Scent of a European Man

For giggles, I'd like to muse on scents. For one, Brussels stinks. I'm talking smelly men, who either don't shower at all (God, I hope that's not the case) or who happily allow their sweat glands to produce and produce and produce (A stinky "macho," if you will). And if it's not one of these two things, it's the scent of a Smoker (we all know it - especially those of us who don't smoke).

There are a number of ways we could solve this issue:

1. On the Tram or the Metro: lots of stinky men in close proximity. Solution? Febreeze, freshens air, cleans odors. You also could use a dab of perfume on your wrist, hold the bar higher, and - yes - sniff your wrist.
2. In the office, enclosed in a conference room with a guy who clearly just came back from break. Solution? Gum for him. Coffee, in close proximity to you, and for the room.
3. In personal life: maybe a roommate or a Pre-PH (who's just too smelly to be a PH). Soap, and deoderant. Offer to demonstrate use. On him.

Have a solution of your own? Tried one of mine? Let us know!

*Please note, Scottie has nothing to do with this post.

Pretty view

I have the most spectacular view out my window at my new office. There is a big, grassy area and all sorts of trees and I get the perfect amount of sunlight. There are a few office buildings and a nice residential area off in the distance, but no roads, no traffic, and no noise. I must say, I absolutely LOVE it!

I suppose I should start by saying that I've left my PR job in the city to take a position out in the suburbs. After four years of living downtown I'm ready for a change. As soon as our condo sells my boyfriend and I are planning to move to the burbs. It's a big move, but one that I've given a lot of thought to and that I'm VERY excited for!

After starting together as PR interns, I love how Big Red, Brown Eyed Girl and I are all on such exciting paths! Big Red is newly married and living out in beautiful San Diego, Brown Eyed Girl is in Brussels pursuing a new job (and a whole new culture) and I'm ever-so-slowly achieving my suburban life goal.

Cheers to us! And cheers to everyone else who is busy off achieving their goals!

-Blondie

European Men

My girlfriends commonly request information about European men (I imagine they want to live vicariously through me), so I'd be remiss if I didn't mention upfront that I believe this post will whet their appetites. (Really, this post is rather long, so I promise to please, if not at least shock.)

My living situation in Brussels is this: I am the temporary flatmate of a 6'5, brownish-blonde-haired Scottish 28 y/o with an English accent. For the purposes of this post, and at his request, I'll call him Mr. Walters.

Mr. Walters and I met for the first time on Sunday, June 27. When I returned home the following evening, Mr. Walters informed me that his friend from the UK had rang and asked if he (ID: Harry) and a friend (ID: William) could stay at our flat. Mr. Walters had agreed, and he ensured me that the three would be respectful and stay out of my way.

That evening - or should I say morning? - however, a different story unfolded.

Let me pause for a moment and describe my "neglige" for the evening, and that matters a bit, if you're going to put yourself into my shoes over the next few paragraphs: I hopped into bed a black scoop-neck long tank and a pair of grey running crops. I also wore a bra, given that I hadn't been sleeping through the nights lately and thought there would be increased chance that I'd run into the guys elsewhere in the flat.

Anyway, Mr. Walters and his friend strolled in at approximately 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. I woke up to the sounds of hushed-whispering in the hallways, discussing the impossibility of finding the bathroom through the dark hallways, as well as someone's desire to "[Verb omitted purposely] Mr. Walters' Mom.," among other niceities. The voices disappeared shortly thereafter, and I nodded to sleeep, knowing that they were in the common area of the flat.

Or so I thought, until what seemly appeared only moments later, follows:

[BAM. BAM. CREAK.] My door opens, and a belligerant William stumbles in.

He asks me if I am awake. I'm not really. He wobbles a few steps forward, half-turns, sits on my bed and begins to explain how in the UK it would be rude of him and the others not to invite me for a drink if I am awake. I sit up on my elbow, (a sore attempt to discourage him from laying down) and he croons at me "laying so in my night clothing."

[Enter Mr. Walters.] He clearly expected that William would put himself into this position, sitting comfortably at my stomach-level, wavering slightly, attempting to figure out a way to spend the night here, and so he jokes a bit and asks if I'd want to sleep in another room. He also wonders if it would be a bore to leave William there. [I don't respond, but the answer clearly is yes.]

Mr. Walters spends a few great moments attempting to distract William out of my bed, then speaking sense into William, but to no avail, as William now stretches into my bed, full-body length next to mine. A few additional "gentle" and physical attempts to lift William out of my bed later, Mr. Walters finally given him a hard tug.

The tug, unfortunately, rips William out of my bed, into the wall in the hall outside my room, and onto the floor of the hall just beyond. William doesn't like this one bit, and he lunges at Mr. Walters, pushing him backwards, back into my room, onto my bed, half-onto me, and [CrackPlop.] All of a sudden - as if in slow motion - I fall backwards, spilling my water, Mr. Walters falls into and my bed breaks.

No, really.

This infuriates me, and Mr. Walters insists that William leaves the flat immediately. This generates quite a stir, because all of a sudden, not only is Harry there and flaming mad, a third unknown man also appears in my room.

I retreat to the kitchen - I mean - there are four guys in my flat fighting and yelling because one of them tried to get it on in my bed, with me. AWKWARD.

I let the guys battle it out for a bit before I decide to get involved - the short of it is that I am not comfortable with William staying in the flat after his advance and then his violence (which, if I can remind you, wound up in my bed being broken!). Mr. Walters takes my side, and the third guy escorts William outta here.

I end up sleeping in the room next to my original room (and currently am still sleeping there), while Mr. Walters orders the replacement parts for my broken pieces. And that's the end of that.

So, what do I think about European men? At first glance and experience, while their potential blood lines and language abilities may make them appear strikingly handsome at first, there is much to be said about differentiating their behaviour from that of those devilshly handsome American men we attempt to love.

Big Moves - Update!

Here's the latest in Big Moves News:
Brown Eyed Girl is in Brussels! My FBI Background check arrived a day after my latest post - so Thursday, June 10. After that, a two-week whirlwind began and I hopped on a plane to jet over here by June 25/26 (red-eye). This is day three, and abotu an hour.five from now I'm heading into the office for the first time and to complete some paperwork.

Big Red had a Big Deal wedding, and now also has been up to some Big Moves! She's currently living in xx, doing xx, with xx and yy. How's that for a teaser?

Blondie also is a mover and a shaker! She recently bought a xx, is selling a xx, and has changed her daily ritual as well!

I'll let these two tell you all about their moves, but in the meantime, may I encourage us each to raise our glasses (of water, being as it's 9 a.m. here and 2 a.m. and 12 a.m. there LOL), and toast each other to a job well done! Missions "follow-your-dreams" are being accomplished.

Big moves (and holding ...)

Well, One month later, I am disappointed to say that I am waiting. Still. My 5-year FBI background check has not yet come back. I'm sure it eventually will, but waiting is annoying.

In other BIG MOVES, before the end of the month I will move back to my parents' home temporarily (until my paperwork is done). One huge benefit of this move - as unthrilled as I might be - is that I will be able to see one of my best friends - PregnantGirl - more frequently than I have in the last several years. Even though she's the pregnant one, I think I'm the one with Baby Fever! I notice pregnant people everywhere: this afternoon on lunch I saw a pregnant girl speed walking, and it made me smile bc PregnantGirl's doctor just cut her off from running, and so maybe me and PregnantGirl can go for little speed-walks when I move to the burbs, too ;)?

Anyway, it goes without saying that I will leave you with a piece of inspiration, and today's is this: "You've gotta take the good with the bad, smile when you're sad; love what you've got, remember what you've had. Always forgive, and never forget. Make mistakes, but never regret."

While I am completely displeased that I took HR's advise and waited until I signed the Brussels contract before I applied for my background check, I have to remind myself that in the end it will all work out. No regrets. And THEN I will laugh at being upset about not being able to control something I could never control in the first place ;)

Big Moves, Part II

So to echo Brown Eyed Girl's last post, there are a LOT of changes going on with us Three Chic Chicks - all very life-changing and none of which really seemed "real" when we started this blog.

However, this past weekend, my life changes all culminated into a big ball of REALLY REAL. My wonderful fiance graduated from medical school this weekend. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was so happy to be there to watch him walk across the stage. Since I first met him almost eight years ago, he has always wanted to be a doctor - and I knew he'd make it happen. Now that he's got the diploma (and ever-so-exciting title of Dr. Big Red's Fiance, MD) the next big thing coming up for us is the wedding. Yikes.

I'm not one bit nervous. I've never been so confident about a decision in my life. But I'm nervous-excited to see how an entire year of planning, stress, tears, fights (though not many) and all-around hard work will come together for one day with family and friends. We're almost through the planning - just the darned seating chart still needs to be done - and then it is sit back, relax (sort of) and ENJOY!

Probably the biggest move is the literal move that we're making after we get back from our honeymoon, moving to San Diego for the fiance's residency program. I couldn't be more excited to start our new life in a new city with a new adventure, but the packing part has me a bit worried. I have hardly started and only have about four days to get my entire life packed up to go. Normally this wouldn't be all that difficult - throw it all in some boxes and call it a day. But, since I'm off to sunny Cali, I'm trying to pare down my wardrobe from bulky, Chicago-winter-appropriate sweaters, to only include what I'll REALLY wear. Which means sorting through the 8,000 T-shirts I've accumulated since fifth-grade cheerleading camp through today and only keeping the ones that I actually wear, and detaching myself from the memories that the other ones hold.

One year ago today, the fiance proposed to me. When we set our wedding date to be a year later, it seemed like we had all the time in the world. Now, the fiance has graduated medical school, superseded a rank in the Navy (hello Lieutenant!) and we're 6 days away from getting married, heading to the Bahamas for a much-needed relaxing honeymoon and moving away from our families and living across the country.

It's such an exciting time, but a bit scary too. I know it'll all work out and I can't wait for all the opportunities that we'll have together. I think I most look forward to being able to share my stories with my family and friends, and hearing their reciprocal stories with all the changes they're facing as well. I probably won't be back to post until after the wedding and big move, but there will be great stories to share then!

XOXO,
Big Red

Big moves

The last few weeks have flown by (although they didn't feel that way back then). I realized when I got to work today that I have three weeks left with my Chicago office, five with my apartment, and about the same with my friends. You'd think it would make me fill with glee, but my auto-response was more in line with "fight or flight." For a second I thought, "Holy crap, I'm going to kick these weeks' butts!" and then I thought, "Oh my gosh. Is it really only three weeks??"

Anyway, that got me thinking about how precious time is. Big Red's wedding is just around the corner (10 days, to be exact). And so is her Big Move. The once-2006-wonderment that was "Blondie, do you ever think you'll live with him?" has turned into "Blondie! Your dreams are coming true! You guys are moving to the suburbs!"

And me? Eh, for me it's still, "I wonder what my life will be like in five years." Only now I know that I will have that blissful checkmark designating the accomplishment of one of my life goals. I'm excited, nervous, and hopeful for what's about to come for each of the ThreeChicChicks as we embark our new ways, on what we each secretly believe is our perfect (or soon-to-be-perfect) life :)

Win!

I've learned my way through a number of difficult times in this 26-year-old life I call my own. From silly things like having to stop my newly two-wheeled bicycle by lurching myself into a thorny bush, to harder things like moving five times before first grade, to tough things like managing through the death of an immediate family member. All this said, it's for these reasons that I also have learned to take lightly many of the failures in my life (you can't win if you don't try!), and to celebrate the small successes that meaure up along the way to those that really matter.

These simple facts are the reasons that I have - as the title of this post suggests - a "win" to announce. Yesterday, I officially FedEx International'd the final document the Brussels office needs to apply for my Belgium work permit. They should receive it at 9:00 a.m. Brussels time Friday (3:00 a.m. CDT).

I'm excited. Secret-dance-party, secret fist-pump, silent-cheering excited. And so I wanted you to know. :)

Decisions, decisions II

Hola! I haven't posted in a while - and for good reason. 1) Work is SO BUSY (who wants to be on a computer after staring at one all day?), 2) I vacationed in Brazil for two weeks, and 3) I'm moving!

I'll jump to No. 3, which I'm sure you're most interested in. Where to? Brussels, Belgium, for two years, for work. And let me tell you, there are one million questions to answer, two million items to consider and three million loads of stress to compliment it.

Currently, the plan is to head to Brussels one time prior to my actual move. The actual move would occur some time in June for a July 1 start, which means I likely would wrap up at FD Chicago the first week of June.

So what's that mean? Well, if I want to enjoy summer at all, I'd better get packing (in the sense of boxes, suitcases and actual activity on other things like returning my apartment walls to white and selling my car!), and get packing fast! It's bittersweet to leave my friends and family, but it's the opportunity of a lifetime, and well, not to be cliche, but I will live only once. Bon voyage! (?)

Decisions, Decisions

So, we're down to five and a half weeks until the wedding - yikes! But I'm feeling good about how everything is shaping up, planning-wise. It seems that I'm really on top of things, compared to what I expected to feel like less than two months before the big day. I think it really helps that I'm in PR, as I keep reminding myself that I've planned bigger events, with less time and a tighter budget, than I'm doing for my wedding. Plus, it helps when you're personally invested in the cause, so I care even more :)

There definitely have been and will be some big decisions still to make - such as what song do I dance to with my dad? There are all the typical, popular ones that everyone uses, which could be fine, but I'm worried I'll just sob my way through them. So I'm starting to think I'd like to find a great song to dance to that isn't reminiscent of the daddy/daughter tear-inducing ones, but that still has a special message. Any thoughts? Because I'm stumped.

We also need to do some additional music selections for what songs MUST be played, what song MUST NOT be played (The Macarena, Celebration, Chicken Dance to name a few) and what songs we'd LIKE to be played if there's an opportunity. I'm not sure I can care enough to state which songs must be played - I just want there to be fun music for people to dance to. I feel like I can trust my DJ to handle this, but at the same time, I'm detail-oriented enough to want to provide some guidance as well.

Along with the music, the photographer has asked for a list of shots to capture during the ceremony and reception. Now, again, I'm in PR so I get the importance of making a shot list. But, this is a WEDDING. I want EVERYTHING captured. There's nothing I don't want, so why should I provide a shot list? If it happens, I want it on film, and I don't think that's too much to ask. However, I feel like I need to come up with unique shots that may not be considered "typical" to ensure the photographer doesn't miss anything. Any suggestions to that end as well?

Finally, my programs. I really truly am having a hard time committing time and resources toward these. I know people like them to know what comes next in the ceremony, who is involved in the wedding, etc., but I'm starting to create unnecessary stress around these. I originally thought I wanted a shiny ivory paper with dark purple ink, to tie into my purple bridesmaid colors, but now I'm worried it's going to look cheap having purple ink. I guess I just need to wait and see a proof, but I'm getting stressed out about it just thinking about what they COULD look like.

On the plus side, we did make some headway with decisions - we settled the menu, have chosen the cake (that was actually done months ago) and set the times for the photographer and limo. Small steps, but we'll get this wedding planned eventually!

I'm really looking forward to the next chapter in life of being married and enjoying each other's company (especially since it'll be in glorious, sunny San Diego!) I'm working on not making every conversation between the finace and I about the wedding, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job, but it'll still be nice when the stressful details are all behind us.

Maybe I just need one of Blondie's signature mimosas with just a splash of OJ for color to ease my mind :)

Just a splash of OJ for color

I LOVE mimosas. They are by far my favorite Sunday beverage. I have tried my share of champagnes and juice combinations and have found many that I like (and a few that I did not like... sorry Barefoot Bubbly). Here is my recommendation for building the best mimosa:

INGREDIENTS:

Ballatore Gran Spumante Champagne

This lovely bubbly sparkling wine beverage is sweet, fruity and very affordable at only $10 a bottle. It's made from Muscat grapes grown around Asti, a town in Italy. It's also low in alcohol which is nice since it is a Sunday beverage afterall. I'm not the only one who likes this-- my friends like it too AND it won a Double Gold Medal at the 2005 California State Fair Wine Competition. I'll drink to that!

Tropicana Pure Valencia Orange Juice

This 100% orange juice is crafted from the top 3% of Tropicana’s Florida orange harvest and contains only the juice from select Valencia oranges. Valencia oranges are known for their deep, rich orange color and great taste. Just like the commercials say, Valencia oranges spend more than a year ripening on the tree. The deep orange color also gives the mimosa a pretty color!

DIRECTIONS:

Mix champagne and orange juice in a large pitcher. Keep chilled and pour into champagne flutes to serve. If you're entertaining (or just feeling like being fancy) add some fresh raspberries for color -- you just need 1 or 2 per glass.

I hope you have an opportunity to try this combination and I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you have any other great recommendations!

Cheers!

-Blondie

Changes are a-comin'

Well, it's been quite some time since my last post (oh, I feel like I'm at confession. Forgive me Father, I have sinned. It has been many many days since my last confession.) In my defense, however airtight it is or not, I have been incredibly busy with wedding stuff, as well as some other changes that are taking place.

The wedding stuff is going really well - I had my shower in Chicago this past weekend and had a wonderful time. My aunts put on quite the party and my friends were wonderful, coming out of the city to the burbs, bearing gifts, their energy and cheers every time I opened a wine glass, margarita glass, martini glass, etc. My mom was thrilled to meet my friends - it's amazing how foreign our friends become to our parents as we get older. I always talk about my friends, especially to my mom, and it was great for her to meet them (and, hopefully, them to meet her!)

The shower really made things seem real - not that I wasn't thinking this was really happening, but things just really hit home with all the people I care about around me for such an exciting time. I can't wait to start my life with the fiance and finally live together in the same state, much less in the same house! That might take some getting used to :) We always joke around that we're going to have to get two apartments since we're so used to living apart that being in the same house might make us crazy!

Speaking of crazy, there's lots going on in these next few weeks. Visiting the fiance probably for the last time in Missouri before the wedding, the bachelorette party is the following weekend (BIG thanks for the cutest invitations EVER to Brown Eyed Girl and Blondie!!!), then it's my hair and makeup trial, followed by Easter, my shower on the fiance's side and getting ready with the final preparations for the wedding and our big move.

I'm really going to try to keep blogging during all this, but I fear that it might be all wedding-related, which I can't imagine is always the most stimulating of reads for anyone other than me! I'll work to vary my topics and hopefully not bore everyone to death with the wedding details.

So, to close out on another subject, I need to learn how to cook. With all the stuff that we got at the shower, I'd say about 85% of it was kitchen-related. I don't know what to do with a blender/food processor outside of making margaritas with it. Time to start studying up and talking more with Blondie, my resident cooking-expert friend! Any suggestions on good starter cookbooks or Web sites to be checking out? Gotta fulfill my wifely duties in T minus 74 days! (not that I'm counting) :)

-Big Red

Houston, we have a problem...

OK, so there is no problem, well, not with me anyway... but that is the line that stood out to me most of the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotes. Quite a memorable list which includes many famous lines including "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," "Bond. James Bond," and my boyfriend's favorite, "May the Force be with you." You can check them all out here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI

However, I couldn't help but notice a few important quotes were missing. Here are some of my faves that didn't make the list...

"You can't be the absolute final word on drivers licenses" ... "Girlie, as far as you're concerned, I'm the messah of the DMV." - Cher and the DMV guy from Clueless (1995)

"Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time." - Frank from Old School (2003)

"I like to picture Jesus in a tuxedo T-shirt because it says I want to be formal, but I'm here to party." - Cal Naughton, Jr. from Talladega Nights (2006)

"PC lobe letter? What the f*ck does that mean?" - Michael Bolton from Office Space (1999)

"On wednesdays we wear pink!" - Karen from Mean Girls (2004)

"Hi. I'm Elle Woods and this is Bruiser Woods. We're both Gemini vegetarians." - Elle Woods from Legally Blonde (2001).

What are some of your favorites?!

-Blondie

Success and curveballs

I'd like to explore success for a minute. Success comes in many forms. For some, it's about matching or beating a competitor's capability/time/goal. For others it's finding a soul mate, establishing a home and creating a family. And for still others, it's about always challenging themselves to be better or to learn / experience more so that they can give back more. I believe I best fall into this last category.

For me, life is about taking risks and bouncing back from rejection (I have a quote from Dr. Lillian Glass to thank for that). It's about failing, but failing up. Don't get me wrong, success plays a role in my life, too, but I've found it's those failing moments that most help everything come into focus.

But why am I talking about this?

On Sunday I happened across a book at Anthropologie. It's titled, It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be. I highly encourage you to pick it up and give it a 4 or 5 page test-drive. I bet you'll find the advice obvious (like don't seek approval, seek criticism), but I also bet it will suck you in and open your eyes to how thinking slightly outside the box can also put you ahead of the curve on the road to success.

And if not, you can always rely on my favorite contingency source of advise, my friends in Rascal Flatts. For example, "when life throws you curves ... learn to swerve." No truer words exist in my life -- what about yours?

A pick-me-up

It’s been 10 days since my last post and I’ve been lambasted by numerous fans, so here we go. Let's have some fun.

Today I want to chat about the benefits of hitting on strangers (told you it would be fun). Yes, in my opinion, it is totally okay for a single person to hit on strangers.

• Benefit 1: The “pass-it-on” factor. Really – doesn’t it feel good to be complimented? Do you find it gives an extra bounce to your step? Uh huh. And now answer this: why not pass that feeling on to some unsuspecting lovely creature whose perfume (or cologne) wakes your insides?
  
• Benefit 2: The “jackpot” factor. At the least, you’ll get a cold stare or maybe be swung at (2 tips here: stay at least an arm’s-length away and don’t say anything inappropriate!), whereas at the most, you could snag a new PH (or new potential wifey, you male ThreeChicChick fans out there)! Hello, jackpot!
  
• Benefit 3: The “just because it feels good” factor. Even I have had my fair share of men crooning sweet nothings out their car windows, commenting on my calves, or even stopping me to discuss my toes, and yet while some of these instances were downright awkward – they made me smile – and I still get a good laugh out of them, today.

So, if I may – I challenge each of you to accept this mission: Dare yourself next time you see a hottie, make a game of it, or share a comment and consider it your good deed for the day. And oh, tell me about it J

Let the Good Times Roll

So I spent the back half of last week and the weekend in The Big Easy (New Orleans) for Mardi Gras. I was down there for work, or "work" if you will, and decided to stay for the weekend to enjoy the craziness that is Mardi Gras celebrations and the carry-over from the Saints victory that was still rocking and rolling a week later. I was fortunate enough to do the same thing last year for work and play, and the fiance, who at that time was just "the boy," came down to hang out too. He came down again this year as well and we had the best time. If you haven't ever been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, I highly recommend it...with one catch. I recommend going the weekend before Fat Tuesday - I can't even imagine what the city would be like Monday and Tuesday. We go out Friday and Saturday nights and that's enough to tire you out for a week. The crowds are unbelievable on Bourbon Street, and only get more irritating the more time you spend around them.

The first time you go is great, watching the parades, getting into catching beads and the other stuff they throw from the floats, pushing people out of the way to catch the beads from the balconies on Bourbon, stumbling through the trash in the streets, avoiding the religious zealots protesting the celebration and handing out literature detailing your heathen ways, and the fiery ways you'll be punished in the afterlife.

Since this was our second time at Mardi Gras, we didn't deal so much with the Bourbon Street mess, but instead found some great dive bars and, most importantly, explored the restaurant scene, which is what New Orleans is also known for.

If you go, here are a few MUSTS you should eat at...disclaimer, we ate at a number of these through my work, so we didn't have to pay full price for most of the meals, allowing us to become incredibly spoiled over the week, as these places can definitely add up. However, it's completely worth it to splurge on a few of these:

- Restaurant August: Owned by Chef John Besh, who you may know from Top Chef Masters, The Next Iron Chef (runner up) and his new cookbook that is everywhere, this restaurant features some delicious dishes that are pleasing to even the most picky eater (me.) I don't eat seafood, so you can imagine how hard it is to find a good meal in a city on the water. However, I highly recommend the yard egg raviolo with brown butter and sage for an appetizer to share and the filet of beef for the meal (OMG). They will change your life. I was also told that the Redfish and the crab-stuffed gnocchi were a religious experience.

- Commander's Palace: Executive Chef Tory McPhail knows how to keep his customers happy, namely by visiting certain tables during the meal to chat you up and make recommendations on desserts, wine pairings, and just make you feel cool. We were treated to his personal recommendations on the menu, which were all amazing - antelope, rabbit, lamb and veal chop for the entree were all melt in your mouth, and the ice cream (I think it was buttermilk) and strawberry shortcake desserts made me want to bathe in them.

- Bacco: The fiance and I celebrated our anniversary with a wonderful dinner out on the town the last night we were in town. The fiance had done some research and this was a restaurant that kept coming up as a fantastic place to eat. It had a great atmosphere - very classy and elegant, white table cloths, marble bar, waiters in crisp shirts and long aprons, the works. We started with an appetizer of Calamari Creole (I was feeling brave and tried the dreaded seafood) and it was amazing. The calamari wasn't chewy or tough, like I've had before, but was light and flavorful and the sauce had a spice that really complimented the flavor. There were a few things on the menu for dinner that looked very appetizing so you really couldn't go wrong here.

- Finally, our last day in town, we went out for lunch at The Ugly Dog Saloon, which is known for its BBQ and it delivered! We both got the sliders on special, which featured chicken, beef and pork, along with their homemade BBQ sauce that had just enough kick to give it flavor without being too hot for my taste.

Any way you slice it, you'll have a blast in New Orleans. I'm looking forward to going again, maybe not during Mardi Gras, to check out more of the city - its architecture, the haunted tours, more restaurants :)

Where do you recommend going for a taste of The Crescent City, so I can start my list for next time?

Tips

I'm still learning how to cook meals and take care of a home. I have found the following tips to be very useful in saving time and allowing me to get things done while still being fabulous. And no, these are not all mine, so if you spot your tip on my list, sorry-- you shouldn't have told everyone b/c now I know about it and I'm going to tell my friends...

Food
-When cooking at home, warm dinner plates in the microwave for about 45 seconds before serving food on them. It keeps food hot for much longer than cold plates fresh out of the cabinet.
-Examine the toppings on salads and entrees at restaurants. Chances are you've heard of every ingredient listed and could make the same thing at home for much less.
-Always look at expiration dates before you buy things. Stores often put sooner-to-expire goods at the front of store shelves, so don't be afraid to reach for items in the back.
-A roaster oven is the best kitchen item I have ever used. Nesco is the best brand. It will change your life.

Beauty
-To avoid getting lipstick on your teeth, after you apply, put your pointer finger in your mouth and pull it out to avoid any color that may have gotten on the inside of your lips.
-If you travel a lot, bring your favorite bar of soap (airline friendly) with you to avoid allergies or skin probs while on the road. Even nice hotels can have unfamiliar products and hard water that can cause breakouts.
-For great-looking eyelashes, heat your eyelash curler for a few seconds with a hair dryer before using. Then, lightly powder lashes to allow mascara something to cling to.

Home
-Dust before you vacuume. Dusting sends dust all over. Dusting a half an hour before you vacuume allows dust time to settle so that you can sweep/vacuume it up!
-Invest in a clothes steamer. Irons are so 1995. Buy a steamer online and you'll never regret it.
-Organize your closet. Throw out old clothes and reorganize your closet by season or color. You'll be able to find what you need more quickly and won't be sad about skinny jeans from college that you can no longer fit into.

Hope you can use some of these! Let me know if you have any more great tips!!

-Blondie

New Digs

Here's something new, fun + exciting to focus on: My office moves in with our parent company on Friday. I received a sneak-peek tour today. Check out my new classy cube (with Atrium view) :)

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PH Weekend: Part I update

You probably noticed that it has been a few days since the weekend with the potential PH. I figured I'd close the loop now. To be perfectly Patti Stanger about it, "this pecker is not picking that" PH. (Disclaimer, I do not have a pecker.)

Without boring (or exasperating) you with the details of the bomb that was my weekend, let's instead discuss some rules I here-on-out will adhere to. I'll name only three, but if I'm missing anything CORE, I'm relying on you to let me know:

1) Always follow your gut. Does that "doppeldanger" Facebook photo of his as Jersey Shore's "The Situation" make you squeamish? So will he. And the way he acts.

2) Do not compromise to keep things running smoothly. If his requests are out of line, if your responses make him revert back to high school, if he acts unacceptable, face it - he probably is too. Move on.

3) Be desired. And we're not talking just sexually. If said PH will not look you in the eye, makes lame excuses or otherwise makes you feel unvalued, he's only interested in the tip of the iceberg (himself). Dump him, and dump him fast.

If I've learned anything from this weekend (beyond the fact that my friends are amazing, my intuition is in-tune and I actually may be ready for a date with a few good men), it's that I have a lot to offer, I want to be appreciated, and I want to admire and learn from the man I choose to spend my time (or my future life) with.

With that, I propose a (red) wine toast: to the successful future dating lives of me + all the ladies out there facing the same obstacles. Onwards + upwards!

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All that Twitters

So I've renewed my involvement on Twitter lately. I took a hiatus for awhile-not really on purpose, but the initial hype around it had died down and I wasn't making a conscious effort to Tweet on a daily basis. Now that I've been back for a week-ish, I'm debating two sides of an issue: Is Twitter really an important social media tool that is imperative for people, especially in the PR world, to be involved in? Or is it more just a fun way to share mini updates with friends, check out links and occasionally learn about breaking news, but doesn't require regimented, regular interaction?

I'm on both sides actually - normally, when I Tweet, I scan people's Tweets for interesting news tidbits, fun links and to just see what people are up to. However, I've also seen and shared breaking news and used it to learn more and become further involved in social media engagement.

Sometimes it seems to me that the majority of Twitterers are just selfish, me included, Tweeting their location in the grocery store or that they binge-ate Starburst at the office today (ahem, wasn't me...) But, at the same time, don't we also live in a time where it's all about being selfish? Making the news work for and apply to me? Sharing what I'm doing because that's what I care about? Checking out my friends' updates to see if what they're doing is something I should do?

What do you think? What's the value of Twitter? I'm still deciding what side I'm on. But I also might just stay in the middle because that's what I want to do...and I can because it's MY social media experience.

PH Weekend: Part I

Okay, as you know by now, PH Weekend Part I is here. (Before you ask, no, PH Weekend Part II is not on the books!) It currently is Friday at 2:06 CT and my concentration is shot. Will I have time to get a mani, work out, vacuum, shower, get ready AND drink a glass before he arrives? Gosh, I sure hope so. I'll need it!

Here's the plan. PH arrives at 9:00 CT, we head to Big Bar (thanks Big Red!) around 10/10:30 p.m. where we sip a sexy martini (or beer, whatever) before we slip back into a cab and head home. PH sleeps in my bed (enough said).

Day II: Out on the town for breakfast (who am I kidding? Let's call it brunch). Probably at Tilly's (thanks Blondie!). Next up, a walk here, a talk there, maybe a little hand-holding (wishful and silly thinking - strike that!). Back home to get ready for the evening. Drinks with friends, dinner by [fake or imaginary - ha] candlelight and then PH sleeps (in my bed).

Day III: PH makes breakfast, wearing apron (use your imagination). We say our goodbyes, and then I come back here and blog all about it.

Deal? Exciting.

Bday + PHs

As Big Red mentioned, my birthday was this past weekend. It was a great weekend. Friday I had a wonderful Italian dinner at Rosebud on Taylor Street with my parents. Saturday, I took three of my greatest friends to Trader Vic's on State/Maple and we enjoyed two Rum Kegs, crab rangoon, duck, sea bass, filet mignon and pork, topped with a classy slice of cheese cake and followed by a few hours at my favorite downtown-slum: The Hangge Uppe. On my actual birthday, I climbed 80 flights of stairs for Children's Memorial Hospital, and survived with some sore abs and a HUGE smile. My friend and I went out for brunch at West Egg, and then I ended the weekend with a mani/pedi and a huge glass of wine while I completed my 2009 Self Evaluation.

All this said, the weekend put me in high spirits and I decided that this year I really am going to reengage my friends, mobilize them (and myself) more often, and live life to its fullest. Turn off the gossiping, turn down the cattiness and turn up the living. And oh, maybe add a potential husband (PH) to the mix. :)

Crazy Train

That has been my life lately, hence the lack of posting on my behalf this past week. The fiancé was here this and last weekend, which was wonderful and we got lots of planning done- the cake, menu, tuxes and readings- but I've also had two mental breakdowns during those weekends. I feel better after getting out much of my stress and am now focusing on not letting things overwhelm me (or at least trying to not let them overwhelm me) as well as talk about what's stressing me out right away, rather than letting it build up and then explode in a ball of fury, as I did last night.
It was Brown Eyed Girl's birthday over the weekend and Blondie, she and I are going out this week to celebrate- that will be helpful to chat with the girls and just relax.
I know I'm prone to wanting to control everything and get uptight when I can't get things done on my schedule so I'm making an effort to loosen up a bit and roll with the punches better. Currently my plan is to sit back, take some deep breaths and relax for the train ride I'm on, so I can head into tonight (and the wedding planning I've got to work on) with a clear head. Off to relax...breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.

eggs, spaghetti, chicken and wine

There are really four main things that have taught me how to cook.

Now you must first know that when I went away to college I had never used a stovetop. The microwave was my only knowledge of how to heat food (Lean Cuisines are very tasty!) My mom always cooked, I just never cared to learn.

My junior year, my roommate taught me how to make eggs. Medium-low heat and some cooking spray keeps them from sticking while a bit of water or milk keeps them from burning. I was thrilled with my newfound ability! After that, I ate scrambled eggs almost every day for months. I prefer mine with some American cheese bits tossed in just before serving.

Shortly thereafter, a guy I was seeing at the time invited me over for dinner. He made me the one thing he knew how to cook (and still probably the one thing he knows how to cook to this day) -- spaghetti! Regardless, I learned how to boil water on super-high heat and how to put noodles in the pot when the water is at a tumbling boil.

One thing remained-- meat. Eww. Just the thought of seeing a raw animal part grossed me out, but I took my chances and experimented with some chicken breasts. I quickly learned that you can't eat still pink (aka- uncooked) chicken or you'll get very, very sick. I'll spare you the details, but trust me-- I'll never serve you raw chicken. I've since bought a handy meat thermometer ($5 at grocery stores) and reco it to any new cook. Chicken must be cooked to 170 degrees inside in order to be safe to eat.

After making these few simple things I really began to love cooking. I experiment with new foods all the time and really love spending time in the kitchen. Some things I make for the first time are very good... while some are not. This brings me to my fourth important discovery-- wine. Whether your food is good or bad, a good glass of wine (or three) makes everything taste great. I prefer a crisp, light white wine with sweet, fruity notes. Today, I had Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling (only $9).

Cheers!
-Blondie

I vow ...

...to not allow Big Red's wedding photos to look like this ... unless she wants them to ;)

Fridays

In light of Big Red's post, let me tell you about my weekend: I'm working. That's right, sometimes being in the financial PR world means interrupting your personal life with your professional one. I'm okay with it, as long as it doesn't consume every drop of my social life.

On social lives: I'll be in New York Tuesday/Wednesday for work, which means I'll miss a good friend's birthday dinner. That stinks, too, but. I'll make it up to her.

Speaking of birthdays, mine quickly approaches. And with it, the realization that I'm growing up and my friends are (or are getting) married, have more responsibility than we used to and don't always live within reach. Sounds like a recipe for a lack of social gatherings. Another fact of life.

... And on life ... how long did it take for Friday to get here? Seriously, this morning I wondered if Ashton Kutcher was going to pop out at me and scream "you've been punked! now go back to bed!"

Random Musings

Happy Friday! It's going to be a good weekend, I can feel it. For one, it was light-ish out this morning as I boarded the train. It's so nice seeing some idea of light before work- it's so depressing leaving for work when it's dark out and having it be dark again when you leave work for home. I also have the added bonus of commuting nearly two hours each way to get to work, so you may understand my joy at the little things like light in the morning.
This weekend, the fiancé is coming up to do some wedding prep. He lives in another state as he finished up Med school, so we don't see each other all that often. But this weekend he's visiting and we're picking out our cake -I'm so excited to do the tastings of all the cake and filling options! We're also hopefully going to select the readings for the Mass, pick out the tuxes and solidify the menu for the reception. And that's just Saturday! Sunday is a day of lazing around and watching football and just enjoying being with each other before he leaves.
Lots of wedding stuff but, as of today, we're at T minus 4 months...and counting! Cheers!

Blonde or Blond?

I am SO blond right now. I got new highlights after work today and they look fab-u-lous! I'm not gonna lie, I had to AP Style whether to put "blonde" or "blond" on my Facebook update. Turns out that "blond" is a noun for a male and also whenever it's used as an adjective while "blonde" is a noun for a lady. Who knew?!?

I always get nervous when I sit down in the chair at the salon b/c my stylist is a 50's-inpired gothic type with a bad red dye job (she'd look much better as a blonde)... but she consistently provides me with root-free happiness so I keep coming back for more. I've been coloring my hair since I was sixteen, and I don't plan on ever going back to the "dark side" ...

After my appt it was pretty late so I skimped on dinner and just made some quick pork chops and some cheese tortellini with melted margarine and fresh grated parmesan cheese. Yesterday I made game hens (those litttle ones that each just serve one person) and fingerling potatoes, carrots and pearl onions. SO GOOD. I dream of the day when all I have to worry about is what to make for dinnner, and what wine to serve alongside it. Today I chose Beringer Pinot Grigio-- only $8.99. It's crisp and slightly tart with fruity notes.

A Wedding Cover-Up (Literally)

Hi everyone (emphasis on the "one" probably at this point, given the blog's infancy) -
Big Red here, embarking on my first blog post and I'm very excited about it! Currently, my life is being dominated by wedding planning - 127 days and counting (not that I'm counting or anything, TheKnot.com does that for you, luckily.)

I feel like I'm in a pretty good place with getting all the plans in order, but I had no idea just how much work actually went into all this! Now, I'm in PR, so I've planned and executed bigger events, on tighter budgets, in much less of a time frame, but I think since this one is (obviously) so much closer to me, I care more about the things I never thought I would. For instance, I'm a simple girl - really, Brown-Eyed Girl and Blondie will attest to that. You find me almost every day in jeans and a comfy sweater at work and most likely a hoodie on the weekend. Make-up = mascara. It's a big deal if I put lip gloss on. So for the wedding (especially the reception decorations), I really thought I'd be going with the simple look in an effort to stay true to how I am as a person, as well as keep costs down.

Enter Papa Big Red. He's great - gets into the wedding planning details, wants to know my thoughts on things and (usually) goes along with them. Until the dreaded chair cover experience. We were checking out reception halls back in June or July and I found the one I just had to have - big sweeping double stair-case in the lobby, HUGE chandelier, high ceilings in the room, big dance floor, the works. I'd also been there for my senior year of high school dinner dance, so we've got history there too. The hall coordinator is telling us all about the great upgrades they can do to the room, including putting chair covers over the regular chairs, which are your typical banquet hall chairs (except theirs are yellow.)

I was cool with them - they're nice, nothing fancy. But they don't need to be fancy - people sit in them and you never see them again! Oh no - Papa Big Red would have none of that. "If he was going to pay for a reception, we're going to do this the right way, not have empty, trashy looking chairs" (no offense to the hall.) So, we went back and forth for a while, me protesting about not wanting "togas" on my chairs, him not budging an inch. Lo and behold, he wins after I protested for quite a bit more time and finally threw my hands up and went with it. I think I even said in my most dramatic voice "Fine, whatever" (I always wanted to be an actress in some capacity so I guess I took my chance there and gave a very fine performance in my opinion.)

Mama Big Red and I went to the hall last weekend to actually choose the covers (cue dramatic "Jaws" music here - I was actually nervous about it!) Looking back to when World War 3 almost broke out between my dad and I, I'm not sure why I made such a stink. The chair covers really do finish the room, tying in the color scheme that we're working with (purple!) AND come as a packaged deal that includes all kinds of nice additions to the reception - sweets table, fruit table and champagne fountain for cocktail hour (you'll be able to find Brown-Eyed Girl and Blondie there for sure!)

So, while I'll never tell Papa Big Red that he was right (because I'd never hear the end of it), lesson learned. Always go with the chair covers ladies - if only for the champagne fountain that comes with.

-- Big Red

Holiday party attire

So, I literally am laying in my bathtub, and I think to myself, "I should call X." My immediate next thought was, "Wow, it's creepy to call someone from your bath." Then I remembered the nifty email-to-post tool and figured I'd give it a shot -- it's just like talking to my friends, right?

So again, here I am laying in my hot bath, obsessing over whether to wear silk, lace or ruffles to the company Holiday party tomorrow. My ideal outfit has to have one of those elements because that's perfectly just beyond my personal "work-appropriate" style....

I've narrowed it down to two decisions:
Option No. 1: The sexy lace, half-backless, short-sleeve, black turtleneck with dark gray slacks and patent pumps, or
Option No. 2: the slightly-short black jumper dress with the silk ruffle and a dressy green cardigan with a thin black belt and rounded-toe patent pumps?

Decisions, decisions.

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A ThreeChicChicks Welcome

We don't know how you found yourself here, but we're glad you made it. In fact, we're glad we made it, too.

This blog is the result of three great friends - Big Red, Blondie, and me, Brown Eyed Girl - with passion for writing and a hunger for adventures. But really: after two long months of minimal social interaction and over a dinner loaded with carbs and supplemented with wine, we ThreeChicChicks realized that we're growing up and that the City we love so much might not be our hometown forever, and the friends that we adore may find themselves more than liquor-stop and a quick-cab away. We vowed between sips that we shouldn't let such withdrawals happen again in the future and in the end, we founded ThreeChicChicks.com

Think of us as a cross between your Cosmopolitan, your Sex and The City and a killer talk show, but with added licks of the controversies and drama you expect from your daily Soap Operas. Sounds fabulous, right?

We know; we love it. And we hope you will, too.

X.O.X.O