LILLY/MARTHA GATHERING UPDATE!

Please note, the location for the March 10th, 2009 NYC gathering has changed! Someone sent me a note saying they could not find the Starbucks I mentioned, but I am almost 100% CERTAIN their is an Starbucks at 50th and Lex because I met girls there in November. I will call our hotel concierge to double check, but if any of you NYC girls know if the following location has changed send word my way ASAP please!! Here is the new 411 on our fabulous beyond fabulous NYC meet and greet:

March 10th, 2009
8:45pm at Starbucks
50th & Lexington
560 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022

212-751-2937

Below is the current RSVP list for the event. Please note that you do NOT have to have a blog or be going to the Martha show to attend this event. I know several of you have asked about this so I wanted to clarify. If you LOVE Lilly, LOVE Martha and LOVE reading our blogs we want you there!

I will be there in my LOVE for Pink and Green (YES):

Hopsy

Kate (Nautical by Nature)

Landlocked Mermaid

Bama Belle

JoycieH

Preppy Sue

JGIWC (TAG)

Natasha

MelLilly

Lilly P. Wannabe (plus guest!)

I am hoping to joining in on the P&G funfest (Tentative):

KAG

MMM

Polos & Pearls

AMurphyNYC

Sunshine in the City

csaucers (Laura and Chrissy)

If you do NOT see your name on the above list and are planning on attending PLEASE leave a comment on this post. If you are on the tentative list but know you can definitely make it or vice versa please also leave a comment. I really want to get an accurate head count just in case I am bringing treats to everyone! I would love, love, love to meet you all so sign on up preppy bloggers and readers!!!

Lilly Party!

Photo courtesy of the Lilly Pulitzer blog

Many of you have inquired about the Lilly party post Martha. I am guessing the email has not gone out, but the details I have obtained regarding the event are as follows:

Cupcakes and Cocktails to be served all day (the store opens at 10am so head over as early as you like). The Martha taping officially starts at 10am and takes a little over an hour. So I would say everyone coming from the show will get there closer to 11:30am. The design team should also arrive after the show as I hear they will be involved with the taping. There will be demonstrations all day with the print design team (this is NOT to be missed- I have seen their studio and these people are AMAZING!!) and numerous Lilly Pulitzer corporate team members will also be at the store to celebrate. Live it up and make it a Lilly day! After Martha we will all be inspired to acquire more Lilly and so I think it is a calling we do so in a posh location surrounded by the preps we love and trust!
Lilly Pulitzer
1020 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
(212) 744-4620

AH!

AH! I got a text last night with AMAZING news! My favorite celebrity is going to be playing the lead role of my favorite shows' spinoff. Brittany Snow is playing old school Lily!! I think that fabulous news calls for an American Dreams marathon, a three season marathon. Oh, meg Pryor I adore you and little Lily you are soon to be a favorite of mine as well!

Hairspray star Brittany Snow has been cast to play teenage Lily van der Woodsen on an upcoming spinoff of The CW’s popular teen drama Gossip Girl.
The new show will chronicle Lily’s young adulthood in 1980s Los Angeles.
“Brittany is thrilled,” a friend of the actress reveals in the March 9 edition of Star. “She loves the original show and thinks the 1980’s concept sets the spin-off apart from other series on television. She can’t wait to wear all the fabulous outfits and really sink her teeth into the role.”
“Brittany always thought she was going to continue her career in films, bithis is a marvelous part and she just couldn’t say no. This has the potential to be a huge show in the tradition of Melrose Place.”
Brittany, who played Meg Pryor on the now defunct NBC series American Dreams, was the top choice for show producers, who made the 22-year-old star an offer she couldn’t refuse in early February.
She didn’t even have to audition for the part.
The pilot of the spinoff will air on the May 11 episode of Gossip Girl.

Hopsy Trivia!

Well friends it is OPEN LINE FRIDAY (just like Rush Limbaugh has!).

I have thought long and hard about this and have finally decided in honor of the end of my birthday month I am following suit and hosting question time!! I have loved reading others posts and getting to know them better. So many of you often ask questions in comments that I have yet to answer. As a reader you may leave ONE question on this post that I will in turn answer. Obviously, only questions that are deemed appropriate will be answered, but I do not intend for that to be an issue. You will ask and I will answer!!!

Lilly Night!

Tonight, C and I popped into Lilly NorthPark for the big in store event! We had SUCH fun browsing the new Jubilee and en even better time running into Eloise and her daughter Dots (SO cute and SWEET too- like mother, like daughter) and chatting it up with all the wonderful corporate ladies and gentlemen! Everyone was SO kind and we share a love for all thins pink and green! I even got a bit of 411 on the Martha show; even if you are NOT going GET EXCITED. Speaking of, if you are not attending the Martha show I have a brilliant beyond brilliant way for you to celebrate. Stock up on Lilly party paper goods and have all the Lilly loving ladies over to watch the show. I think I might have to do that when I get back and watch the recorded version! Anyway. I am SO thrilled that C finally got to meet Eloise tonight. She is my lead sponsor for JLD and just a wonderful person with such a huge heart! Eloise, I am so glad you were able to pop in and stock up on simply adorable items! After Lilly we ran into J Crew so i could return two items. Since I had a credit I made an exchange (and still had money put on the card- hence Hopsy did NOT spend money). I picked out the Victoria Ruffle Blouse in melon.

I plan to wear it with dark wash jeans to dinner tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow guess who I get to see!? Lulu! I am SO excited. Gosh, Eloise, Lilly corporate and Lulu all in one week, am I blessed or what?! Thank you all again for your continued prayers for Henry, they are helping!

Henry Update

So many of you have kindly asked about cousin Henry (click and you will be taken to his Caring Bridge site which is updated daily- Henry and the family LOVE any and all guestbook entries!) in recent posts. Things are going well, but there is still NO movement on the left side of his body. However, the new hospital has really lifted his spirits. It is so wonderful to be around other children who may be in a similar boat and the facilities are simply magnificent. I have been unable to visit Henry at Gillette, but I toured the hospital in college as it was connected to Sigma Chi's Derby Days. My aunt posted this photo of Henry yesterday:

It is both a happy and sad photo. It is SO wonderful that Henry is awake, but it makes me a bit sad because his left side is so weak and helpless (he cannot even fully smile). However, God is good and we must NEVER forget He has a plan. Of course it would be nice for Henry to have bounced back as soon as he woke up, but that is not God's plan for him. As we trust in Him we will better understand His plan! For now I will continue to concentrate on all the positive. Henry is SO lucky to be alive and be able to move at all (there are other children at Gillette that are forever paralyzed from the waist down). It may be a long journey, but I am hopeful it will have a VERY HAPPY ending!

Tour de le Crew

As you now know I have given up buying material things for Lent. Well, because of this I really lived it up on Monday and decided I should drive to the J Crew outlet in Allen. It is only 25 minutes away and though it is outside my little bubble the trip was well worth it! If you have an outlet SPEED over. Ours was fully stocked, but I am sure come the weekend it will be very picked over.

I am a bit obsessed with the City Fit Cafe Capri. I am not even going to tell you how many I own because you would surely judge me. However, these pants are like Lilly shifts; they are perfectly comfortable and can be dressed up and down. I ADORE the green and teal patterned pair as well as the raspberry (it is a hot pink, not a red).
I also picked up the black and white check and the yellow and white lattice capris. Won't these look darling with my Lilly Nancy sweaters or a solid polo?!

I have saved the best for last: my new Fiona jacket! I searched high and low for one in white last year and finally got one from the Mall of America store while home. It was the last one in stock, it was a size too big, but I loved it SO much that I made it work. Fast forward to Monday when I popped in the Crew and they had every size white, navy and papaya Fiona for 30% off! I wanted to buy the papaya too, but had to remind myself that two Fionas is plenty.

Now I am sure you are wondering how much I spent. Well, dear friends I got all of the above plus a pair of white Cafe capris and two pairs of socks for just over $200! Now you see why I am telling you to run to your nearest J Crew outlet, right!?

Lilly VIP Party!

Well today I received a THRILLING email! It is right up there with the Martha email ladies, it was GOOD! A little birdie has informed me of the VIP Lilly party that is to follow the Martha Stewart taping!

Just think, loads of Lilly obsessed lovers all decked out in their best outfit and all in one place...PERFECTION! The party is being held at the Madison Avenue store (or townhouse as I like to call it!) on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009. The email blast is being sent out tomorrow, but since you are a M&M reader you can be ahead of the game and in the know! You do not have to have attended the taping to attend the event (MMM and Pink, Green and Southern, Lulu, Bama Belle and Milltini we are hoping you might make an appearance!). Mother and I will be there in full force and you had get your best pink and green outfit on and come too! Check your emails in the morning for more details and for now just enjoy being in the pink and green know!

Lilly Pulitzer

1020 Madison Ave (between 78th and 79th)

New York, NY 10075

(212) 744-4620

PS- for those of you Dallasites that cannot make it you MUST attend the Northpark Lilly event tomorrow!!! the CEO will be there and there is even a free gift with any Jubilee purchase!! Email me for more details!

The Pearl Event

A dear and VERY faithful blogger is hosting a magnificent event this weekend. You are sure to have already read about it, but just in case there are one or two of you out there that have not I am too am posting. Pearls & Grace is an inspirational blogger from whom we all can learn. I so wish I lived closer to the city and could attend the story of her testimony this weekend. Instead, those of you in the area must promise to go and take notes for me. I will be praying for you P&G and know you will do an amazing job and inspire everyone in attendance! The Pearl event is sure to be a wonderful way to spend you Sunday so do not miss out!!

The Pearl Event

A testimony of tragedy, trust and triumph.

Pearls and Grace
to appear
Sunday, March 1, 2009
in the New York City/Tri-state area

Come find out why you are His pearl…

For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. –Romans 8:18

Free Admission

Email pearlsandgrace@yahoo.com for seating reservations.
http://pearlsandgrace.blogspot.com/

Stainless

Yes, I am that girl that actually receives the Sharpie emails. What can I say, I go above and beyond for anything I truly love! Anyway, Sharpie is debuting a new, stainless steal marker. Wow!

It will be available in March of 2009 and some features include: an etched Sharpie Logo on the barrel and the ink cartridge unscrews so your can refill it! Sharpie is sure stepping it up!!

Fat Tuesday Dinner!

Well, I decided to have an impromptu dinner party this evening. One of mother's best friends gave me an AMAZING and ever so appropriate Martha cookbook for my birthday and I was dying to put it to use. Tonight, I made tostadas and black beans and rice! L and T came over to our apartment and C and I had such a fabulous time with them. This was an easy dinner that I would highly recommend it. I did NO prep work yesterday or this morning. I simply came home from work at 6:25pm, set the table and got cooking. I boiled the chicken in stock and then seasoned it. I quickly whipped up some guacamole sans the lime (I forgot to buy one, whoops!), cooked the rice and then added the beans in. I set up the buffet and we all served ourselves at 7:30pm.

I finally got to use all four of my Blue Canton dinner plates, yay! The tostadas went on the empty pink charger and the rice and beans were at the end of the buffet in the Blue Canton dish. I put the toppings in various bowls and also put the J Bee Designs martini glasses to use with the cheese and sour cream. I think it is nice to mix things up and give a buffet some height. I am so pleased with how things turned out!
Here is where we enjoyed our meal!
I adore this tablecloth- mother had it made in Honduras and kindly passed it along to me last year. Aren't the flowers DIVINE?! They were given to me at work for my birthday and they made the perfect centerpiece! I am just so thrilled with how everything and hope my guests had as good of a time as I myself did. This was the perfect Fat Tuesday dinner. Now I am ready for Lent. I am giving up buying material items. I have of course made an exception for the city in March and am allowing myself to buy just three Lilly items (I have to support my store!). There will be NO other purchases until mid April though. I will also be fasting one day a week. Mother gave me this idea while home and I believe she will also be doing this. She said it really helps you to think exactly what and who you are praying for. Since I have many prayers that need to be said this should really be good for me. Wish me luck, I know I can stand strong!!
Ok, well in case you have not already guessed impromptu dinner parties are such fun and they can be easy. Pick a recipe that does not require too much prep and dress up your table with your favorite essentials. You and your guests will have a great evening filled with FUN!

Final FEBRUARY Giveaway!

Well, sadly the end of the best month of the year is nearing dear friends. The last giveaway to celebrate February is here! This week you can enter to win one of Lilly Pulitzer's books! I know many of us may already own these, but they do make the perfect gift for preppy wannabe neighbor or classmate. They are full of fabulous entertaining tips and recipes that you are sure to adore. The pages are fun and bright like the covers; these will spice up any coffee table! These books are sure to be enjoyed by any and all!

Enter the final February celebratory giveaway by leaving a comment on this post. Make sure you specify which of the two books you are hoping to own- there will be TWO DIFFERENT winners of this week's giveaway since we Lilly lovers love to share and spread the love! All comments must be left by 11PM EST on Thursday, February 27th, 2009. The winners will be selected that evening and posted on Friday morning.

Enter away dear friends and readers!!

March 10th MARTHA/NYC Gathering!!

Here are I am decked out in Lilly on my birthday. The dress I am wearing is quite possibly my very favorite Fall/Winter Lilly dress. I simply adore the pink and green wool and if I remember correctly it was called Jackie. I will have to consult my catalog to be certain.

Anyway, as mentioned the birthday was tres fab and all the food I ate was delish! I loved celebrating with my cousins and grandparents and my mother. We were all together at 3:58pm, the exact time I was born- what fun! I also celebrated the fact that in TWO WEEKS I will be in NYC preparing to attend the Martha Lilly show! Yippee!!

Now, since there seem to be a good deal of us going I think it would be fun and fabulous to get together on the night of Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 and chit chat. I just have a feeling it is going to be a bit difficult to meet and greet at the show so this seems like a great solution! I have dinner plans at 21 Club with mother, but a, organizing a gathering afterwards. Does 8:45pm work for you? I thought we could all do our own thing for dinner and then meet at Starbucks. I know many of us will be traveling and frolicking around the city during the day so night will likely work best for many and most. We can all order a chamomile tea to help us relax and get a good night's sleep before the BIG day! I tried to pick a somewhat central location (it is near many of the big hotels as well as close to 5th and near some of you NYC girls as well).

Starbucks

52nd & Lexington
599 Lexington
New York, New York 10022
212-754-1864

I have to call and get the hours, but hopefully they are open until 10pm.

I will be there at 8:45pm, will you be joining me!? Please leave a comment as your RSVP! I CANNOT wait to put faces with names and finally get to meet so many of you!!

WINNER(S)!

Thank you for all the WONDERFUL birthday wishes! They really brightened my day and again reminded me of how lucky I am to be surrounded by so many amazing ladies. THANK YOU!

As promised I am here to announce the winner of these FABULOUS Lilly Pulitzer pajamas.

It took me a bit to go through my email to verify who had actually left a valid comment or sent an email, but once I came up with the final list I wrote down everyone's name on PINK index cards. I had told C he could select the winner when he got home from school so I patiently waited for him to return. As soon as he did I whipped out my camera and mother offered to hold the name bag. Who did C pick?!

MUFFY MARTINI!

Since we all had SO much fun picking a winner and I am SO VERY THANKFUL for each and everyone of you we could not stop there. I told C to draw two more names at the same time. I wanted to send a little something to a few others who have been so kind to me. The second time around C pulled out... MBM and Lauren (of a Southern Newlywed)!

I have something VERY special and VERY Lilly for both of you as well!!

HUGE congrats to all three of you ladies. If you could drop me a line with all your mailing information it would be very appreciated.

THANK YOU to all who entered and for your kind birthday wishes! Check back tomorrow for another FABULOUS Lilly giveaway to end out the AMAZING month of February!

I am on my way back to Dallas! It has been somewhat of a whirlwind of a week, but it has been filled with so much joy. Henry will be moved to MPLS today which is such a blessing! He still has NO feeling or movement on the entire left side of his body due to the blood clot in his brain. Once he is transferred we will gain greater insight into this. From what we know the clot it too large and too deep to operate on, but it can desolve in time. However, time can mean it could be over a year. We are continuing to pray for Henry's full recovery. It is just amazing how many have reached out in this time of need. It is so very encouraging. I will leave you with a touching guestbook post from Henry's Caringbridge website. It is SO wonderful to know that Henry's accident is inspiring so many so many to make safety their number one priority! Enjoy!

We spend a lot of time at Giant's Ridge (it's where we have our season passes, because my husbands father lives across the street). We were there the day you had your accident and were very affected by it. We have been praying for you & checking your cb site daily. I want you to know something else also. I, as well as my 9 year old son, 11 year old son, and 4 year old daughter all wear helmets. But up until your accident my husband (who is a former national snowboard racer) did not wear one when we were on the hill at GR. Last night he ordered himself one off the internet and gave complete credit to you for his decision. It's hard to understand the path our lives can take sometimes, but God can use all things for good. Many lives may be spared because of you Henry! We will continue to pray for your complete healing. God bless

PS- I will post the giveaway winner when I return home later today. My cousin Charlie was very helpful and enthusiastic and I wanted to be sure to include photos of his selection!!

24!

C'est mon anniversaire!!!

Here are some cakes so we can all celebrate!

Well if you have been reading my blog at all this month you likely knew my birthday was coming up. I am sure you are just as excited as I am that the day has FINALLY arrived, no more birthday posts for either of us!

Today I turn 24 years old and I must say I am just as happy as ever! First and foremost I am excited to celebrate that cousin Henry is on the road to recovery. I started this week not knowing if he would make it until today and now he is awake and ready to be moved to MPLS! This past year, like the past week, has been a wonderful one. I did quite a bit of traveling (I even traveled to the Middle East for the very first time), I joined two new groups (Cotillion Club and JLD), I FINALLY went to the Lilly warehouse sale and even got to tour LP headquarters and I started a blog!

I have a sneaking suspicion that being 24 will be just as wonderful if not even better! I will be attending a Martha Stewart taping (stay tuned for a special giveaway to commemorate this experience!), I get to celebrate Lilly's Jubilee, I will hopefully buy a condo or house and I will travel to India! I am so, so, SO very blessed to have such a wonderful life. Every year just seems to get better and better! Thank you all for being so kind and making me smile with your daily posts, comments and emails!

Today I will spend the day with family after having my hair highlighted. I wish I was celebrating with one of these cakes, but I think it might put to shame all my Skinny Jeans work. Instead at 3:58pm (I was born at tea time so perhaps that is the reason I am such an anglophile) mother, the grandparents and cousins and I will indulge in a chocolate whip cream cake from Woulette's. I will sport my Lilly birthday crown and be wishing each of you was here as well!

I will leave it up to you all to celebrate virtually. Pick a pink and green cake and indulge! Ohhh and look there is even a little, personal one for you if you so choose! You can take your pick, do you want the green, pink or white?!

Homegoods and Blog Run In!

I am SO happy to report that Henry is officially being transferred to Gillette Children's on Monday! What an answer to prayer! While he still lacks use of the left side of his body we are VERY hopeful that with therapy and rehab this will come back with time. God has blessed us and I have faith he will continue to bless this happy and energetic boy!

Yesterday while the boys were in school I took my grandmother to Homegoods. It was great to get out of the house for a bit plus MN Homegoods was just FULL of preppy items! They had Vineyard Vines belts for $2 (that is like half a latte ladies!), a few J Crew shoes and one dress I looked at, and LOTS OF PINK AND GREEN goodness! I totally forgot to whip out my camera until the very end of the trip, but here area few treats!

I just adored the pink and green Easter topiary china I found. I wanted to buy a set, but thought it would be better to look for this in Dallas (no sense in hauling it back).Isn't everything darling? I loved the plates and the tea set too! The serving plate was just $14.99 and the dinner plates were just $8.99.
These frames would have been perfect for my room in boarding school! They were only $6.99!! While the pink and green were my favorites there was also a teal and lime turtle frame.
Homegoods had also just received a fresh Caspari shipment. I LOADED up on the pink and green turtle napkins (I am talking SIX packages- they are SO Lilly and discontinued so do not judge), the gold derby napkins (I want to have a Kentucky Derby party and use these and Lilly paper products) and even grabbed some green and lime turtle napkins. I forgot to take a photo of these, but know I have posted the turtle napkins on here before. Then while walking the aisles I saw someone else with impeccable preppy taste- they also had the pink and green turtle napkins in their cart. I looked up to see who this perfect match might be and IT WAS A FELLOW BLOGGER! I have adored reading Waiting For Lucy since this summer. Lucy is simply adorable and always decked out in Lilly. I love reading about her adventures and felt the MN connection. I honestly could not believe my eyes when we ran into one another; I mean what were the chances?! Lucy is simply darling in person and so sweet, talkative and outgoing. I hope that my future daughter can be just like her- clothes, preppy love and all!
After Homegoods we just popped into Old Navy for fun. I did not anticipate buying anything at all, but I could not resist this jacket. They had it in hot pink, we are talking a Lilly hot pink, for a mere $25. Grandmother and I decided I could not leave MN without it- I had to take advantage of not paying clothing sales tax! From the shopping to the wonderful news from Duluth yesterday was a simply FANTASTIC day!!

Sneak Peak

All is still looking wonderful up in Duluth- hooray! Though I have said this before I just want you all to know how thankful my family, and especially myself, are for all your kind words and prayers over the past few days. You just NEVER know when something might happen to you or your loved ones and it is wonderful to know I am supported by so, so many. I am so thankful that God led me to start a blog and that He introduced to so many wonderful, charismatic and sophisticated women. It is such an honor to know you all let alone get to call you friends. Thank you all millions for every prayer and thought sent up to MN over these past few days.

Today has been another busy day in MPLS and I was finally able to get around to sending in our RSVP for the Martha Lilly show. I actually did not submit it right away as mother and I wanted to think about our outfits and this had to be included in your RSVP. I thought long and hard about my outfit and also consulted with numerous friends. I knew I wanted (and HAD) to wear a shift, but considering I now own 16 picking the perfect one for the occasion was far from easy. I have finally settled on this flirtatious one:

I went with something older (this is circa 2000) in hopes that no one else would wear it. I desperately wanted to wear my new Nifty for Fifty shift (so appropriate, right?), my Andrey shift I wore to headquarters or one of my patchwork ones, but in the back of my mind I had this feeling someone else would show up in those. So, this is the dress I will be wearing. I figured I can either wear a hot pink turtleneck under it if need be, but for now I am planning to just do a cute Lilly cardigan. I will also be sporting pink shoes, big pearls, my gold charm bracelet and a pink bow headband. I am thinking I will carry my pink Catherine bag unless I break down and my the Swarovski Lilly Jubilee bag... I think it should be a wonderfully appropriate ensemble if I do say so myself. The shift is such a classic Lilly piece and this particular one is VERY pink and green and covered in the Lilly symbol! You really just cannot get anymore appropriate than that now can you?!

If you are also attending what outfit do you plan on wearing? You simply but fill us all in and you need to make it easy for me to spot you as well! I can guarantee that there will be some serious photo taking before we are seating and during the commercial breaks!

PRAISE!!!

God is so powerful and mighty!! He will answer the prayers of His people!
We just got a call that Henry has finally woken up! He knew his mother and even asked for his cell phone! Monday should hoepfully be another great day as he will be moved to MPLS! We are so blessed that things are so positive after the down call we got last night. God is good and He answers prayer! We are not out of the gutter yet, but we are almost there!!

Roadblock

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

Well, as mentioned last night with lots of good news there is also often some hard news. It has been a good day over all for Henry. He did however have another MRI that opened up a new door in this journey. While Henry is showing some signs of improvement the doctor has also informed us he has a condition called brain shearing. They said this is comparable to shaken baby syndrome. Obviously, this is not the most positive news. The chances of Henry being moved to Minneapolis by the end of the week are also becoming slimmer due to this discovery. However, though there may be a long road to recovery there is still hope! While some things may forever be difficult for Henry the fact that he may still be able to recover exists. Just as the verse from Chris Tomlin's Amazing Grace states God has promised us good. He will ALWAYS be our shield no matter what roadblock we encounter. Thank you all for your concern for my family in this time of need. I know your prayers are being heard!

Good News!

Great news from Minnesota: Henry has been taken off his ventilator and his blood pressure has gone down!! We are now just waiting for him to wake up to asses everything else and we hope this will be soon rather than later! God is SO good and we must remember we are on his clock and not our own.

I have spent the day at my cousins'. I tidied up the entire first floor and then ironed the dining room table cloth. While it is very clean to begin with I figured I would do one more sweep since so many people are going to be in and out over the next few days. All the families of Edina have and are going out of their way for us. Henry's website has had over 3000 hits in just two days and we are having dinners brought over for the next week! What a blessing for this family! No small act goes unnoticed and we are all extremely grateful for everything. If you are into any type of sport of have children that are please remember to ALWAYS wear a helmet. That saved Henry's life!!

On a lighter note I wanted to share my recent purchase with you: The Nifty for Fifty Lilly Shift!

When I saw this in our look book a few months back I knew I HAD to own it. It is pink and green, it is a shift and it is part of the Spring Jubilee collection. There is also another spring Jubilee dress I adore, but I had to start with just one. This is my birthday gift to myself and I cannot wait to wear it after Easter!

Please do not forget to enter this week's Lilly giveaway if you are a loyal commenter . If you have left a comment or sent me an email THIS MONTH you are eligible!!!

In Edina

Well I have made it to Minnesota and have had a busy day. I am attempting to blog from my Blackberry at the moment so please excuse all typos and such. I just spoke with my aunt on the phone and she said things are really not looking good and my uncle said Henry is taking a turn for the worst. Henry's blood pressure is rising-very scary news since his brain is still so swollen- and he has developed a high fever. Thankfully, he has been taken off the drugs that induce the coma, but he is now been put on other medications to control his blood pressure and the fever.However,even with all this being said I am extremely hopeful Henry will recover. Often you get worse before you get better. Henry is young and athletic and he has all of Edina praying for him as well as others all around the world- thanks to all of you! We hope he will wake up in the next few days so that his situation can be further assessed. I know this would be a huge relief to his parents and our entire family. I am again just so very thankful I can be here in this time of need and feel so very blessed to have such a perfect job and great support!
PS- if any of you are in the Twin Cities area Henry's story will be the lead story on Fox Channel 9 10pm news!!

BIRTHDAY WEEK GIVEAWAY!

Since I am unsure how often I will be posting this week I wanted to go ahead and put my birthday week GIVEAWAY up!! Giveaways always make me happy and it is so uplifting to share something with those who are such faithful readers!

This week's GIVEAWAY is super fabulous if I may say so myself. One lucky winner will win these Lilly pajamas:

Ohhh, aren't they darling?! Just think you can look cute in Lilly during the day and at night!

The pajamas are a size large so they should fit any and all! They will be comfortable and they are definetly something that is wonderful to have big rather than snug!

So dearest readers here are the rules:

Since this is such a fabulous prize you must have ALREADY left a comment on a February NON giveaway post (I tried to warn everyone the rules would be mixed up and asked you to comment!). If you do not leave comments, but have sent me an email this month you are also eligible. Now, if you fall into either two of these categories simply leave a comment on this post saying you would like to be entered to win these DARLING Lilly pajamas! Comments must be left by 10am EST on FEBRUARY 20TH, 2009 (this is my actual birthday!). Enter away as these darling pajamas deserve a WONDEFUL, preppy, Lilly LOVING home!

Might to Save

Thank you all for your kind comments, emails and posts. They mean so much to my family. I feel as if I did not give near enough background on my cousins. However, I come from a smaller family and only have a total of six cousins (this included both sides). Sadly, we have VERY limited contact with two on my mothers side. I have grown up with my mother's middle sisters children. Henry visited us in Panama and the other boys spent time at our farm in Kansas. Then while in college in MN I saw them almost weekly and all my close friends knew them too. As mentioned, since I am an only child these boys are like my sibling. Anyway, you can now hopefully see why this terrible tragedy hits much closer to home even though Henry is only my cousin. Here is the boys 2008 Christmas card (it is nice to put a face with a name I think)- Henry is in the middle, Charlie is on the left and Bo on the right.

Tonight, I am very happy to report that after a long night and big day my mother said things are looking very hopeful. My family met with the neurologist and the blood clot has not grown in size, HUGE PRAISE! He also told our family there is a chance Henry can have a 100% recovery! This is very big news as I got a call late last night saying the family was told the doctors were unsure he would make it. God has blessed out family and I pray that He can continue to heal Henry. He is mighty to save (that is one of my very favorite songs by the way)!! We all have great faith that he will continue to lay his healing hands on Henry in days to come. While we were told that Henry's condition may worsen over the coming days the fact that he has the chance of recovering is wonderful news. If thins continue on this track we hope Henry can be moved from Duluth, MN to MPLS Children on Friday. The power of prayer is like no other so please continue to pray for Henry!

Until then I will be staying with Charlie and Bo. I leave for MPLS tomorrow to stay with them so the family does not have to worry. It is important for them to continue their day to day life and be at home and I feel SO VERY blessed that I am able to take the week off and help my family in any way that I can. I will try and update as I can (and post my birthday giveaway if I get a chance), but as for now my family is my number one priority.
In other news C got me the most darling cookie cake today:

Isn't it so cute and so very Lilly like?! I adore it and again feel so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people. Thank you all again for all your well wishes and concern- they mean SO much!!

PS- Auntie does indeed have a blog, though it has not been updated in a few months. I know any comment would mean a lot to her!!

Update

I have just received a somewhat grim update on sweet Henry. He has likely lost all use of his left side, has a blood clot in his brain and is on a ventilator. My mother and grandparents are driving to Duluth to be with my aunt and uncle and Henry.god is good and He is mighty to save.he has an amazing plan for each of us though that might not always be our plan.I know He is the same God today that he was when I was home weeks agi playing on iTunes wuth Henry. I now simply pray that His will be done.

URGENT REQUEST

Well, I would like to say this was a very happy Valentine's day however I have just received some very sad news from my mother. My cousin Henry has just been in a horrible ski accident while on a church trip to Michigan. He has severe head trauma (even though he was wearin a helmet), is unconscious and has no movement on the left side of his body. He just turned thirteen years old two weeks ago and as I grew up an only child he has always been like a little brother to me. Henry was just taken from Michigan to the hospital in Duluth, MN by helicopter. They are not yet able to bring him to Minneapolis until his condition is further assessed my mother said. I ask that you please lift my family up in prayer as they drive to Duluth and please pray that Henry can be resilient!

WINNER!

Oh, I do apologize for the delay in announcing the winner of the second BIRTHDAY LILLY GIVEAWAY. I got a bit consumed with the amazing Martha, Lilly news and have been figuring out the trip with mother for much of the day. I am happy to report our tickets are booked and our favorite NYC hotel has been secured- I am ready to go! I was also managed to fit Skinny Jeans and Confessions of a Shopaholic in this evening too. The workout was murder just like last week and the movie was fantastic! I attended both with three dear friends (I am no longer the only on that thinks SJ is brutal) and we had such fun. The movie is fresh and fun (just like a Lilly print!) and a must see for all the girls!

Okay,on to the BIG announcement...this week's winner!

Kim at 3 Peanuts the wristlet was randomly awarded to you!!

Kim's had a hard time selecting an all time favorite print as hers change from year to year, but she currently adores Jubilee Toile (like many of you!).

It was so fun to hear what you all adore. Prints bring out the personality in so many and I now feel as if I have a better sense of who many of you are! I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and a very happy Valentine's day! Next week I have the ultimate LILLY birthday giveaway. Stay tuned and comment away because the rules are about to be mixed up!

O.M.G

There really are no words to express my current excitement. AH!!!

I just received an email from Martha Stewart that I HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO BE ON THE LILLY PULITZER JUBILEE SHOW!!! The entire show is being dedicated to Lilly Pulitzer and all guests must wear Lilly. I of course am planning to wear a shift, but which one is the question?! I am in utter awe and cannot believe another Lilly dream is coming true! I never guessed when I dressed up as Martha in pink and green for Halloween that this would be in my future!! I honestly was just telling BBF L and Muffy that I had a sense I would not be selected as there are many more dedicated Lilly fanatics out there. However, just when you think all is lost life turns around. Just like that November day, today and March 11th are and will be two of the most exciting days of my life (right up there with the day I get engaged and married should that ever happen) as they are filled with all things preppy and pink and green!

Now Is Time To Say Goodbye

This past Sunday I received a very sad email from Carolyne Roehm. She is closing down her Presentations website as the times change. First Charlotte Moss and now Carolyne, what are we traditionals going to do?! While I have been a HUGE fan of all CR's site offers and have placed a number of orders I am happy she will be pursuing other things (the Best & Co. line will be nothing short of amazing). Shop now for a great selection of papers, ribbon and accessories all at unbeatable sale prices! If you have not bought from CR before I assure you her products are of the highest quality and her wrapping paper is comparable to only the best on the market today. We will miss you Carolyne Roehm!!

Dear Friends,

If you are a baby boomer like me you will fondly remember the "so long" song at the close of every Mickey Mouse Club show - With Annette Funicello, front and center in her Mickey Mouse ears. Well, the time has come for those of us at Presentations to say goodbye.

The close of 2008 has been a watershed for many of us - an eye-opening, sobering, perhaps even exciting moment in history, a time for reassessing our lives and priorities, and (as we have heard over and over recently) a time for change.

Five years ago, when I began the Presentations website I wanted to achieve several things. First, I wanted to prove to myself that this old dog could learn some new tricks – enter into the 21st century and embrace the world of the internet and e-commerce. Second, I wanted to create a beautiful website. At the time, in my estimation, there were not many visually arresting sites, and I am so proud of what we accomplished. Last, I wanted to not only "sell" products that I loved but
also to share my thoughts on style, design, and living a life that celebrates quality. The latter we presented to you in CR Style, and I have been so gratified by your positive response. Creating and sharing that creativity with others has been the guiding force in my life. I will, of course, leave the archives of CR Style on my website for everyone's enjoyment.

Times and needs change. With this in mind I have decided that Presentations and Carolyne need to take a sabbatical. New projects -- such as a small collection of children's clothes for Best and Company (launching in March, 2009), a new monthly column in Veranda magazine, and the start of my next book - will leave me little time to work on the website.

I do hope to stay in touch! I shall continue to sell my books and, occasionally, a pretty paper or ribbon. I shall let you know when the children's collection makes its debut and when I find an interesting piece of information that I feel you might enjoy. We will continue to check emails from the website, so please feel free to contact us.

So many of you have been loyal customers from the earliest days of the website. As a thank you, everything in Presentations (except books) will be offered to you at the wholesale prices. We only have limited stock of most of our products and this is the last chance to get them before we close... so happy shopping! And thank you so very much for your interest and support.

With all best wishes,

Carolyne Roehm

Ring, Ring, Ringtones!

I have had the hardest time getting cute ringtones for my Blackberry. For some off reason you cannot buy ringtones like you can a normal phone on my Verizon BB; very odd indeed. Over Christmas I uploaded songs, but the song has to be a certain size and I only had a handful that fell under the limit and they were all holiday themed. Apparently, the BB program used to have a way to make ringtones, but that no longer exists (I did MAJOR research on this) and of course you cannot upload anything from iTunes (at least not to my knowledge). Obviously this had become an issue so I took it upon myself to do some research and I came out a winner!

I found this extremely informative Blackberry site, BBGeeks. Not only does this site cover all the bases on anything and everything Blackberry related, but they have an entire page dedicated to Blackberry ringtones! I intended to learn how to make a ring tone, however I ended up being lead to an amazing and easy to use ringtone site: TuneUsIn. Oh, and the best part is that the ringtones on this site are free!! They have a number of categories and a great selection of songs both old and new. You can download the songs to your desktop and then upload them to you device and you are all set to go! BBGeek did major research on ringtone sites and apparently this is the one to use. It is easy to navigate and you do not have to sift through pages and pages trying to find a song you sort of like. Now, I assume this is legal, but am by no means positive. BBGeeks lists another site that you can use which is similar to Limewire so I just assumed I best go with TuneUsIn. However, the internet is full of some good, but even more bad so again I am not certain. I just wanted to pass on the information assuming that it might be okay. Hopefully, one of you will find it useful and you can add some sound flair to your accessory of choice!

For All You Brides

I just adore this Vogue pull out from February 2004:

From the Wedgewood cake to the double strand of Mish pearls to the hydrangea bouquet everything is so delicate yet so lovely. If you stick with traditional it will never go out of style (this applies to ALL aspects of life)!

It Made It!

The armoire arrived today! It is SO fabulous!! However, tornado sirens are going off so I hope it makes it through the night!! A more exciting post to come tomorrow when the skies clear.

Celebration Two!

Week two is here and my birthday is near!

Now is your chance to win something that is sure to make you grin!

This darling Lilly wristlet is oh so fun! You can wear it will a basic outfit or go wild with patterns! The pink and navy are a classic combination and the zebra print gives it a modern twist. This is simply perfect for the young and old as it can be used when going out, running errands, at the gym or just popping into Starbucks! Lilly works for all!!

To be entered to win this darling Lilly wristlet leave a comment with your favorite Lilly print/pattern by noon EST on Friday, February 13th (ooooo, there is NO bad luck to be had here!).

Just for fun I will share some of mine:

Mommy and Me and the 2000 patch! I also ADORE the 2001 party lanterns print and the 2000 shift dresses print! They are all so beautiful it is just about impossible to pink only one!

Preppy Knobs

The armoire is being delivered tomorrow; yay! I cannot wait to add it to the apartment and I am still in awe at the amazing price tag; wow, wow, wow! Anyway, as you may have noticed there are four drawer knobs on the armoire that I plan to replace. Do not get wrong I do love the solid pink knobs, but I want to spice it up a bit so I have come up with the following options:

I have a key chain (that pink alligator one) by this company, Lulu and Daisy, and they have more choices than you can imagine! If you have not checked out this site head over ASAP because I know you will be addicted!! As far as the knobs go you can even send them a paint sample and they will match the colors especially for your home. I am thinking either a pink, green and blue stripe or the paisley/bandanna pattern in pink green and navy would be right for me.
MacKenzie Childs knobs are sort of a classic choice. I think the zebra is flirtatious and fun and the fact that there is little pink/red would make it easy to work with and match.

This knob really does not match at all as the pink is off, but it was too cute not to include!

I actually painted a plate that is almost identical to this knob! I love the whimsical look and the colors would for sure work.

This knob would not match either, however I adore this shade of pink and green. Perhaps one of you all have the perfect room to use it in...

PS- Tomorrow it is time to celebrate February yet again! Check back for GIVEAWAY NUMERO DOS!

PINK SWAP PACKAGE!

When I went to check the mail Sunday I had a FABULOUS surprise waiting for me: my PINK SWAP package from Preppy Pink Crocodile!!

Here is everything all packaged up- isn't it darling!?

KK included SO many fabulous items! I LOVE all the Lilly items she made- you really should consider opening an etsy store KK. Also, how cute are all the pink kitchen items and the madras notepad? I just adore every pink and green gift and KK really did spoil me. In fact, I felt sort of bad about my package when I opened hers- I hope it was okay!! I hope everyone had a fabulous time with the PINK SWAP. I sure did and I cannot wait to arrange another fun one this spring!

Reminder: If you do NOT have a blog and participated in the swap please feel free to send me a photo of you package! I will do a post with pictures for to enjoy. I want to make sure everyone is recognized!

Game Time!

I have had the best weekend! The weather has been lovely in Dallas and I have gotten in lots of quality time with friends too!

I started off the weekend with the Skinny Jeans class and it is like murder! It is an AMAZING 30 minute work out, but I am still in pain. Pain as in it was hard to walk up and down stairs and even get in my car, ha! I will be returning every single Friday that I am able and I will be in tip top shape just in time for pool season. After my murder class I went to TABC for a fun dinner with friends. As you know I spent the morning at the Salvation Arm on Saturday. However, my day was filled with lots more excitement: I got my hair cut (it is much shorter) and went to the Mavericks game! I brought L and T with me and we had such fun! Our seats were at the TV table or front row. We were several seats down from the players bench and they all stretched their legs on on table. If you watched the game on TV you were sure to have spotted us a time or two! I just love attending sporting events. Last night was such an amazing game (we went into OT) that Dallas of course won which only made it even better. It was such an amazing way to spend Saturday evening!!

Here is an action shot of Dirk for all you avid sports fans!
Today, I have been busy as can be and am very exhausted. I went to church then worked out. I then ran to NorthPark to run a few errands before meeting L and T for He's Just Not That Into You. It was such a fun movie that I am sure loads of you saw this weekend too. However, if not I highly recommend!
I am tres, tres tired so I am calling it a night. Oh, but before I sign off here is a photo of the new haircut:
When I was blow drying it I was a bit worried it was too short. However, after a bit of tweaking it I made it work (thank goodness)! I have been very busy, but promise to get back on the emailing and commenting train tomorrow!