Star Struck

Yesterday I had a little brush with fame...right here in Tulsa!  Daisi and I went to a late lunch at Mi Cocina and as we were headed in to the restaurant Kristin Chenoweth was heading out...EEEE!

Daisi and I did what any respectable thirty somethings would do - we FROZE!  After coming to our senses we were disappointed in ourselves for not at least saying hi.  She seems like the nicest most bubbly person ever so she probably would have said hi back and might have even let us reach out and touch her. 

Kristin is even more beautiful in person and tiny, tiny, tiny!!  Did I mention tiny?  I don't think I've ever been star struck but then again I haven't seen that many celebrities up close and personal.  My celeb sightings include Mike Tyson, Kirstie Alley, Ted Kennedy and Hoda Kotb.  Daisi on the other hand is a celebrity magnet...I think she saw three in 2011 alone!

What celebs have you seen?  Did you play it cool or freeze?

She's Back

I am happy to report that this little bit is back to her normal wild self.

Yes, that is my kitchen counter.  It's called failed pet parenting but the fact is, she was unfazed by any form of punishment we tried to dole out...

• Sprayed her with water - Phoebe loves water and welcomed the refreshing spritzer
• Put muffin tins and other objects on the edge of the counter - this resulted in the loud bang it was supposed to when they fell to the floor but the noise only seem to startle us and our other cat...Phoebe not so much
• Blow dryer - this is one thing she doesn't like but a solid 30 seconds later she's back for more
• Foil - most cats do not like the sound of walking on foil but Phoebe not only didn't mind the sound, she ate some of it and threw up
• Physically removing her after every jump - this resulted in 30 minute TV shows turning into 60 minute TV shows because I had to get up every 2 minutes.  Something had to give and it wasn't going to be TV!

Needless to say we sort of gave up but not to worry - I thoroughly clean before cooking, etc!  I hate admitting it but I'm happy to see her jumping on the counter again, she wasn't up to doing much for a couple of weeks there.  I'll tell you someone that is not happy about this new development and that is poor Tavia.

The week that Phoebe was at the vet, Tavia was the happiest I've ever seen her!  She was like a little kitten again, playing and loving on everyone.  She's really having a hard time acclimating to the reintroduction of Phoebe.  She's been much more aggressive this time around than when we first got Phoebe.  I just hope it doesn't take several months like it did the first time. 

I'm not sure where I left off with Phoebe other than mentioned my belief that the snow flocked tree had something to do with her sickness.  I still don't think it was a coincidence.  After a week at the vet partaking in IVs and force feedings her biopsy results came back.  The results weren't as conclusive as they had hoped but the vets were still leaning toward inflammatory bowel disease and decided to move forward with that treatment.  After her first steroid shot she started eating and was doing ok so they sent her home but when we would give her a prednisone pill at home she became sick again.  After a couple of goes at that, it was determined Phoebe was having negative side effects to the prednisone.  They wanted to put her on a different steroid but before switching, the vet consulted with a colleague at the Oklahoma State Vet School.  After reviewing her information OSU didn't think she had inflammatory bowel disease but rather had developed an aversion to eating.  They also said they had received several calls regarding fake snow.  I knew it!  Of course, the manufacturers claim it is not toxic and it may not be, but it is definitely an irritant to animals.  They thought the snow could have caused the inflammation and recommended we give Phoebe an appetite stimulant to get her to eat.  She instantly responded to the stimulant but the first night we gave it to her she became very lethargic, uncoordinated and disoriented.  The vet said 1 in 10 cats have that reaction so she said of course Phoebe would be the 1 - ha!  All it took was decreasing the dose and she was eating like Takeru Kobayashi.  Christmas Day she was really acting back to herself and eating well so we decreased the dose to once a day and today the vet told us we could stop giving it to her all together :)

It is such a relief to have Phoebe feeling good again!  Sorry to make a short story long!  Having a sick pet can be stressful at times due to the fact they can't communicate with you.  The cause of the illness can become a guessing game of sorts but we love our vet and know our four legged friends are always in good hands there. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday!  I will blog more about my Holiday happenings and subsequent Holiday hangover later this week....

Copy Cat Chic - Shoes Addition

Who doesn't love the copy cat chic blog?  Lately I've been doing my own copy catting but in the shoes department.  For some reason I'm really digging faux fur this season and I say some reason because fur has never really been my thing.  I've always associated fur with women who start drinking scotch and water at four o'clock in the afternoon.  Who knows, maybe I'm maturing?  I should point out real fur is still not my thing.  I'm not going to go all PETA on you and I do think Tavia would make a pretty coat...

 but I just can't get into it! I don't see any harm in the faux look and in my search for a pair of black non-heeled boots I was really drawn to the faux fur pairs.  Particularly this pair.

While I've never really been into Uggs, I was digging these!  Of course they came with the $250 Ugg price tag which is kind of ridiculous and I came to my senses AB said absolutely not.  In hind sight he was right, they are trendy and as soon as they go out of style I will no longer wear them.  Lucky for me I was able to find a similar pair at Express for 1/5 the cost!  I love them and I especially love that I didn't pay a fortune for them!

The story of these boots reminded me of a similar copy cat shoe experience I had last year so I just had to share!  Everyday I walk one or two blocks to my office building from the parking lot which is absolutely no big deal, I enjoy the exercise.  Although, when it rains small streams and ponds seem to pop up everywhere on that small journey and I'm always soaking my shoes and the bottom of my jeans.  As you know, denim does not dry!  So I decided to break down and buy a pair of the ever so trendy rain boots.  Of course I fell in love with these Sperry's, the most expensive pair I could find (my standard M.O.)

Even AB didn't have to tell me it was crazy to spend $80 on a pair of shoes I was only going to wear in the rain.  After some Internet scouring I came across these very similar boots from Walmart - yes! Walmart!  And again I only paid a fraction of the cost.

What girl doesn't love a good deal on a pair of shoes? 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

This year we embarked on getting our first Christmas Tree, or I should say our first full size tree.  In years past we've used this little guy as our main tree.

I'm still using him but I decided after 4.5 years of marriage combined with the fact that we are hosting Christmas, we should have a full size tree in our living room.  I set out online to do some browsing and came across this beauty from the Martha Stewart Living collection at Home Depot.

My head was swimming with visions of how beautiful she would look in my living room.  It was love at first sight!  Unfortunately for me love can be a little blind and those beautiful snow flocked branches...

...were a disaster!  Putting the tree up and fluffing the branches caused snowpocolypse 2011 right in our living room.  Not to mention I'm married to a neat freak so the messiness of the snow was not going over well with him.  But it just looked so beautiful, I was determined to make it work even if that meant vacuuming every day!

That is until this Lil' Bit started chewing on said snow flocked branches and ingesting all the fake snow.

Within a day of the tree being up she started acting very lethargic which is not like her at all!  She is usually into everything and getting into places she should not be (ahem)...

We knew something was up and after a couple of trips to the vet it was determined Phoebe had an obstruction in her stomach that would require exploratory surgery.  She had the surgery on Thursday and they pulled out a very large, congealed hair ball (gross!) from her stomach.  This was the best case scenario of what could have been in there but while they had her open they noticed some of her bowels and pancreas were inflamed which could actually be the cause of her sickness.  They did a biopsy and we should have the results this week.  Either of the inflammatory diseases she possibly has are very treatable which is good news, the bad news is she hasn't been doing so well since the surgery :(  She's had a fever and refuses to eat which puts her at risk for some sort of liver disease.  Lucky for us she is in good hands!  The vet's office has been keeping her on an IV of fluids and antibiotics and they have also been force feeding her (something we would have a hard time doing).  She's been keeping her food down which is good and this afternoon we found out her temp is down a degree!  This is the first day we have not been able to visit her which has been hard because we miss her!

I have a hard time believing the fake snow ingestion is a coincidence although it very well could be.  The vet agreed that the snow could have helped the hair stick together in her stomach and I'm thinking it could cause some inflammation issues.  Needless to say I didn't want to always wonder if it was just a coincidence so the tree in all it's snow flocked glory came down!  A big thank you to my BIL for coming over, taking it apart and boxing it up for me!  AB was out of town and I couldn't even get the top part off by myself!

Maybe we'll find one next year, maybe not, after all Christmas isn't about the tree!

Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I think Thanksgiving is a great Holiday, one that makes you sit back and think about all the things you have to be thankful for.  My life is not perfect but I have nothing to complain about; my husband and I both have good jobs, good health and a roof over our heads.  Sometimes I think we take these things for granted because so many people in this world have none of those things! 

I've been studying nonstop this past week but the little part of Thanksgiving I got to participate in was very enjoyable!  I was very thankful that my BIL & SIL hosted this year because A) they live in town which meant I could go and B) I didn't have to do anything.  I know that is terrible but I'm very stressed so it was nice just to show up.  I did contribute a jello and it seemed to be a big hit so I'm not a total loser!  Thursday also happened to be our niece Lilly's birthday.  After we ate our delicious meal, she opened presents and had cake which was fun.  Her cute little boy cousins from my SIL's family were there, the oldest one just cracks me up! 

Today my brain feels like a fried Turkey!  I went to warm up my coffee and stuck it in the refrigerator.  Oy!  I'm very nervous about tomorrow which is weird because I'm usually not nervous but I've passed the other three parts and so this could potentially be my last one!  I got very close the first time  I took it (72, you need a 75) so I'm hoping I've done enough to push me to a passing score.  The part I'm taking covers a lot of material.  Some of it comes very easy to me because I do it every day but most of it just makes my brain hurt!  The test is 4 hours long so if you happen to think of me tomorrow between 1:00pm-5:00pm I would really appreciate you sending some positive vibes my way :)

I want to finish this post by telling you what I am most thankful for this year and that is my husband!  He has been so supportive of me and very encouraging.  He puts up with me when I am an irrational crazy person stressed and pretty much caters to my every need :)  I like giving him a hard time about being super frugal and a Ba-Hum-Bug when it comes to the Holidays but he really is the best!

Pip Squeak

Yesterday I made a mad dash to the mall to try on some dresses at Ann Taylor Loft.  I found two, both on sale - score!  As I was basking in my I got such a good deal glory I stopped by the kiosk in front of the Apple store that puts permanent screen protectors on iphones and computers.  The stick on protector I have for my iphone is looking worn out and I had heard people at the office talking about the permanent ones.  There was a kid working the kiosk who looked to be late high school/early college age.  I asked him if he could write the prices down on a business card but he suggested I take a picture of them with my phone (kids!).  As I was doing this he asked me if I had the new ios5 system downloaded to which I answered yes.  He then told me he had a cool trick he could show me.  I asked him if it was the fact you can use your camera without unlocking your phone.  He said, and I quote "Yes!  That's awesome - my Mom would never be able to figure that out!"  {Insert Record Scratch Here}  In my head I said - Hold up - Your Mom?!!  I'm no spring chicken but there is NO WAY I look old enough to be your Mom you little pip squeak!  In real life I just smiled, turned around, walked out of the mall and felt deflated for the rest of the evening.

Dunkin' Donuts K-Cups

What's that noise?  Are those angels singing?  I think it might be and the wonderful sound of their music appears to be coming from this box on my desk!

My sweet friend Alisha brought these back from St. Louis for me.  You see, I love Dunkin' Donuts coffee and I was super excited when I found out DD was going to start making K-Cups, the only problem is they only sell the K-Cups at DD stores.  And why is this a problem you ask?  Well, we don't have a DD here in T-Town.

I'm so excited about these, you have no idea!  Who wants to come over for a cup of Joe?

Happenings

Sorry for the MIAness that's been going on lately.  I've been really focused on my studies which doesn't leave room for much else.  I thought I'd give some highlights as to what's been going on with us for the past month.

We got all spiffed up for a fundraiser benefiting Clarehouse.  Clarehouse is a place here in Tulsa that provides end of life care for individuals who are unable to take on the financial burden themselves.

My friend Janice (to my right) is on the board for Clarehouse.  It was fun to spend the evening with friends I hadn't seen in awhile and support such a great cause!

Then we jetted off to Savannah...

where we stayed in this quaint little Bed & Breakfast.  I hope to blog in more detail about this trip when I have the time.

Last weekend I took this Pre-Ker to the donut shop.  She is going to be 5 in a few weeks...5!  I can't believe she is growing up so fast!

I made some crafty treats for our Trick-or-Treat event at work.  I got the idea from one of Katie's Weekly Faves posts which lead me to this post on Living Locurto which eventually lead me to these.  I was happy with how they turned out!

In other Halloween news this little Cheeser refused to wear his turtle costume!  My SIL Erin and her mom made it so I'm sure it was adorable.  She told me they took him out to walk around and at one point a ghost fell out of a tree and he said "I scared" and wouldn't take his eyes off the ground until they got to the car.  My brother told me that has now become his ploy to get hugs and snuggles (as if he needed one).  He'll say "I scared" or "Jude scared" and run up and hug you.  So cute!

While we're on the topic of cuteness I have to share this picture.  It's so indicative of my two cats' personalities.  Tavia is so cautious and reserved while Phoebe is so uninhibited and in your face but they are definitely equal in the joy bringing department!

Although I've been MIA from my own blog, I promise I've been keeping up with all of your blogs but I'm usually reading them from my phone on a study break at the library so sorry for the lack of comments.  Happy weekend!

Not So Wordless Wednesday

I couldn't really post this picture without a few words.  Studying for the CPA exam isn't just hard because of the content of the study material, the time you have to commit and the things you give up in order to study for it is just as hard.  My social life has totally plummeted, I hope my friends will still invite me to things when it's finally over.  I definitely don't see my family as often as I would like.  I love being an aunt and the three people I miss the most are in the picture below.

Happy October!

I finally got around to putting out my Halloween decorations.  I think Halloween is so much fun and I'm slowly but surely adding to my collection of decorations.  I found this cute little item at Mecca Coffee Company here in Tulsa.



Here's my mantle.  I'm not a huge fan of the Ansel Adams poster but until I find something else, it's better than nothing.  Let me rephrase, until AB agrees to let me buy what I want for the mantle it's better than just bricks ;)

I got the cute little owls and the Spooky sign at Pier One, I think I got the other owl at Target last year and I've had the straw pumpkins for awhile.

 I found this friendly witch at Joann Fabric and the cute little witch hats are Halloween ornaments from Pier One.

We made a trip to the pumpkin patch yesterday with our friends Brian, Alisha and their daughter Emily.  It was a beautiful day, perfect weather!  I grabbed some pumpkins for our porch.  I searched high and low for a fall wreath this year and I found plenty I liked but none I was willing to spend the big bucks for.  Who knew wreaths were so expensive!  I found this cute ghost sign at Joann Fabric and I got the cute spider door mat at Crate and Barrel last year.

I hope you all are having fun decorating for fall!  I can't wait for the weather to follow suit...I'm ready for some chill :)

Fund Raising

It's that time of year!  There are about 10 different sales forms in the kitchen at my office; you can buy anything from summer sausage to wrapping paper!  I've noticed there are certain individuals that buy from every kid no matter what and I think - wow that is so nice!  I'm usually a Scrooge when it comes to this stuff and surprisingly Mr. Cheapo Phillipo, aka the man I married, is not!  I cannot even tell you how many magazines, chocolate bars and terrible home decorating items we've ended up with over the years because he says YES to every kid who comes to the door. 

Maybe I'm a Scrooge because I was painfully shy and loathed fundraising as a kid.  I remember begging my Dad to take my forms to work like all the other parents did, but he wouldn't do it.  He told me if I wanted to make the sell I had to come to his office and ask people in person.  Of course that did not happen and as a result I did not sell anything to anyone other than my parents but guess what? My school didn't collapse!   We still had an abundant amount of Kleenex to go around, we didn't have to prick our fingers for ink alternatives and we didn't have to eat peanut butter and jelly in the parking lot for prom as my history teacher, Mr. Wallace, predicted!

So this year seeing all those forms every time time I get a cup of coffee and wondering what it is my tax dollars pay for, the guilt got to me and I decided to be a little more giving on the fundraiser front.  I sponsored a walkathon and bought something out of a magazine.  Of course I immediately felt bad because there were two kids selling from the same magazine but truly only one thing interested me out of that entire thing so I had to choose one kid over the other ug! (I honestly chose without looking at the name on the form to be fair).  The same week I was home studying my little heart out when the door bell rang and surprise! there was a kid on the other side selling stuff for school.   I don't know what came over me but my new giving ways just flew out the window and I told him to beat it because I just bought a bunch of junk at work.  Actually I was much nicer than that but ug again!  Telling that kid no haunted me for the rest of the evening and I'll tell you why.  That kid didn't just have his parents do his dirty work for him by taking his forms up to their office and leaving them out in the break room.  He was going door to door to perfect strangers which not only takes courage but determination and I just shot him down!  I know he's got to face rejection at some point in his life but I could have spared the $10 - what is wrong with me?  I've always been shocked that AB says yes to every kid that comes to the door but now I get it!  AB is an extremely hard worker and in turn he appreciates hard workers no matter what type of work they are doing and let me tell you something, selling stuff door to door is hard work! 

All of this has brought me to my new school fundraising policy.  I plan to go back to my old ways with the forms in the kitchen, unless there is something I absolutely can't live without, but if you come to my door I'll definitely say yes!  I hope none of my neighbors read this blog.  I look forward to a lifetime supply of gift labels ;)

**Side note - Edison Middle School be on the lookout for a gentleman of large stature looking for the summer sausage we ordered a month ago to support the music program but never received.  He will find you kid in the black shirt and glasses who plays the clarinet, he will find you!

Not So Wordless Wednesday: A Request

I interrupt my normal wordless post with a request. I'm requesting thoughts and prayers for our dear friends Dallas and Sarah. They received some disheartening news today about their sweet little Rhett. You can read about it by clicking here. AB has known Dallas and Sarah since college and they are one of the neatest couples I have the privilege of knowing. AB and I are just sick about what they are going through right now! Dallas and Sarah have admirable faith and I just know in my heart of hearts that everything is going to be ok! Thank you for thinking of them!

Milk and Cookie Party

This weekend my friend Alisha threw the cutest milk & cookie party for her daughter Emily's 1st birthday.

Invitations went out to convene at Emily's Sweet Shoppe

Aren't these the cutest cupcake toppers?

Lots of cookie choices

Jars for the milk

Quite the food spread

The cutest banners

Emily had fun opening all of her gifts, she was seriously interested in each and every one!

Something she wasn't so interested in...the cake! She wasn't sure what she thought of it but it sure looked good!

Sweet Emily with her Mom & Dad

All of Alisha's hard work paid off - it was a great party and I think Emily had lots of fun!