GO BIG BLUE!!

Tomorrow night is the big game. My Kentucky Wildcats take on that other local team in the first round of the NCAA Final Four tournament. Can you tell I'm ready?

Go Big Blue!!!
Image property of A Place to Dwell Blogspot

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games. As usual, I'm a bit late to the party, but with the release of the film, and Louisvillian Jennifer Lawrence starring, I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Yet before I saw the film, I needed to read the book first.

So, a young woman in my office lent me "The Hunger Games." I was already reading another book on my Kindle and thought I would just peruse THG, then quickly return to my Kindle selection. And, as I'm sure you guessed if you are a THG devotee, that wasn't the case. I've quickly been sucked into this book and I'm giddy to know there are two others in the series.

I still have half of the first novel to go, so I've not read any book or film reviews - I don't want to spoil anything. A friend on Facebook went to the first showing of the movie wearing a "Team Peeta" T-shirt. I had no idea what that meant until I started the book. Now, I want one of those shirts.

Over the weekend while at a cookout with friends, the subject of the film came up. A friend's daughter, who is a junior in high school (THG target audience) mentioned that her favorite character is introduced in the next book. Really?! Who is it?! I can't wait. We also learned that Jennifer Lawrence grew up very close to where we live. In fact, her parents still live there, less than a mile from our house. Hmm. I think I'll go for a long walk this evening...

Have you read the book(s)? Seen the film? What do you think? No spoilers, please!
Images from Lionsgate Films

Skirtin' Around

Well, quite the weekend for my alma mater. The University of Kentucky Wildcats are headed to the NCAA Final Four. And, that little team from Louisville is our first opponent in the tournament. I can't wait! Would love to go down to New Orleans for the game, but when I checked the prices of flights, they were CRAZY expensive. Plus, we don't have tickets to the actual games. Yeah, tickets to the games would be the whole purpose of going. Duh. That and hanging out in the French Quarter. It will be like Mardi Gras when the Big Blue Nation descends upon NOLA.

In the meantime, I've picked up the my running pace a bit, after taking yet another few weeks off. Now that we have more daylight later in the evening it helps. Plus, my kids' soccer practices take place at a park with a good running trail. Best thing about running? It's good for your health? Gets your heart pumping? Allows you to enjoy the great outdoors? Nooo, it's the outfits, dahhhling!

Yes, I'm joking. Sort of. I just bought a running skirt from Tar-jay and I love it! So very comfortable and, of course, cute.

Not sure what to think of the compression socks. Hey, runners out there, are the socks helpful? 

Happy Monday, friends. There will plenty of smack-talk throught the Commonwealth of Kentucky this week. Go CATS!!!
Images from activebeehive.com and jillconyears.com

What's Next for Tebow?

You know I love me some Tebow, but I couldn't help posting this. I'm a long-time fan of Peyton Manning as well, so I have mixed emotions over this whole thing (don't worry, I'm not losing sleep over this).

In the end, I realize it's all about business, and perhaps that's the part that bothers me the most. And it makes me see John Elway in an unflattering light. Elway, you owe me a new jersey. Heck, I just got the thing for Christmas and now what am I going to do??

To be continued...

Field Hockey Kate

Love this photo for a variety of reasons. First off, the Duchess is hanging with England's Olympic field hockey crew, stick in tow. She's a former field hockey player and this was a sport I played in high school, as did my mom and aunts who also graced the halls of my alma mater.

Second, she's sporting a pair of running shoes that look very similar to mine. I know, a stretch, but it's always good to see a duchess wearing a good pair of sneakers.

Finally, love the coral jeans. And, apparently, the jeans are now impossible to find because once she was seen wearing them, they flew off the shelves. But, seriously, Duchess, what size are those? Negative 00??

It's funny, because when buying soccer gear for my kids last week, my daughter gravitated toward the hockey and lacrosse sticks. Wow, they sure have a much better selection than when I was a kid - cool colors and designs. Of course, lacrosse wasn't even on the radar when I was in high school. Glad to see it's made it's way to these parts. But, please tell me why some of the sticks are $180 and up? Does it throw the ball for you?

Happy spring, friends! Enjoy!
Images from Getty

Sampling The Samples

For those of us who were in college in the early-to-mid 1990s, you may remember the Colorad-based band The Samples, led by singer Sean Kelly. Great sound. One of my favorite songs of theirs was "Who Am I." Beautiful tune.

I think they made a stop or two in Lexington when I was at UK and along the way, they opened for some big bands on tour, including Dave Matthews and Phish.

So, Saturday night we attended a St. Patrick's Day party at the home of some friends. Our kids have gone to preschool and grade school together and there were LOTS of folks we know from school. Plenty of fun and, of course, plenty of NCAA basketball (Go CATS!). But, the highlight of the evening was when the hostess, Emily, surprised her hubby, Larry, with a live concert by Sean Kelly. In their living room. Holy cow. Before we had to head out to relieve our babysitter, he sang "Who Am I." It was an awesome experience.

Thanks, friends, for a memorable St. Paddy's Day.
Album cover from thesamples.com

Go Green

Be sure to wear your green tomorrow so you won't get pinched! Unless you're into that sort of thing, then wear any color you want.

Green is one of my favorite colors, and with St. Paddy's Day tomorrow, I just had to feature some images of this lovely shade in today's post.

Enjoy your weekend and if you're celebrating, pace yourself, friends. Green clothing and accessories are great,  green around the gills is not.

Images from: paloma81.blogspot.com; sfgirlbybay.com; dessertforbreakfast.com; polkadotsandplaid.tumblr.com; houzz.com; recipegirl.com; younghouselove.com; christinefife.com; bodenusa.com; muscan.bigcartel.com

What did you say?

Brian Boyd, I have a bone to pick with you.

For those of you who listen NPR, you may have heard Robert Segal and Melissa Block interview Boyd, a writer for the Dublin Times, on the afternoon program, “All Things Considered.” The program addressed Nike’s release of a new shoe called “The Black and Tan,” and the controversy surrounding it.

Apparently, the original intent was for the shoe - which features the colors black and tan - to be a nod to the drink “Black and Tan,” which is a combination of a dark stout, like Guinness and an ale such as Harp. In fact, inside the shoe, there’s an image of a pint of beer.

Anyhoo, Nike has released the shoe around St. Patrick’s Day. But, the shoe’s name does not sit well abroad with my Irish brethren. And here’s why: Black and Tan was the name of a contigent of the British army who committed horrible acts against the Irish in the 1920s. They were sent to Ireland to quell an uprising, but massacred many innocent people in the process. In the eyes of the Irish, the name of this shoe would be akin to calling it the Nike Nazi or Nike Taliban.

Nike has since issued an apology, although I haven’t heard of plans to scrap the shoe or call it something else.

So, back to the interview. As an Irish American who has visited Ireland, I enjoy the opportunity to hear interviews with Irish writers, poets, artists, journalists and so on. But, Mr. Boyd is a jerk. Here’s a portion of the interview:

ROBERT SIEGEL: I talked today with Brian Boyd of The Irish Times newspaper, and he explained.

BRIAN BOYD: It has certain historical associations. The Black and Tans were a ruthless auxiliary force of the British army before we became independent in the 1920s. They were responsible for wide-scale massacres, butchering of people. You would not - we don't even - for example, in the U.S. you may go into a bar and ask for a drink called a Black and Tan.

SIEGEL: And that would be - I'm not saying this from great personal familiarity - that would be a half of a black beer, like a Guinness, and a half of a pale ale with it. But you wouldn't call it that in Ireland?

BOYD: No, we'd use different terms. And in fact, we wouldn't really dilute our Guinness over here. It's not really the done thing to do.

Me: False! You're so full of it.

MELISSA BLOCK: Now, Nike has released a statement saying: We apologize, no offense was intended. At the same time, Nike says the sneaker has been, quote, unofficially named by some as the Black and Tan.

SIEGEL: That said, if you look inside the shoe - as we have done with online photos - you see an image of a pint of beer with two colors, black and tan.

BLOCK: Brian Boyd of The Irish Times has reported on some outrage over the shoe. But really, he says, it's not about a shoe. It's about a holiday.

BOYD: It's how the Americans view Saint Patrick's Day and view Irish culture and history. And it's the very fact that some people are saying that these are beer-themed sneakers, that the only way to celebrate a national holiday of a country with a very rich culture and a very rich history and literature, et cetera, is to pour massive amounts of alcohol down your body.

It's how the American treat St. Patrick's Day. So we're using this story to say, look, it's the silly Americans, stupid Americans, look what they're doing again. They've got it all wrong.

Me: What the hell??

SIEGEL: Which is, by the way, a default mode for journalism across the pond.

BLOCK: But still, it seems Nike did not have its smartest moment with the Black and Tan shoe.

Mr. Boyd, where do you think the concept of drinking on St. Patrick's Day in America came from? You do realize that millions - MILLIONS - of Irish emmigrated to America in the mid-to-late 1800s? (Including my own family.) Clearly, those folks brought some traditions with them. Many in a bottle.

Now, I'm not calling the Irish drunks. But, let's not pretend that in Ireland, and England (and my hubby can attest to this during his time studying in England), drinking is not a sport. Of course, this can be said about many parts of the world.

So, stop with the asinine "stupid American" comments. Sounds like somebody needs a drink.

Friends, wear your green with pride this weekend. I shall toast Mr. Boyd and tell him to kiss my Blarney Stone. :)
Images from ifinecookie.com and beembee.com

March Madness

Number one seed in the nation. First game at the arena across from my office. I about cried when I got the news.

Although my Kentucky Wildcats lost the SEC championship yesterday, we were named the number one seed going into the NCAA tournament. And, we play at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, which may as well be our home court. In addition, my brother's school, Murray State, is playing here and if Western Kentucky University wins Tuesday, they'll be fighting it out in Louisville as well.  So, great news for fans in the state of Kentucky, not so great for my commute. Oh, well. I'll deal with it.

Congrats to the Cats and Coach Calipari. It was an amazing season. Let's take the National Championship!

Did your team make it to the "Big Dance?" If so, who are you cheering for in the tournament?
Image from Libby - Facebook

True Blue

As the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament gets underway, I felt that I should do a color tribute to my University of Kentucky Wildcats, similar to my recent ode to pink and red.

Today, it's blue, blue and more blue.

 

Okay, maybe blue velvet cake doesn't look quite as appealing as its red cousin.

If you're a basketball fan, tune into Selection Sunday to see where your team will be placed in the bracket line-up. Also, Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday as well. Goodbye extra hour, hello extra daylight!

By the way, if you're in Louisville on Saturday, come to the Highlands neighborhood for the St. Patrick's Day parade. Several of us have a float in the parade and will be riding and marching down the street, throwing green beads to the masses. Last night officially kicked off the parade festivities with the "Blessing of the Beer." Yes, it's good to live in a city settled by Irish and German immigrants.

Happy Friday, friends. Have a great weekend!
Images from inthecitywithcrystalin.tumblr.com, etsy, jessicasimpsoncolleciton, bakebakebake.livejournal.com, nyimage.etsy.com and latimesmagazine

Happy Colors

I pinned this photo of socialite Olivia Palermo on my Pinterest page last night, because I love, LOVE these red shoes. How fabulous are these?? Yeah, her boyfriend is pretty cute, too. But, I would totally take the shoes over him.

And these pumps as well...

From red shoes, to red and pink. Some say this is not a good pairing, but I love it. Happy colors! And, on redhead Emma Stone, it's a stunning combo.

What do you think? Red and pink?
Images from citified.blogspot, sequinedandstripes.com and prettystuff.tumblr.com

Birthday Madness and Stormy Weather

Well, we survived Saturday's birthday party - 18 little girls. Shew! 

It really wasn't that bad. Plenty of squealing and screaming, but I quickly got a hold of myself and went on with the party.

Our big seven-year-old

The theme was "Almost Sleepover." The girls came dressed in their PJs with pillows and stuffed animals in-tow. We did a craft project, a game and then pizza and a movie. Hubby and I saved the cake and ice cream for the bitter-end, so we could send the kids home on a sugar high.

Heading into the weekend, we had quite a scare as deadly tornadoes shook our region. Schools dismissed early on Friday because of the storm warnings, so I picked up the kids and we spent most of the afternoon in the basement watching the weather forecast. We were very fortunate that the tornadoes missed Louisville, but a few miles north of us in Henryville, Ind., the storms devastated that community, as it did in Liberty, Ky., southeast of us. Many lives were lost and entire towns wiped off the map. Please pray for the victims and their families and neighbors who are left to recover and rebuild.

So, on Friday we had 70-degree weather and tornadoes. This morning, we woke up to three inches of snow and 32-degree temperatures. I never know what to expect around here.

Hope you had a great weekend. Happy Monday!
Image property of JMW A Place to Dwell blog

Look Who's Turning 7

Our eldest turns 7 today. Happy Birthday, Miss E!

It's amazing how fast time flies. I feel like we were just celebrating her arrival in the world. Ah, I couldn't get enough of those chubby cheeks...

Or that look of sheer joy as she ran around the house on her 2nd birthday...

We're so blessed to have you in our lives, sweet girl. Happiest of  birthdays to you!

Now, dear friends, please send positive thoughts our way as we prepare for 18 little girls to descend upon our home this afternoon. A stiff drink will be waiting for me afterward.
Images property of JMW A Place to Dwell

They Got Style

Legandary socialite C.Z. Guest always believed that if you have a certain style, and it works for you (such as short hair or red lip stick) stick with it.

She was known for her classic blond flip which she wore until the very end.

I think I'll aspire to the same philosophy. Along with the diamond earrings and giant pearl necklace, of course, as I age gracefully into retirement at my beach house. What? I don't have a beach house?

Another woman-of-age whom I adore, although she's fictional, is Colleen from "30 Rock," played by the wonderful Elaine Stritch. She also wears the pearls and the furs, yet has that oh-so-wonderful  bourbon-and-cigarette infused voice that delivers such lines as, "Is she drunk, Jack? Because remember, when you’re pregnant, one bottle of wine a day. That’s it."

Yeah, I'll likely be more Colleen than C.Z. in my old age. God help my children.

Who is your favorite gal (or guy) who did it well and did it in style?
Images from Life Magazine and NBC