Special Day

Today is a very SPECIAL DAY!

My co-blogger was born on this day a mere 20 something years ago :)

And I became an aunt on this day 3 years ago.
My beautiful nephew, Joshua, turns 3 today!

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to 2 special people!

Deo of choice?

Is it weird that I like men's deodorant better than women’s? You see I think that if I want to smell sweet, floral or fruity even...well I put on perfume-right? The purpose of deodorant is to stay so fresh and so clean- right? So I want my deo to smell just that...fresh n clean. And it seems that the deodorant groups only make men’s deodrant in these scents. For us women we have all the fruity and flowery smells to pick from. Apple, Peach, Lavender, I even saw Chai recently.... honestly do I want my underarms to smell like hot tea? Need another reason to be a fan of men’s deodorant, I am certain it is stronger. And for a girl that can break a sweat, this is important. I mean ya'll know... ya'll have seen me dance. It can get ugly.

So enlightening message for today, "We should all wear Men's Deo."

Until next Time... Blog On!

Who is excited?

Football Season (college of course) officially begins in 1 month. I am SUPER excited. What makes me even more excited is that our (USC-Gamecocks, of course) home schedule is out of this world good; Georgia, LSU, Tenn, Arkansas...can you get any sweeter?!?! The Volvo will be put to good use, I mean that is why I got it, right? The perfect tailgating car?...Oh yeah and it is super safe!

For the full schedule and details go to: http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/scar-m-footbl-sched.html

USC----Gooooooooo Cocks!

Until Next Time....Blog On!

Joke of the Day

Blonde walks up to a Coke machine and puts in a coin. Out pops a Coke. The blonde looks amazed and runs away to get some more coins. She returns and starts feeding the machine madly and of course the machine keeps feeding out drinks. Another person walks up behind the blonde and watches her antics for a few minutes before stopping her and asking if someone else could have a go. The blonde spins around and shouts: "Can't you see I'm winning?"

Love it! Also, don't forget to participate in the NEW poll (on the right). What's your favorite Coke product?

Until next time...Blog On!

30 and Babies....

This past weekend was a slam packed indeed!!!! Friday, leaving Charlotte after a week of Qtr 4 Pricing...I headed to Greenville for my cousin's 30th Birthday celebration. Now my family is a crazy, loud and fun bunch..... give us a reason to celebate and that we will do. Done and Done. The whole family was there; aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends. It was such a great time!

! Me and the Birthday Girl!

Then on Sunday I headed to one of my favorite places on God's Green Earth....yes you probably guessed it, Charleston!

A great friend of mine from College who lives in Lousianna was down in Charleston visiting family and I wanted to make sure I got down to see her before she left. Also, her beautiful little girl Eden, who is almost 1, was with her and we had never met. So, I spent Sunday at the beach meeting this precious little girl and seeing my friend becoming the best mom ever.

Beautiful Eden!

Before I left ole Chucktown, I stopped by to see another friend of mine who just had her little girl, Lola, on June 1st. It as great to see my friends quickly becoming natural parents!

What an interesting weekend.... 30th Birthday Party Celebrations and Hanging out with my friend's babies.... Does this mean I am getting OLD????

Nah, I didn't think so! :)

Until Next Time....Blog On!

Singleness

Sometimes I almost scare myself with how content I am with being single. I truly LOVE it. I have gotten so use to it that I have forgotten what it feels like to be "connected" with someone. Which is kinda strange considering I was attached to someone for so long. I have become so content and happy just being me that I worry that I might not realize when someone comes into my life that is worth being "connected" to someone else again. But then I heard my favorite love song the other day running and I thought to myself......when I feel like that, then I will know and be ok with giving up my much treasured singleness.

Some of the lyrics from "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk (note that I know the artist and title!)

Somethin' in your eyes, makes me wanna lose myself, in your arms. There's somethin' in your voice, makes my heart beat fast. Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life....... It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong and If you knew how long I've waited for your touch and if you knew how happy you are making me. I never thought that I'd love anyone so much. It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me. It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from. I'm all the way back where I belong.




Until next time.....Blog On!

Flipping Out!

If you haven't tuned into this new hit on Bravo, you must! Somehow watching a train wreck is so entertaining. The main guy is a real-estate investor who flips houses in the L.A. area. The best part about the show to me is his analness (if this is a word). Coming from a person who is pretty anal herself, this guy makes me feel like Bob Marley-maybe- ok I can't think of a good example of a relaxed person. You get my point.

So a few examples of Jeff's analness. He has his groceries bought in certain quantities for the aesthetics of the Frig. His Starbucks coffee is ordered to a specific temperature and yes he knows whether it is 140 or 150 degrees (I didn't even know you could do that....go Starbucks). And there are many, many more examples. So tune in for a good laugh. You may hate it at first, watching a grown man act as a child most of the time, but after the 2nd or 3rd episode you will be hooked!

Until next time....Blog On!

So, I'm not in College anymore....

I should have reminded myself of this before spending a recent weekend in Edisto with 12 of my girlfriends from the good ole days at CofC. Husbands, children and all other responsibilities were left behind. I guess there is a reason why College only lasts for 4 years. Much longer and it wouldn't be good.... I'm not sure we would survive.

(Fun pics will be posted soon!)

All in All, After this crazy weekend I realized...
What a blessing to have such great friends to share life with!

Unitl Next Time.....Blog On!

Kindness

The other week at church, the pastor spoke on Kindness, and it was so awesome I thought I would share. They are doing a whole Summer of Love Series based around 1 Corinthians 13:4 (One of my favs). "Love is patient, Love is kind....." The pastor began by asking some simple questions.

A Kind Person is __________.
Who do you regard as a kind person?
Who has been kind to you recently?
How did it make you feel?
What did it make you want to do?

Ok all so simple, yes. But the answers to these really got me thinking.

To me a kind person is thoughtful, giving, compassionate, and on and on.

But the more interesting part was when I tried to think of a recent act of kindness, it didn't come to me right away. Not because I don't have kind people in my life, but b/c I think we often get too busy to show random acts of kindness. Also, we don't stop to appreciate and acknowledge the kindness of others that we do receive.

And yes it is true when someone is kind, it makes us want to be kind to them and even others.
So how much greater would the world be if we purposely showered one another with kindness?

The complete sermon was great. If you want to check it out you can order it on tape at http://www.brookwood.org/ Also this is a great church if you are ever in the Greenville area!

Until next time...Blog On! And be KIND :)

Good quote

"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down"

Until next time...Blog On!

Travel....

I am in some major need of a VACA!!!! It has been almost 9 months since my last trip. I mean you would think I was having a child or something. Now not to sound snobby... I know 9 months is not too terribly long, but for a girl who has done some pretty frequent trips to some pretty cool places over the past few years....this is WAY too long. I work hard to play hard!

So where to go next? This is one of the reasons I haven't gone anywhere recently. The other being my life has been a little crazy these past few months (moving to a new city, in a new job, always on the go, etc. etc.)

So where to go? This needs to be an Interactive Blog Post....So I am going to need you to actually leave comments!!!!!

1.) What has been your most favorite vacation?

• Mine- Wow? Probably the San Fran/Hawaii trip.... not necessarily b/c of the spot but b/c I took this at a time when I really needed to get away....and I took this with the perfect group of people, some of my best friends! I can not begin to tell you all the stories from this 10 day vaca. It didn't hurt that the people in HA thought we were like supermodels.

Hawaii= Best place for a boost in your self-esteem

2.) Best foreign city?

• Mine- Perth, Australia. I could see myself easily living there. Maybe I will again one day. Some of my most favorite times thus far in my life are in that country!
• Perth, Australia= Home away from Home

3.) What is the best City you have visited in the good ole USA?

• Mine- This one is easy Lake Tahoe!!!! Maybe the most beautiful place I have been...def. Top 3! I went during the summer and would love to visit during all 4 seasons. This will be a place I go back to time and time again at different times during my life.
• Lake Tahoe= Best repeat Vacation
  

4.) Most adventurous Vacation Spot?

• Mine- New Zealand. Everyone must try to visit here at least once in their life. This country is complete with a Glacier, whitewater rafting, some of the best skiing (water and snow), beaches, hiking galore, the 1st bungee jumping, and anything else you could imagine.
• New Zealand= More adventure than one can handle!

5.) Favorite Country you have visited?

• Mine- Croatia....one word BEAUTIFUL! Unlike any other country I've ever been. Yes, it has the traditional European feel, but it is so much more. Really Something.
• Croatia= Hidden Jewel of the Earth

6.) Craziest Vacation Spot?

• Las Vegas- I have been twice and both times were crazy for very different reasons but my 1st visit with my two of my BFs was just too awesome for words. Close 2nd...Nashville, cool town!
• Las Vegas= Lives up to its Reputation
  
  So where to go next? Give me your suggestions. And if anyone wants to tag along, let me know!
  
  Until next time....Blog On!
  

Ericaisms

Ok this whole trying to be helpful and enlightening thing is harder than it seemed at first thought. I do random so much better. So this post has to count as educational...although it is a stretch, I know, but for those of you that are around me on a regular basis it may help you to interpret my sometimes confusing langauage of Ericaisms.

Ericaism----- vs.-----Normalism

"We've got to get our eggs in a row" aka "Get your ducks in a row"... pretty close?

"Don't let the hat out of the bag" aka "Don't let the cat out of the bag"... I think?

"He is smiggen".... or he may be "Smitten" sound pretty much the same-right? :)

"That was the straw that broke the camels boat"...this one is just funny... Everyone should take this one up!

There are many, many more. Sadly I just don't know them all as I don't realize when I say these "unique" phrases and my wonderful friends rarely point them out. It is much more fun for them to enjoy a laugh on my behalf. I love you guys- really!!!!

Until next time...Blog On!

The Elevator

Every morning I park my car, take an elevator down to the lobby of our building, then take another elevator up 12 floors to my office. I work at a large law firm so I inevitably ride up with someone I know. During my weekly rides I have come to realize that Emily Post may need to write an article or book on elevator etiquette (Ms. Post, if you already have- please forgive my ignorance, and could I have a copy?).

Where do you look? We have those tv screens showing the weather, but the tv is on the left side of the elevator, so if you are on the right side, you are out of luck. Do I look straight ahead, share an akward smile, should I look at my feet?

How to you respond to other folks' conversations? Example- I have on more than one occassion found myself laughing or giggling at a joke or story between other people sharing my daily ride. Should I pretend not to hear their office gossip? Should I apologize when a chuckle slips out?

If you are having a conversation how to you politely and quickly end it when you reach your floor?Ex. John Doe asks me my plans for the weekend when we stop on floor eleven and I don't have time to answer before having to get off at my floor (12)? Should I make everyone else wait while I finish telling him? Do I just smile and hop off, telling him to have a good day? STRESS! I would appreciate any suggestions.

Until next time...Blog On!

TIME

Two interesting quotes on TIME:

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst"

So true-huh? Funny how we always complain about not having enough time, when we don't make the best use of the time we have. If there were 28, 32 or 40 hours in a day even...it still would not be enough. Moral of the story...make the most of your time!

"Time heals everything, but can everything heal in time?"

Good question? And honestly I don't know the answer to the question. Are there some wounds that are just too deep that they never truly heal? Or are the only things that don't heal the things we ignore and don't spend the time on? Would love your comments. Enlighten me!

Until next TIME....blog on!

Happy 4th of July

America...is Am Erica...ever thought about that? Just a random thought as we celebrate our independence day! Hope you have a wonderful day and LONG weekend!!!!!

Until next time...Blog On!

Skype

SKYPE... You heard of it? Well if you haven't you are missing out. Now I am not the most techy person, but this new thing is pretty simple and easy to use. And the best part is it is FREE!

Skype is a software/service thing of sorts that you download on your computer. You use it to see and talk to others through your PC or MAC. It works from anywhere..crazy huh?

I use it mainly to keep in touch with my brother and his family in Asia. It is so cool to be able to see my nephews expressions and for them to not only hear me (like on a phone) but see me as well. And the best part..it is FREE? I can't get over it, so cool.

So whether you have family or friends overseas or just in another city, use this new tool to stay in touch in a really cool way. I mean it may just be better than a blog even! http://www.skype.com/

Hope this post was useful, Until next time...Blog-On!

Hmmmm...

While I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for my co-blogger, I must disagree with her previous post. My blogs will continue to address shallow, silly, and frivolous topics.

Topic 1: Brangelina's Baby Names

Any guesses on Angelina's baby names? Or the sex of the babys? I personally am hoping for one of each, although the rumors are that she is having two little girls! I personally think we are due for some meaningful names---perhaps Esperanza and Dulce or Asilia and Constance? Just and Loyal for boys? Any other ideas? We'll know soon!!!!

Topic 2:

So excited that Mary-Kate Olsen called Spencer Pratt out on the Hills.

Topic 3:

What's going on with Madonna and Guy! I am rooting for them!

Just for the record, I do have opinions on politics, religion, and the environment. And, I am happy to share, but for now I will leave the "deep" stuff to my esteemed colleague.

Until Next....Time Blog on!

Blogging

OK, I have realized that I blog more for myself than for anyone. It is somehow therapeutic. But to be fair maybe I should blog some for the readers...if there are any? So I going to try to maybe add a few educational write ups, handy did you knows, how to blank, and maybe some other functional/useful posts. I mean I know you love reading our 2 cents on Brittany, New Kid on the Block, Coffee, Sex and the City movie reviews, Full House and all the other enlightening posts to date...but it is always good to "take it up a notch", don't ya think?

Until Next Time...Blog on- A&E