for the environment. Leave your blinds closed during the day, so you will not let additional light in which will raise the temperature in your house. I know this can get difficult and sometimes uncomfortable when it gets toasty inside, but I dare you to see how long you can go this year before turning on your AC. Good luck and stay cool!

Happy Easter

I hope you have a wonderful Easter filled with love, happiness, and time with loved ones. The beautiful weather today serves as a reminder of God's promises and faithfulness. He is risen!

"This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name

to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

(Luke 24:46)

This WILL make you smile!

If you're looking for another reason to smile on this beautiful Good Friday, check out this adorable video. A high school boy decided to ask a girl to prom by serenading her. If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will :) Enjoy!

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/singing-his-way-to-the-prom/20vjzlv4

Dress Code

I had a self-imposed dress code in high school. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I wore a dress or a skirt. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I wore pants or shorts. Fridays were Wild Card Day. Since I was on my high school's dance team, I had to wear my uniform to school every Friday during football and basketball season.

My friends were all aware of my dress code, and people would know what day it was by glancing at my outfit. I don't think I ever broke the code during all four years. Who does this? Why oh why at age *14* did I think this was a good idea? I actually really liked my dress code...it was almost a uniform of sorts. I think it was my extreme Type A personality that needed to control every aspect of my life including what I wore to school each day that made this dress code doable for me. The movie Clueless came out when I was in 8th grade, and I was completely obsessed with the amazing fashions in that movie. Cher and Di's clothes were to die for, and I wanted to dress just like they did. I attempted to do so during my freshman year of high school and loved every minute of it. I even got a white pager (yes, you read correctly-a PAGER) just like Dionne had. I think my parents took it away from me for various offenses more than I actually was able to use it. As if!

I broke away from my dress code when I graduated from high school. I guess I felt it was time to move on from it. But, whenever I think about my dress code, I look back and smile at my crazy ways and wonder what strange thing I will do next.