The Starbucks Barista is my Best Friend

As soon as Noah and I got married, it started...Everyone began asking the typical newlywed question, "so, when are you going to start having babies?" Seriously, someone asked me that at my wedding. I know it's just natural to ask. My friends who've dated their significant others for a long period of time often get asked, "so, when's he going to pop the question?" When they tell me how irritated they get when asked this question, I say, "just wait 'til you get married. Then everyone will start asking about babies." It never ends.

Something happened to me yesterday that made me wonder...how familiar to a person do you need to be to ask the "baby question"? Family? Friends? Complete Strangers?

Here's what happened...

I'm in Starbucks casually reading emails on my Blackberry when the barista strikes up a conversation with me. The way-too-cheerful barista often talks to me about how my week is going, the weather, and other general small talk. Since I don't function well before noon, I answer sleepily with one word answers. But today, she ventures beyond our normal realm of conversation.

"How long you been married?"
"Almost two years" (Still reading my emails)
"You going to have children soon?"
I look up from my Blackberry and say, "I don't know."
I smile and thank her as she hands me my drink. While walking out the door, I think to myself, "did she really just ask me that? Just because she knows I drink a non-fat, no whip mocha she thinks she knows me well enough to ask that? "

In my opinion, asking someone about starting a family is a very personal question. I think only close friends and family should be allowed to ask. Maybe I'm over thinking the whole thing. She was just trying to be friendly. Either way, I get this question ALL the time.

Noah and I definitely want a family but not right now. We're happy where we are in our lives and we've only been married for 2 years. I don't think our lifestyle is conducive to a baby right now. Taking care of Jeter is hard enough. We are out of town a lot for weddings, we like to go out with friends on the weekends, and sleeping 'til noon on Sundays is typical in the Greenbaum household. So to answer the Starbucks barista (don't even know her name)... Can't say exactly when but we definitley want to be parents someday.

Welcome!

When Noah and I first moved into our house, we worked on it every weekend! The more time we lived in the house, the less we did (and the less we had to do). Recently, we did a home project that I am very excited about... a new storm door! (Who would have thought I would be so excited about a door? New Jimmy Choos...Of course! New Door....Not so much). Our original front door had space for a storm door but no storm door. It looked incomplete. So we purchased a storm door and we painted it a new color. Here are our steps to our new front door (I took these pictures with my cell phone so they aren't the best quality):

The original door was a burnt red color and lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. No wait....I know what it's missing! A storm door!

Noah (with a little help from Jeter) put a primer on the newly installed storm door. We purchased a 6 panel wood storm door from Pleasant's Hardware. If you're planning on purchasing a new door, plan on spending around $1,000 (type of door, hardware, installation, paint, etc....it adds up quickly). Luckily, Noah and his dad are quite handy so we saved around $250 in installation fees.

Noah and I paint the new storm door and the original front door. (Jeter is the best supervisor). We painted the door "Snapdragon" by Benjamin Moore.

Improvement? We think so! Best part about the door? Jeter gets to look out the windows (he loves it!). I am constantly using Windex to remove his nose marks. The new color is a little more pink than we had anticipated. But we've actually grown to love it and no one can miss our door! The new door and the new color are much more welcoming...

I don't know what our next home improvement project will be but I hoping to redo our living room. We've painted it, added great bamboo blinds, new lamps, artwork, and an elegant lattice work rug. All we need is a new sofa and chairs. I am a terrible decorator (a skill my mother and sister have and I lack). I try to read magazines and pick out pieces I like but it's pretty hopeless. I have no vision. My mother convinced me to paint my living room a blue color that I originally HATED. But Noah and I absolutely LOVE the color. It brightens up the room and makes it appear larger. I think I will stick to fashion for people and not homes.

Stock the Bar!

These days we are all weddings, weddings, and more weddings. I love it! This past weekend we went to our friends' stock the bar shower. Noah and I also had a stock the bar shower and it was so much fun. Stock the bar showers are great because they include the groom. Since most showers are for the bride, mothers, and girlfriends, it's nice to include the hubby-to-be! It's a great way for the bride and groom to enjoy drinks with family and friends in a more relaxed environment (while stocking up on wine glasses, liquor and champagne flutes). If you're thinking of throwing a shower for a friend, a stock the bar shower is always a fun option. I adore this invitation from Esty. The couple's monogram on the champagne label is so cute!

If you're attending a stock the bar shower, I love these gift ideas:

These are from Horchow but I also love For Your Party. This online store has a wide selection of colors, font styles and motifs for your cocktail napkins. I've ordered napkins several times from this site and I've never been disappointed.

A cocktail recipe book is always fun. It's nice to get something that relates to the couple. I want to get this book for my stepdad who is from Kentucky (so he obviously loves his bourbon!).


We received a monogrammed Lucite tray at our shower that I use all the time! It's great for the summer when you serve guests outside. This patterned one is unique but I also like the clear ones from Personalization Mall.

I just love weddings (and monograms)! My friend, Caroline, looked gorgeous at her shower. You can always spot a bride, she's the one who's glowing...

Will you be my Valentine??

Happy Valentine's Day!! It's a holiday that people hate, love or love to hate but it's also a day when all women should remember what makes them beautiful and sexy (whether it's for themselves or a loved one). Noah and I had our 1st annual Valentine's Day cocktail party last night and it looks like cupid threw up all over our house... The party was so much fun with some of our favorite Valentines :) I LOVE Valentine's Day. Obviously, I have 2 wonderful Valentines (Noah and Jeter) but any day where we get to decorate with red and pink is my kind of holiday!

I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some of the things that I think make all women sexy and beautiful...

1. Sexy Legs: women who love to show off their legs are sexy in my book! And what better way to show them off with a pair of HOT heels. For this time of year, I love a great bootie (like the Steve Madden one pictured above). Just remember not to choose a pair that cuts your legs off.

2. Red Dress: I LOVE this Shoshanna one-shouldered dress with the gold beaded accent. Check out a similar one at Bloomingdales. Remember ladies, everyone looks good in black AND red!

3. Eyes: I love a smoky eye as much as a naked eye as long as you're wearing mascara. Accentuating those lashes is just plain sexy. My FAVORITE mascara is Chanel's inimitable in noir. If I could only use one cosmetic product, it would be mascara. My eye lashes are long but also blond (haha) so I have to use mascara!

4. Lips: While we are on the subject of cosmetics, a red lip is the perfect Valentine's Day color. Make those lips irresistible! For everyday, I love a neutral lip gloss.

5. Love Rings: From engagement rings to friendship rings, a love ring is truly special. Do you know why you wear your wedding ring on the 3rd finger of your left hand? People used to believe a vein ran from the 3rd finger of the left hand straight to the heart. It's aptly named "Vena Amori," Latin for "vein of love." I love Finn's arrow rings. Be sure to check out their lower end line, Minor Obsessions, for simply chic necklaces and bracelets. Noah gave me their heart & key bracelet for Valentine's Day. It's adorable.

6. Laughter: There is nothing more sexy or beautiful to me than a woman's laughter. One of my favorite things about Noah is his sense of humor. The way he constantly cracks me up makes me feel beautiful.

So ladies, what makes you feel sexy and beautiful this Valentine's Day??

XOXO

Addicted

I started my New Years Resolutions on Monday. That means I made it exactly 39 hours and 57 minutes without diet coke.

Maybe next year (but probably not). I guess I should just invest in this Diet Coke bong and move on...

Resolutions?

HAPPY 2011 EVERYONE!!! Can you believe another year has come and gone?? I'm currently sitting in the Destin, Florida airport waiting to fly back to Richmond. We rang in the New Year with college friends in Destin and had an AMAZING time! Our friend from Memphis has a family beach house in Destin and invited us down to celebrate the new year. We haven't seen him since the wedding so we couldn't resist the opportunity for a reunion. Noah was very excited to be reunited with 2 of his college roomies!! We spent 4 days with 10 great friends from Memphis, Richmond and DC. On New Year's Eve we went to Rum Runners (which overlooks water). When midnight rolled around, we stood on the balcony of the bar and watched what could possibly be the BEST fireworks display ever!!!

So I have a few hours to kill while I'm sitting in this airport.... Noah and I got an iPad for Christmas so I figured I could pass the time with a blog post. I just finished reading my horoscope in Glamour Magazine which says, "This year you'll keep all those New Year's resolutions." I'm very skeptical because I've never actually stuck to any of my New Year's resolutions (which makes me wonder why I ever have any). But this year I am determined to make it happen. So here they are (in no particular order):

1. Be healthy
2. Be on time

Only 2? Yes, only 2 - I just told you I never stick to any resolution so why should I overdo it? Let me elaborate on my 2 resolutions:

HEALTH: Overall, 2010 was a fantastic year! It was our first full year as a married couple and we had a blast. There was never a dull moment and we have some wonderful memories. But with our hectic social schedule, our eating and exercise habits fell to the wayside. Now that none of our clothes fit, it's time to exercise, eat more green things, and give up (gasp!) Diet Coke. Giving up Diet Coke will probably be the hardest thing. I've quit DC several times but it's never stuck. My mom still yells at me if she catches me drinking it. We didn't grow up with soft drinks in the house because my mother thinks they are poison (which I think is a little dramatic). I know it's bad for me but they are SO good in the afternoon and I only drink 1 each day.

Do you know that in the winter your body wants to gain wait? According to Glamour Magazine, here are a few things that most nutritionists can agree on:
- Don't smoke (even occasionally)
- Move 30 minutes a day
- De-stress
- Sleep at least 7 hours every night
- Eat breakfast
- Take a multivitamin daily
- Get 2,000 IU daily of Vitamin D
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds several times a day

NO MORE TARDINESS: I am always late and it's not my fault. I come from a family of people who are consistently late. My father is usually late and my mother is ALWAYS late (I was the last one to be picked up from school everyday - the teachers hated my mom). It's in my genes. I try to be on time (I really do!). This year I am going to try EXTRA hard! It's a terrible fault and it's something I want to change about myself. Noah is also usually late (as is his father).

By the way, my New Year Resolutions start tomorrow because the past two days have been filled with no exercise, few veggies, and lots of diet coke. Give me a break, I was on vacation!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

....and football

Happy November! I can't believe Thanksgiving is three weeks away. I am very busy for the next couple weeks as Roan teams up with the International Hospital for Children every year for a fashion show and auction. We usually raise around $500,000. It's a wonderful event and I'm very excited because we have a new space for the event this year. It's going to be amazing. I chose all the models for the runway show this week and I will fit them next week. Designers are sending in samples for us to use in the show. It's always stressful but it's for a great cause!
For more information on the International Hospital for Children, please visit www.healachild.org/.

You might have noticed that I changed by blog description to "a little blog about life, love, fashion....and football." I felt the need to add football because my life seems to revolve around love, fashion and football. Now I am no expert on football (although I do sometimes surprise myself). I recently read this article about a VA Tech football player and wanted to share it. At first, it really grossed me out. But now I have nothing but respect for this player...which says a lot considering how much I am trained to hate VA Tech.

Even the loss of a pinkie won't keep him from playing!

You may have also noted that I added a picture to the title of my blog. This is a picture of Jeter swimming in the lake at my mom's house. Every so often I take Jeter out to my mom's (who lives in the country)to go on a nice run. He also gets to take a dip in the lake (which he loves). I took this picture with my cell phone on one of the first cool days of fall. It was so peaceful.