The post that I did last week got more hits than any that I have ever posted.  I'll try to repost it every few months just for grins.

As hard as I tried to do good with my eating over the holidays, I ended up with tight skirts and jeans.  On December 27, I started the South Beach Diet.  I know it is not a very popular diet, but it works for me.  Today, I was able to get back in my most of my normal clothes.  But, I'm not stopping.  I still have about 20 more pounds of the 30 pounds that I gained over the past three years.  I have have been trying my best to lose it, with not much success.  I think now my attitude is right to be successful.

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

100+ Preppy Things From Preppy Cafe

I hope everyone is having a Happy New Year.

I posted this a few years ago and it was a popular post, so here it is again.

A few years ago, Elizabeth, along with her readers, created a list of 100+ Preppy things. It was supposed to be 100, but grew to 176. Here it is, courtesy of Elizabeth. I wish Elizabeth was still a part of the Preppy Bloggers.  Here's to her.

The Preppy Cafe 100+ Favorite Preppy Things List was compiled in 2005 with input from the entire Preppy Cafe community:

1. L.L. Bean Boat N’ Totes
2. Pearls
3. Tretorns
4. Stephen Bonanno Monogram Sandals
5. Dennis Bracelets
6. J. Crew Jeans
7. J. Crew Cable Knit Sweaters
8. Converse Sneakers
9. Sperry Topsiders
10. Lilly Pulitzer
11. Brooks Brothers
12. Polo Shirts
13. Lacoste Shirts
14. Eliza B. Sandals
15. Dooney Bags
16. Leatherman Belts
17. Fair Isle Sweaters
18. Madras Pants
19. L.L. Bean Boots
20. Minnetonka Moccasins
21. Corduroy Blazers
22. Wellies
23. Dover Saddlery
24. The Official Preppy Handbook
25. Tweed Blazers
26. Talbots
27. Cross Pens
28. Ribbon Headbands
29. Nantucket Knotworks
30. Norwegian Sweaters
31. Ribbon Watches
32. Riding Boots
33. Bass Loafers
34. Bedhead PJs
35. Plaid Skirts
36. Wool Blazers
37. Oxford Cloth Shirts
38. Susan Towner Totes
39. Sisters Too Bags
40. Irish Fisherman Sweaters
41. Helen Kaminski Hats
42. Rugby Shirts
43. Argyle Socks
44. Ribbon Keychains
45. Molly B. jackets
46. Mella Flip-flops
47. C.K. Bradley Dresses
48. Cape Hatteras Hammocks
49. Melly M.
50. Picnic Baskets
51. Preppy Potato Belts
52. Diamond Earrings
53. Polo Games
54. Remember When Signs (www.rememberwhensigns.com)
55. Seersucker pants, shorts or skirts
56. Pringle of Scotland cashmere sweaters
57. Nantucket reds
58. Vintage Coach bags
59. L.L. Bean Sportsman’s luggage (canvas with the leather trim)
60. Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches (stainless steel; NOT gold or two-tone!)
61. Cartier Classic Louis Cartier Tank watches
62. G & Ts
63. Bloody Marys
64. Fish House Punch
65. Vintage Mark Cross leather goods
66. Classic Burberry trenchcoats
67. Flannel sheets
68. Circle pins
69. Monogrammed sweaters
70. Monogrammed jewelry
71. Ribbon belts
72.Vinyard Vines
73. Madras Anything
74. Hadley Pollet Belts
75. Driving Loafers
76. Quilted Coats
77. CK Bradley
78. Embroidered Pants
79. Monogramed drinkware (e.g. like those at Tervis.
80. Vera Bradley (wallets, luggage, bags, etc.)
81. Longchamp handbags (especially those vinyl totes with leather handles)
82. Family crests
83. Lacrosse
84. Hair ribbons
85 Wide Wale corduroy clothing
86. Linen clothing
87. Croquet
88. Tennis
89. Sailing
88. Big sunglasses
89. C.J. Laing
90. Needlepoint pillows
91. Needlepoint eyeglass case
92. Needlepoint belt
93. Needlepoint shoes
94. Whale motif on anything-
95. Nantucket baskets
96. Espadrilles ( the authentic flat, French kind)
97. French navy and white striped sailor shirt
98. Lanz flannel nightgowns
99. Vintage Villager
100. Vintage Pappagallo
101. Bernardo Miami sandals
102. Horse bits on leather goods
103. Belgian Shoes
104. Vintage Rooster knit ties for men
105. Bermuda Bags
106. Toggle coats with hoods
107. Tortoise shell bracelets
108. Tennis sweater (off-white background with navy and maroon stripes)
109. Deck sneakers
110. Pierre Deux quilted bags (forerunner of Vera Bradley)
111. Kilt with big safety pin
112. Vintage windbreaker with hood and front zip pocket
113. Vintage navy or gray flannel Bermuda shorts
114. LL Bean duffle coats
115. J.G. Hook classic overcoats
116. LL Bean boots (all varities)
117. Skiing
118. Tailgate parties
119. Anything Tiffany
120. Bloodies
121. Duck decoys
122. JD Salinger
123. Volkswagen Jettas
124. Handwritten thank you notes on Monogrammed Stationery
125. Ferragamo and Delman flats
126. Tortoiseshell hair clips and headbands all year long; velvet betweenNovember and March
127. Bernardo Barefoot sandals
128. Preppiest holidays - Thanksgiving and Fourth of July
129. Rope bracelets
130. Signet rings
131. Gold lockets with engraved initials
132. Wooden-handled Nantucket handbags with button-on covers
133. Nantucket Lightship baskets
134. Scrimshaw
135. Khakis year-round; flannel-lined ones from LL Bean in the winter
136. White jeans for summer
137. The Gap
138. Oxford Shirts
139. Khaki pants
140. Pink and Green!!
141. Turtlenecks
142. and in the South - add-a-pearl necklaces
143. Pom-pom socks
144. Liberty prints
145. Ballet flats
146. Slingbacks
147. Volvo wagons
148. Murray’s Toggery Nantucket (See Nantucket Reds, above!)
149. White and dirty buck shoes with red crepe soles for men.
150. The Junior League
151. North Face Jackets
152. Charm Bracelets (I wear my Mom’s from the 60’s!)
153. Keds
154. Jumpers
155. Peacoats
156. Boiled wool jackets
157. Shirtdresses
158. Being well groomed
159. Tab
160. Cable knee socks
161. Vintage Carroll Reed
162. Tweed
163. Jack Russell Terrier
164. Toile
165. Katharine Hepburn
166. Jackie O
167. Nantucket
168. Martha’s Vineyard
169. West Palm
170. Golf
171. Cuff links
172. Grosgrain Ribbon
173. Monogrammed towels
174. Tailgating at the Hunt
175. Squash
176. “Popped” Collars.


I think this is a list of both traditional and modern preppy things.  

The holidays are almost over.  I had a great Christmas with my family.  My sister and brother-in-law have a 3 year old and a 1 year old.  Don't you know that Christmas was fun at their house.  The 3 year old is a foster son that they have had for 2 1/2 years.  The 1 year old is a little girl that they were able to adopt this year.  They unexpectedly got her when she was 2 days old.  She was born last December 27.  She is a gift from God. 

We enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner at my mother's house.  Our traditional menu is ham, potato salad, deviled eggs, bread for sandwiches, chips, pickles, brownies and/or cookies...on china.  After eating all of the heavy food during the season, a good ol' ham sandwich hits the spot.  My mother invited my sister's former foster son who is 21.  He brought his fiance and her son.  The fiance did not eat much and kept looking around the table with an appalled look on her face.  She looked like we had served liver and brains or something.  We still haven't figured out what her problem was.  Maybe she was expecting something fancier.  The children had a blast.  That is what it is all about.

Christmas Day was spent at my sister and brother-in-laws house.  They served cold cuts and the fixings for sandwiches.  We took our leftover potato salad, chips, pickles and cookies.  The children got more toys and had fun with children that came to visit.

Saturday, my sister took my niece to get her first haircut.  My appointment was at the same time, so I went and took pictures.  Afterwards, we went to my sister's house for a birthday party.  My niece loved being the center of attention.  She had her own cake and loved playing in it.  She was covered from head to toe in hot pink and purple frosting.  After she tossed it in the floor, she was taken to the bathtub for a bath.  A few minutes later, she was sound asleep.

My Christmas goodies included an Ipad, a floor lamp, picture frame with a picture of my new niece, and gift cards.  For Christmas, I bought myself a pair of Kate Spade On the Dot earrings and several boxes of Harney's tea.

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

Merry Christmas!!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

The best of tidings to all!

My Heart is Broken

Keeping the folks in Newtown, CT in my thoughts and prayers.

**The First Responders also need our prayers.  They showed up to a scene that was probably beyond what they could handle both professionally and psychologically.

My Favorite Holiday Shows/Movies

Below is a list of some of my favorite Holiday shows and movies:

1.  Home Alone
2.  Christmas Vacation
3.  Trading Places
4.  Holiday Inn
5.  White Christmas
6.  Scrooge
7.  Disney's A Christmas Carol
8.  Four Christmases
9.  Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
10. A Charlie Brown Christmas
11. The Nutcracker
12. Andrea Bocelli's My Christmas on PBS
13. Elf
14. The Christmas shows from Frasier

What are your favorite Holiday movies and shows?

Have a great Wednesday!

My Favorite Holiday Treats

I decided to make a list of my favorite holiday treats.  I'm sure that we all share a few of these.

1. Peppermint chocolate chip milkshake from Chick Fil-A (I always get a large)
2. Peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks
3. Holiday mint McFlurry from McDonald's
4. Harney & Sons Holiday Tea
5. Twining's Christmas Tea (I stock up and drink it year round)
6. Ghiradelli peppermint bark
7. Red and Green foil wrapped Reese's cups and Hershey's Kisses
8. Cella's chocolate covered cherries
9. A real Coca Cola
10. Queen's Cake (recipe from Colonial Williamsburg)
11. Shortbread
12. Homemade Fudge (made with cocoa, sugar & milk, not the stuff made from marshmallow cream)
13. Ham biscuits
14. Poinsettias (the drink, not the plant)
15. Mimosas
16. Homemade divinity

What are your favorite treats?

Have a great Wednesday.