Introducing Mrs. High 5

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.  I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.  I love you for the part of me that you bring out." 
 - Roy Croft

My spring wedding tour of the south ended this past weekend with the nuptials of Mr. Randal Singer and Miss Jamie Gagliano.  I cannot think of a better place for a spring wedding then the city of New Orleans.  And, I cannot think of two people that are more New Orleans than these.  

We had the pleasure of meeting Randal a couple of years ago during football season.  He was hilariously funny and equally as crazy as his bride.  They make a wonderful couple and absolutely bring out the best in one another.  


Our weekend of festivities began with a balcony party held at The Embers Steak House in the French Quarter on Bourbon at St. Peter.  The food was amazing and classic.  The bar was perfect, as it was open.  There was a little bit of quirk with a caricaturist and a medium of sorts with rice bags.  The balcony was packed with guests tossing beads down on tourists below while a brass band walked around entertaining.  

After the party we took to the streets of the French Quarter.  Note to self- do not wear white jeans and new wedges when you do this.  You will get blisters and your pants will get nasty.  Of course we stopped into some of the regular spots- Tropical Isle and a few places that were boombastic.  It was obvious our age when we walked home prior to the sun coming up............actually- hours before the sun came up.  Welcome to adult hood.  

Saturday was gorgeous.  Sunny and about 80- just how I like it.  There was a Road Food festival in the French Market and it was a beautiful day for a stroll.  I much prefer the French Quarter by day.  It's so much nicer.  We had a wonderful lunch at Pere Antoine and then hopped around for a while prior to heading back to the hotel to get ready.  

The wedding was held at The Elms Mansion on St. Charles in the Garden District.  The home was beautiful.  Jamie could not have been more gorgeous.  Their jewish ceremony was sweet and reflective of them.  As the guests wandered in they were greeted with Sweet Tea Vodka on the rocks- BEST arrival beverage EVER.  After they stepped on the glass and mazel tovs were thrown the party started.  Great New Orleans music, food, a magician, a man statue and even an appearance by a Mardi Gras Indian.  It was the perfect mix of elegance and crazy- completely Jamie and Randal.  

After the party we traveled uptown to the Maple Leaf for some live music.  That was all she wrote for me as the days events wore me out.  

The following day a group of friends held a brunch at the hotel for guests.  It was delicious and the perfect way to end the perfect weekend.  Considering this was our first weekend away in three years without a child it could not have been better.  We were able to spend time with good friends, celebrate happy endings and make memories.  Who can ask for more :-)

Best wishes to Jamie and Randal- together I cannot wait to see what you can accomplish.  MAZEL TOV.

 

Yep. This About Sums Up What I Expect.......

I'm fairly certain Jesus will understand why lent had to end early. After all, he did turn water to wine ;-)

Rant On.........

"The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand


I have a big issue with people being told how they should live their life. I certainly don't like it when it is expressed to me how I should live my life or raise my child. Because I do not like this, I do not do this to others. It is not, in any way, shape or form my job to pass judgement or tell another human how to live, who to love or how to worship if they feel the need to do so.

In my opinion there is a lot of wasted energy and time going towards issues that should not matter to the masses. Issues that concern individuals. Issues that will not bring war on American soil, make the economy collapse again or change health care.

A lot of you may not like what I have to say. I suggest that rather than arguing with my personal opinions on my blog you go ahead and stop reading now.

I DO NOT see what gay marriage has to do with politics. AT ALL. If two people want to marry and they are in love they should be afforded that right. I didn't have to get an act of congress passed to marry my husband. There is separation of church and state for a reason. If it is so "wrong in the eyes of God" it has no place in politics. In my opinion, of course. I know many homosexual couples that are in very committed relationships that are more functional than traditional marriages- by a long shot. If my friends want to get married for love I see NO reason they should not. I mean, really, people. If Jesus was so accepting, what do you really think JWD. I know children that have been raised by gay and lesbian couples and they are just as "normal" if not more so than any of my friends that had a mom and dad. Anybody can get married. It takes a deep commitment to have a marriage. Considering 50% of traditional marriages end in divorce- I don't see how the gays can do any worse. And, I don't see how my friends getting married will directly impact the quality of life of anyone else on the planet.

Second thought which I will not go far into- what I do to MY body has no direct impact on YOUR life. If I want to eat nothing but Whataburger for the rest of my days and attempt to break world records for weight gain and high cholesterol that is none of your damn business. Either is anything else.

I think it is completely wonderful that everybody has opinions. And we are afforded the freedom to express them. With that freedom of expression should come a certain level of respect for each other which I feel is lacking. You should not judge others based solely on the fact that they think differently than you do. Or believe in a different god or don't believe in anything at all. That is how they feel. And you have your feelings, thoughts and beliefs. I'm sure you wouldn't want people all up in your grill so think before you push yourself on someone else. Just because you disagree doesn't mean you are in the right. I have many friends that don't think exactly as I do. They are entitled to that. And I respect that. It's our differences that make each of us unique. If we were all the same we might as well be droid clones.

Just a few thoughts.

Scoot'n Off to See My Sorority Sisters....Again

“They say nothing lasts forever; dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style.”  
 - Carrie Bradshaw

I've said it before and I will say it again............  I have been exceptionally blessed with wonderful girlfriends.  Especially my sorority sisters.  There is a small group of us that have gathered once a year for the past 5 years for a sort of reunion weekend.  We try to gather for important things, usually football games and weddings in between.  Some make it, some of us don't but we always have a majority present and always miss the ones that are not. 

This weekend coming up is the final of my Southern Spring Wedding Tour '12.  I get to see a group of my pledge sisters for the second time in a month to celebrate the marriage of another.  It's these weekends that I love and look forward to all year. 

Jamie is getting married in New Orleans, where she is from, to an amazing man that has brought out the absolute best in her.  I have been to this city with each of the group at different times over the past decade and a half but never has it been all of us at once.  I am afraid for the city.  Especially when Jamie's group of girlfriends from college gets paired for the first time with her ridiculously fun group of friends from home.  This shall be epic.  I cannot wait to take photos of this one! 

New Orleans is one of my favorite cities and I cannot wait to make new memories with some amazing ladies!  And, husbands that will be there, of course.  Between balcony parties in the quarter, trolling around the city, wedding uptown and a wonderful brunch on the way out, I am sure I will have no shortage of things to write about at the end of the weekend.  I must say that I am also excited to stay at the InterContinental.  It will be a new hotel for us.  As we are creatures of habit, we usually stay at the Ritz on Canal but we will be giving the IC a spin this go round.  Lucky for us, everybody else is too :-)

Have a good weekend, people!  I'm Scoot'n off to New Orleans!

My Top 5 Favorite Designers...........

"It’s a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It’s all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together." — Alexander McQueen

 

Anybody that knows me knows that I am not AT ALL, in any way, shape or form all about what's hot right this second in the fashion world.  I don't go out and spend ridiculous amounts of money on the hottest trends because that is what they are- hot trends.  I much prefer the basic classics.  I like that my style is simple.  That I can pair designer jeans and shoes with a top from target or TJ Maxx.  And, I like that the things I wear don't really go out of style.  I have been stepping out of my normal comfort zone lately with little things, but fairly classic all the same.  Things like white jeans or nude/ beige shoes and boxy tops rather than the standard oxford or polo.  These are the designers that I love right now, some I have for quite some time and some in the past few years but I am certain they will remain in my closet for years to come and always go well with my pearls.............. 

1)  Lilly Pulitzer-  Without a doubt one of my signature designers and all time favorites.  I love everything about Lilly.  The patterns, fabrics, colors and the simplicity of the clothes.  I love that I can wear bright shoes with anything Lilly and that no matter the colors in the pattern, if you pair with something bright you are doing just fine.  I love that the same dress can be worn to a beach party or dressed up for a wedding.  And, I love even more that the dress I bought for my rehearsal dinner in 2004 is still being made, just in different prints.  I adore the new pattern Lilly has for Theta too.  I have a little bit of everything from Lilly. Coffee table books, key chains, shoes, clothes, bags, perfume, a phone cover and bathing suits.  Even pajamas.  My friends used to joke with me whenever we would see someone in Lilly asking if I knew what pattern it was.  All time love.  I am a forever Lilly lover!

 

2)  Kate Spade-  I love the classic look of Kate Spade.  Her clothing is conservative but sometimes can be sassy.  I fell in love with her handbags in college and still to this day carry those and continue to buy her newer designs. I love her bags so much that I buy her diaper bags as well.  Right now I have 3 of them.  Yes, 3 diaper bags by her.  I am also a rather large fan of her shoes.  I love the way she uses bows a lot.  Big fan of bows...........shocker, I am sure.   

 

3)  Tory Burch-  Besides the fact that she is a Theta I love Tory for the same reason I love Kate Spade and Lilly.  Her designs are classic, simple and timeless.  I know that the bags and shoes I have I can carry and wear with anything- forever.  I am particularly obsessed with her boots.  And, they are comfortable.  I'm in the market for some new accessories and I'm really liking what I am seeing from her.  

4) Elizabeth McKay- Who doesn't love a designer that works with ruffles and elephants.  Duh.

5)  Ralph Lauren-  I don't even need to explain this.  I love a popped collar.  

I'm fairly certain nobody finds this shocking or surprising.  I'm a simple, preppy girl with simple preppy taste.  Of course I love vineyard vines, brooks brothers and recently a fan of Theory and Tibi but I will ALWAYS love my staples and go-to's.  And everything in my wardrobe can be paired with classic ray-ban aviators.  I'm sure my husband enjoys that he does not have to replace my wardrobe every season each year.  

Top 5 places I would rather be on this crappy day. And why.......

"A vacation frequently means that the family goes away for a rest, accompanied by a mother who sees that the others get it." -Marcelene Cox


Although I love South Alabama, especially the beautiful city of Mobile, in which I reside, I can think of a few places I would rather be on this very dreary day. When the sun is shining there are few places that can beat Mobile but when it rains, which it does often, I find it downright depressing. That is why I have compiled a list of places I would rather be today. And why.

1) South Walton County, FL- I love this area of Florida. The beaches of south Walton County are among the most beautiful I have seen. Anywhere. The water is caribbean clear, the sand is white as the snow and so soft and the towns that dot scenic hiway 30-A are beautiful and quite charming. I have spent many great moments along 30-A from honeymoon trips to girls weekends and just last minute getaways. My favorites are Grayton Beach, Watercolor, Seaside, Alys Beach, and Rosemary Beach. All of the towns and beaches are wonderful but these are where I have spent the most time. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this area I highly recommend the following as "Must Visit" places:

Bud and Alley's- Seaside- for sunset cocktails

Stinky's Fish Camp- wonderful spot for dinner!

George's at Alys Beach- I hear they have the best fish sandwich!

Amavida Coffee- Rosemary Beach- great little place for a quick pick me up right in the main village

The Red Bar- Grayton Beach- great spot for beach cocktails, brunch, and everything in between.


2) A Small Island in the Caribbean- I would take ANY of them right now. Even Costa Rica, Mexico or Bermuda- I realize two are not islands and one is in the Atlantic. If I could be on a beautiful beach, in another country with a cold drink in hand lounging with my eyes closed while listening to the waves lightly crashing in the background and a nice breeze I would give about anything. Not my first born, because, frankly he is pretty awesome, but I would give just about anything else! I'd even be happy to deal with a Delta layover in ATL due to the rain.

Places I would love to visit that fit this description- St. Barths, PSV, Palm
Island, Bimini, Mustique, Peter Island, Anguilla, Jost Van Dyke.

Places I have visited that fit this description- Mexico, Costa Rica, Bonaire, Curaçao, Bermuda, Jamaica

3) Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada- I LOVE this ski resort. Although I am quite certain it has changed dramatically since my last visit in March of 1994, I would return in a heartbeat. It is one of the few places on the easy coast where the skiing is great late in the season. The village at the base of the mountain is exactly what you would think of when picturing a typical ski resort, but better. There is great shopping and wonderful bakeries. They had one shop I particularly fell in love with, Dans au Jardin I believe was the name and it had the best bath salts and lip balm! The lodge is wonderfully rustic chic with a blazing fire. One of my favorite things each day was to ski down to a little cafe for French onion soup and a salad.

4) Highlands/ CMW, NC- I had the opportunity to spend two of my college summers in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. As a counselor at Camp Merrie Woode in Cashiers I discovered that this was in fact, a place of rarest beauty. With everything around it building up, CMW has remained true to its mission and quite simple. The girls still live in simple cabins, there is a technology policy in place to restrict use of cell phones and computers. The girls are able to enjoy the beauty of camp without new world distractions. Although I loved the trips up the mountain to highlands, one of my favorite things to do was paddle out on the lake- so very peaceful- or take a morning jog in up the mile long camp road before everyone got up while the morning fog was still rising above the lake. There are few places in this world as peaceful and serene as Camp Merrie Woode. I was able to experience what my grandmother experienced all those years ago with very little change and I hope one day to have a daughter that is able to do the same.

5) Baltimore, MD- although Baltimore is not as breathtakingly beautiful as the other 4 places listed above it, it is the city where I feel most at home. From the time I was born I spent every summer, thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break at my grandparents house in Baltimore. Then we moved there when I was in 5th grade, where I remained until I departed for college. The city is in a great central location. Very close to DC, PHL, NYC, mountains and beaches it offers the opportunity to do most anything. I love the downtown areas that surround the Inner Harbor and still take the train down to DC for day trips. In the summer it is especially nice. You can spend the day on the water, have dinner at a 5 star restaurant and then catch a baseball game without ever getting in a car. I highly recommend it as a city to visit.

God Bless The Children

"If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all."  ~Pearl S. Buck

Usually my posts are light, slightly humorous (or at least the attempt is made) and are full of fun photos and stories about what I have been up to.  This one is slightly more serious.  

Part of the beauty of social media is that you are exposed to things that you may not have seen otherwise.  All kinds of things.  Had it not been for social media I would not know a lot about what is going on locally or in other states.  I definitely would not have known about the rather ridiculous listing for Whitney Houstons mansion in NJ or that Snooki is allegedly pregnant and due in December.  

I also would not have known about Joseph Kony in Central Africa.  I strongly urge you to take a few minutes out of your day to watch the video above.   I did so while doing dishes this morning.  It made me realize that although I pretend not to be "that person" I really kind of am.  I had no idea this was going on and I had no idea who this person is.  I am not hopping on the next plane to the Congo but I have committed to further the cause of the Invisible Children by posting about this so that more people will know who Joseph Kony is, the heinous crimes he has committed and to generally raise awareness to lead to his capture, arrest and conviction in an international court.  One person can make a difference.  I have seen this video because one person posted it.  Because I saw it, I have reposted it and others have watched it from there.  It is a domino effect.  If you read this, please repost it.  The more people know this name, the greater this movement becomes.  

Joseph Kony has abducted more than 30,000 CHILDREN.  He has made the girls sex slaves.  He has turned little boys into child soldiers, making them kill their parents and mutilate the faces of others.  No child should live in fear of being abducted and raped.  No child should be forced to kill and mutilate.  I have a son.  He is almost five years old.  If ANY person kidnapped him,  turned him into a soldier and made him mutilate the faces of his friends or kill me it would be all over the news.  As would the abductor.  I realize this is not happening in our community, state, country or even on our continent, but it is happening in our world.  Without humanitarian efforts it will continue.  Please pass this along to do your part as a human.  It is human nature to want to be a part of something.  Why not be a part of this, all it takes is a click.  

 

Jana Gets Hitched!

“Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free til they find someone just as wild to run with them.”  - Carrie Bradshaw

I have been very fortunate in my life to have made some amazing friends.  Some of them are still in my life and some came in for a while and we have lost touch but still they have played a role in shaping who I am today.  Jana is my very oldest friend in the world and I am very lucky to have her in my life.  

 

 

Jana and I met in pre school at Brookwood Baptist in Birmingham, Alabama.  We were the very best of friends as very young girls.  We did everything together- including getting matching cabbage patch kid nightgowns for sleep overs.  She was the first friend I had a sleepover with.  You always remember your first best friend and sometimes, if you are very lucky, when you are about to turn 34 you can say that person is still in your life now.  Many people in Mobile can say that they have been best friends with someone since before they can really remember, but it is very different to have a person so close to you when neither of you is from Mobile and you both ended up here by chance.  

 

 

After Jana moved to south Alabama my family relocated to Baltimore, Maryland and we lost touch.  We ran into each other twice while in college at The University of Alabama but didn't really reconnect at that time.  THEN........... I ran into Barron one night at Soul Kitchen.  We got to talking about how he had been and he mentioned his girlfriend.  I asked what her name was and he said Jana.  "Jana Williston?," I asked because there are about as many people named Jana and pronounced John-ah as there are named Scootie.  Where is she!  And the rest is history.  We reconnected years ago and have been close ever since.  

 

 

Jana now is much like Jana in preschool.  She makes her own rules, does what she wants and stays crazy in the process.  That's what makes her so fun.  She is wild and in a very good way and very head strong.  And Barron is perfect for her.  He knows her and loves her for it.  They have been in each others lives for years and years.  And their story is a wonderful one.  Not always picture perfect and sometimes crazy but through it all they have grown up, grown together and found each other again- for good.  I could not be happier for them.  They make sense and keep each other grounded.  They compliment each other in the most wonderful ways.  That's what makes them work so well together.  They almost married once before and did not.  They went their own way for a couple of years and then came back together.  This time for good.  

 

 

The ceremony was beautiful and simple- much like Jana.  Not a lot of pomp and circumstance.  Just the two of them, their families that play such an important role in both of their lives, and their closest friends.  In a small catholic chapel on Mobile Bay they said their "I Do's" and made it official.  She could not have been more beautiful.  As soon as she started her walk down the isle on her brothers arm I began to tear up a little.  My oldest friend was getting married and I was fortunate enough to be there, after all these years.  And now thinking about it as I write this I am tearing up again knowing that one of my very best friends is right where she was meant to be- with Barron. 

 

The reception was one of the most fun I have attended.  Held at the bay house of a good friends parents, the setting was perfect.  On the lawn as the sun was setting we enjoyed wonderful food by Bay Gourmet , the musical styling of the karaoke dj and a plethora of cocktails.  We danced all night- or at least until 10:30 when we had to go home to kids.  It was such a reflection of the couple-  and one helluva good time!

 

The Partridge family is very lucky to have such a wonderful, strong, beautiful and loyal daughter in law and the Williston family lucky as well.  The baby of the family will be well taken care of by a wonderful man that loves her.