I just don't know what it is, but when Nate leaves the house at night Bailey-dog goes crazy on me. Everything she sees or hears positively terrifies her. Not to mention, she will stand at the foot of my bed and lower her head and grrroooowwwwllll really low while staring at my bedroom door.

Anyone else feel safe?

I guess Nate really is the Alpha in our house, and without him Bailey is lost without confidence. I do feel that she would protect me should the need arise, but mere moments ago I was sitting in the bathtub with her hazel puppy dog eyes watching my every move (you're jealous) and we both heard a noise (probably the TV in the other room) and rather than protecting me she looks like she just saw a ghost and needs to jump IN the bath tub with me for safety. (Okay, all of that happened except for her actually jumping in - I stopped that one this time).

This is my "I'm about to jump in" face. (She was moving so it's a little distorted)

I promptly sent a message to Nate informing him of these events, and he beamed - I could actually feel his pride come through my phone. Bailey is Nate's dog. Nate is Bailey's best friend. They are in love, and I swear Nate likes her better than me sometimes! Just kiddin' but seriously there is nothing like a man and his dog!

This is her completely wiped out after a long day of playing with her 7 cousins down on the farm. She was lethargic for about 30 hours.

Luckily, Nate will be home shortly and life as we know it can go back to normal!

Hello, July!

Umm is time flying, or what? Luckily, I'm not a student anymore, but I feel like I would be majorly depressed if I knew school would be starting in about a month again. It's like every day the clock ticks a little faster and before you know it bam! a whole week (or month) is gone.

I don't have a whole lot to update on - the Fourth was great, though! We spent the day out at Nate's cousin's at Lake Wylie! It was super nice, and a good time was had by all!

I am, however, in desperate need of a vacation. Sure London was about 2 months ago, but that friends, was not a vacation. I walked about 10 miles a day and couldn't even move when we got back to the room at the end of the day. London was work. I need a sit-on-my-butt-and-read-on-the-beach vacation. Not to mention, I am seriously disappointed in my tan this year. I'm usually a pretty bronzed babe, but not so much right now!

We are hoping to do a mini-cation the last weekend in July with some friends at Garden City. Fingers crossed! If not, I'm going to have to wait all the way until Labor Day to get my seaside fix. It depresses me that I can't quickly think of the last time I was at the beach. Here's hoping!

I <3 Awards.

So Ashley and Amber both gave me this award :) Thanks, guys!

With this award you're supposed to list 7 things that make you Awe-Summm and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers you love. Make sure to tag your recipients and let them know they have won! Also link back to the Queen that tagged you.

The 7 things that make me Awe-Summm are:

1. I put my family first.
2. I have an awesome chocolate dog.
3. I decorate some pretty sweet cakes.
4. I’ve lived in a different country.
5. I like to fish/camp/hike with Nate.
6. I watch cartoons on a daily basis.
7. I love me some Jesus.

Don't Give Me That Look.

Hollywood is full of beautiful women of all ages, skin and hair colors, and occasionally they all gather at awards shows to show off their latest look/fashion/hair style. While I love to see these beautiful men and women, I'm over THIS LOOK "the pout" that so many celebrities put on.

Vanessa Hudgens pout.

Paris Hilton pout.


The Masters of Pout. The Olsen Twins.

I realize this sexy pose is occasionally necessary for a photo shoot, stop and pose, etc. but I'm talking about girls that make that pout all. the. time. It's like Vanessa Hudgens has just forgotten how to smile. "Think sexy. Think sexy." Ugh! What happened to a good ol' Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts SMILE.

Which brings me to my next reluctant point. The pout should never occur in a movie that you are playing unless it's part of your role. Y'all know I love me some Megan Fox. The girl is the definition of sex appeal. However, I went with my family to see Transformers last night and I was somewhat disappointed in her. They played up her looks to the absolute MAX (which is fine - I mean I know movies need sex appeal) but it was extremely frustrating to see her have a sexy pout face while running from the Deceptagons. How does a woman running for miles from a metal monster make sexy eyes while looking terrified.

One could argue that she's beautiful enough that it just happens, but it was SO overdone that it was a little unbelievable. It's like the director said, "Hey, Megan - look sexy first, then try to act if you can." I just had to laugh a couple of times. Still a great movie, though.

Still love her, she's still my number one in beautiful women, but she's going to have to do better than that to gain my support as an actress.

Bless.

Apologies.

In an effort to once again regain peace in the Edwards' household - I just would like to say that my last post about Nate was not ENTIRELY about him. It was an observation that I have made not only in my current relationship, but in past and viewing other relationships as well. I think I hurt his feelings.

Nate is nearly perfect, and I'm far from it, so I have to get a jab in every once in a while when the opportunity presents itself! If I indicated that Nate stares at random women - that's not the case. I merely wanted to point out the difference between a crush on a celebrity and a crush on an attainable female. Okay, that is all.

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

Not the Same.

A few months ago after the Quail Hollow Championship, I made the comment to my sister (in front of Nate) that there were some fine speci-mine playing in the golf tournament...including Tiger who is built like a freaking machine.

Nate, out of haste and a little jealously, quipped back, "well there are a lot of fine speci-mine watching the golf tournament, too."

I was so mad I couldn't see straight in all of about .04 seconds. I stormed to the bedroom (hey, I can be dramatic sometimes! besides, it was late) to pout and prove my point. Nate reluctantly came to bed, much later I might add, to apologize/figure-out-what-the-hell-I-was-mad-at-him-for.

Guys, it's not the same thing. It's just not. Stay with me for a minute - I turned it around on him (like is the womanly thing to do, right?) and said, "Okay, we go to the Carrie Underwood concert...she's hot. I know she's hot. And you look at me and say, Wow - she's really hot." Point taken, point understood, point agreed.

But you look at me with those same glassy eyes and Bud Light all over your shirt and say, "whoa that blonde over there next to us with that mini-skirt and cowboy boots...wow- she's really hot" ... you're gonna get your butt left dazed and confused RIGHT fast.

Now he's starting to see my point.

Me saying Johnny Depp is my future ex-husband is SO not the same thing as staring down some cut lifeguard at the beach. Not. the. same.

I argue the difference is: attainability. Tiger Woods - not gonna happen. Carrie Underwood - never in a million years. Johnny Depp - only in my dreams.

Drunk Girl at the Concert - easy win with the right words and a little more alcohol. That Handsome Lifeguard - mine if you give me time and maybe a little alcohol. Attainability.

According to him, the fact that he WOULDN'T go after a lady-of-the-loose-sort wearing stripper shoes and a short skirt at a golf tournament was supposedly enough for me not to be jealous of him saying it. Yeah...I still don't think he shoulda said it! (I probably should not have said MY comment in front of him either...but that is so not the point!)

Am I a totally crazy, selfish, jealous weirdo? Or what?!

*Sorry to call you out, babe! I'm quiet sure I've done the same thing to you - just makin' conversation - it's that writer's block, you know. :)

P.U.M.P.E.D.

I just got a fantastic break in my cake business! I have been asked to do my first wedding cake!!! And while the lovely bride can back out on me with no hard feelings if she so desires, I am deeply honored that she would even ask. Pumped, I tell ya.

Since I found this hidden talent of mine, I have become more and more interested in pursuing it as an actual career and working for myself from home - especially after we have kids. I don't plan to leave my job anytime soon (for those of you who work with me - don't freak out) but I'm just saying that is a long-term goal of mine. Wedding cakes are a sure-fire way to successfully make enough money to help with bills. So we'll see how that goes in the future.

I was also asked to do a high school reunion cake which is fabulous, because that's getting my cakes exposed to 100s of people - how awesome is that! I just had to take a moment and thank the good Lord. Maybe I was meant to have a house that always smells like cake and icing? Fine with me!

In other news, we have a new fence! While I really, really like it and think we are going to enjoy it endlessly this summer - Bailey LOVES IT! No more leash in the backyard - just run, run, run chocolate dog! I already feel safer and like people can't see me anymore. It's glorious. Thanks, Daddy! (He put it up.)

Time Flies.

This past weekend I went to my baby brother's graduation. Let me run this by you again...This past weekend I went to my baby brother's graduation.

What the frick, man! My baby is now a 6 ft., 18 year old, grown man. Ugh. I remember when he was born. While all of that is a little hard to cope with, especially with the emotional basketcase that I am, I couldn't be prouder. He did well in school, and graduated with an emphasis in performance arts from Central Academy. He's now off to fry bigger and better fish at UNC Greensboro (I'm not ready to talk about the distance, yet). I know he's going to do great in their drama program as well as whatever degree he chooses. Here's a pic of me, my sister Melissa (who is also the jam) and the graduate.

Way to go, Little Jake!

Back to London..

Because I am suffering from the most serious bout of writer's block I have ever had... I am going to continue sharing stories from our time in London. This is day 3.

Friday, May 22, 2009

We woke up around our usual 10:00 a.m. (hey! we're on vacation, too - and walking about 10 miles a day will wear on you!) and trekked through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace. The parks in the city will blow your mind. If you get in the middle of them, you almost can't hear the cars and feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. It's a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The Palace was huge (as ever) and crowded, with it's high black iron gates and gold leaf detail. The queen was in, noted by the British flag flying high atop the center of the Palace. Of course, tourist of all tongues were taunting the red-coated, big black hat-ed British guards that are ever-present in front on the Queen's London "getaway." Sorry, guys - they really don't move. In fact, I think it's a requirement to learn not to breathe these guys are so still. I've always wanted to go up to one and whisper sweet nothings...hahahah okay I crack myself up. Kidding, obviously, but I would like to go tell them a joke.



You are no longer allowed to tour the inside, which I was pretty bummed about because I enjoyed that part of my visit here before. We opted out of the only place you could tour, "a two-room walk with furniture and some jewelry" - ehh, no thank you.

p.s. If you saw on the news how Buckingham Palace had been "broken in to" by a news reporter who was paid £500 to prove how unsafe it was - we were there that day. Yeah - and I can totally see how it could happen too on the western gate. Anywho.

After a quick bite at a hole-in-the-wall diner (still miss ice by the way) we headed to St. Paul's Cathedral. For all you Mary Poppins fans, this is the cathedral the bird lady sits on the front steps calling for you to "feed the birds" as Jane and Michael pass by to the bank with their father. Yeahhh.

Holy, really big insanely beautiful church, batman! If I thought Westminster was grand, this was grand - times 10. I think I liked it better because it was well-lit, and I'm not one for dark dreary places such as the Abbey. We climbed over 150 stairs to the Whispering Gallery and I almost died.


In the Whispering Gallery, it is said that you can whisper (really?) into the wall (who does that?) and that the person directly opposite you, nearly 30 m away, can hear you. Naturally, we tried it - but there were so many people whisperyelling "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW" in 15 languages that our attempts were unsuccessful. Oh well - I can totally see how it would have worked if it were just me and a bishop or something.

More stairs later, and we're at the highest point you can go at this point and time. The views were awesome. London, though a city with it's own heartbeat, isn't that pretty from above. Lots of cranes and more or less dirty looking. It's ground level that's breathtaking. Although this shot isn't so bad:

Let's go down some stairs! My legs were shaking so hard and so involuntarily that we had to sit for a WHILE before home girl was ready to keep going. St. Paul's is the jam.


We strolled across the Millennium Bridge, and caught a glimpse of Shakespeare's Globe, made to look exactly as it would have in his day. Awesome.

Earlier that morning Nate had worked it out with our concierge desk for us to get tickets to the sold-out play Wicked. Apparently, they have some bookie that stands on the corner and can get the last available (but some how premium) tickets. Wicked is sold out on the Internet through like May 3002, but they save tickets for hotels and people just like us (too lazy to plan in advance.) Wicked is freaking fantastic. The set, music, actors/actresses were top of the line. I couldn't have asked for a better night.

A few vodka and cranberry's at the Hard Rock Cafe London (which was conveniently located about a block from our hotel's front door) and it was off to dreamland again. Only one more day in the city, and I miss my Mama and my dog!

Lookin' for a good book?

Before my thousands-of-miles trip to London, I decided it was time to purchase a new book. I've lost interest in Marley & Me and Wicked which I've picked up off and on for a while now and I don't really like to re-read things. I had no idea what to get - Harry Potter and Twilight are done and nothing else seems to be interesting enough. I had heard that "Bitter is the New Black" was really funny, so I got that for my sister and bought the second memoir from Jen Lancaster, "Bright Lights, Big Ass" for myself and it. is. hilarious.

The book is (as noted above) a memoir about this ex-sorority, wealthy girl from the dot-com era, as she calls it, who suffers a lay-off and goes from wearing Prada and Gucci to being forced to sell it all so she can pay rent and eat. While that situation is not funny at all - she makes it out to be. I have never "laughed out loud" at a book before and I feel quite dumb when I do it, but it's just that funny.

I know most of my blog readers are always looking for a good find and recommending new books to me so I thought I'd share! It's not my typical read, but I love it and recommend it to you! I'll definitely be forcing Melissa to trade with me once she's done with Bitter.