30, Flirty, and FABULOUS!

Yes, that's correct. Today is my 30th birthday and have to say it has been one of the best to date. I've been celebrating since July 1st when the office threw me a surprise party, today there were lots of presents, phone calls & cards, and the celebration will continue on through the weekend when I'll be in Dallas with my college best friend (who happens to turn 31st next Monday)...it has been much more than I ever expected.

I've always thought in my mind that thirty would be such a great age. Enough years of being young and stupid are behind you and it is the time to really come into your own. By the way, I love that movie 13 going on 30 - if you're a chick and haven't seen it, I say rent it.

Well my batteries are officially fully charged after coming off of a very relaxing vacation in paradise and I'm ready for more! Bring it on world, I'm ready. Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday today, especially to Ray for making it extra special.

Recharging Them Batteries

This is my favorite time of the year. Ever since I can remember, it has always been such a celebration. This year is no exception. Ray's 39th birthday was on July 3rd and my 30th is on the 13th. It is the perfect time of the year to take a vacation and recharge.

Destin, Florida is our vacation spot of choice this year. Yes, we were just here in May but had such a great time that we wanted to come right back. We got into town on the 4th of July and it has been nothing short of wonderful. We have enjoyed some delicious meals at local restaurants, including Camille's and Bud & Alley's. There has been some great shopping at Ann Taylor Loft, Nike, Viking, Naturalizer, and Artful Eye - Creative Eyewear in Seaside (I've been looking for sunglasses for months and finally landed the perfect pair). A quick piece of useless knowledge - Seaside, Florida is a master-planned community where The Truman Show was taped. Several hours have also already been spent beach side. There are some nasty clouds out right now and just discovered via weather.com that it is supposed to be wet here this week. The same thing was said last time we were here, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it won't be too bad. I'm sure there will be more sunshine in the very near future.

Wimbledon also make this time of year extra special for me. I don't think a year has gone by that I haven't said, "I want to be a tennis player!" I pretty sure that I'd need to get tennis balls and a racquet first to make this happen, but a girl can dream. This year Wimbledon did not dissapoint! How exciting was the match between Serena and Venus Williams? The answer, VERY. However, it did not compare to the battle between Federer the Great and the American hottie, Andy Roddick. It was a tense 4+ hours watching that match. In case you live under a rock, it was the longest 5th set in Grand Slam history and Federer come out on top, per usual. It was so great seeing Roddick back on top of his personal game and hope that we continue to see him in Grand Slam finals.

Very Peachy

The 59th annual Ruston Peach Festival took place this weekend in Ruston, LA, which is about 45 minutes from home. Peaches are right up there with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries as favorites of mine in the fruit food group. The Ross' (Steve & Angela) made the trip to Ruston yesterday as well to experience the festival - a first for all four of us. Steve and I are pictured above enjoying snow cones...they really hit the spot in the 100 degree pounding afternoon heat. At one point I was almost positive I was melting into the cement. Overall the afternoon was a lot of fun, but would not be honest if I didn't say that I left a bit disappointed. The motivating factor for my enthusiasm to attend was because I was under the impression there would be everything peach imaginable. You know, peach pie, peach cobbler, peach smoothies, peach daiquiris and/or margaritas; however none of these existed anywhere that I looked. The nerve! It was mostly arts & crafts and festival type food - which was fun to check out. The best highlights you ask? Obviously spending quality time with the Ross'; but also discovering the peach ice cream (divine) that you'll see Ray enjoying below, and picking up a bushel of Ruston peaches that are arguably the best peaches I've tasted.

That Time of Year

It has been great enjoying the summer weather these past couple of weeks. My favorite time of year is when you go outside in shorts and a t-shirt and feel like you're in a nice warm oven - that time is now. Although around here it's a very moist oven, but hey, I'm not complaining. One thing that comes with summer months is the farmers market. The inaugural trip to the Shreveport Market took place yesterday. I got the best tasting blueberries I've ever had, no joke. They were completely sweet and did not have any tart bite to them. Also purchased were some white potatoes, strawberries, honey BBQ sauce and banana nut muffins. Nothing disappointed and a return trip will be warranted next weekend. I'm just going to have to drag my butt out of bed earlier because by the time I rolled into the market, you could tell that everything had been picked over...and there was no corn left. Lesson learned, the early bird gets the corn.

Growing up in Illinois, we always went to the apple orchard in the fall to pick fresh apples and it was such a blast. Well, I learned earlier this week about a blueberry farm where you get to pick your own blueberries! Who knew such a place existed?!? I can't wait to see what picking blueberries entails. I don't know if they grow on the ground and I'll have to crouch down to pick them or if they grow on a vine and at shoulder level...if you know, please enlighten me...

Great Day for a Ride

Today has been a picture perfect June day in Bossier City. It's in the mid-80's, the sun is shining and there are nice puffy clouds in the blue, blue sky. We decided to take advantage of the gorgeous day by taking a leisurely 9-mile bike ride along the Red River. Although for me it was more of a workout than a nice easy ride. There was a headwind that wouldn't allow me to just coast along...but this meant I could justify not going into the gym today. Thinking about that, it was really refreshing to take the workout outside for a change. Fresh air sure does the body good. Below is a picture of Ray, who has just been named Executive of the Year in the CHL!!! Congrats to Ray, quite the accomplishment.

Fun in the Sun and Rain

I can say with great confidence that I am very good at being on vacation. It has been absolutely wonderful these last few days to be able to relax and spend quality time with Ray. The weather has been pretty spotty here on the Emerald Coast of Florida. It has poured rain each day since arriving, but have been fortunate enough to have patches of sun in the mix everyday thus far as well. This has really worked to our advantage - we go shopping, eat or chill in the condo when it is raining and then hit the beach at first sign of the sun. Here are a couple pictures taken from the beachfront condo we are staying in...talk about a view!

The One

Four more days until VAY-KAY in Destin, Florida! The countdown began months ago and the time is finally drawing near. It will be my first trip to Destin and hopefully it won't be my last. I love that this vacation does not require any flights or rental cars. It's great not having to monitor how much to pack and I can do plenty of shopping and not have to worry about how to get anything back home. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE beach vacations and am more than looking forward to the 9 days and 8 nights of beach-side bliss.

In preparation for the upcoming trip, I have been on the hunt for the past week and a half for a new swimsuit. Yes, nightmare is a great way to describe finding one that fits. You see, I have the body of a woman - full of curves - and the majority of 2-piece suits are not made for my shapely body. The tops are always too small and the bottoms tend to dig into my skin and make me look larger than I really am. I started at Target then went on to Dillard’s, Sears, JC Penny, Academy Sports and event Ross. Several people, including Ray, told me that I needed to check out Couleur, a higher-end boutique/lingerie store that has a room of swimwear. Shopping there WAS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE! The room was packed full of options and would have been overwhelming - BUT - this wonderful woman, Alice, was with me every step of the way. She was able to size up my body and recommend several pieces to try on for size. It was like having my own personal shopper! As I was trying things on she brought me this bright, teal blue number. I didn't think much of it when it was on the hanger...but then I tried it on. Seriously, It was like this suit was tailored special for me. I didn't even look at the price because as soon as I slipped it on I immediately knew it was "THE ONE!" I can't wait to wear it on the beach...watch out Destin!