Ohhh lala 200 is here!!

This is my 200th post so you know what that means: It is GIVEAWAY time!!

Since the homemade, monogram stationary was a big hit I decided to go with that for the big 2-0-0. I have not decided exactly what the winner will get, but it will be something along the lines of 10 note cards, a sheet of address labels, 12 calling cards and stickers! I apologize to those of you who are not as in love with paper products as I, but I promise to be a bit more creative in my next giveaway (suggestions are always welcomed).

If you would like to enter please leave a comment with your favorite fall staple. It can be classic or trendy and it does not have to be something you own. I will pick a winner on Friday evening around 5pm EST so enter away!

Issues

Before I continue I want each and every reader that this is not directed towards anyone in particular nor do I want to come off as incredibly rude. However, with that being said I there are several issues in the blogging world that have really started to bother me. The first is the use of far too much offensive and crude language. As I am sure each and every one of you has guessed I am just about as conservative as they come in every aspect of life. This obviously includes the way I speak. I rarely use any vulgar language and I often find it to be completely uncalled for. It is not only offensive, but when people are constantly throwing horrible words into their posts they become unpleasant to read. It is especially difficult when one prides themselves on being so prim and proper and then writes this way. In my opinion these two things just do not go hand and hand. Do you all feel as if I am being old fashioned? I am just having trouble understanding how one deems it necessary to drop the s and f words when they are writing about the preppy dinner party they went to with their super posh best friends.

The second issue I have come across was inevitable as this is an election year. The criticism of the other's parties candidate is something that has been brought up on many blogs recently. You all know who I am voting for and you know I am very proud of John McCain and Sarah Palin. I stand behind them and agree with their policies. However, I do not write rude posts about their opponents Barack Obama or Joe Biden. Really why leave a comment at all if it is going to be mean spirited? I personally just do not see eye an eye with them, but I am not going to burn bridges with some of my favorite bloggers because of this. One of my favorite fellow bloggers does not agree with my political views, however she has not ever left a comment on my pink and green McCain/Palin posts and nor has she seen the need to write up a bashing post. When I see that people have written hateful comments or posts it really makes allows me to see them in a new light. Obviously none of us are perfect and we do live in a free country so we can say and do as we please, but is it really worth losing friends over? It is just something to think about.

At the end of the day we are all Americans and we should be proud that we live in a nation where we hold free elections. We should be proud that a man of color that was raised in a lower middle class home has worked his way up and is able to run for office. We should be proud that we have a women on one of this nation's tickets. There is so much to be thankful for in this country so why not concentrate on that rather then the negative at times?

Perhaps I am alone in these issues, but I just thought I would throw them out there. Hopefully they will get each and every one of us thinking and perhaps even serve to unite us. Have a wonderful Tuesday!!

Preppy CD!

Any true prep makes sure that every aspect of their life exemplifies who they are. Luckily for us Ripete came up with the Preppy Deluxe CD! I came across this CD freshmen year of college when attending Hollins University. It is filled with great, beach music songs that are sure to be enjoyed by many. I of course specially loved it because it is all oldies and even had two of my favorites: Beach Baby and Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes. Head on over to Amazon and scoop up one of the six CDs that are still available. If you are too late I guess iTunes will do, but you will miss out on the darling album cover, perhaps you can just create your own Lilly or madras one instead?!

1. Carolina Girls - General Johnson & Chairmen Of The Board
2. Shama Lama Ding Dong - The Band Of Oz
3. Rainy Day Bells - The Globetrotters
4. Did You Boogie (With Your Baby) - The Embers
5. Mr. Beach - Shagtime
6. Ocean Boulevard - The Band Of Oz
7. Hey Baby/39-21-46/I've Been Hurt - Buddy Causey
8. Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations
9. Hold Back The Night - The Trammps
10. Tams Medley: Hey Girl Don't Bother Me/What Kin ... - Tams
11. Beach Baby - First Class
12. Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes - Edison Lighthouse
13. My Baby Loves Lovin' - White Plains
14. In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
15. Tequila - The Champs
16. Sugar Sugar - The Archies
17. Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price
18. Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) (Worst Morning ... - The Swingin' Medallions
19. Shake Rattle & Roll - Bill Haley & The Comets
20. The Twist - Chubby Checker

PS- If I could add one song it would definitely be Brown Eyed Girl. Though it is not official preppy, beach music it was played at all of our boarding school events and is an all time classic!

Clarification

Many of you have asked about Legally Blonde and it's closing. It is ONLY closing on Broadway and as of now the tour will still be happening. I mean there will be no Bailey Hanks or an amazing set, but hey at least all the fabulous songs will be there!

Onto card making. As far as the card stock I use for making stationary I purchase it all from Paper Source. I typically buy the A2 cards, but on Saturday I purchased some A7 and they are fabulous! I highly recommend looking into their stock even if you do not have a store. It is of a wonderful quality and there are so many fun colors to choose from; blossom, chartreuse and luxe white are my favorites. The monogram font has to be purchased online. You simply find the font you wish to use, pay, download and start creating. There are several fabulous diamond and oval fonts out there as well. Good luck with your creations!!

Weekend fun!

My weekend has flown by! I am still somewhat mourning the fact I will not be seeing Legally Blonde come November, but life does go on and I have so much to look forward to. On Friday C's wonderful family was in town and invited me to go to dinner with them. We had a fabulous time and enjoyed a delicious meal. I came home and watched the tail end of the debate and was very impressed with my candidate. He was very good!

As mentioned I went to see The Duchess on Saturday and it was fabulous! You all simply must go! Afterwards I decided to run into TJ Maxx and was so thrilled to find they had just gotten some Christmas Spode in!I have several serving pieces and was planning to add plates to my collection this year. I bought four plates at just $7.99 each, such a steal! I passed on the salad plates, but am thinking I might go back since they can even double as dessert plate. I also picked up a set of four, Christmas tree shaped plates with the Spode tree on them that I plan to put cheese straws and salted pecans on and give as gifts to people. I will make sure to take a picture when they are all done up because I think they will look darling!

Last night LL and I went to Village Burger. Oh my goodness I do not know why I had never been until last night because it was amazing! I had the blue burger and it was the best hamburger I have had in a very long time. It is right up there with the Mayflower Inn and 21 Club; so as you imagined it was amazing! LL and I spilt the trio of fries (sweet potato, show string and onion rings) and they too were delish! I am already wanting to return sometime in the next few weeks!

Today was a super busy day for Hopsy! I will not share every detail with you all because that would be a bit boring, but boy did I knock loads off my to-do list! I was able to switch my closet around so that all my fall/winter clothing is at the front. This is a huge feat for me as it just tends to take a while and I like to keep things pretty organized.Here are two photos for you all to enjoy. I am sorry it looks a bit messy in the photos, but I assure you it is very neat and tidy when you walk in. The upper shelf does look a bit bare, but that is simply because two of my Catherine bags were used this week and I have them on my desk chair.

After some serious closet arranging, washing and ironing I headed over to LL and C's for an afternoon BBQ. I had made puppy chow (yum!!) yesterday afternoon to bring and they supplied everything else. Everyone who came had a wonderful time and the weather was perfect at 90 degrees. I am now off to try and come up with something fun to do for my 200th post! I need to get to the drawing board...hmm! I hope everyone had a wonderful week, can you believe it is almost October!?

Duchess Update!

Since many of you asked me to fill you in on the movie I wanted to give you the info before I head out to dinner. If you live in a city where you can see the movie this weekend, GO NOW!! It is amazing! I just adored every minute of it. Keira does a fantastic job, the costumes are out of this world and the scenery cannot be beat. It was beautifully put together and is one of the best films I have seen this year. I simply loved every minute and would even consider going again while it is in the theater. I will definitely be buying this movie on DVD and encourage each and every one of you to see it! Hope your weekends are marvelous!!

The Duchess

The Duchess comes out in Dallas today and I assure you I will be seeing it this weekend! In case you missed it, I LOVE British, historical films and well, all things British for that matter!

Here is a brief synopsis of the film (taken from Wikipedia as I was a too tired to type out my own):

Set at the end of the eighteenth century, The Duchess is based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. While her beauty and charisma made her name, her extravagant tastes and appetite for gambling and love made her infamous. Married young to the older, distant Duke of Devonshire, intimate of ministers and princes, Georgiana became a fashion icon, a doting mother, a shrewd political operator and darling of the common people, but at the core of the story is a desperate search for love. The film also delves into Georgiana’s passionate and doomed affair with Earl Grey to the complex ménage à trois with her husband and her best friend, Lady Bess Foster.

Doesn't it sound fascinating?? Oh, and to make it even more appealing it was filmed in Bath and at Chatsworth. If you fell in love with Pride and Prejudice you need to get yourself to see this film. Love, scandal, beauty, fashion, elegance, and England...what could make for a better Saturday afternoon?!

Cookies and Cards!

Look what I got in the mail today!! Beautiful and delicious cookies from A Dozen Eggs! I had entered a fun contest they held on their blog and though I was not the first place winner I somehow still won festive, fall cookies. Aren't these so fun? I was so thrilled to open the box and find that there was a pumpkin cookie and a squirrel! I do not think I have ever shared this with you, but I do a very intense squirrel impression. Perhaps someday I can post a video of this, however that has to wait for an EXTREMELY special occasion.

Today was busy, busy, busy here in the Big D! Fall has arrived and it is getting dark much earlier. However, the weather is still lovely as ever. This evening I had a free moment and was feeling creative so I made these:

I made five note cards in each color. I also did matching address labels (one sheet is all pink and the other has a pink H and F, but a navy G and my address is navy) which are tres chic. My next swap partner may get some of these in their package! They look darling in person and I love all the colors I choose. It is hard to go wrong with pink, green or navy (that is why the Tobacco Leaf china pattern is one of my favorites as it incorporates all these colors). Anyway, I thought you all might enjoy seeing these items that just brightened my day! Have a superb evening and fun-filled Friday- to everyone that lived in DFW, the fair opens!!

I am it!!!

I have been tagged by Preppy, Pettit, The Dirty Martini Diaries, Pink Cupcake and Our Journey to Forever to share seven random or odd facts about myself. Here goes:

1. I did not get my driver's license until I was two months shy of turning 22.

2. A photo of my third birthday was the first color photo (and on the front page!) of the Americus, GA paper. Since then I have been on the front page of all the high school and college newspapers.

3. I did not ever really dress myself until I was nine years old. When we lived in Honduras my morning routine was very much like that in the first scene of The Little Princess and no I am not ashamed of this.

4. I strongly dislike grape flavored candy.

5. I iron my sheets.

6. I have an intense fear of roaches. When I saw one in my first apartment I had to get my dish washing gloves and rain boots on before I could even go near it with the spray. Uh, the thought of seeing one just gives my chills!

7. I am the only granddaughter on one side of the family and one of only two grandchildren on the other.

I tag:

Granny Smith Green

Henley On the Horn

Jewish Girl In Wasp's Clothing

Lipstick at the Mailbox

Molly's Mom

Pink Maple Design Blog

Preppy Newsie

OMIGOD You Guys!!

Legally Blonde on Broadway was cancelled today!!

The last show will be on October 18th, 2008. I sure hope I get a credit from Amex for my November 21st tickets. This is so, so, so sad!! Hopsy is mourning!

One, Two, THREE!!

Today was a fabulous day! I had a busy day that I started with a Pumpkin Spice latte (today I choose not to give up dairy or caffeine, whoops!) and a Pumpkin Scone (I also did not watch my sugar intake...tomorrow is a new day though). Yum! They are a wonderful pairing and I highly suggest it to all my fellow pumpkin fanatics! I had a delightful lunch with L at Zoe's, sadly our friend C was unable to make it as she is ill; feel better C! Then, this evening I got my weekly manicure before going to Brideshead Revisted. This is a must see for any anglophile. I was so sad when I thought I had missed it's theater running, but then is opened at HPV on Friday! How perfect since HPV is so much more convenient for me anyway. The scenery was amazing and there were also some beautiful costumes. Here is a little glimpse into Brideshead:

Okay now on to what you all are really interested in! Since so many of you are looking to revamp your blogs and share a love for the number three (just like Nina and I) I have included the link to the Three Column blogger below. We must all thank Nina because she is the blogger who kindly introduced me to this fabulous and SUPER easy instructional site. It took me no more than ten minutes to add a third column to my blog so get working ladies! First stop here to change your layout and add a third column. Once you do this you must visit this page to adjust your margins since you have added an additional column. Who knew reformatting would be so easy!?

Rah, Rah for Kappa Kappa Gamma

Three cheers for girls who wear the blue and blue!

Since Bid Day is in the air I felt it was only appropriate to include some of my favorite Kappa photos for you all! Get ready to take a trip through Hopsy's college years!

Decked out in Lilly for our Glory Days party in 2004.At the end of sophomore year (2005) I hosted a cupcake party at my college apartment for my pledge class. I took the bus all the way to Edina to pick u the cupcakes at Woulett's. I did not drive until December of 2006 so I became very well acquainted with the Minneapolis bus system. Thank goodness apartment roomie (who I was randomly paired with since I transferred in July because the school lost my application) was not cooking venison with Velveeta in her crock pot on this evening!In the Kappa dormie before our Ocean's 12 event with SAE (2005)!

My pledge class (yes it was small, but the Greek system is small in MN and we were the biggest chapter on campus during my years there) on Bid Day of 2005!Bid Day 2005 again. These were my favorite Bid Day shirts; you cannot go wrong with a polo!Before Open House in Fall of 2006- my second and last recruitment! I was decked out as a true prep should be: Lilly, JRs, pearls and a tortoise shell barrette.Paris Kappas (I look horrible, but at least I have one of my Jackie copied, dresses on) before Pref night of 2006.My last Bid Day (2007) I really loathed these shirts, but was a good Kappa and wore it anyway. Paige and I are in the back on the right.The Lilly fashion show! Since I worked at Melly I recruited L, P and S to help out. My hair used to be so long!!

New Look!

Tonight I was a busy bee as you can see! Thanks to one of my new blogger BFFs, Nina, I was able to add a third column to my blog. For the past few months I have wanted a side column on both the left and right, but I had not done any research nor had I a clue where to begin. Well, thanks to Nina- if you have not checked out her blogs run on over, she is amazing- I have been filled in and am as good as new!

I love that my personal information (photo, email, profile) are all on one column and all of you on on the other! I think it looks so clean and organized. Do you like it??? In the next few days or weeks I might consider spicing up my headers, but I am in no hurry. I am going to keep it pink, green and organized for the time being! Okay, I am off to revamp my profile, have a wonderful evening!!

PS- HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL! Pumpkin is now officially in the air! Oh, and we only have forty two days until the election. If you are not registered to vote you must do that asap!

Morgan & Company

Don't you just love coming across a company's website whose items you just adore? Well, this happened to me last week when I found that Morgan & Company has a website from which you can order! When I worked at Serifina as a monogrammer in college I simply adored all the Morgan & Company items we carried and ordered. I was thrilled to find the M&C website, however I was most excited to find out I can order directly through them! No longer do I have to find a store in my area that carries the brand, go through their company catalog and look for gifts I can do it from my apartment. I was also thrilled to see the company has added so many fabulous items, it is hard to even know where to start!

For Her (or me!):

The pink and green bag is on sale for $30 and and the license plate costs the same. Both items are available in a variety of colors (click on the link to see), check them out and find your preference!

I have always wanted a pretty contact case and this is the answer! Isn't it pretty??

He, She and Travel too!

I swear by these card cases, they make amazing gifts and the price is always right at $18! I stocked up in college and everyone adored them. I used mine to hold credit cards when I carried a small purse, but now I use it for actual business cards.

I am also obsessed with this travel clock. A good clock is an essential item when you are jet setting and why not purchase one that includes your initials and sparkles?! For a mere $27 you cannot beat this punctual item!

For Him:

If only I had come across this silver cigar holder ($27) for my Taft advisor. The money clip can be ordered in sterling ($69) or silver plate ($17) and the cuff links are perfect for a boy friend, fiancee or husband at $48.30. Finally, for those of you with a wild side, the silver flask ($42) is the gift for you!

Happy Home:

Acrylic items are great for all your outdoor events! From glasses to pitchers to trays to place mats, Morgan & Company has what you are looking for!

This silver plated, engraved, bottle opener would make a wonderful (and personalized) hostess gift at just $11! I think it would even make a great party favor!

Baby/Child:

I think these buckets are perfect for Trick or Treating! You could personalize them for you little one or with your family's name. However, at $20 a bucket you might as well just do both! Check out the website for other bucket sizes and patterns.

My mother and I used to love looking at all the silver children's items when in NYC. One of our favorite was the yo-yo we once saw. Well, if you are looking for a fun, but unique gift for the little love in your life you simply must add this ($19) to your list!

Every baby needs to be fed in style! This silver baby spoon and silver, plated baby cup ($29.90 and $17' smocked dress and Silvercross pram are additional) are wonderful gifts and will certainly welcome baby home.

Morgan & Company also has a great selection of jewelry. Some of my favorite things are their monogrammed silver round pendant ($35.65, I have loads of grosgrain ribbons I wear it on), the monogrammed silver oval ring ($33.35, I wore mine almost everyday in college), the monogrammed oval barrel pendent ($41.40) and the monogrammed silver round earrings ($33.35).

Head on over to Morgan & Company and load on up! The site has special Bridal, Baby, Home and Jewelry sections to make life easier. They offer free shipping on all orders over $75 and with the holidays soon approaching you can easily load up. Take a look and let me know what you fancy, I have a feeling you might find far too much!

It is almost October!

L and I before C arrived.

Yet another quick weekend in Dallas! On Friday evening I had a surprise birthday for L's roomie C at Ziziki's. C turned 25 on Friday and thanks to all the attendees being such good secret keepers she was completely shocked when she walked into dinner on Friday. Happy Birthday C! Some of the ladies at the birthday dinner. I got the fillet with delicious potatoes and we all enjoyed a cake from Society afterwards, yum yum!
Saturday I had a busy morning of running errands. Amidst getting gas (for a mere $3.00 a gallon thanks to saving up all my grocery discounts!) and running to store to buy pumpkins I stopped into Michael's. I went in to look at frames, but they had nothing that worked so on my out I stopped by the $1 section. I had the best luck finding ultra cute and somewhat preppy holiday items. I got pink and green recipe cards, two advent calendar greeting cards, a darling phone message pad, a pink and green calendar note pad and pink and green name tags. The best part was nothing cost more than a dollar.

Aren't the items cute? I bet you are already hoping to be my Christmas swap partner!

Saturday afternoon L and I stopped by her apartment BBQ then M and I spent the evening watching part of Legally Blonde 2, Another Cinderella Story and Win a Date With tad Hamilton.

This morning I attended church and was treated to a wonderful sermon. I will be share to more with you all later this week because it was very enlightening! I had decided to stop in Nordstroms afterward as I adore the Mighty Leaf Tropical Green Tea they have. I am sure they carry it somewhere else in Dallas, I just have not figured out where that place might be! When I walked in I noticed it was triple points weekend. I had been eyeing a Burberry quilted coat in peat so I immediately called mother to see if she thought I should just go ahead and buy it. Of course we decided a new coat is always good to add to your closet and I have not bought one since January of 2007 so I indulged. I LOVE the peat color of my jacket and had never noticed it until I was at Nordstroms last weekend. My photo does not do the color justice, but it is a grayish, greenish, brown that can be worn with black and brown. Click here to get a better idea of the color.I spent this afternoon organizing and cleaning and now need to find time to catch up on all my emails! I did squeeze in dinner with L and C at Coalvines as well as some long overdue phone calls. Look forward to a fun post tomorrow morning, I am off for the evening!

Raising McCain

Have a wonderful weekend whether you are far left and far right! I love you all!

To all my fellow republican readers, since we love our party and support our candidate:

PS- I saw the funniest bumper sticker today that I thought a number of you might enjoy:

Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my gun.

Purses that last a lifetime!

Over the past few months I have received numerous questions about the bags I purchase in France. I have bought all my high end style bags while in Paris over the past five years. The store, Catherine, from which I purchased them is on Rue Castiglione and I have been an avid customer of theirs for years. They have wonderful customer service and they do speak some English (though I do love trying to speak French it is nice to know I can communicate in my native language if all else fails!). Catherine does ship to other parts of Europe and they used to ship to the US. However, I am unsure if they still do ship to the US as they told me my bags had to be shipped to England rather then home when in this summer. My smaller, Kelly style bags cost around 100 euros and the larger, Birkin style was a mere 125 euros. The cost of shipping to England was 40 euros. I consider them an amazing steal considering a Kate Spade leather purse seems to cost at least $285 these days!

Here is the phone number for Catherine if you are interested in contacting them regarding shipping you a bag: 011.33.1.42.61.02.89

Also Catherine can get just about any color bag in your choice of size and leather (I have croc, ostrich and caviar) if you are willing to wait a few days. I had my pink and brown bags shipped as they did not have them in stock. Additionally, I ordered another Kelly style caramel colored bag which I neglected to post a photo of. These bags truly are wonderful. They would be worth every penny you paid to have it shipped to you. I purchased my first black, Kelly four and a half years back and it is still going strong. Since, I have added a large white caviar leather bag, a caramel ostrich bag, a small, blue alligator bag, a small, black alligator bag and a small, pink caviar leather bag. I use all six of the purses from Catherine constantly and they look brand new. I am debating what color to add to my collection next. I am thinking I will do a larger bag in a dark, brownish green or else another black. If you have any more questions about Catherine please do email me and I will try and help in any way that I can!

I will post a better photo of my white bag, blue bag and brown ostrich nest week!

Roehm No More, Perfection Is Here!

I indeed have mentioned how much I adore Carolyne Roehm before and that mother and I are anxiously awaiting the release of her new book: A Passion For Blue and White. However, I have not shared her fabulous website and its' valuable offerings with you. Carolyne Roehm is an amazing site with loads of ideas for home and entertaining. You can sign up to receive her virtual magazine, CR Style, while here and I also recommend taking a look at all the past issues. She has festive table spreads (Entertaining French Style in the most recent) and great gift tips in each issue. While I love this aspect of the site my favorite section has to be her store! Yes, you heard that right, her store! You can find wonderful home decor and gifts (I am in love with the tortoise pen) as well as fabulous ribbons and wraps! I love a well wrapped gift and if you take the time to go the extra mile when wrapping that can be a gift in itself! Right now all the ribbons and wraps are on sale on Carolyne Roehm, isn't that thrilling!? Her items are top quality and you will not find paper, gift toppers or ribbon like this anywhere else. You get what you pay for (even when it is on sale for $8) and you are sure to be the talk of any party if you wrap your gifts like CR. Here are some of my favorites:

Aren't they just beautiful? Head on over to Carolyne Roehm and stock up for the holidays. The gifts under your tree will beat even the best wrapped package from Neimans (or Nordstroms!). Oh, and you are not already sold her items ship from Watertown, CT where my boarding school was! You might catch a scent of the perfect CT when opening your order, but only if you hurry!