Yesterday, my mother and I left for Huntsville about 7:00 and did not return home until about 4:30. We were tired. After my dentist appointment, we ate breakfast. After that, we hit Sam's, Staples, Belk's, Dillard's, The Fresh Market, The Pink Pelican, Target and Publix. At Sam's, I bought a new TV and the Mad Men Season 1 DVD Collection. At Belk's, I bought a black Calvin Klein shift. I'm going to wear it with a sweater on Easter Sunday. I was going to wear my bright pink Lilly sweater, but my mother bought a coral jacket to wear with her black shift. We don't want to look too matchy. I may wear a yellow or green sweater.

Friday night, a friend of the family was killed in a car accident. He had a head on collision with a couple of girls in another car. Also killed in the accident was a 15 year old girl. There was a 16 year old girl that was seriously injured and we later heard that she died. There was another car in the accident. Fortunately, the 4 guys in that car were only slightly injured. It was so sad. We went to the funeral home and there were so many people there. My sister went an hour later and could not get near the register. Everybody knew this guy and adored him.

It has been pouring down rain outside for several hours. At least we did not get the bad thunderstorms that they said we were. South Alabama and South Mississippi got the worst of it. I heard that in South Alabama they had baseball size hail. That will beat a car to pieces. It will also put dents in a metal roof.

My sister is upset with her foster sons. Both are good students and make good grades, except this time, one got a D in English and the other got a D in History. She is more upset about the D in English, because she is an English teacher. I told the other one that I'd help him with his History, since I have a degree in it.

I found out yesterday that since I'm a fire warden on our floor, I get to wear an orange vest when we have to go outside when the alarm rings. Whoopee! It sounds like something from the 6th grade. I bet Queenie wishes she was a fire warden so that she can wear the orange vest.

Monday, I have to go to the dentist in Huntsville. I'm taking a vacation day so that I don't have to rush back to work. My mother is going with me, and we plan to do a little shopping.

I hope that everyone has a good weekend. I hope that the weather does not get too bad where you live.

It rained all night long. It finally stopped around 8:00 this morning. I suppose that we really need it. It is suppose to rain through Saturday. This afternoon was warm and sunny.

Today, I got my books that I ordered from Amazon.com. I read Social Climbers by Beth Dunn during lunch. So far, so good. It sort of reminds me of Devil in the Junior League.

Queenie has been wearing clothes that I have not seen before. They must be new. Everything has looked nice and sensible until today. She had on a top that looked like a maternity top. It had a scoop neck. She wore a black lacy camisole underneath. I could see it peaking about the neckline. Even with the camisole, you could still see the sisters...alot...about 3 inches of cleavage. I had to turn my head away. When will she learn?

It has been raining here all day. It is pouring right now. According to The Weather Channel, we are supposed to have thunderstorms overnight.

This afternoon when I was in the restroom, Queenie came in. I thought she was talking to me, but she was talking to herself. She continued to talk to herself the entire time. As she was leaving, she acted like she finally resolved whatever she was talking about. My coworker and I think that's strange, don't you?

Starting last week, I began adding a few things to my beauty regimen. I have been putting Aquaphor under my eyes, exfoliating my body every morning, pushing back my cuticles, buffing my nails, etc. Tonight, I'm going to grease my feet real good with Aquaphor and then sleep with socks. I'm determined that I'm going to look good for spring. Short sleeve and sandal weather will be here before you know it. Now if only I could lose a few pounds, I'd feel good.

I haven't been able to post. My cable and internet have been down since Sunday. I think it may have been disconnected from the outside. What's so bad is that I missed "Desperate Housewives" and "Gossip Girl". I guess I can watch them on the internet.

It's supposed to rain the remainder of the week. I hope it rinses all of the pollen off of my car. Of course, I just washed it Sunday. Now it is all yellow.

Is it just me? I was raised that you don't wear spring clothes until Easter. I see so many people with spring clothes and sandals already. I'm beginning to feel self conscious with my winter clothes. Tomorrow, I'm going to wear a charcoal gray wool skirt, pink OCBD and a light gray merino sweater. At least I'll have on pink.

I hope everyone has a nice Wednesday (Hump Day YAY!)

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. It is gorgeous outside here in North Alabama. The sun is shining bright and there is not a cloud in the sky. The high today is supposed to be 66. On days like today, I just want to get in my car and drive to wherever my car takes me. Supper Club is going to eat in a town about 2o miles away. We have to be there at 5:30, but we are leaving at 4:20. We are going to take our time and enjoy the beautiful day.

A friend of the family just came in and bought a 12 pack of Coors Light. He said that his son, who was a pallbearer at my father's funeral, called him from Ireland. He is on his way home from Iraq and wanted a 12 pack of beer sitting in his refrigerator when he got home. I should have gave it to him. Maybe we can give him another thing of beer before he goes back. He goes back in a few weeks, but will be home for good in September.

I gained a pound this past week. I'm hoping that it was what I ate last night. It was good, but a little too salty for my taste. I decided that Monday night, I am going to walk on the treadmill. I am going to start out slow and build up. I try to take the stairs at work when I can, but in the past few months, sometimes when I start down the stairs, I have a split second panic attack. Our HR Director caught me having a slight attack one day and advised me not to take them. I was surprised, because she never takes the elevator, always the stairs.

Everything seems to be working out with the store. (I hope I don't jinx us) The buyer's loan was approved and the appraiser will be here tomorrow. A couple of weeks ago, the people that lease the restaurant decided that they didn't want it anymore. Yesterday, they said that they changed their minds. I think there were some minor problems that caused them to make a hasty decision. My mother is questioning whether we are doing the right thing. I know how she feels. I think with everything working out the way it is, we are. The buyer is a nice person who loves people and loves owning a liquor store. She said that she has wanted this store for a long time and was just waiting for the appropriate time to approach us. I think she will take the store and love it like my father did. I hope the customers will show her as much love and respect as they did us.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their weekend.

Tomorrow is the last day of spring break for the kids here in Alabama. That means that everyone will be back at work on Monday. It's been a nice quiet week at work.

This morning, we heard sirens outside. We rushed to the window to see a Indy race car speeding down the street with motorcycle cops all around. Then they came back speeding up the street. In the passenger seat was our illustrious mayor. How dangerous it that? Speeding down a major downtown street. There is a lot of pedestrian traffic. Some of the pedestrians are elderly people, children, ever blind people. What if there had been an accident? There are 2 speedways in the area. You'd have thought that they would use one of them. Barber Motor Speedway is about 30 minutes away. That's where they test drive Porsche's and Ferrari's. But, then nobody would have gotten to see the mayor in a sports car. BFF said that he was being OJ. (the mayor was arrested a few months ago and is facing charges in federal court)

Tomorrow, I have to fill in for the mail guy. I think I'll dress real casual since no one will be there. I'm going to wear LL Bean chinos, a Lilly Pulitzer long sleeved olive green polo, bright pink with white polka dot belt from Morgan & Company and topsiders. That seems mighty comfortable. Naturally, I'll have on my pearls.

I hope everyone has a Happy Friday.

I finally got to watch the Martha Stewart Lilly Pulitzer show. I saw many familiar faces. Also, Hopsy, you were wonderful. You were so cute and polite. You were just the way I figured you'd be. I can't wait for an occasion to make the Key Lime Mojitas. The looked wonderful.

After I watched Martha, I went to amazon.com and finally ordered Social Climbers by Beth Dunn. I also ordered Some Nerve by Jane Heller. If you haven't ever read any of Jane Heller's novels, I highly recommend them. I have read almost all of them, some more than once. I actually started reading them by accident. I picked up The Club by accident at the book store. I meant to get another book. The next time I was at the book store, I bought the others that she wrote. I buy a new one every year. I also ordered The Filthy Rich Handbook. It was only $3.99.

FYI - I noticed that Eliza B has $10 off sandals until March 31.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

I hope everyone had a Happy St. Patrick's Day. It's the one day out of the year that everyone is Irish. BFF reminded me today that Pres. Obama is more Irish than I am. Oh, well.

It was a beautiful day here in the Magic City. The temps were in the 70's. I left work early and enjoyed the ride home. With this warm weather, I can't wait to break out the spring clothes. I still need to lose some more weight so that some of my skirts fit a little looser.

FYI, CK Bradley has grosgrain belts on sale for $10.

Preppy Pink Crocodile requested my recipe for chicken salad. My cousin made the chicken salad. I don't know the exact measurements for the ingredients, but she used chicken (of course), red grape halves, pecans, finely chopped celery, salt, mayonnaise and sour cream. My favorite chicken salad is DC Chicken Salad at The Corner Bakery. The ingredients for that is chicken, chopped granny smith apple, currants, red onion (I use just a little bit), finely chopped celery, slivered almonds, salt and mayonnaise. I just play with the amounts. I've eaten chicken salad that is just chicken, celery, lemon juice and mayo, and it is sort of bland. I read that the secret to good chicken salad is to bake the chicken instead of boiling it. I hope this helps. My sister has a real good recipe for chicken salad. I'll get it from her the next time I am home and will post it.

I haven't posted in a few days. Friday, I was supposed to leave work at noon, but I didn't leave until 1:00. I got tied up with lunch leftovers. When I got to my mother's, I got busy making the filling for cucumber sandwiches. It turned out great, if I do say so myself. I was able to make 88 finger sandwiches. I only had to feed about 20-25 people.

The shower for my cousin's daughter-in-law went great. The food was delicious. We had cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad in fillo cups, sausage balls, cheese straws, spinach dip, cupcakes and punch. A cousin that has cancer made a ton of baby shower mints and a pair of baby booties out of the mint dough. A southern lady soiree is not complete without sausage balls and cheese straws. My cousin does not like the daughter-in-law's sister at all, but was forced to invite her. She behaved, but I could tell that she can be a bully. My sister told horror stories about her. Everybody seemed to have a good time and the baby got tons of presents. It will not have to go naked. After it was over, I went back to my mother's house and took an hour nap.

Yesterday was another lazy day. After church, my mother and I ate lunch with her friend. Afterwards, we went to two cemeteries and then home. We took a 30 minute nap. I don't know what the reason for the naps was.

Today was a quiet day at work. Everyone is out for spring break. I paid bills, did my taxes, read and called LL Bean. I was looking for a long Bayside Twill skirt, but they only had one left and it was not my size. I guess I'm going to have to find another source for twill skirts.

Thank you all for your suggestions about watching Martha Stewart. Unfortunately, my cable does not have FLN. Maybe in a few days it will be on the internet to watch.

Today was busy at work. We had my boss's going away luncheon. I was in charge of the food and getting the dining room set up. I was really scared that something would go wrong, but everything went fine. I was afraid that we would run out of food. I was told to order food for 75 and there are 150+ people that work in our building and all were invited, plus some of our attorneys. There was enough food left over for the secretaries on our floor to enjoy lunch on the leftovers tomorrow. There were also 3 whole pies, plus parts of 3 others.

We let Queenie go up early to fix her plate so that she could get back to catch the phones while my coworker and I helped people with their drinks and with the clean up. Twice she was told that we were nervous about there being enough food. She piled her plate with meat, got 3 cheese biscuits, about 30 pickle slices and 2 pieces of pie. As she was in line, she remarked, "This food has to feed 75 people?" I couldn't believe her. She said this after she filled her plate. She said it like she doubted that it would. She acted like she didn't get much, because she didn't have an appetite. I think that there were enough people that took small portions to even out the ones that took large portions. Despite her being a pig, it went fine.

Tomorrow, I leave work at noon to go to my mother's. My sister and I have to get ready for a baby shower that we are hosting at my sister's house. We invited close to 30 people and so far only 2 regrets. I hope it doesn't get too crowded.

In case I don't get to post this weekend, I hope everyone enjoys the weekend.

I missed Martha Stewart today. I checked my local listings and could not find a time for the show. I tried the website and could not find a video to view. Does anyone know how I can view the show on the internet? I so wanted to catch a glimpse of everyone, especially Hopsy.

I think I may go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow is a big day at work.

I hope everyone has a nice Thursday.

I arrived at work today to an email that I was to order lunch for 75 for Thursday. YIKES! I got it ordered. It is lunch for my boss that's leaving. I also went up to the dining room and rearranged all the tables and chairs..all by myself. Tomorrow I need to clean the tables and get someone to help me move some heavy tables into the dining room. Nothing like last minute plans.

Today, I read in Business Alabama that Bernie Madoff attended the University of Alabama during his freshman year. BFF said, "That explains a lot". I hope we didn't offend any Alabama Alumni. Remember, BFF and I graduated from Auburn.

As I write this, I'm watching a PBS special with Andrea Bocelli. I just love to hear him sing. He is so talented, and he seems like someone who enjoys life to the fullest. I am going to suggest to my sister and brother-in-law that they play "Because We Believe" at the Relay for Life. I think it will be a good song for either when the cancer survivors take their walk, or when the participants walk in memory and in honor of those that have been stricken with cancer.

All these posts about preppy things has me remembering my younger days. I remember my first Gin & Tonic. When I was in college, I was in Circle K. One summer, I went to a Circle K convention in Chicago. While there, I met some guys from Babson College. They were so preppy. For some reason, they were taken with me. I think it was the southern accent, or maybe they had never met a preppy southern girl. Most Circle K'ers were not very preppy. I don't think they had ever heard a southern lady speak. They invited me to a party, where they were serving gin & tonics. I was normally a vodka person, but after one G&T, I was hooked. I never saw Craig, Peter or Schwen again, but I still credit them for making gin & tonics my favorite drink. When TOPH came out, I read where Babson College was the most preppy college. Every once in a while, I drink a toast to the "Boys from Babson".

Tonight, when I was playing on the computer, I signed up for facebook. I haven't created a profile, yet, but I will in time.

I hope everyone has a good Tuesday.

100+ Preppy Things From Preppy Cafe

A couple of 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.

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
3. 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
37. 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.

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Summit. I went to Anthropolgie to look for something pretty to use as a mat for my table. I didn't see anything, but I may check back. It was hard to look, because there was so many people there. I ended up buying a juice glass that was on sale and a book. The book is "How to be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life" by Melissa Hellstern. I then went to Vera Bradley and bought a change purse to use to put lipstick in. I got the Cupcake Green pattern. Kelly green is my favorite color. I'm so glad that it is making a big comeback this year. I cruised through Swoozies. I say too much that I wanted, so I left. I then went to Barnes & Noble and then to Belk's. at Barnes & Noble I bought a 3 CD set of Vladimir Horowitz, the great pianist. I love classical piano music, but do not have any CD's. I put the CD's in my CD player and played them all night. I am really enjoying them. The parking lot at the Summit was packed. On the way home, I stopped by Target. There weren't that many people there. They were all at the Summit.

When I got home, I watched old Nancy Drew movies and downloaded some CD's onto I-tunes. I then organized everything into separate playlists. Now, I can't find the cord or the earbuds for my Ipod. I have looked everywhere. I think I am going to look again.

Today, I plan on reading and watching TV. I have not had a lazy weekend in a long time. I was really going to take advantage of it, but now I'm bored. Maybe looking for my Ipod accessories will help me get organized and feel like I've accomplished something.

I got a few responses to my trip down memory lane. There were some suggestions about brands that I forgot about. Preppy 101 remembered John Meyer and Villager. Mom on the Run said that Villager is now sold at Kohl's. Her Preppiness reminded me of J. G. Hook. Another brand that I thought about was Dottie Smith. Dottie Smith made preppy jewelry and accessories. I still have several pieces of Dottie Smith jewelry. I have goldtone ladybug earrings and the scatter pin to match. I also have a couple of Dottie Smith circle pins. Dottie Smith also made the belt buckles that were worn with belt strips. My sister and her friends could kill me for throwing away my belt strips. I bet I had close to 100. I had a Dottie Smith tote. It was kelly green with a navy bottom and straps. Where the navy and kelly met was a ribbon with daisies on it. For some reason a couple of years ago, I convinced myself that I still owned this tote. I tore my closet to pieces looking for it. I never did find it. I must have thrown it away.

Speaking of Villager, I was reminded of a date I had back in the early 80's. At the time, I worked at a Savings & Loan and we had navy polyester double knit uniforms and they were not very lovely. A coworker asked me out on a date (a big no-no, no "fishing off the company pier"). We went to eat at a popular restaurant. I wore a Villager outfit that my parents had bought me. It was a 100% wool navy skirt, 100% wool kelly green blazer and a 100% cotton navy/red/kelly plaid blouse (all natural fibers). I thought I looked cute. Dinner went okay, but there was not that much chemistry there. The next day, he told the switchboard operator (the mouth of the south) that I wore my uniform skirt! I was really upset, because I would not be caught dead outside of work in my uniform. Needless to say, I never went out with him again and was a little cold to him for a while.

A fried of mine was talking at Christmas about clothes. She said that when she graduated from college, her father bought her a J. B. Hook suit to start her first job. She said that she was so proud of that suit. I had a red/navy/hunter green plaid J. G. Hook skirt. I still have a few pairs of J. G. Hook socks. I also had J. G. Hook hair accessories. They are plaid plastic. I may still have those. As you can tell, if I really like something, I don't have the heart to throw it away.

This weekend, I am staying in Birmingham. I want a nice relaxing weekend. I have a few little projects that I want to work on, but nothing strenuous. I want to organize the bookcase that I bought at the bank, update my Ipod, review and label VCR tapes that I want to keep, and watch TV. I decided that I'm going to eat low maintenance meals. I stopped by O'Carr's Deli and got some of their delicious chicken salad. I bought fruit at Publix and plenty of tea and No Sugar Added Fudgesicles. This morning, I woke up fairly early (for me on Saturday). I gave the old men time to go eat breakfast and go home, then I went to Edgar's Bakery. I got the sausage mushroom quiche and a fruit cup. I bought a lemon blueberry muffin for tomorrow. The quiche was the best that I ever ate. I wish I had bought an extra slice for tomorrow morning instead of the blueberry muffin. But, I figure that's what makes it special. I love quiche, but there are very few places around here to get it. I'm not a good quiche maker. The Fresh Market has good looking quiche. Maybe when they run it on sale, I should buy a whole quiche, cut it in serving size pieces and freeze it.

This afternoon, I'm going to go to the Summit and shop. I'm going to do more browsing than shopping. I want to look at Anthropologie for some mats to go on my new table. I don't want to ruin the top when I put my TV and DVR on the top. I know what I want, but I can't seem to find it. I want something navy and pink. I also need to go to Vera Bradley to see about getting a small cosmetic bag for my purse. I want it to organize my lipstick. Then to Barnes & Noble to get the latest paperback tea shop mystery by Laura Childs.

I hope everyone has a good weekend. I may be back from time to time.

I got caught up at work today...like that's a big accomplishment.

Like most of you, I read a lot of preppy clothing and Trad clothing blogs. My late father sold Trad clothing for many years, so I've always been familiar with the style and the brands. I have never been afraid to admit that I am a brand person. I have never had the knack for looking at or feeling a garment to determine the quality (or lack thereof). I go by brands. Reading these blogs makes me miss the brands that I use to trust. Remember Carroll Reed and Eagles' Eye? I think they were sister companies. I still have several turtlenecks and jackets that I bought at Carroll Reed and at the Eagles' Eye outlet and they still look good. I think that says a lot about the quality. My favorite brand for OCBD's was Ms. Sero. I think it was the ladies division of Sero, maker of men's shirts. I had Ms. Sero blouses in every color, stripe and collar style. I used to wear Tanner blouses. For those of you too young or unfamiliar, Tanner blouses were white cotton blouses with a peter pan collar. The collar and sleeves were piped in either red, navy, kelly green or khaki. A lot of my friends had Tanner sweaters, but I was not a big fan. I owned plent of Dean's sweaters and Garland sweaters. I don't think either company is still around. Remember Bobbie Brooks and College Town? Those were the top companies for polyester double knit ensembles. They were sold in medium priced stores. Now, I think Bobbie Brooks is sold at WalMart. Back in the day, most preppy clothing came from the Pappagallo Shop, The Talbots, The Tog Shop or LL Bean. Does anyone remember Peter Popovitch? The skirts were loud prints worn with white tees that had a swatch of the skirt fabric on the chest. This outfit was worn with a pair of Tretorns that had a gullwing that was the color of the skirt. Of course, when I wasn't wearing Tretorns, I was wearing my Bass Weejuns with the bow/tassel. I miss my old preppy clothes. And it's hard to find substitutes. Does anyone feel that way, but me?

I guess every once in a while, we need a walk down memory lane.

I hope everyone has a good Friday.

I haven't had much to say the past couple of days. Just two boring days at work.

Tonight, one of my favorite Two and a Half Men is on. You remember the one where Charlie is depressed because he broke his engagement with Mia. Jake is wearing that stupid hat and Charlie and Allen are talking about Charlie's drinking, gambling and sex. They mentioned their mother's "vodka knockers" and Jake, in a James Bond voice goes, "Knockers, Vodka Knockers". For some reason that always cracks me up. I laugh over the stupidest things.

This morning on the way to work, I developed a slight sinus headache. When I got to work, I took a non-drowsy sinus tablet. In about 45 minutes, it had not gone away, so I took another non-drowsy sinus tablet. It finally went away. For the past few hours, I've been afraid to close my eyes. I've been afraid that I would fall asleep. I have been so drowsy. My eyelids were so heavy. Now that I'm at home and can take a nap, I'm wired.

My boss went to West Palm Beach over the weekend. Yesterday, his flight back home was cancelled. He couldn't get another flight, so he had to rent a car and drive home. He made an 11 hour trip in about 10 1/2 hours and that included stopping for meals and restroom breaks. I didn't expect him to be at work this morning, but he was there when I got there. Needless to say, he left early.

SNOW!!

We woke up to snow this morning. We did not get that much at my mother's, but Birmingham got between 3 and 5 inches. My neighbor told me that a friend called her and said that we made the Pittsburg news.

We refused the people's offer on the store. After some talking, they made it almost up to our asking price. I think they want it pretty bad. But, we are not going to "count our chickens before they hatch". It hasn't closed yet. The buyer is going to talk to his attorney, and my mother is going to talk to our accountant. Maybe I'll know more in a few days. I think my mother is excited at the prospect of getting a life.