Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Almost Turkey Time

While most of you are gearing up for a long holiday weekend, I'm in the middle of the busiest week of my year! This past weekend, I got to experience my first snow as a homeowner -- I really love this picture of my little house covered in white!


This week has already been amazing though. Mommacita arrived Monday night, and we immediately hunkered down on the couch to watch TV. She introduced me to "Hostages" and "The Blacklist" -- seriously awesome shows. I am officially hooked.


The recipes are out on the counter and the grocery list is done. The best food of the year will be cooking in my kitchen in less than 24 hours!!


Momma and I also went to see "Catching Fire" last night. I am a big fan of The Hunger Games, but you guys, this sequel was even better! I'm even ready to go back to the theater and see it again. Jennifer Lawrence is flawless.

  

Seriously, some of my favorite pictures with Momma are the outtakes. The time we spend together is almost always full of laughs! I wouldn't want it any other way.

It might be a little silent over here for the rest of the week... I hope you and your loved ones have a great holiday!

I'll see you on the other side of the food coma.
xoxo,
E

Monday, November 25, 2013

Dogs aren't like kids...

So, we know I'm a skilled babysitter - slight joke, slight "duh!" - well, this weekend I tried my hand at dogsitting.

Usually, when I babysit, I only need to ask a couple of questions:
Do they have any food allergies?
What time do they need to go to bed?
What's the bedtime routine?

Luckily, Bobbie is a detail person and sent about 4 screenshots worth of info prepping me for my 12-hour dogsitting stint. I'm so glad I didn't have to ask a gagillion questions - after all, who asks more questions about caring for dogs than they do about caring for a small human?!


I wanted to send Matt and Bobbie photo proof that everyone was warm, happy and well-fed. Does anyone know how hard it is to get three labradors in one photo? Much less three labradors, plus myself?!




So, it's not pretty, but all four of us made it in that last pic. I had an elaborate plan to send Bobbie a bunch of pictures involving crazy shenanigans happening in her house. I've decided that on the next iPhone update, I'd like there to be a timer feature. Selfies just don't have the same impact.

I did send BE my best impression of Cam though... by the looks of it, I'm a smidge taller than the little miss.

  

So I realized that caring for dogs has one distinct advantage over a kiddo... I got to take a long whirlpool bath without worrying about the safety of the pups. They decided to relax and take a little nap!

We were going upstairs to find a movie, and I swear I could hear Abbey and Charlie begging me to hurry up and figure out how to work the baby gate faster.


I had every intent of being wildly productive on Saturday night, however the pups and I decided that watching the Hunger Games was much more desirable. Well, they fell asleep early, but I enjoyed a chill movie night.


My eyes were pretty heavy by the end of the movie... You guys, the pillows in the Earles' guest room were to die for. 

2:00 a.m.
I woke up to a guest in my bed.
Oh, hey Charlie.

4:00 a.m.
I woke up to find my legs squished between two warm bodies. Looks like Abbey decided to join the party as well.
Oh, hey guys... okay, sure... let's snuggle real close... here in this bed meant for one... comfortably, at least....

6:30 a.m.
Rustle, rustle, whine, whine
I stumbled out of bed to let the pups out and feed them breakfast.

I had a blast with these three faces on Saturday night - I might just have a knack for this dogsitting thing too!


Mommacita and Papas will be visiting this week - plus it's Thanksgiving - plus we have three big events this weekend! I'm crazy excited!

xoxo,
E

Friday, November 22, 2013

5 (Glorious) Things Friday

1. I got to attend Shop Hop as just Elizabeth this month, not "Elizabeth the event coordinator." It was super fun! I still put on that hat a couple of times... like when I pulled extra event maps out of my purse for a shop keeper, while shopping in her store. Large handbag for the win!

There is a new men's shop on Automobile Alley, and it's beyond amazing. All you have to do is talk to Lukus for a few moments and the passion that he has for serving his target market is apparent. To hear him talk about selecting the best products, emailing the designers directly, as well as getting to touch, see and experience the quality and craftsmanship of the products, well, it's a pretty special thing. I am hardcore campaigning for this "pop-up" shop to become a permanent staple in downtown Oklahoma City.


Erik and I met up for a quick bite at Red PrimeSteak before doing a little shopping. Even though we don't get to see each other very often, when we do get together, it's a blast! I'm not sure he's ever walked into a Happy Hour date without a "just because" gift in hand. Last night's was particularly special - handmade card, Jonathan Adler task clips & "E" gifts. Does the boy know me or does he know me? #MonogramObsessed



Yes, that's a googly-eye as the "i" dot in his name. I couldn't stop giggling. The large "E" is actually a book, so cool!


2. Of course, I got home from Shop Hop last night and my second-wind hit me. I got a lot done around the house.
  • All the clothes that had (once again) piled up on my guest bed are now put away
  • I finally put felt (that I bought WEEKS ago) on the feet of my dining room chairs
  • I organized the "work table" in my laundry room, that has quickly become the "catch all table"
  • I organized all of the papers that had collected on my desk and kitchen counter
  • I also rearranged the lovelies on my refrigerator. I bet you can't tell that I love photo booth photos... I have a few more at the office that I need to add to my mini-collection.

3. Downtown in December is officially here - and have you ever seen cuter event signage? I'm obsessed.


4. My aunt is doing something new for the family Thanksgiving this year. She's doing a thanks-giving tree, and we each got 3 leaves with the directive to write what we're thankful for on the back. Even though I won't be in N.C. for Thanksgiving, for the first time ever, I still got to participate. I hope my leaves arrive in time - work with me USPS!


5. I saw this ditty while scrolling through Instagram the other night. As we prepare for a month of various "pop-up shops" in downtown, full of wonderfully creative people doing fabulously creative things, this caught my eye.


If you ask me, this applies to life, love, art, experiences, opportunities -- all of it!

Have a great weekend! 
xoxo, 
E


Thursday, November 21, 2013

10 Foot Walls - 4 Inch Heels

It's 1:10 a.m. and I'm just now sitting down to blog.

We had our Downtown in December kickoff party tonight/last night, and it was an absolute blast. 


  

Todd brought the SNL booth to the event. He always does such an amazing job capturing candid moments -- and our crazy, cooky personalities! Here's just a little teaser of the awesomeness from the evening. I can't wait to see the rest!

  

After we cleaned up the event, I was on my way home, and I spotted our Christmas light guys out working in Auto Alley. I stopped - for what I thought would be a quick hello - and ended up helping them with some of the work for the evening... work that involved me being boosted and hoisted over 10 foot brick walls, while wearing 4-inch heels. (Forgive me for the poor photo quality)

  


It was incredibly eye-opening to see just how hard their job is. It makes me appreciate these gorgeous Christmas lights all the more! 




After I climbed over 2 brick walls, the guys offered me coveralls, a hoodie and sneakers. I was definitely more comfortable - and a bigger help - at this point. At about 11:30 p.m., exhaustion set in for both Travis and myself. I sat down to enjoy the lights while the guys handled the last timer install, and then Travis took a quick rest on the roof. It was pretty awesome - and scary - being so high above Auto Alley!

  

This week has been absolutely nuts but I'm loving it!! Shop Hop is tonight on Auto Alley. Let's just say I'll definitely look at the holiday lights differently from now on.

xoxo, 
E

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

I'm a blue... through and through

Last night, as I sat in my Board Serve class, I found myself getting energized by the evening's topic. I'd been looking forward to this week's class ever since I was accepted to the program and saw the session schedule.

Crisis Communications... which also happened to be my favorite topic from my college PR class days.

We had two guest speakers, and I felt like college Elizabeth all over again... nodding along as they talked, raising my hand to engage in the conversation, volunteering to be the spokesperson for my group -- I was in my element!

I forgot how much I loved developing communication strategies and thinking through the possible scenarios.

Side note: I won an award for best opening statement during a mock press conference in college dealing with crisis management. What what!

I'll also never forget the time, during that same press conference, when I called on the professor that everyone knew would give you a run for your money, so she could ask her question. She may or may not have been snubbed by a teammate in the previous round, and I was trying to get back in her good graces.

True story.

Anyway, I digress.

One of our speakers owns her own PR firm and the other is the Regional CEO at the Red Cross. Both of their presentations were wonderfully put together and engaging... not surprising for two professional communicators!

The focus of the Board Serve Program is to prepare individuals to be exceptional board members and serve area non-profit organizations. Well, as a bleeding heart and a indisputable "blue" personality, it's right up my alley.

Growing up, I raised money for our local Children's Miracle Network by selling Derby Pies. If you aren't familiar, leave a comment and I'll make you one! In college, I had big dreams of working for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. And last week, well, Batkid had me crying at my desk.

If you aren't familiar with Batkid, just google it. I dare you not to get chills. Way to go Make a Wish Foundation!

I am crazy passionate about children's health. I'm not sure why, other than I just feel like it's my calling to be involved and make a difference. Maybe that's why this video has me sobbing, smiling and laughing all at once! I know I've shared it before, but it's just the best!

Tonight in class, we discussed how important it is to find a board that gets you pumped up and to find something you're passionate about! I really hope I have the opportunity to get placed on a board, at the completion of the program, that involves children. My heart feels like it's breaking when I think about it, but I know that my blue-ness makes me pretty perfect for this role!

I just realized, maybe you don't know what I mean when I say I'm "blue"... Have you ever taken the color personality test? Well, every time I've ever taken it, I get the same results. Blue. Blue. Blue, baby blue.

I even took the test again last night to get a description of what it means to be blue... and also to see if I still got the same results. Shocker... I did!


On some days, I would definitely be okay with being a little less "blue." My heart hurts when I see older people eating alone in a restaurant -- like you guys, sometimes I actually get teary. It's embarrassing.

But most days, I'm thankful for my forgiving, compassionate and fiercly loyal personality.

What color is your personality? What are you passionate about? What fuels you? If you're like me, sometimes it's nice to be reminded - on accident - the answers to those questions!

xoxo,
E

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Dear iPhone photos, you saved the day

I am running, running, running. So, it seemed fitting to do a "life according to my iPhone photo album" post.

I literally squealed when this package arrived at work. I'm a sucker for great details - and Stephanie definitely topped the charts with her packaging! Can't wait to get this "Hey y'all!" beauty up on my wall. Just a little taste of home!


I sent 4 more #LetteredLetters out in the mail. I'm seriously loving this project -- and I'm especially loving people's reactions to the letters!

  

It made my day to see Lacey posted about her letter on Instagram! I love this girl mucho mucho.


There was lots of Spy love over the last week. First up was the VDub 3rd anniversary party. It was so much fun to celebrate the hard work of so many of OKC's movers and shakers! Plus, there was awesome music to be heard... I also had some fun recording a couple spots in the Spy studios.

  

Gotta love some holiday picture fun between friends. Santa, Mrs. Claus & Rudolph - the gang's all here!


These booties showed up in my Instagram feed TWICE over the weekend. Naturally, that meant I had to have them. Plus they were UBER on sale. No brainer, am I right?!

  

I finally started that letter to 30-year-old Eliz... threats ensued. 


Mallory and I presented on Downtown in December to the Bricktown Rotary group... We killed it.

  

We dined at Whiskey Cake for Ferr's birthday & I caught a quick snap chat of PIC(squared) for Kimmy!

  

The Thunder kicked booty (barely) against the Denver Nuggets.


And last, but certainly not least, Mommacita and I started menu planning for Thanksgiving. 
Hallelujah! Yummy food is on its way!


Sometimes life gets so crazy that I can't remember what I've been up to. Luckily, my photo album jogs my memory!

xoxo,
E