Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there.

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany's

A crisp blue Tiffany's box with its soft white satin ribbon will make any girl swoon.

Imagine walking to the back of your office to see stacks and stacks are large robins egg colored boxes against the wall.

Holly Golightly would have been in heaven.

It is Christmas time at work and our entire order of client gifts has just arrived. It is a beautiful sight. Too bad none of the boxes are going home with me.

After a quick inspection of the gift by opening one of the boxes it was handed off to me to "retie" the bow. Yes, I may be the token craft coworker, but, hmmm... now just how does Tiffany do it so perfectly?

Well now I know.

Thanks to this web site I have a brand new talent to add to my craftiness hat:

Hold box so that Tiffany & Co. appears vertically.











Cover the logo with ribbon and hold in center with thumb. Leave approximately a box length of ribbon at bottom of box.

Wrap the top half or “working end” of the ribbon around the box to your thumb. Hold both ribbons with your thumb.











Fold back top of ribbon at a 45 degree angle and wrap around side and back to thumb.

Tuck working end under and around both ribbons.











Tighten ends and center on box.











Make a loop with working end.











Wrap short end around loop and push through opening to form the second loop of the bow.
Tighten and adjust bow. Clip ribbon ends at a diagonal. Ribbon should not extend beyond the edge of the box

I hope everyone in my family will enjoy their Tiffany bow-tied gifts!

Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you.

Oscar Hammerstein, The King and I

From Natalie... a little fun thing because I don't really have much else to write about!

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments.. what is it?

1. Produce: Gala apples
2. Bakery: vanilla cupcakes
3. Meat: filet mignon
4. Frozen: Edy's Nestle Tollhouse Swirl ice cream
5. Dairy: blue cheese crumbles

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?

1. my dark denim jacket
2. my black American Apperal polo dress
3. my Vera backpack

If I was to listen in on your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?

1. "Good morning, this is Randall..." (at work)
2. "Good afternoon, this is Randall..." (at work)
3. "Hi darlin'!" (to Nick)
4. "BELLA! GET OFF THE COUNTER!" (at least twenty times a day)
5. "Get out of the left lane - you are going 30 miles an hour!" (to and from work)

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?

1. Warm shower in the morning
2. Read the paper, especially letters to the editor (online or hard copy)
3. Drive with my sunroof open

We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?

1. Reading
2. Watching my Netflix discs- currently on "Rescue Me" season three
3. Recreational shopping
4. Scrapbook
5. Cook something - pancakes, soup, muffins, whatever

We are going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it'll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?

1. Dolphins (if they have them)
2. Apes
3. Children's petting zoo

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?

1. The Rachael Ray Show
2. Oprah
3. Finale show of Top Chef
4. Martha

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?

1. Vanilla - the real kind with Vanilla bean
2. Edy's Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Swirl
3. Peanut butter cup

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?

1. Digital camera
2. Tide To Go pen
3. Vera Bradley Pink Pansy mini cosmetic case
4. my Palm
5. Lip gloss

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let's pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?

1. Public Relations - well, I hope that's a talent, it is what I get paid for.
2. Homemaker
3. Chef
4. Philanthropist

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?

1. You are in the best shape of your life (at least from your future 25 year old point of view) so enjoy and try better to keep it!
2. The uniforms in high school are a blessing - you'll wish you could wear one instead of trying to get ready for work each day.
3. The nasty girls in high school will just turn into the nasty girls in college and the nasty girls in your professional life. They'll always be nasty and you don't have to be around them or pretend to like them.
4. Spend more time with your father.

TURKEY, n. A large bird whose flesh when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude. Incidentally, it is pretty good eating.

Ambrose Bierce

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. Mine was very nice and a wonderful break from work and general life stuff. I spent four days at my mom's house and Nick joined us for Thanksgiving.

It was also fun because I did the entire dinner by myself! Thankyouverymuch.

I didn't want to stuff the turkey and this was the first year we didn't. It was delicious. I followed Rachael Ray's recipe that was so easy. Salt, pepper, two springs of rosemary and a halved lemon in the cavity and then rubbed the outside with salt, pepper, olive oil and thyme.

The rest of the dinner included homemade sausage stuffing, sweet potatoes, peas with pearl onions in a cream sauce, French cut green beans with melted butter and slivered almonds, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish and rolls. Yum!

With my very own Turkey!

Thanksgiving, man! Not a good day to be my pants.

Kevin James

In this season of gratitude today I am grateful for this Thanksgiving eve and the fact that our office is closing at 3 p.m. Woot!

I'll then be on my way to my mom's house until Sunday with a howling cat in the backseat (she's not much of a traveller). It should be a nice day on Thursday, Nick will be coming up after work, and then lots 'o shopping/movies/lunches with mom this weekend.

I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving celebrations. And if I had dog I could put her in a festive sweater and take Thanksgiving themed pictures. But I have an eleven year old tabby cat so this is as good as it gets.

The best way to fill time is to waste it.

Marguerite Duras

Things I am doing today to completely avoid writing my public policy literature review (okay, not completely avoid... I have 7 out of 15 pages done):

• Baked two dozen cranberry orange muffins
• Washed and changed all the linens in the house
• Plucked my eyebrows
• Finally got the drawer underneath my oven unstuck
• Have a pot of homemade stew simmering on the stove
• Cut coupons

And... actually took the time to post this.

Oh, goodness I really need to focus!

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on.

Carl Sandburg

Congrats to Kelly, Jerry and Toby on the newest addition to their family - Allison Grace!

You can't help that. We're all mad here.

The Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

We always joke that my cat Bella has baggage. I adopted her from The Humane Society about 2 and a half years ago. She had been there for three years. So living in a cage for that long period of time would give anyone issues. She isn't mean or anything just quirky. And kind of weird.

Last night I was trying to find her - she will sometimes wedge herself in between towels in the linen closet or behind the shower curtain in the guest bathroom and I will inadvertently lock her in somewhere. So I'm calling and calling... then I found her new spot.

Okay, find Bella:

Try cooking dinner and having this looking down on you:

Let us found a society that shall be kind alike to all and think more of a girl's inner self and character than of her personal appearance.

Sarah Ida Shaw, Founder of Tri Delta

My sorority, Delta Delta Delta, was founded on Thanksgiving Eve in 1888 so each year as alumnae we celebrate Founder's Day in November. Really, it's an excuse to have lunch at a country club, sing some songs and have a raffle for cute gift baskets. Our keynote speaker was Dr. Fay Biles who is truly a woman of inspiration. She was the Vice President at Kent State in 1970 after the shootings, the first woman university VP ever, and turned around the fundraising and development support of the struggling university. Great educator, speaker and advocate. I am so lucky to call her my "sister" and know her personally. She is fabulous and is known to wear pansies (our flower) from head to toe just so everyone who would notice knows she is a Tri Delta!

Founder's Day is always a lovely afternoon and something I look forward to each year.

With my friend Jena, fellow alum and also from my collegiate chapter





















With Dr. Fay Biles

Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.

Dale Evans

I'm jumping in on the Holiday Shopping Carnival!

For Christmas gift shopping (and receiving for that matter) I'm a sucker for anything personalized. I think it adds that little extra something to any gift.

My top five gifts to give this year are special because they are the things that you may see in a store or catalog and love, but never actually buy for yourself (and I love any stationary). That's what makes them special for Christmas!

1. Swoozie's Personalized Notecards
High quality and with great style - use them all the time and give as gifts with plenty of compliments.

2. Cooper's Classic Monagrammed Kitchen Towels
Can't beat handmade items - this specific item shown has sold but you can contact Natalie if you'd like to purchase.

3. Design-Her Gals Personlized Stationary
I gave this to my roommate for graduation and they turned out beautifully - a little pricey but so cute.

4. Pic Pads
Never personally ordered but they combine my two favorites - photos and stationary - they're on my list as a gift for someone this year.

5. Clay Design Personalized Grill Platter
I gave Nick this for Christmas last year and it was a hit! Very sturdy and useful, he uses it all the time.

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.

G.B. Stern

Today I'm grateful for:

• Watching Nigella Lawson on TV making potato pancakes.
• Buying Tide on sale with a coupon.
• A fresh new bottle of Ralph Lauren Romance on my dresser.
• Opening all the doors and windows to let to cool Florida November air flow through my home.
• Bright orange and yellow mums in a clay pot in my front step.

Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course -

the distance between your ears.

Bobby Jones

I just have to post something that about my sweetie Nick. A little, YIPEE, would be in order.

Last weekend Nick passed the final level of the Professional Golf Management program through the PGA of America. He is now a fullfledged member of the PGA! This has taken years to complete and I'm so proud of all the work, time and energy he has put into this certification. It is the highest level of education a golf professional can have. It opens a lot of doors in the job market and now he gets to use that snazzy crest on everything he owns!

So, HORRAY for my favorite golfer and new PGA Member!

Witch and ghost make merry on this last of dear October’s days.

Author Unknown

I know Halloween is over (so sad). The witches and pumpkins in my home have been traded for turkeys and a cornucopia. But it is coming into simply my favorite time of year. Thanksgiving, the whole Christmas season and then my birthday!

So farewell, Halloween, it was fun. Even though my super cute pumpkin only lasted two days before rotting through in the Florida heat. Ew.

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.

Omar Khayyam

I don't know where I first heard this quote but I always repeat it to myself to remind me that it is the little things, the everyday things that make my life. The smell of fresh laundry warm out of the dryer, the way Nick's face turns red when he laughs and how my hair right now just never, ever looks like it did this morning.

Each and every moment. It's my life... and that is pretty neat.

I've had my blog on Xanga since April 2005 and thought it was time to change it up a bit.

So welcome to my cozy new home.