surprise!

They say you can't go back.

Well, they're wrong.

Because this girl is going back to her old stomping grounds. That's right folks, back to agency life at my previous company.

Mad Men? More like 'Mad, Mad Woman'.

The details - while fuzzy - went something like this:

• receive a call out of the blue and get showered with compliments
• receive a text from a creative leader at the company that says, "Hi. We've never met, but I apparently work at the headquarters for the KK Fan Club." ((grin))
• have a deal NOT go down at work, and must mentally return all of the things I mentally shopped for with my big, fat commission check
• receive call from the President of the old company who wants to have coffee
• meet for said coffee, get showered with more compliments, make my concerns known, get misty when asked, "When are you just going to come home, already?"
• agonize over life's decisions and lose approximately 2 night's sleep
• receive a call from the COO of the parent company, who also wants to meet for coffee
• realize that as much as these people love me, they aren't aware that I don't drink coffee
• order tea
• after yet another showering of compliments, feel my ego is the cleanest it's ever been
• am nicely warned by COO that this will be a 'big job, with a lot of pressure on my shoulders, so do a good job'. (good to know. i thought they'd just pay me for showing up)
• make 'pros and cons' list
• make grocery list
• weigh 'long commute' and 'eating dinner at 9pm' against 'girl who makes me consider homicide' and 'Leave It To Beaver hours'
• get ONE MORE CALL from a former colleague, to get the nitty gritty
• somehow keep my mouth shut at a social brunch with former coworkers
• realize that you truly can't take the girl out of creative
• make my current work partner cry. multiple times a day. at varying levels.
• feel relief when i hear that after the announcement of my return, the company applause lasted 30 solid seconds

So there you go blog world. KK's going back to the madness.

(Admit it, you missed the posts from my former life!)

ta da!

the masterpiece is complete!

a project 8 years in the making...

...has been completed!

Mr. KK and I, plus our generous alcoholic families*, have been saving wine corks for 8 years.

And, finally, we have put those corks to good use.

Yesterday, in what can only be described as one of the most back-breaking projects we have ever done, we created a back splash to go above our wine fridge and buffet area in our new kitchen.

It's not up yet, but it's fabulous:

And to add a little something special, we collected marble coasters from wineries on our honeymoon and our most recent trip to Napa, and included those as well.

Peppered in there are special corks that we've written on over the years with phrases like, "our first anniversary", "cruise 2007" and "game night 10/2008".

It truly is special, and once it goes up, it's never coming down.

Which just means we'll live here forever. :)

*I'm not going to say anything, but the wine cork that we have the MOST of is my mother's favorite Pinot Grigio...

you can't make this shit up, part 35

We moved into our house in May.

While remodeling, we decided that we would use the space above the fireplace to mount our TV.

That big, open space looks like this, anxiously awaiting a beautiful TV to grace its wall:

With all of the remodeling and moving, buying a new TV was not high on our priority list, since we had to purchase things like wood to build a new front of the house, and pay for a termite exterminator.

So while we dreamed of the big TV, we used our smaller bedroom TV in the meantime. THAT ghetto fabulous set-up looks like this:

The nice thing is the TV turns, so we can watch it while on the couches in the living room, then I can turn it so I can watch it while I'm cooking in the kitchen. Pretty sweet set up. Bonus points for long black cord hanging down.

In a moment of what I can only describe as 'delusions of riches', we decide to bite the bullet and buy the new TV. Mr. KK is in charge of the research. He has spent MONTHS researching this TV, the correct mount for the wall, the LCDs, the HPs and the OMGs. 51" of beauty.

We order the TV!

They ship the TV!

They deliver the TV!

With a huge crack in the screen of the TV!

a tale of two trees

I have to say, it's been hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit - mainly because it's 60 degrees out.

To me, Christmas means cold and snow. Why do you think Santa always wears that heavy, woolen suit? You don't see him a t-shirt and shorts, do you?

As much as I may complain about the snow and cold (those posts to come, I'm sure), I can't imagine living anywhere else during the holiday season.

So the fact that it's raining right now on December 7, is rather disturbing to me.

(NOTE TO MOTHER NATURE: it's NOT that I'm wishing for snow right now; just not rain. Brisk air, perhaps. But not snow. Yet.)

But time is a-tickin', and this past weekend we ventured out for our tree (s).

And because I make every outing about food, we planned our tree-getting day around breakfast at a fabulous diner (that can be seen on The Food Network, thank you very much). With full belly's we headed out for our tree.

When I was younger, my parents and I did the whole 'cut down your own tree' thing. And it's fun! In fact, I wrote about it in November, and the idea of tailgating on tree cutting day.

But now I have that 'been there, done that' mentality, and I'm just as happy going to the garden center and picking out a beautiful Frasier fur. And the day we went, each tree was more gorgeous than the next.

We ended up with two trees - one for our living room, and one to enjoy on our patio.

And I love them both. In fact, I love the outside tree so much, that the guy at the garden center put a stick on it that read "back-up tree", so we'd know them apart once we got home.

Our official measuring tool: kk.

Probably why our tree looks dwarfed in our living room.

And if our super-warm house kills the first tree, it's good to know we can just carry in our Plan B tree and throw on some ornaments.

Now, what do you say we drop the temperature and give me a reason to put on a sweater?

Our indoor tree. Each year the color scheme is different.

This year's theme: retro brights. She is a beauty!

11/30 - a momentous day

While today may look like a normal November 30, it's actually quite a memorable day for the KKs.

First, it marks the last day of NaBloPoMo. Which means I have blogged every single day for thirty days. Which means it's the last day I can leave Mr. KK with all of the dirty dinner dishes and the excuse, "I have to write my blog post!" and high tail it out of the kitchen.

Today also marks the anniversary of Yours Truly being cancer free.

(quick pause for any new readers to absorb this bit o' news.)

Yes, bloggy friends, 7 years ago today I underwent invasive surgery that eliminated my cancer.

I have a hard time believing it's been 7 years. Part of me feels like the surgery was yesterday, because I can so vividly remember my recovery in the hospital, the smells, the nurses soft tones, and toting around my catheter. And, yet, the other part of me feels like it was a lifetime ago that I got that phone call from the oncologist, one rainy afternoon in October, and collapsed into a heap of tears on the carpet - one of only 2 times I cried during the entire ordeal.

And here I am today - healthy, and no worse for the wear.

So while November 30 means the end of a month of sharing life's tidbits with you, it will always signify new beginnings to me.

(and who knows, I may keep on daily blogging...if you'll have me!)

kk's day of fun!

Today was a FABULOUS day.

Why?

Because I had the day off from work! I have a few vacation days I have to use up before the end of the year, so why not take a random Tuesday off?

My day looked like this:

Wake up and organize my room, write out bills, update Facebook status

Hit the BIG Homegoods. Buy more stuff for me than others.

Stop by Crate & Barrel and pick up a gift.

Lunch! I grabbed a bar seat at this yummy bistro. Enjoyed a lobster club sandwich, a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc and my book.

Hit the mall and crossed 4 people off my list!

Returned home for a 45 minute jaunt on the treadmill.

And the best part of the day: date night!

We're kicking it old school with a movie and dinner.

I'm dragging Mr. KK to see this:

I grew up on the Muppets! I remember watching them every Saturday night, sitting on the floor in front of the TV in my footy pajamas.

I can't wait to see the whole gang back together!

And of course we're going for a yummy dinner. You think I'm going to end my day off by cooking???

a new holiday tradition?

(for those of you counting, this is Day 28 of NaBloPoMo and I'm going strong!)

Today I was speaking to someone on the phone, and we got to talking about the incredible fact that it is almost December, how it's unseasonably warm, and how we're both planning on getting our Christmas trees this Saturday.

"A few years ago, before we moved to NYC, we used to get a group of people and all go to the Smith Tree Farm and get our together," she tells me. "We'd go up there and tailgate first, then go pick out our tree."

Wait.

What?

As someone who is totally on board with the idea of adding cocktails to an event to make it more fun (i.e., manicures, yard work, church), I was intrigued with this idea.

Thinking back to the tree farms that I've been to in the past (if you live in Connecticut, you've been to a tree farm. Unless you've been living under a rock your whole life), I remember them consisting of large, unpaved areas for parking oversized, tree-carrying vehicles. The same types of vehicles that are perfect for carting coolers and mini grills. I imagine me and Mr. KK cracking open cold ones, sitting in lawn chairs, eating crock pot chili. It would be just like tailgating for a football game minus the stadium, thousands of other people doing what you're doing, and, well, football.

And while this all sounds like a perfectly normal Saturday afternoon activity, I have a few questions.

1. Technically, you're not supposed to operate machinery while intoxicated. Does a chainsaw fit under this category? What about a hand saw? Does that constitute as machinery? Technically it's not electrical, so...

2. After drunken tree cutting, do you wake up the next morning and find your tree not as attractive as you did the night before?

3. It has been my experience that everything in the universe is magnified when you're under the influence - like when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the bar's bathroom mirror and can't get over how H-O-T you look (even though your mascara is running halfway down your face, and you've lost the muscle control to hold in your stomach). Do you pick out a tree that's WAY too big for your living room? Do you have a faint remembrance of yourself chanting the phrase, 'Go big or go home!' as you wandered around the tree farm?

4. Did you see a sweet little family cutting down their very first tree together, and the minute they go to capture the moment on film, jump into the picture?

So I'm giving this tree tailgating idea a little bit more thought. Though the pros just may outweigh the cons...

(and who couldn't use a bigger tree??)

this blog isn't called 'will work for shoes' for nothing

As much as I love a good deal, I'm not the kind of person to cash in on discounts and freebies from friends. It just makes me feel all weird inside.

In my current job, I have a client who happens to be a semi-well-known shoe company. (not that I'm bragging)

And they get a ridiculous discount on a large variety of shoes.

They also have what they call 'sample sales', where they sell off the sample shoes for like $5. Have I mentioned that I'm a sample size 6? This means that when they have a sample shoe that they've photographed for an ad or for the web and they can't sell it, it's my EXACT size. So they have pairs upon pairs of these samples shoes that don't know what to do with. (Back when I worked at Filene's before it was gobbled up by Macy's, I would go to all of the shoe sample sales. Actually, I eventually finagled my way in so that I got to pre-shop the sample sales, before all the women would come down who were actually a 6.5 or a 7, but would shove their fat feet into my shoes and stretch them out and buy them, only to leave the shoes at the back of their closet and never wear them because they were too small.)

((This also explains my penchant for pretty shoes.))

Now, I recently placed a super sweet girl at this company who starts tomorrow, and who has promised me that she'll bring me to her sample sales and friends and family discount days.

Until then, I did something I never do - I asked for a discount.

Actually, I asked a coworker who is closer to our client than I am, to see if they had a certain boot. It was a boot I had seen on sale for $90. Sure, I could have bitten the bullet, but the fact that I work so hard for this company day in and day out was eating away at me.

My coworker asked, and what do you know, the boot was available, and our client purchased it with her discount.

So for half the price of what I saw them on sale for, these beauties will be arriving at work in the next week:

OMG.

I can't wait to put them on!

forget the shopping and the tree

Sometimes, the best part of Christmas is your favorite movies you'll watch over and over.

put your turkeys away

Like every other holiday and major event, Thanksgiving was a blur.

In true Italian fashion, we had WAY too much food. So much so, that tonight, we had the family back over for round 2. And besides a little bit of butternut squash puree (which was a surprise dish from Mr. KK's uncle), we finished everything off. And not a moment too soon. I feel like I'm going to turn into a starch.

And because the holiday season is all about tradition, Mr. KK and I went out for our annual Black Friday shopping trip. NOW, before you image the two of us duking it out in from of Walmart for a $4 toaster oven, let me remind you that we are sane.

I love going out on Black Friday not for the doorbuster deals, but because to me, it signals the start of the Christmas season. I love going to mall and hearing the Christmas carols for the first time. Seeing the lights and decorations. And catching a glimpse of the big guy with the white beard in the red suit.

And to be quite honest with you, I do more shopping for ME than I do for anyone else. I may be organized, but there's not way in hell I know what I'm getting everyone for Christmas in November. I mean, really. That day of crazy deals is pretty much free reign for me to fill my own closet with goodies.

I love telling people we go out on Black Friday because they look at me in horror. "Are you crazy?" and "You wouldn't catch me anywhere near a mall!"

I think so many people have that perception that they all stay home. Because we arrived at the mall at 9:30am, got a fantastic garage parking spot, and walked throughout the halls of the mall freely. It was just like any other day. Sure, the lines in the stores were long, but we have a system: Mr. KK stands in line the minute we get into the store, and I speed shop until he gets near the front, which signals that it's time for me to stop buying. Not only do we make good use of the time, but it curbs the spending.

And as much as I like Thanksgiving (hell, we had it TWICE), and it seems like the turkey is being pushed out the back door by reindeer and elves, I'm always excited at the start of the Christmas season.

Tomorrow I'll take down all of the Thanksgiving decorations, and figure out how we're going going to fit 8 bins of Christmas shit into a 4-bin-sized house (we lost some space in the move). But even though we lost space inside, we gained a patio outside of our beautiful French doors, which seem to be the perfect frame for an outside tree. That's right - TWO trees this year! One inside and decorated to the max (I think we're going with a multi-colored theme this year, opposed to the blue and silver theme the last few years that matched out living room), and one outside on the patio, filled with white lights, that we can enjoy while we're in the kitchen or enjoying dinner.

Move over Tom - Rudolph is here!

BTW, I did by one gift today, so I consider Black Friday to be a success.

happy thanksgiving, y'all!

It's hard to tell, but my beautiful new pumpkin soup bowls are out and ready to go.

Happy thanksgiving, blogosphere. I have so much to be thankful for.

twas the night before thanksgiving...

and I abandoned turkey day prep after 8 hours for happy hour downtown.

I'm a die-hard, but I'm no dummy!

And I made it through the night without any high-school classmate run-ins!

i'd make the boy scouts proud

First, I would like to let out a big woo-fucking-hoo! that my 5-day weekend has officially started!

And, being a creature of habit like my friend the annoying woodpecker, I have certain things that I do, at certain times, on certain days, each and every Thanksgiving weekend.

I always take the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off from work. I don't care that we get out at 3pm. By the time I sit in traffic, I still get home at 5. And that, to me, is a wasted day.

Instead, I get up at 6:30am and head to the grocery store to do my Thanksgiving shopping! With my detailed list! Before all the crazies get up!

Then I come home and cook ALL DAY LONG. And then Mr. KK comes home and clean ALL NIGHT LONG.

Sounds like fun, right? To those that are sick and perverted, it is. I love the cooking part. Mr. KK loves the cleaning part. It's why we're a match made in heaven.

But this year, we're breaking tradition.

I heard that the northeast - Connecticut, in particular - is going to be hit with torrential rains on Wednesday morning from 5am - 9am. How this could be is beyond me. Doesn't Mother Nature know this is my prime holiday grocery shopping time? Doesn't she care?

Apparently not.

So, in what could only be described as a gutsy move for a Type A personality, I did my grocery shopping for Thanksgiving on Monday night after work.

I know, I know. It was an adjustment for me, too.

In fact, I didn't even have my list with me! Mr. KK had to bring it to work and scan it in and email it to me! (There are so many items he would STILL be reading it to me over the phone!)

But, with this last-minute extra preparedness, I made the right decision.

And Mr. KK even surprised me at the grocery store to help out. And he only asked me "What's this for?" twice. A new record for him.

Check out that organized cart!

PS: that totally doesn't look like enough food to feed 14 people!

if it's not the 8 dogs keeping us up, it's the woodpecker

Apparently we have one more person living with us at the new house - Woody the woodpecker.

The funny thing is, Mr. KK's grandmother used to always complain about a woodpecker, because he was constantly pecking on the outside wall of her bedroom. It's not that we didn't believe her, but...

You never want a woodpecker visiting your house, because it usually means that you have some type of insect in your home.

For Mr. KK's grandmother, what she didn't know, was that her house was being eaten alive by termites. We found that damage during the remodel. I've never seen anything like in all of my years watching HGTV. There were days I would be carrying pieces of wood covered in crawling termites out to the dumpster. The termites had eaten half of the house.

It's totally worth the time to peek at the pics here.

We called the exterminator and he took care of everything. Said it should last longer than we'd be living the house.

So you can imagine our surprise - and fear - when we heard Woody drilling holes into the siding yet once again.

By now we were freaked out that we were going to lose the other half of the house to termites, so we called the exterminator back.

After a full examination, he concluded that we did NOT have termites. It seems woodpeckers are territorial and creates of habit, so our little friend came back now that the renovations have died down.

But that still didn't solve the problem that the little asshole was drilling holes into our wood shingles.

And here is where it got ridiculous.

He told us there are ways to 'deter' woodpeckers from putting holes in your house by tricking them into thinking that their predators are waiting for them.

"They are afraid of red-tailed hawks," he said, hanging us this to hand in our bedroom window:

Now, I just have a few questions:

1. will the woodpecker think this flimsy photocopy of a hawk silhouette is the real thing?

2. because this is black & white, what happens if the woodpecker thinks this is a black-tailed hawk? will he not be frightened?

3. are birds this stupid?

4. does he seriously think i'm hanging this 8.5" x 11" paper bird in my bedroom window???

Well, the joke's on us. Because we didn't put it up. And Mr. KK was outside at 3am last night in slippers with a flashlight looking for the little sucker.

And woodpeckers are relentless. Trust me.

(did you read about our termite damage? seriously, click the link)

a type A thanksgiving

There's nothing I love more than hosting a get together.

I love putting together menus, decorating the house, preparing all of the yummy food, and mixing up cocktails and seeing family and friends mingling in my house.

Thanksgiving is NO different.

We've always hosted Thanksgiving - ever since we were married. Last year we had to forfeit, as we were in the middle of selling our house, and all of our serving dishes and extra flatware were packed away.

But now that we're settled in the new digs, we're ready.

I took Wednesday off to give myself ample time for preparations.

Today, I made my grocery lists. Yes, lists. Plural.

First, I make the menu list, that breaks the ingredients out by dish.

Then for my second list, I transfer all of the item from the first list onto the grocery store list. In this list, the items are rearranged in the order that I will shop them in the store. All of my fruits and vegetables appear first, followed by dry goods, then by dairy, and finally by frozen foods.

It's a science really.

So as we enter Thanksgiving week, I thought I would share with you the KK's menu.

(I will spare you the ridiculous grocery list, and telling you about how I arrange the items on the belt at check out in the order in which I'd like them bagged.)

((I have issues.))

(((I know.)))

KK Thanksgiving Menu

Appetizers:

parmesan thyme crackers

stuffed mushrooms

veggies and dip

Main meal:

corn chowder

turkey!

sausage and cornbread stuffing

citrus cranberry sauce

sour cream mashed potatoes

butternut squash mash

artichoke and mushroom casserole

sauteed brussels sprout hash with crispy pancetta

intermezzo:

clementines

chestnuts

Dessert:

pumpkin pie

pumpkin cheesecake

pecan pie

See you around 1pm?

How Saturday nights should be...

Relaxing with Mr. KK and Vito, watching a movie, sipping some red wine, and snacking on the most delicious, nutty, 5-year aged Gouda.

It doesn't get much better than this.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

oh this old thing?

By the time Friday rolls around, I'm exhausted.

And I'm more than happy to come home, put my jammies on, throw back a few cocktails, and cook up something delish.

Though I have to admit, by Friday night, the number of fresh veggies in the fridge to choose from is pretty slim. I need to be creative in order to whip together a satisfying meal.

With just a package of mushrooms, frozen (uncooked!) shrimp and a can of artichoke hearts, I was able to create this:

And it was FAB.

I used wheat pasta (which, as an Italian, I have to admit I'm a little leery about. Wheat pasta? What's next? Lowfat cheese??), some white wine and chicken stock. And it was amazing! And so quick!

As a testament to it's deliciousness, Mr KK said, "Add this to the repertoire!"

A WIN in my book!

Shrimp a la Friday night

Ingredients:

16-20 frozen shrimp defrosted and shelled (I use the 21-25/lb size)

olive oil

salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes

1 pkg portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 shallot sliced

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into quarters

3/4 cup white wine

1 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 pound wheat spaghetti

1 cup reserved pasta cooking water

In a bowl, toss the shrimp with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Put a large pot of water on to boil for the spaghetti.

Heat a large sauté pan and add the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes, then turn to cook another 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan into a clean bowl.

Add 1 Tbsp butter and some olive oil, and add mushrooms to the pan.

Cook until crispy and browned. Add second Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of flour to mushrooms. Stir to combine.

Cook for 1-2 minutes to eliminate flour taste.

Add white wine and stir.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to directions.

Add the chicken stock to the sauté pan and stir. Sauce should be thick. Add reserved pasta water.

Add artichoke hearts and stir to warm through.

Add shrimp and stir to warm.

Drain pasta and add it to pan. Toss together and keep over heat 2-3 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

why I can't help myself around pizza

It's because I live in Connecticut - a state that some has the most ridiculously amazing pizza.

I try not to get into the pizza wars conversation (Sally's vs. Pepe's? I say NEITHER. I'm a Modern Pizza girl!)

But there are so many small pizza joints that just do pizza right. Thin crust. Just the perfect amount of toppings. A slice that stands up flat when you hold it by the crust.

Tonight felt like a beer and pizza kind of night, so we picked up a pie from down the street, poured two IPAs, lit a fire, and watched Modern Family from last night.

And the pie? Mashed potato and bacon. And it. was. fabulous.

you'll never look at tampons the same way again

Let me preface this post by saying I do not have kids. I do not have teenagers. And I do not have teenage girls.

Let me also preface this by saying that when I was 15, I was more concerned about what I was wearing to the Friday night football game, and if I would make it to my locker before biology, than anything else.

The other day, I learned that - as a means to get a buzz during the school day - girls are soaking tampons in vodka and then shoving them up their hoo has.

My first thought was, "What a waste of perfectly good vodka!" but then I figured Moms' clubs around the globe would come after me (insert unrealistic idea of how many people read this blog) for stoning or worse: a sit-down with the PTA. So instead, I'll just think, "If you have the vodka, why don't you just drink it, for christ's sake?"

If you've ever used a tampon, you'll know that shoving it all up in there can be painful, especially if it's full of liquid and expanding. But I guess if feeling a quick buzz after the ladies' room on the way to sophomore English is what you're looking for, then why the hell not??

While I am NOT condoning this behavior (actually, I think it's completely absurd - see my comment about wasting good vodka...), I have to ask: how does vodka not drip out of your lady parts and down your legs?

Now that you're feeling the Absolut in your cootie and have the confidence to talk to the captain of the football team, how do you hold a conversation without making a puddle on the floor and having him wonder if you still pee your bed?

Why aren't 15 year old girls still dreaming of Barbie, and putting each other's bras in the freeze at sleepovers?

This, my friends, is what makes me happy I have a dog.

Read about the story here, and rethink your feminine products.

bitch slaps and pumpkin bowls

I don't normally post about my job, but today was an extraordinarily shitty day.

I will not go into details, because you NEVER should write about your job on your blog, unless you want the world to read about it, and tell on you. (ever read the blog dooce? if you haven't, do it. she's insanely witty and real, and you'll want to to invite her for a drink. weekly.)

That being said, let's just say I spoke to SOMEONE on the phone today who had a tone that rhymed with ITCHY for what I have to say is NO REASON AT ALL BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT MADE THEM FEEL BETTER.

So to make MYSELF feel better, I bought these:

I love, love, love them! Every year we host Thanksgiving, and each year I make a different soup. It's kind of my thing. In fact, as I write this, I'm researching what soup I'm going to wow the crowd with this year (any suggestions? email me!)

The first year I made a pumpkin soup, I bought 16 little gourds that Mr. KK hollowed out so that we could serve the soup in them. It was one of my most Martha Stewart-esque moments to date, and I felt fabulous! (Mr. KK, on the other hand, felt a little less fabulous about the gourd bowls, as he practically suffered carpal tunnel with all of the cutting and scooping he had to do.)

Each year I see these bowls, and want them. And every year, I don't buy them.

Except today! And they should be here next Wednesday, just in time for a quick washing and setting on the table. I even bought the big tureen.

They're not as "whoa! that KK knows how to rock a holiday!" as pumpkin soup served in real-live pumpkins (but what is, really?), but they will totally be a conversation piece!

(and it's a good thing I have 49 cabinets to choose from when it comes to storing them for the other 364 days of the year!)

Happy Hump Day to my fellow NaNoBloMo-mers. We're halfway there!

O.M. to the G.

How frickin' cute is this skirt from Old Navy??

This is the perfect little skirt to wear to make a statement at a holiday cocktail party or to paint the town on New Year's Eve.

I see this with a fitted sequin tank top and stilettos.

Plus, it has a $24 price tag.

Perfect!

reason #234 why I can't be left unsupervised

Admittedly, after beginning my new job last year, I curbed my spending a bit to make up for the difference in my salary.

Basically, I stopped buying so many pairs of shoes.

((moment of silence))

Instead of weekly outings to buy new things, I've been saving up and making my trips more worthwhile.

In what I can only describe as a whirlwind trip to the outlets, I did some major damage in the Banana Republic outlet for both myself and Mr. KK.

Between my 30% off coupon, and extra $30 off (pretty much my thank you for spending WAY too much money on their credit card), I came home with some fabulous stuff.

Here's what I got, all for $250:

- 3 pair of jeans (two for me, one for Mr. KK)

- 3 sweaters for Mr. KK

- 1 ribbon trimmed cardigan (NOT for Mr. KK)

- 1 v-neck sweater for me

- 2 silk blouses

- 1 silk t-shirt

- 1 soft fleece sweatshirt

I was pretty proud.

Even more proud that I was able to find my will power and walk right by the Kate Spade store without stopping in. I saw the felt shoppers and bright orange handbags. But somehow, I found my strength deep inside of me and walked right.on.by.

(I still love you, Kate!)

today's project.

You know how the story goes.

You sell your old house.

You renovate your new house.

You move into your new house (oh, let's say 5 months ago...).

You become lazy and would rather go out drinking than stay in painting trim (or weeding the yard, or unpacking boxes, or hanging things on the wall, or...).

But then you realize that Thanksgiving is in two weeks, and you're hosting. And you have a list a mile long of things you'd like to get done in the house before the big day.

Things on that list might include:

1. hang the TV in the living room

2. order the bracket to hang the TV in the living room

3. put up the buffet back splash

4. cut and measure the wood to put up the buffet back splash

5. organize the basement

6. install all 49 kitchen cabinet handles - that is NOT a typo. Forty. Nine.

7. eliminate some bare walls by hanging up framed photos (that are all sitting in a pile on my office floor, ready to go!)

8. finish my office - patch holes, prime and paint the walls and ceiling

9. install the shelving in our closets

And #10 - clean out the garage so we can put our cars in it before it snows (again).

#10 might look something like this:

Lord help me. Let's get some IPA in the fridge for later, stat!

dear internal alarm clock,

WTF is going on?!?

4am? Seriously? Every day this week?

And please don't throw the 'daylight savings time' excuse at me. You were over that hurdle Monday morning.

Tonight we have dinner plans with friends. It's restaurant week, and we're going to one of Mr. KK's favorite places. I would have appreciated at least sleeping until the alarm, as not to fall asleep in my second course tonight.

Alarm clock, tomorrow is Saturday.

S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y.

Please refrain from being obnoxious.

There is no need to make your presence known again for 2 days.

Hugs,

kk

kk's fall must haves

I do it every year - pick 10 of my favorite items for the fall and winter.

In no particular order, here is what I'm finding fabulous right now:

1. Put Mademoiselle away for the winter, and try brushing on a bold, dark shade for winter. I love Essie Bobbing for Baubles.

2. This blog isn't called "will work for shoes" for nothing! My next footwear purchase will be these awesome platform booties by Vince Camuto. I love the grayish-taupey color.

3. Give a hoot - these are cute! I totally wouldn't want to hide these measuring cups in a cabinet. They come in 4 cute colors and make measuring more fun.
4. Okay, it's FREEZING in our house (we won't put the heat above 66!) so I need some warm jammies. Vito especially loves my doxie flannel pajamas.

5. Don't leave the house without a statement piece of jewelry. If I could pick, this bold bracelet by Tory Burch would be at the top of my list. Bonus points because it's animal print, which is so hot right now.

6. I just wore this awesome skirt yesterday from Ann Taylor Loft and got a million compliments. It hangs perfectly, is a bright red-orange, and looks awesome with tall boots and fitted top.

7. Hey, not only is my house cold, but my office is an icebox, too! I keep warm with thin, ruffly cardigans that layer easily over whatever I'm wearing.

8. Monkey slippers from Target. 'nuff said.
9. If you can't GO to Bar Americain to eat - which is FAB btw - then make some of the dishes at home with Bobby Flay's latest cookbook. Hello, mussels frites!

10. Put technology aside - every desk could use a bright, fun calendar and planner like this one from Kate Spade. Don't forget to add my birthday - April 15!