The Anniversary Recap: The Fx4 Edition

Two weekends ago, hubby & I celebrated 12 years of marriage. It's so hard to believe that we've already been married for more than a decade. To celebrate this milestone, we left the kids at home with a team of sitters, while we drove south to Hot-lanta for 24 hours of kid-free fun.

After some quick outlet shopping, we enjoyed a lovely lunch at Maggiano's. You might recognize the decor from a certain blogging conference that occurred recently. It is in fact the same place. Hubby actually asked if he was violating some blogging covenant by joining me here. What's really funny is that we had the same waiter and I'm pretty sure he recognized me. Of course, I didn't leave as much as a lasting impression on him as Lula did.

After lunch, we picked up some Godiva chocolate for dessert and then played video games for a couple of hours at Dave & Busters. That was a blast! We're pretty competitive and got into some serious air hockey and basketball championships.

After wearing ourselves out with video games, we checked into the hotel. This was waiting for me when I opened the door to the room.

Nothing says romance like a dozen roses and chilled champagne!

We changed and made our way to the dinner destination. It was another exciting visit to Medieval Times! Hubby & I went to one of these places on our honeymoon, so it was neat to re-visit on this special occasion. The place was all decked out for the holidays, which was gorgeous!


We feasted on roasted chicken and potatoes, vegetable soup, garlic bread and apple turnovers. And the show was great as always!

Here we are, the old married couple looking quite dashing in our paper crowns.

For more Friday Foto Madness, check out Candid Carrie's fiesta!

For All the Black Friday Early Risers

We thought you might need a shot in the arm to get you going this morning. Here's some Little A cuteness to get your shopping day started off right.

Introducing: Little A sings Jingle Bells.

Happy Black Friday everyone!

Thanksgiving Thursday

As an elementary school kid, Thanksgiving always meant another silly school program that involved me dressing up in some costume that I really despised and singing the same songs, year after year. You know the old standards like "We Gather Together" and "This Land is Your Land".

As I got older, it meant a few days off from school and having a big family dinner.

Then, hubby & I met and married and Thanksgiving became a hassle. I found myself in a sitcom episode seeing how many turkey meals I could fit into a single day because we had so many friends/family that we were expected to show up for.

It wasn't until my girls came along that Thanksgiving really began to have serious meaning for me. It's about celebrating the blessings of our wonderful life and teaching the girls about how lucky we are to be able to gather together in our warm home with plenty of food to eat. So, this Thanksgiving, I'm especially thankful for my wonderful family, wonderful friends, and wonderful blessings. I hope you have many wonderful things to be thankful for this day also!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

"What If" Wednesday

It's time for another thought provoking question from the book of "If". Let's see what this week's query holds.

If you could do any job in the world for one day, what would it be?

I really had to think on this one. There are so many jobs that I would love to try once, that it was hard to pare it down to just one. So here goes.

I would want to be the medical researcher at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital that finally cracks the code on cancer and how to cure it. All cancers. I know way too many people who have been affected by cancer, including my close family and it's just not fair.

So, what would your job for the day be?

Angie Does Twilight (and revisits age 14)

As if you people haven't heard enough about this phenomenon already, I'm here to add my $.02 to the whole thing.

Last Friday evening, I headed out to brave the crowds of screaming teenagers so I could be one of the first to see the movie "Twilight". This was a girls' night out, many weeks in the making. I had read the book and REALLY enjoyed it. And knowing how hard I am on movies that are made from books, I was cautiously optimistic about how this film was going to turn out.

I met a couple of girlfriends at Chili's and despite the grins on our faces, none of us had an ounce of alcohol. Nope, the adrenaline from the impending movie was enough to fuel our giddyness. That, and our fly matching shirts. Yep, that's Team Edward for those who can't read the embroidery.

Meet Jane, Shannon and of course, me

(BTW, you should head over to Jane's for a giveaway that she's doing!)

After a yummy dinner, we made our way to the movie theater, so we could stand in line for 45 minutes with the aforementioned screaming teenage girls. It was pretty hilarious to see the guys that had clearly been dragged there by their girlfriends. And we weren't the only "mature" theater-goers there. Phew.

Now, for my assessment of the movie. I loved it! I truly can't wait to see it again. Admittedly, I wasn't happy with the casting of Edward at first, but after seeing Rob Pattinson in the role, I'm now quite happy with the choice. He did a great job as Edward. I do have a few complaints about scenes that weren't in the film and a key scene that just didn't live up to my expectations, but overall, I thought they did a pretty good job.

I think the thing that surprised me the most was that I went in expecting to completely fall for Edward. While, he has definitely grown on me, I came out completely head over heels for another "Cullen".

Move over James McAvoy (and Patrick Dempsey), there's a new guy in town. And his name is Jackson Rathbone. This fine young actor plays Jasper Hale and he will be the driving force behind me seeing Twilight again, and again, and again...

So, for anyone who hasn't seen Twilight yet, I give it 2 big thumbs up. At the very least, there are several cute guys to ogle!

Monday Morning Eye Candy

Welcome back to Monday Morning Eye Candy! Last week was a big week in the world of hot guys. One of my favorite periodicals, People Magazine, announced their annual pick for Sexiest Man Alive. And so, in honor of this big event, my good buddy Shannon, recommended that we take a stroll down memory lane and remember some of the hotties that have been bestowed with this honor in the past.

John F. Kennedy, Jr. - Oh my, this guy was so cute. I remember my heart sinking when his marriage to Carolyn Bessette made the news. And feeling sick when the news of their airplane disappearance made the news also. Such a sad story.

Tom Cruise - Speaking of sad stories, what HAPPENED to this guy?!?! He used to be so cute and not a complete nut-job. So sad. I prefer to immortalize him as my Maverick. Sigh.

Patrick Swayze - Ok, I've just realized that this list has taken a decidedly downward spiral. Patrick will always be my Johnny Castle and I'll be his Baby anytime. I hope his cancer goes into remission because he would sorely be missed. Ok, we need some good news, STAT!


Brad Pitt - Ok, I'm like the only female on the planet that doesn't see what is so ga-ga about this guy, but I know I'm in the minority. So here, enjoy. I must say though, his stock has gone up since I've seen him in the daddy role. Despite the fact that he apparently cheated on Jen with Angelina. I'm not a big fan of Jen.

George Clooney - Now here's a guy I can get behind. Classic good looks and destined to be an eternal bachelor. I once read an article about some of the practical jokes he's pulled on a friend of his and I was in tears from laughing so hard. I love a guy with a serious sense of humor.

Matt Damon - Again, it's the sexy daddy role that cinches it for me. That, and he was smokin' hot in the Bourne movies. Swoon!

Hugh Jackman - Drumroll please! This guy is just the whole package. Sexy daddy, devoted hubby, humble, hunky and the fab Australian accent. People, you got it right this year!

Well, that wraps up this week's hotties. For those who only visit here on Monday's, I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving week! See you next week, same time, same channel.

Spot's Sunday Entertainment Roundup

I have been REALLY busy with work and family commitments for the past 2 weeks, but I've got a few updates for you nevertheless. Let's do this.

The Book Roundup
I've been catching up on my enormous collection of magazines that have been multiplying behind my back. However, this hasn't stopped me from purchasing a couple more books to add to my growing pile on the bedside table. One that I saw reviewed today was the new Wally Lamb book. I've not read any of his novels yet, but I keep hearing great things about them.

The T.V. Roundup
I've been watching all the favorites that I've mentioned over the last couple of months. I do want to mention 2 shows that my friend Shannon swears by. Her picks for shows that we should be watching are Life and The Mentalist. Life is on NBC and The Mentalist in on CBS. Both have leading men who are easy on the eyes.

The Movie Roundup
Roger and Me - This was the original Michael Moore documentary that earned him notoriety as a filmmaker. It's the story of how Flint, Michigan was destroyed when GM closed all of their operations there and put 30,000 people out of jobs. Moore spends most of the film chasing the former head of GM, Roger Smith, all around the country, trying to ask him the simple question: Why, when GM was making billions in profits, did they close those plants and send the jobs across the border into Mexico? It's a good film that sheds some serious light on how plant closures really can affect entire cities.

What Happens in Vegas - I was seriously disappointed by this film. I like Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz has had a couple of films that I really enjoyed, but together, it just didn't work. The ending was so utterly predictable and the writing was just plain bad. I wouldn't waste my time with this one.

Twilight - Yes, I stood in line for almost an hour, with about 200 teenagers to see this on opening night. And I don't regret it one bit. Actually, I'm still on a high. I have a full post coming on Tuesday about this outing, but I will say, that whether you've read the book or not, I totally recommend this movie. Overall, it was well done.

Alright, that's all I've got. Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

"What If" Wednesday

I'm running behind today, but I'm here with another question from the book of "If...". So, let's see what our question is this week!

If you could have one street or square or park in any city or town renamed after you, which one would you select and exactly what would the name be?

Surprisingly, this one is easy for me. There is an overlook in downtown Portland, Maine that looks out on Casco Bay. It's very serene and there's a little park bench that gives visitors a perfect viewing point for a lighthouse. I don't know what this area's real name is, but I would name this Angie's Spot.

So how about you? Do you have a favorite place you would rename?

Toys R Us Shopping: Not so "Rewarding"

Despite the fact that I am more than a week behind on my reader and have mountains of work due tomorrow, I still sit here and feel the need to tell you of my exasperating shopping experience this morning. You know, because my middle name hasn't changed from "PROCRASTINATION".

My mom (AKA: The Mack Daddy of Grandma's who spoil the grandkids) wanted to do some Christmas shopping for the A's this morning. So, after dropping the kiddos off at school & having a planning meeting for an upcoming event, I picked up mom and we headed to Toys R Us. We knew exactly what we were going for, so after filling a buggy with many expensive items, we ran to the checkout, for what I was expecting to be a seamless transaction. Mistake #1.

The child running the register appeared to be just out of high school and came complete with the snotty attitude and reckless disregard for customer service. Oh joy, it's my lucky day. She rang up our copious items and just before she was about to wrap up this transaction, I asked her about the "Rewards Program" that I saw advertised on some signage. She reluctantly hands me a brochure explaining the virtues of the rewards. Just as I ask her if we can sign up, she says yes, but that what we just purchased will not count. *Crickets.* As I feel my blood pressure start to rise, I ask her to verify that the mega-bucks that we just spent cannot be applied to the card. Wisely, she asks the manager to come over and verify this. With a wry grin, he confirms this policy and says "sorry".

Now, in our current economic climate with stores closing left and right & people losing their jobs due to poor retail sales, I must be crazy to think that a store might actually WANT to keep my business. I guess this isn't the case at the Toys R Us here.

So, I tell the manager that we're returning the entire purchase, so we can activate the stupid rewards card and re-purchase everything. He says ok and begins the tedious process of returning and voiding and re-keying, blah, blah, blah. In the meantime, my friendly cashier shoots me dirty looks, eye rolls at her fellow cashiers and loudly directs customers behind me to other lanes. Not because she's trying to make me feel unwelcome or anything ludicrous like that.

I wish I could say that the story ends here, but alas, that would be too easy. The manager voided the first transaction and then re-keyed the second purchase, when my mother's credit card was declined due to "suspicious activity". At this point, I said "forget it" and loudly proclaimed this whole situation avoidable if the idiot cashier had just done her job and asked every customer about the rewards program, like I would imagine the corporate office has instructed them to do. I even heard her tell a brand new employee that she only asks certain customers certain questions because she doesn't want to be bothered with "hard to handle" customers. GAH!!!

Moral of the story: If you're making a big purchase somewhere, ask about free rewards programs BEFORE you pay for anything. And Toys R Us is now added to my "Do Not Shop" list along with Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Congrats Toys R Us! It takes a pretty big gaffe in customer service to land you on THAT list.

Monday Morning Eye Candy

Welcome to Monday Morning Eye Candy!

You may (or if you've been living under a rock) may not have, heard that there's a little movie coming out this Friday, by the name of Twilight. My buddy, Lula, suggested that we do a little shout out to the men of this highly anticipated flick. But, a shout out just wasn't good enough for me. So, I welcome you to MMEC: The Twilight Edition.

Cam Gigandet: He plays James in the movie and he has abs TO.DIE.FOR.

Jackson Rathbone: He plays Jasper and if those dimples don't melt your heart, well then, you need to seek counseling.

Edi Gathegi: This cutie plays Laurent, but his hair is a bit different in the movie. Still cute though.

Peter Facinelli: He plays Carlisle Cullen in the movie, but in real life he's Mr. Jennie Garth. Any 90210 fans out there? This real-life dad of 3 girls is WAY cute.

Robert Pattinson: Oh Edward, my Edward. It's taken me a while to come around to your casting, but I'm finally good with it. Can't wait to see you in action on Friday.

Kellan Lutz: My favorite hottie in this movie and he plays Emmett. Check out those eyes. Oh my.

And that brings this week's installment to a close. Go check out Twilight this weekend at your favorite theater or pick up the book! Either way, you won't be disappointed. And my many thanks to Lula for this inspiring edition of MMEC and for her help in gathering the pics for me. You rawk! See you all here next week!

Out of the Office

I'm sorry, Angie is currently out of the office. She will return with more antics on Monday, November 17th with a very special edition of Monday Morning Eye Candy. In the mean time, please wish her & her hubby a Happy Anniversary as they celebrate 12 years of wedded bliss this weekend!

"What If" Wednesday

My IRL friend and blogger buddy, Lula, recently gave me this fabulous book called "If...Questions for the Game of Life". I've been enjoying it thoroughly for a couple of weeks now and decided to make this the fodder for a weekly post. I'll post a question from the book, answer it and then ask my readers to answer it also. So, please humor me and play along. (Pretty please) And I have turned on anonymous commenting, so feel free to leave your answer and rest assured that I'll have no idea who you are. I'll be very happy that you stopped by! So, here's this week's question.

If you could make a gift of one thing to any single person alive today, who would it be, what would you give them, and how would you present it to them?

Wow, this is a hard one.

I would give the gift to my oldest daughter, Big A. The gift would be the memory box that I kept from my senior year in high school, which includes letters, photos and memorabilia from the most pivotal year of my life. I would give it to her and tell her that she cannot open it until she begins her first day of high school. I would explain that it includes memories of some of the best and worst days of my young life and that it serves as a reminder to me that we must not be afraid to dream and reach for the stars. Life isn't easy. Always be the best YOU that you can be. The rest will take care of itself.

So, how would you answer this question? I'm sitting by my email, waiting for your responses. No pressure.

Not by the hair of my...

I've spent many years being regaled with the stories of this store called Sephora. How it's the mecca for all things beauty and someplace that I "NEED" to visit. So, on a trip to Atlanta recently, I finally made it into one of these stores. And things were going quite well. I found the Philosophy product line and picked out some yummy Pumpkin Spice Muffin body wash. (Yes, it smells good enough to eat. No, I didn't taste any.) I made my way to the register and was delighted to be helped by this wonderful sales associate. And I was further excited to see that she grabbed a handful of product samples and threw them into my bag before bidding me farewell for the day.

I made my way home and was unpacking my wares when I came across this product sample. And I audibly gasped.

Let's see here, where shall I begin.

1. I'm 33 and wouldn't exactly say that I have jiggly jowls just yet.

2. I know I'm fat and I don't appreciate the reminder from the even FATTER sales associate.

3. A liquid bra for my "v-zone"? I don't think so. I'm not even sure they know where the v-zone is.

4. It's going to take a whole lot more than what's in this packet to get rid of my double chin.

And this, my friends, is how my first (and last) trip to Sephora went.

Monday Morning Eye Candy

Welcome back everyone! And to first time visitors, thank you for stopping by. I hope this weekly entry will entice you to visit here again! And without further ado, let's check out this week's batch of hot guys. This week I'm honoring reader requests.

James Marsden - Oh my, did the temperature just get REALLY warm in here?

Robert Rey - Also known as Dr. 90210 and Beverly Hills most colorful and highly successful plastic surgeon.

Shemar Moore - Just one of the many reasons that I tune into Criminal Minds every week.

Jay Hernandez - He's been in several movies that I've seen, but I never knew his name. He's way cute!

Spot's Sunday Entertainment Roundup

Another week, another bevy of entertainment options. Here's the skinny from this week.

The Movie Roundup

The Big One - This documentary chronicles a book tour of Michael Moore and his quest to confront some CEO's of this nation's richest corporations as to why they continued to eliminate jobs in spite of huge annual profits. I am a huge fan of Michael Moore. (Was that an audible gasp I just heard?) I love his style of film-making and I think he's a riot. He's definitely a rogue left-winger who goes to extremes to prove his point, but I find it all very entertaining nonetheless.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - I was reluctant to check out this Judd Apatow production after my disappointment with Superbad. However, this film had some redeeming qualities. There were some heart tugging moments for our unlikely male lead and Russell Brand was freakin' hysterical as the British rock star. This wasn't a bad little film. I would however, not recommend watching it late at night after having a really poor night's sleep the night prior. Not that I would know anything about that. I'm just sayin'.

Iron Man - I've never enjoyed Robert Downey Jr. more than in this movie. I will be the first to say that I don't do the whole comic book turned movie genre. Bleh. But, at the urging of several friends, I gave this flick a shot. And I'm glad I did. RDJ is hot and there are some great one-liners. My favorite is "This is not the WORST thing you've ever caught me doing."

The T.V. Roundup

Intervention - You know what they say about a train wreck and how people just can't look away from the carnage. That's this show all wrapped up in a big red bow on A&E. As much as I try to stay away from watching the horrible situations that our unsuspecting addicts have ended up in, I find myself tuning in constantly. However, I do have one question. How is it that a show with this much popularity, that has been on for a few years now, can still manage to dupe people into thinking that they're just being interviewed for a documentary?

The Book Roundup

I got nothin'. My new Barnes & Noble is opening on Tuesday and I sadly suspect that I'll be there, making an appearance and coming home with something else to add to the (I wish I were kidding) 25 books on my nightstand, waiting to be read.

So, what have you seen or read recently that YOU would recommend?

The Belle & Butterfly of the Ball

Welcome to this week's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta! Candid Carrie hosts this fun linky each week, so, welcome to you all who are joining me from her site. For anyone visiting, who has never visited Carrie before, well, you're missing out. Check her out after you check out my darlings!

I know Halloween was last week, but I'm just now getting around to posting my pics from the fun event. Big A wanted to be a butterfly, so I made her the prettiest butterfly that I could find!

Little A is a girly girl and forever a princess, so this year she wanted to be Belle. Isn't she lovely!

We gathered together with our trick or treating partners and posed for the group shot. This crew was rowdy and adorable! And ready to hunt for candy.

And so we set out on our candy hunting adventure. Little A spent most of the time running ahead of everyone. She's a girl who knows what she wants. Big A was in a rare lead here.

And so the sun set and we wrapped up our annual Halloween adventure. The girls had a great time and we had so much fun watching them enjoy the festivities. Now, for the fun part. Eating all of the kids candy.

A Tempting Offer

A couple of weeks ago, the lovely people at Saturn & Real Simple Magazine let me host a House Party. For those unfamiliar with the concept, check out this website for all the cool info. The most exciting things for me were the swag (AKA "free stuff") and the vehicle that they loaned me for 4 days. Check it out.

Aren't I stylin' in my fly Saturn Outlook?

Big A says, "Look, there's plenty of room for me & all of my friends!"
And both A's agree that there's plenty of room for groceries and shopping bags in the back.
We seriously had a ball driving this car around for a few days. I lived vicariously for a while and was a menace on the road. It was very different than driving the Fisher Price car that I truly own. I almost shed a tear when I handed the keys back to the dealer and watched him drive it back to the de-germing zone.

After all the festivities were over, I got an email thanking me for my participation and telling me that an extra goody was on it's way to me. Be still my beating heart. More.Free.Stuff?!?! So, like an anxious puppy dog waiting for it's owner, I sat by the window every day for a week, in eager anticipation of the mail. And last Saturday, it arrived.

It was a voucher for a $500 Target Giftcard. Thump. (That was me hitting the floor when I passed out upon seeing FREE $500 TARGET GIFTCARD in bold red letters) The catch is, I will receive it if I purchase or lease a new Saturn vehicle by Dec. 1. And hubby thinks I'm nuts for considering this offer for even 1 moment. Ok, the moment has passed. But here's some good news for someone else.

I can transfer this offer to 1 person. Woo hoo!! If you are in the market for a 2008/09 non-hybrid Saturn vehicle and plan to purchase this vehicle by Dec. 1st, I would love to give this offer to you. However, I'm only giving it to someone who is actually going to use it. I simply cannot let it go to waste. So, let me know if you or someone you know is planning this kind of car purchase. I want to pay it forward.

A Blogger's Fairy Tale...Come True REDUX

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Angie. Angie had spent a lifetime feeling like she could never find her niche in life. She had encountered some great friends along this bumpy road and had one friend in particular that she could always count on. And this friend introduced Angie to blogging. Angie will be forever indebted to her for this and many other reasons.

Through blogging, Angie met some other great women, who were scattered all over the world. They shared experiences, trials, achievements and heartbreaks together. And for a moment, Angie got very excited. Was it possible that such a place existed where she could be herself and others would appreciate that and want to be her friend?

Another amazing thing was how blogging brought Angie & an old friend back together. And Angie wondered how she let years pass without spending more time with this amazing and hilarious gal.

One Saturday morning, Angie traveled to a large metropolis with her fellow "in real life" blogger friend, so they could meet an online blogger friend for lunch. It all seemed innocent enough, until Angie & her friend arrived.

Angie thought that this...

and this, would be some of the highlights of the outing. (Editors note: Chocolate cake is almost always the highlight of any gathering that I attend)

But, no one could prepare Angie for the thrill of getting to meet a woman of amazing strength...

And a woman who sees the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...

And a lady whose spirit is as beautiful as her smile...

And she had this lady to thank for putting the gathering together. Another friend that she can now call an IRL friend. Someone that she knows is a true friend.

And Angie soon realized that her hobby had now become much more than that. It had become her niche. Her vehicle to finding the circle of friends in life that she needed...deserved...desired. The circle of friends who accept her and love her for who she is.

And to those ladies, I say THANK YOU!

Love,

Angie

P.S. Next time, we're going to have to secure a larger venue, because we all know there are MANY more ladies that we want to have join us. And yes, I mean you. Mwah!

Monday Morning Eye Candy

I haven't had this much fun putting together a Monday Morning Eye Candy entry, since the first one that I ever did. Today's entry has really special meaning to me because each of these hot guys is linked to a really special bloggy friend of mine. So, this week's eye candy is dedicated to my fellow mommy blabbers. Love you gals!

James McAvoy - Was that a "not again" I just heard back there? Hey, no special edition is complete with my man.

Jason Statham - Lula, this one's for you. Mwah!

Eric Bana - Shannon, my partner in crime, enjoy your Aussie.

Mike Rowe - Kori, this was the dirtiest pic I could find for you. Snicker, snicker.

Luke Perry - Lizzy, for my sista in 90210 daily rerun watching.

Liev Schreiber - And finally, for Kat. The master planner and friend.

And there you have it! I'm always taking requests gang, so don't be shy about asking for your eye candy. If you would rather send me an email with your request, you can do that from my profile page. And I'll see you here again next week!