happy news!

On Sunday evening, I was playing Draw Something with my friend Devin.  She was in the hospital bed awaiting the arrival of her baby girl.

And on Monday morning, sweet Emery was born.

Happy Birthday Emery!  I can't wait to meet you. 

And you've got a sweet big brother at home who loves his "Em-er-ree" so much already.

this is a braggy post.

WARNING: This is long.

But i'm not bragging about me.  I'll be bragging on my friend, Mrs. Sandi H. McClain.  You might know her from her blog Life is Sweet. 

Sweet describes two things about Sandi.  Her character and her boutique.  Sandi is one of the sweetest people you will EVER meet.  And her boutique, sugar, is obviously a sweet name.

Let me give you some background, Sandi and I met in high school, she was in the 8th grade and I was in the 9th grade.  I could write a whole blog on the shenanigans we used to get into back in those days. 

Then I graduated and started college at the University of South Carolina.  Sandi was there to help my mother help me move in to my freshman dorm.  Then a year later, Sandi started her freshman year at USC and I was there to welcome her on move in day.  Now, THOSE years we spent in Columbia together could fill up 4 Breaking Dawn sized books of shenans.

We both moved out of Columbia and back home to our parents.  I got a job in Greenville and she started working as a online sales rep for local newspaper.  Then I can remember in late 2007 she called me to tell me she was quitting her job to start her own boutique.

When Sandi and I were college, I can remember we both dreamed of  opening our own store together.  But Sandi's dreams were MUCH bigger than my own. 

After her fiance's (at the time) cousin, Drew, was killed in a tragic car accident, she decided that life was too short not to pursue what she's always wanted to do.  Drew had lived out his dream of snowboarding in Colorado for a period of time.  So why shouldn't she live out her dream while she was still alive?

In April of 2008, while still planning her dream wedding for August, she opened the doors to her designer women's boutique, sugar.

Only 3 months later, he father passed away suddenly, a month before her wedding. 

And now, 4 years later, she's married

with a sweet new baby boy

and her store is still one of the most successful women's boutiques in the upstate of South Carolina.

Now to the point of this post.  Sandi, was named the Young Entrepuener of the Year in SC and the Southeast Region.  That's HUGE!  I know the hard work, dedication, sweat, blood and tears she's put into her business and no one deserves this award more than her.

I'm just blessed to have such an inspiring woman in my life and to be able to call the woman my friend.  And not just any friend...my BEST friend.  I'm not sure how she has time to be a wife, mother, business owner, and still have a life to include social activities like meeting me for dinner and movies on occassion. 

I've told her this time and time again but she's my hero.

Oh and have I mentioned she just happens to dabble in photography? 

There is nothing she can't do.  The sky is the limit with this one.

Sandi with the all famous Lilly Pulitzer...just a perk of the job.

And if you aren't familiar, please check out her store either in person in Greenwood, SC, on Facebook (sugar boutique) or online (you can shop there).   She has SUCH cute stuff!

And you can read a post about starting her business in her own words here. Truly an inspiration.

my first celebrity crush...is still hot

I know what you're thinking...this is another post about how much I love Justin Timberlake.  You, my friend, are wrong. 

My very first celebrity crush was in a boy band, but not *Nsync.

It was by way of New Kids on the Block.

Jordan Knight was my favorite. 

I remember writing him a fan letter, which from what I recall was just a letter on lined school paper that had a HUGE heart colored in red crayon with his name in the middle.  (Not sure if that ever got mailed or not.)

Recently, I've been listening to NKOTB on Pandora and occassionally they'll slip in a present tune from the band or a former band member.

The other day a tune of his came on and I was really feeling it.  So I decided to look it up on YouTube and see if there was a video for said song. (Donnie Walberg fans will like this song/video too).

Um...that mug is STILL hot.  He might be 40+, but I'd smooch on him (okay and do other things) fo sho.  Judge away.

I mean this is what he looks like today.

Holla atcha girl!

And for those ladies that loved J. Knight back in the day as well...I'd like to let you know that the rat tail he was sportin' back in '90 is gone.

 

my brush with celebrity...

Okay. Not quite.  But close. I cringe when I think of those people on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor Pad as celebrities, but they are famous regardless.

Yesterday, William Holman who was made famous as a "contestant" on The Bachelorette: Ashley's season by giving the worst comedy roast of all time. 

Despite bombing there, he's quite funny on the twitter.  Yes, I call twitter "the twitter" Betty White style.  Hate on haters.

Yesterday, he posted this photo with the following tweet.

I like to think I'm pretty funny, but it's always nice for that "funny" to be recognized by other funny people.  And if they happen to have been on TV it doesn't hurt either.

I can mail you an autographed headshot.  Just comment with your address and I'll send one your way. ;)

I. Am.

My bff Kate did a post yesterday where she and her husband filled out a list of things about them.  It seemed to be appropriate for them to do it as a couple year after year.  But why not have a single girl do it year after year as well.

I can't promise I'll remember to do it year after year...but maybe.

Here goes...


I Am...a true red head.

I Want...Justin Timberake, naked, in my bed.

I Have...divorced parents.
I Wish...I lived at the beach.
I Hate...closed minded people.

I Fear...that I will never get married.
I Hear...Rihanna.
I Search...for new songs to play on Pandora besides Rihanna.
I Wonder...if I'll ever had kids.
I Regret...getting so wasted that I do terrible things.
I Love...my friends.
I Ache...in my thighs and ass...sitting all day takes its toll.
I Always...eat dinner the minute I get home from work.
I Usually...go to bed around 11pm.
I Am Not...even semi attractive without make-up.

I Dance...after a few totties and especially when N*ggas in Paris is played.
I Sing…Notorious B.I.G. during karaoke.
I Never...spend more than $30 on shoes.
I Rarely...cry.
I Cry...only at that one scene in The Notebook.  You know which one.

I Am Not Always...as clean as you may think.

I'm Confused...as to why I find it necessary to text boys after a few bruskies. 
I Need...to start volunteering.

I Should...count my blessings more often.

celebrity dish from my mother

A little background...I LOVE Justin Timberlake.  He's my #1 celebrity crush ever...of all time...always...forever.  I realize he's engaged now, but my love for him will never go away.  Real talk.  If you don't believe me just read this post.

On Friday evening, I received this email from my mother...

Jessica Biel is not right for Justin...she is not pretty enough, not cool enough and just plan wrong for him. I think she is ugly...even before they were together. Just happened to see them in a pic with her engagement ring and got upset all over again...kept hoping they would break up I guess! : (

I've learned to live with this fact, but apparently it still is upsetting to my mother.  But she might be more upset that i'm not married by now and she was still holding out hope for Justin and I to be together.

soon to sweep the nation..."Cading"

There is soon to be a new phenomenon sweeping the nation...

Just like planking

and Tebowing became all the rage

now we have Cading

Ever since that sweet baby Cade arrived he's been striking a pose.  He knows his picture takin' Mama all too well.  So he knows to strike his best pose.

And that pose is taking his little chunky fist and putting it under his chin.

His Mama could probably start a whole scrapbook of just his "Cading" poses.

Cade approves.

Get it trending...#cading

my first car.

The spring of my Junior year in high school, my grandparents graced me with my first car.

It was my choice out of two cars.  I test drove both and ultimately picked my car because of it's "sporty" appeal and the fact that it had a factory CD player.  Back in 2000, that was pretty unheard of to get a CD player to come standard in your car.

This is the beaute I chose and drove for 4 years...

I'll be honest...I thought I was the SH*T in this car. 

I cruise that thing around town in hopes of someone seeing me and thinking "Damn!  Is that Beth?  In a new ride?"  Up until that point, I would have to borrow my mom's car if I wanted to go anywhere or I would hitch rides with Sandi or other friends.

I can remember pumping the beats of B. Spears' first album.

A few months later I decided I wanted to "pimp" my ride a bit.  After having my first ever job at Winn-Dixie grocery store (I worked a register...that's another story for another time).  I forked over about $50 to have my windows tinted. 

BAD. ASS. I tell you.

I then decided to get a vinyl sticker of my name to place on the drivers side window.  Yes...I did that.

It was placed "strategically" at the top of the window, so when I was to pull over and chat with friends in a deserted parking lot aka loiter for hours I could roll down my window but leave just enough to show my name.  Really, Beth?  Was this necessary? 

Trust me...all my friends did it.  So when you're in high school you do what all your friends do. 

To complete the pimping process, I purchased a mirror license plate to grace the front of my car.

Yes, that's what it said...I was so original.  This was a year or so before I came up with my "Sweet Bef" nickname. 

I miss that car sometimes.  And if that car could talk...it would too much sh*t on me I would probably have to take it to junk yard and have it murdered.