And were home!

We got back from Phoenix on Sunday afternoon and we had a great time!
Susi and I left last Wednesday and made it into Phoenix around 6pm. It was so warm, it was nice to just sit outside and not be freezing. We had dinner at our hotel and had a few drinks while waiting for Cindy and Chelsea to arrive. While sitting by the pool, it started lightning and thundering and then the rain started. It was so windy and just crazy outside, but still warm.


Thursday morning, we had to get up early to drive to Tucson, about 120 miles away. Chelsea had an audition at the University of Arizona. She is an opera singer and was auditioning for a full ride scholarship. She has a beautiful voice! The University of Arizona campus was so nice and the town around it was nice also. There were several cute little shops and restaurants. We had lunch at a place called Frog and Firkin.



It was a fun place and we sat outside on the patio and watched the planes from the air force base fly around.

Susi and I spent the rest of the day shopping, while Cindy and Chelsea were meeting with professors. We had dinner at our hotel and had a few drinks until Cindy and Chelsea came back. We met 2 guys that went to the U of A. They were very interesting and we carried on a great conversation with them about politics and just life in general. That was probably my favorite thing about this trip, we met some of the coolest people. The 1 guy was 28 years old and he was a musician. He was also a firefighter and that was a real passion of his. He was sharing his life dreams with us and that was so intriguing to me.

After dinner, Susi, Chelsea and I headed over to a little bar called Dirt Bags. When we got there it was dead. There were a group of guys that were staying at our hotel and they were in there. We ended up sitting with them and having some drinks and it was fun to see where they were from and what their stories were. We had a great time!




Friday, Chelsea had her last audition so her and Cindy went to that and Susi and I just hung out at the room and ordered breakfast. We got ready and walked over to the campus to meet up with them. After Chelsea was done, we headed over to a little brewery in town and had some lunch. It wasn't very nice Friday. Pretty cloudy skies and a silly breeze but we still sat outside. After lunch we went to a spa and did foot soaks and I did a facial. It was so nice to just relax and my face was so soft afterwards!




Friday night we went into downtown Tucson and had dinner at an authentic Mexican restaurant. They had the best Queso I've ever had and the pina coladas were pretty good too :) After dinner, we headed back to our hotel and hung out in the bar for a little bit and then headed up to bed. We wanted to get up early to head to Scottsdale for some shopping.

Saturday was Chelsea's 19Th birthday, so we were also ready to celebrate. We stopped in Casa Grande on the way to Scottsdale, to check out Susi's parents new house. It is in a great little town that is booming and it is nice and secure. I think they will really enjoy living there. After that, we continued on the Scottsdale. It was a beautiful day out. We stayed at the Marriott and had a suite so that was really nice. We started out having lunch at this wonderful little place called Olive & Ivy. From the outside, it looked super cute and it got even better once we got inside. It was located right by the canal and had a large patio with grass and stone everywhere. The tables had the big umbrellas and there was great music playing. Just a great atmosphere. When you walked inside they had these really cool lights hanging that were like blown glass and they were orange and yellow.




(Olive and Ivy was to the left in this pic)

We had a great waiter, who was actually a minor league player for the Boston Red Socks. He had his eye on Chelsea and she kept a close eye on him too. He had a great personality and made sure we had a great time. The restaurant even makes their own Gelato which is Chelsea's favorite thing, so he brought her a sample platter of all 17 flavors and then she got 3 big scoops of her favorite. It was a great time.





After lunch, we started shopping! That mall was AMAZING :) I am definitely a shopper and anyone that knows me, knows that. The mall was 3 stories and had every store from Tiffany & Co. to Louis Vuitton and Anthropologie. We were there for a few hours, but I could have been there all day!

We stopped at a wine bar around 7:30 and had a few drinks and some appetizers. We planned to just head back to the room since we had to be up at 5:00am to catch our plane at 7:30, but on the way back to our hotel, we passed a place called the Sadle Ranch House. It looked way too fun to not stop, so we did. Cindy started talking to the manager and before we knew it, we were at the bar getting a few drink from him and then a few minutes later he seated us at a table right by the fire outside. It was another cool place with a great atmosphere. They had a mechanical bull and it was fun to see people get on that. We had lots of drinks, lots of laughs and lots of fun. The next time I go to the Phoenix area, I will definitely be going back there.




We had such a great time and I'm so glad I went!

Valentine's pics..

I know these are really late, but I figure better late than never..

Girls day out!

Last Monday was President's day and I didnt go to work so I decided it would be a special day for Campbell and I. I wanted to get my nails done so I took Campbell with me so she could get her nails done too. I got a pedicure and a fill, but she only wanted her nails painted. She picked a really cute color and she was so good about sitting still and letting them dry. She just kept staring at them and while she was sitting at the nail dryer, she was mouthing "I love you" to me, it was so sweet :)



After our nails, we went over to the Alderwood mall to do a little shopping. I hit up the MAC counter and then we headed to the Disney Store to get a gift for 1 of Campbell's school friends, and ofcourse something for Campbell too :)
After that we headed over to Famous Footwear, where we found the most adoreable little boots for her!

She was so proud of them and couldnt wait to wear them to school the next day. She told me that all of the boys would think she was Hannah Montana :)
She looks so cute in them, then again, there isnt anything that she doesnt look cute in :)


After our shopping we went to our favorite resturaunt, The Olive Garden, for dinner. Whenever I go on a trip, I always have a special day/night with Campbell before I go and I really enjoy that.

In less than 24 hours...

I will be in Phoenix, Arizona. I hope it's that beautiful too..
I'm going with Jay's mom Susi and her sister Cindy and niece Chelsea. Susi's parents just bought a house down there so we are going to check that out, and Chelsea has a interview at a college there, so it's just a girls trip. I'm looking forward to it and it should be a great time. We will do lots of shopping, maybe try some golfing, and ofcourse we will be enjoying some margaritas :) We leave tomorrow and come home Sunday afternoon.

Almost..

But almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

The Daytona 500 didn't have the finishing results I was hoping for, but two 2nd place finishes and a 4th place finish is a pretty stout weekend.
Kyle was the most dominant car all day yesterday leading the most laps, but it all came down to the last restart with 4 laps to go. It was a bummer deal but I'm still so proud of Kyle (I say that like I actually know him hahaha)

He has so much talent, it's crazy. The things he does in a racecar at 22 years old, most guys couldn't dream of doing. He gets a little rowdy at times, but he always makes it exciting and as Darrell Waltrip said yesterday, he is checkers or wreckers. At one point yesterday, his crew chief came across the radio and said, hey superman, settle down out there, and Kyle replied with something to the effect of, no way man, were racin' out here!

I'm so excited racing is back! This is just the start of a very long season and hopefully I can make it to a big race or two :)

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Finally, the Daytona 500 is here! Although the "off season" is only a couple short months, it seems like forever. I always love the first race of the year. The excitement, the interviews, seeing what the drivers were up to during the winter, just the whole thing.

Friday night was the truck race, and although Kyle aka Rowdy, didnt win, he came in a close second. It was a crazy race with a couple wrecks that took out several cars. Kyle's truck was terrible all night but somehow, he managed to hang on to it and bring home 2nd. Yet another example of his raw talent and ability to drive..in anything.

Today he was in the Nationwide race and started 5th, his best ever qualifying performance for a restrictor plate race. I didnt get to watch much of it, but when I left, he was in the lead. I listened to it on the radio in the car, and did not go into the mall until I heard who won. I was bummed that Stewart won but Kyle got 2nd, again. As far as Im concerned, he has the place figured out, and I have a good feeling for the 500!

Along with Kyle, I will also be paying close attention to my other 2 favorites, Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer. With such a long race, so many things can happen. I just hope that one of my boys ends up in victory lane tomorrow :) I will be heading down to the Saul's bright and early to watch the pre-race hoopla..let's go racin boys :)

It's ROWDY time..

This is what I hope to see tonight:



Rowdy. In victory lane. At Daytona.
Nothing would make me happier today.
Not much else to say :)

♥ Happy Valentine's Day ♥

Dont those look yummy? And pretty too..I hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine's day. I got to pick up Campbell at preschool today and she was all loaded up on candy!! I had a bunch of stuff for her and Cooper and I took plenty of pics that I will have to post later this evening.

I also got a package in the mail from "Cupid" aka Shelby :) She sent me some super cute Valentine's towels, some candy purses, a note pad, some candy and a very sweet card. I love getting stuff like that in the mail, definitely put a smile on my face :)

Today is my parent's 21st wedding anniversary, so tonight I will go over to their house for dinner and to see my sisters and brother. My dad wants to make a crab dinner so he will do that and since my siblings and I dont like that, we will do something else..

Also a little blast from the past:

I am listening to the Duel 125's and currently Kyle is 8th so here's to hoping that he gets even higher up there!

Valentine's baking..

Arent these cute?? I saw these online last year, and I saved them because I wanted to try them myself and I thought Valentine's day would be the perfect occasion to make them. They are so easy to do and I think they are too cute. I made these last night to deliver to some of my favorite Valentine's and they will be packaged in these:




Has anyone else made any cute things for Valentine's day? It's only a day away ♥♥

Tuesday Tidbits..

"The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her." - Marcelene Cox

Well if that isn't the truth, I dont know what is! My friend Jenn got me the shopaholics daily desk calendar for Christmas and that was the quote of the day :) To say that I love to shop, is quite an under statement.

Last night I went home and made Chicken enchiladas with some rice and then I watched Dr. Phil's 1000th episode, part 1. Oprah was on and it was great to see her on there supporting him, they really do have a great relationship. I learned that Dr. Phil owns his own show and he did that about 3 years into it. Oprah owned him at first but now they are the only 2 people in the television industry, that own themselves. Pretty cool little fact :)


Well it's been a few days now with my Palm Centro, and I love it! I havent completely figured it out yet, but from what I know so far, I love it. It has so many capabilities and the sound is so crisp clear. If your looking for a PDA type phone, definitely look into the Centro. Sprint is having a great deal right now where you can get the phone for only $99.00, well worth it!

Why oh why must they sell these? I was at Rite Aide yesterday afternoon picking up some Valentine's day things, and I spotted these. My.favorite.candy.ever. Of course I had to get a bag, couldn't just walk by them. Thanks Cadbury!

Happy 1000th episode Dr. Phil!!

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a huge Dr. Phil fan! Although I didnt care for his, at times, harsh approach to things when he first appeared on Oprah, I decided to give him another shot when he got his own show and I have been a fan ever since. I watch almost nightly. In the past 2 years, I have got to visit his studio twice to watch the tapings of his show. Last March infact, my friend Ashley and I got to be there all day, from 7 am to 3 in the afternoon and I loved every minute of it. Dr. Phil has many critics and many dont like him, but I love him! Here's to another 1,000!

It's LOVE week..

Valentine's day is such a fun holiday, although I don't really have a Valentine, I love making little treats for the ones I love. On Saturday night, Campbell and I made some heart cookies..She was so excited because I got her and I matching Valentine's apron's at Target. They are so cute, I will have to add a picture later since I dont have them right now. She kept saying, "Becky, I want to cook" repeatedly..so finally I kept saying "Hey Campbell, do you still want to cook.."
She thought it was funny, and it was pretty funny. She must have asked me 100 times :)

Sunday I watched Cup Qualifying for the Daytona 500. Only the top 2 spots were locked in, so the Dual 125's on Thursday will be the next big thing to watch.
I can't believe that Michael Waltrip qualified 2nd! Go Waltrip World!
It must have been our visit there that give him good luck :)



After that, Melinda decided that we should make cupcakes, so we did. She ended up making them and I just observed. She decorated them so cute, again, I will have to add pics tonight. She made mini cupcakes and then big ones that she made with 2 different cake batters, 1 chocolate and 1 butter yellow, so then she mixed them together, they were so good!

My week looks pretty relaxing. Tonight I'm going to finish getting my Valentine's gifts together, then tomorrow night Im going to make some more cookies :)

Remember to wear something pink or red this week ♥

27 Dresses

Last night, Shelby, Sherry and I went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and then we went to see the movie 27 dresses. If you havent already seen it, you must. It was the cutest movie and I just love Katherine Heigl. She played the part so well. I thought it was going to be just a comedy, but it was much more than that. It was heart warming and I found myself with a lump in my throat several times, definitely my kind of movie :)

Today I will be taking Campbell and Cooper to my brother and sister's basketball games. I have been gone so much on the weekends lately that I have practically missed the whole season! I love going to watch them, Campbell loves it too and hopefully Cooper does :)

Tonight is the bud shoot out and I am so excited that a race is going to be on tv..finally!
I will, of course, be cheering for:

and...


I hope your having a lovely weekend, whatever it is that your doing!

Oh happy mail..

I love days like today, when I open up the mail box to see not only one, but two packages just for me. The first package that I ripped opened, contained some jewelry from a company called Silpada.

The first thing I opened was this beautiful piece:



then these:



and finally this:



Beautiful, beautiful jewelery!! My friend Jenn is now a Silpada representative and introduced me to this stuff. Very glad she did!

The second package I opened came from this Etsy shop. She is a creative, crafty person named Danyelle and her blog {dandee} is pretty much my favorite. Her Etsy shop is full of wonderful things and I ordered a few of my favorite, so today in lovely packaging, I received these:



Super cute little stickers complete with darling little bags. Im not quite sure what I will use them for, but I just had to have them!

Next were these:



I tend to over do things a bit, so I thought in order to keep that under control, I would get these little tags for holidays/birthdays. It seems practical to me and a great way to package things.

As an extra, Danyelle also included some of these:



As well as a very nice hand written card. Danyelle is also custom designing some things for Shae's baby shower and I am so excited to see how they will turn out :)

All in all, it was a great day for me. Nothing beats happy mail!

April 5, 2008..

This is where you will find me:



And I will be listening to these amazing voices:



AND



Are you kidding me??? Rascal Flatts AND Taylor Swift..TOGETHER?? Can you say best. concert. ever.
I am beyond excited for this!!
April 5th can not come fast enough for me!