Toddlers + Tiaras

It was the party of the Universe...and there were only five guests!

Through the years, my friend Carrie (a former beauty queen), and I (a chliched Southern girl) have taken the intellect of many of our friends, including Mary (a Ph.D),  to an all-time low by hosting pageant parties. I file this fact proudly under Judge Me If You Want To, I Don't Care. 

Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995 is my all-time favorite queen. Mr. W was at this pageant when she was crowned - but that's a story for another blog....

I like watching beauty pageants. Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Junior Miss. If it's on tv, there's a good chance I'm tuned in, with a pencil and a paper to give my own scores....and on the phone with my mom to hear her thoughts on the contestants. 

I was happy when the former Miss Teen SC (kind of) redeamed herself on The Amazing Race.

Carrie will soon be moving far, far away from Mary and me, so we had to get in just one more pageant party. Lucky for us, Miss Universe was on last night!

Miss Mexico won. Miss Ireland was my favorite.

Plus, Baby Carragan's aunties needed to give her her belated 1 year birthday gift - we had the perfect excuse to gather on a Monday.

Carrie's hubsand, Chris, made us dinner - stuffed shells and chocolate pie for dessert.  Number one rule for our pageant parties: you must indulge in all the foods that the contestants have longed for for months. It's the one leg up we have on these girls...and we always own it.

photo credit: ink frog.com

Just as you haven't really watched SEC football 'til you watch it with Carrie, you've never really watched a beauty pageant unless you've done so sitting next to my friend.

She is hysterical. She is ruthless. She knows more fun facts about Miss Romania than Kitty Kelly ever dreamed to know about Oprah. I promise, even if you think pageants are silly and dumb and boring, you'd find even the talent competition entertaining if watching with Carrie.

photo credit: pageantry magazine

Though we spent more time talking to each other than following the pageant, it was an evening that was both beautiful and congenial...a crowing moment, really, and among the times I will miss so, so (SO!) much once Carrie's reign here ends.

Candied Apple Dip {a recipe}

Cream cheese, mixed with marshmellow cream, with a dash of lemon juice?? Yes, it makes for a tastey fruit dip...but how many times have you served it? A zillion!  Me, too.


I'd still be serving it if not for my friend Whitney*....


Whitney served up the MOST delicious apple dip when I went to visit her in Chattanooga and I stuck my fingers in the bowl to swipe every every last bite of it didn't get nearly enough of it there, so I requested her recipe.

This weekend, I had the perfect excuse to make it when Mr. W + I went to his uncle's annual end-of-summer pool party. Like me, everyone loved this dip!!!


This dip is as easy to make as its very popular, marshmellowy cousin, and tastes even more decadent. While I would eat it 365 days a year, with its make-up of just white and brown sugars, cream cheese and chopped up Heath bars, it's heavier, so it feels and tastes Fall-ish...almost like an entire bag of trick-or-treat candy! Just in time for the change of seasons, here's the recipe for you....

*This is the first of a few Whitney recipes I will be sharing

The Newlywed Game

We're either really clever...or totally starved for fun.

Last night, after dinner was done and all the DVR'ed shows had been watched, Mr. W and I were at a loss for entertainment. Until....a channel surf landed us on the Gameshow Network and The Newlywed Game.

"Pause it," Mr W said, "let's play!"

Y'all thought I was the only cheesey half of this team, didn't you??

I went upstairs, so I couldn't hear the television. While Carnie Wilson asked the male contestants questions about their wives, Mr. W answered along, writing down his answers about me.

With roles reveresed, Mr W headed upstairs when Carnie quizzed the women. I wrote down my answers about Mr. Dubs.

It's a good thing that we were playing for fun, because between the two of us only one question was answered correctly. I would like to brag because I was the one who got the right answer...however, I am thinking since I didn't give any right answers about my husband, maybe I shouldn't boast.....

In the spirit of cheap entertainment, though, I have to say, playing this is FUN! After the show ended, we quickly set our DVR to record The Newlywed Game every time it airs.

Warhol in Washington {jenni's 30th surprise}

I was lucky to be in on a surprise party to mark the milestone of one of my best friends....

On Saturday, we celebrated Jenni's 30th birthday...but not before a day of beauty!

To get her out of the house where the party would be held, Shannon and I planned a little pampering for the birthday girl...

so that she could be as glam as her surprise party theme....

The inspiriation for the party - Andy Warhol.

Jenni and her friend Josh - the main host- were fresh off a trip to the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. Jenni loves all things pop-culture, so Josh thought, why not pop-art?

Josh proceded to "Warhol" photos of Jenni. He even dressed the part....

When Jenni walked into Josh's house on Saturday, expecting to find just a few close friends for dinner.....

 she found instead a ton of photos of herself........

and a ton of friends celebrating her 30th year!

Andy Warhol once said, "Art is whatever you can get away with."

Jenni Bradley once said, "30 is getting away with......whatever!"

Welcome to the Club, Nancy Grace!

Drink, Talk, Watch

The first time I read Eat, Pray, Love, I loved it. I ate it up.

Flambayed Cheese

That was back in 2006 (long before Oprah picked it).


In case you haven't heard, EPL is the true story of a woman, Liz Gilbert, who turns her back on the "granite countertop and picket fence life" she created with her husband to find herself through some world travel and journaling...some pasta and some prayer.

Carb loading before enduring the 2+ hour movie

I read the book while underlining lines that spoke to me, and dog-earing pages I knew I'd want to revisit. And, I did. At that time in my life when I felt very much on pause, I empathized with a lot of what Gilbert felt and wrote. Thankfully, I eventually got over myself and my situational sadness.


Then, I wanted to tell Liz Gilbert to get over herself because, really...who couldn't find themselves on a dream trip paid for by one's publishing company?


But by that time Liz Gilbert was too busy talking to Oprah.


So, despite the love-hate relationship I've had with this now famed and highly cliched spiritual guide, I still wanted to gather lots of great women together to see it, and then talk about it.

Eating before Eat, Pray, Love

Because I love eating and drinking and then philosophizing with my friends.

And though I try to deny it, I'm cliche from time-to-time, too...

So, tickets were pre-purchased and Friday night found me and some of my favorite ladies at The Avalon, the cutest little theater in DC.  The Avalon is like a Starbucks...

...only with a wine list.

Eat, Pray, Love gives women plenty to talk about, and the film stays pretty true to the book. Sadly, that's where it also fails veiwers. Even in two-plus hours of watching you still don't understand what motivates Gilbert, and you're even less sympathatic to her than when reading about all the hearts she breaks through the passport stamps she adds.


While it's not a romantic comedy or even a traditional chick flick, I enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love... but, unlike the book, I don't know if one would "get" her story without having ever  a/read all about it or b/needed the courage to walk away from a relationship.


But again - courage and a book advance that lets you escape your problems by way of exotic travel are two entirly different apples...


Is this movie a spritual guide for women? Not at all.


Is it the perfect excuse to hang out with your friends? Absolutely.

Eat, Pray, Love

Will you be seeing Eat, Pray, Love with your friends tonight?? I have a date with mine! 

Happy Friday!

Let's Chatt...

Some people may find it odd that I'd fly 600 miles to just sit on my friend's couch and talk for two days.

I have seen Seven States. I have seen Rock City. I had not seen Whitney for a long time and we didn't need the company of fresh or saltwater fish for our visit to go swimmingly.  

Whitney met me at the airport with a hot pink sign.

It cracked me up, and also proved whimsy isn't always accepted without question by everyone in the Tennessee Valley.  Whitney was probed with queries like Did y'uns meet on the computer? by fellow gate-waiters because of that sign. Oh, how I miss the South.

And how I really miss living near friends like Whitney...

Look at the sweet gift bag she had waiting on me in my room.

The bag was full of all kinds of Tennessee treats. And lots of toothpaste...(her husband is a dentist).

I had the BEST time chatting it up all weekend. We left the house only twice - once to dine, once to get facials. In the meantime,  we gabbed. We gossiped.  We gorged on the YUMMIEST food that Whit had prepared and sipped on these pink pretties....

Is Whitney not the sassiest with her custon monogrammed cocktail napkins?

Whit was kind enough to name the cocktail after me, but because of the wonderful conversations it inspired during my Chattanooga weekend - I would like to call it the Girl Chatt. I encourage you to serve it when you and your old friends reunite!

Here's the recipe:

....like it's 1999

I leave today for Chattanooga..... The countdown to Chatt-town is on, as I can't wait to see my college friend Whitney.


Whitney is hysterical. She is candid + clever. She is real. You overlook the fact that she has a perfect smile, two of the most beautiful (and well-dressed) children ever created and is just naturally glamorous.  

Before I knew her, she was That Girl to me. That Girl who I'd see in class my senior year who even in a pair of Umbros (it was the '90s) and a Kappa t-shirt still had on enough monogrammed silver jewelry to make casual look chic.  And she had really good hair. So naturally, I disliked her. 

Until somehow - now I sadly can't even recall although I'm sure it was through some shared cattiness over a very important matter like how we'd never get The Rachel haircut - we just bonded.

Both Whitney and I stayed in Knoxville after graduation. She became a news producer at the No. 1 station in town. I was a reporter at the No. 3. On our downtime, it was often just the 2 of us, trading time poolside in each of our over-priced, parent-subsidized apartments, maybe an occasional performance or two of Islands in the Stream when the fans demanded it...

Til I moved to Washington. Then she met Dr. J... and eventually she was to-be-wed, then she fled to Chattanooga.

Save each of our weddings, and the nupts of our mutual friend Carrie....

this weekend - which was long talked about but somehow never booked - will be the first time in YEARS that we've been together for more than a tailgate and four quarters of college football. 

When I get to steal time with out-of-town friends, I don't always like to have an agenda of plans. I like to do the things we'd do if we shared the same zip code: go out to dinner, watch a movie, get our nails down, couch it for some wine + whine. 

So, for the next 48 hours, that's what I will be doing. With Whitney.  It will be just like 1999...only we won't have to pay in credit.  And, I can't wait!!!!!

Oh, and for the record, I'm pretty sure we both had some variation of Jennifer Anniston's haircut before Friends went off the air.  Like all women should, Whitney + I  reserve the right to change our minds; it's yet another thing we have in common.

Real Housewives DC Has My Vote!

I have never watched a full episode of Real Housewives of New York or New Jersey. As a result, and because I have so many brain cells on reserve,  I am totally going to indulge in watching Real Housewives of DC (before leaving tomorrow to visit my favorite  Real Housewife of Chattanooga!!!!)

photo credit: Buddy TV

Did you see these women on The View? On Kathy Lee and Hoda? From all the sneak peaks of these characters and the show, all I can say is....it aint C-SPAN.

Let freedom ring. Tonight at 10!

Girls Night Out, Girls Night In: wine tasting and slumber party

There might have been some wine....

Megan + Kelly Not-Steier

...just a taste.

There might have been some cheese....

...and cheesey antics.

Amy demonstrates the Arm Crunch

There might have been some deep chats...

....and deep laughs.

There might have been some indulging......

...and late night divulging.




It might have been a so much fun.....

Glee-ful

that we scheduled another Wives Club Girls Night for October!

The Club Motto