10 Times You Need Your Pageant Friends........

Ok, so by now all of you know that I LOVE my pageant peeps!!!  I also love my other friends as well (I'm not leaving ya'll out!).  However, I find that sometimes you just need your pageant friends around! 

I cannot take credit for coming up with the title of this post, as I stole it from yet another page in a Glamour magazine.  (their title was "10 times you still need your mom")  I just made it my own!  :)  So here we go!

10 Times You Need Your Pageant Friends:

1.  When you are watching Miss America/Miss USA with non-pageant friends and as you say things like "Oh no, she did not just pony kick" or "Gosh, she's such a patty" they look at you as if you have lost your ever loving mind.

2.  When the question "Rhinestones or no rhinestones?" arises.

3.  When you walk into an event/party/get together and you are waaaaaaaay overdressed.  (you know they'd be just as overdressed as you)

4.  When you want to go shop at Cache

5.  If you need to confirm that you don't have on too much makeup or hairspray..........Is there such a thing?!?!

6.  When you need anything taped, tucked or glued.

7.  When you are contemplating which business head shot to use for work.

8.  When you feel the need to bust out all of you different "walks."  You know they know the difference between your swimsuit walk and evening gown walk.....duh.

9.  When someone ask you what Miss USA does for talent.  Please sit down, we must teach you the difference!!

10.  When someone calls you a "has been."  They can totally feel your pain...........

What is wrong with these people?!?!?!

I have two words for all of you................The Bachelorette.  If you are one of the unfortunate people who are not tuning in to watch this fiasco of a show, then turn on your tv PRONTO!!!!! 

Let me first start off by saying that I actually do not regularly tune in to The Bachelor/Bachelorette, but the fact that there is a dentist from Greenville and a Clemson grad caught my attention.  Gotta root for the hometown boys!!!  Whoop Whoop!!! 

Then it all started last Monday night.............

Dear. Heavens. Above.  What is wrong with these guys???  Or more importantly, what is wrong with this girl, Ashley?  She is pretty, young, smart (in dental school), but for some reason she is not dating/engaged/married.  To me, this leaves one explanation...........Girl is crazy.   Which was confirmed in episode two, which I will get to later.  :)

So the arrivals begin.  Ashley is in a bea-utiful gown standing in front of the Bachelorette Mansion (as I like to call it) and here comes the limos with the boys men.  Now, if I am standing there and a limo full of grown men pull up and are yelling and hooting and me, I am going to politely tell the driver to keep going.  This is a huge pet peeve of mine.  Do not, I repeat, do not "cat call" at me!!!!  When guys do this, I want to walk over to their window and ask "how many times have you ACTUALLY picked up a girl by doing that?"  Yeah, their answer would be nada. 

So onto the introductions. 

Ames:  This guy feels his importance.  He will not let us forget that he went to Ivy League schools and is better than 99.9% of us.  There is something I just don't like about him and I will figure it out with time.

Anthony:  A butcher with a thick Jersey accent......eeennnnkkkkkk!  (that's the sound of a buzzer)

Ben:  He hasn't made me not like him yet, which is a good sign.

Ben F:  Wine maker, Josh Groban wanna-be......eeeeeennnnnnnnkkkkkkkkk!

Bentley:  Admitted from the beginning that he was expecting a different girl and is not at all into Ashley.  She knows this, yet begs for him to stay.  Seeing the "Girl is crazy" part in that??  Now he just wants to get her to say he beat all the other guys.  Double eeeeeennnnnnnnnkkkkkkkkkk!

Blake:  Greenville Dentist.  Does this guy ever say a word?!?!?!?  I think not, and this is why I don't dislike him......yet.

Chris D:  do not remember.  whoops!

Chris M:  do not remember.  Maybe I have an issue with Chris'.

Constantine:  blah

Frank:  Oh dear.

J.P.:  Cutie-Pa-Tootie!!!  I really liking me some J.P.  I cannot wait until they get to go on their first date. 

Jeff:  (a.k.a. Batman)  What is this guy thinking?  I would have kicked him off on the first show.  Creepy does not even begin to describe him.  Lurking around in a mask ALL of the time!!  See ya, bye!

Jon:  Another that I do not remember

Lucas:  Seems like a nice guy.  Hasn't done anything to offend me yet.

Matt:  Cute, but quiet.

Michael:  Who??

Mickey:  Tom Hanks look alike.  Maybe Ashley can be his Jenny.

Nick:  His hair annoys me.....really bad.  It seemed that he was trying too hard to impress with his line dance skills.

Rob:  No memory

Ryan M:  Now, this fool got out of the limo with his digital camera in hand.  Proceeded to ask for a pic with Ashley, then looks at her and says "think I can get one with Chris Hansen (the host) inside?"  I would have said "No, you cannot, because you are getting back in that limo and going back to where you came from."

Ryan P:  Handsome....we will keep him around for a while ;)

Stephen:  Hairdresser from CA.  He needs to give himself a haircut. 

Tim:  ehhh

West:  CLEMSON TIGER!!!!!!!!!!!  Need I say more.  As they say "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction."   But, he has won me over (not just because he is a Tiger).  He is a sweet, southern man, who has been through the loss of a wife early in life.  Bless his heart. 

William:  Now, I loved him at first and may change my mind again.  But he is really starting to annoy me.  You know there is always the guy that wins her heart early on and then he becomes the "arrogant-creepy-let me make lovey eyes at her at all times" guy.  He really thinks that this thing is his.  In the bag, all you other guys head home, put a fork in me I'm done.  I personally just think he is getting his creep on and his time may be limited. 

Ahhhhhhhh, now that I have given my thoughts on the guys, you can all sleep well tonight.  haha!!!  On a side note, let's talk about some of the introductions these guys gave.  They picked her up (literally), gave their best cheesy pick up lines, etc.  I just couldn't do it!!  I would have laughed at half of these guys. 

Anyways, it's been real blogg-ahs!!!! 

The Life of Kim

I have been a busy girl these past few weeks and forgot to update my blogg-ahs!!!!  That is just not acceptable........so, sit back and enjoy my friends. 

Since the last time we talked, I had just headed down to Charleston to help my sister find a place to live next year.  We headed down on a Friday afternoon and of course couldn't make it down without the tire pressure light coming on.  We both freaked out, so I called the husband. Surprisingly enough, I know how to put air in a tire, but had no clue as to how much I needed.  He walked me through the process and I have to say I was proud that I handled it like a pro. (there's really not much to it, but whatever, give a girl some credit)  We arrived in Charleston late that night and just hung out until time for bed. 

Saturday morning, we got up and headed off to look at places, but not before I could get my Starbucks fix for the day.  Again, I must remind you that I cannot live without caffeine.  I'm not a happy Kim without it.  The bad part is we were running behind (not good) and my sister can be quite cantankerous at times, therefore I was nice and bought her a lollipop doughnut.  She was happy.  Then we get to the first place......

It was cute and nice, but just not "the place", you know? It had to be just right, kind of like Goldilocks.  Then to the second, which was not good either.  We had some time to kill before headed to the third, so we may a Liberty Tap Room pit stop.  :)  After the pit stop we headed to the third place, which was a TRAIN WRECK!!!!!!  Whew, words cannot describe.  By this point, the sister is getting ill.  We had one last place to look at.............

The last place was the cutest place ever!!!!  Needless to say, she had found the place and is now very happy with her house/apartment hunt!  Now, the hunt for a living space was over, but we had more important things do.  Forever. 21.

We headed downtown (paid $8 for parking) and got to F21.  This is a big store!  I don't want to admit this, because I do not, I repeat, do not, let shopping get the best of me, but this store just about did.  There is stuff everywhere.....shirts, shorts, skirts, rings, earrings, shoes, bras, etc.  And not only is it everywhere, but there is SO MUCH OF IT!!  The good news is that I found my fedora!

We are on our way back when we realize that the sister didn't get to go to Cupcake.  She is obsessed with this place.  They are a bakery that sells over the top cupcakes and boy,  they are good!  So, we turn down a side street to get back on King, because this is something she cannot do without.  King Street is packed, of course, so I tell her to jump out and I will circle around to get her.  During my circling around I saw people heading into a prom (some with hideous dresses) and a bachelorette party who clearly did not know their way around Charleston.  (you DO not go walking past certain points on King Street or you end up in sketchville)  Needless to say, she got her cupcake......all was good in the world.

Sunday morning we got up and headed to Sullivans to eat brunch.  I don't usually brunch, therefore I was torn.  Do I get breakfast?  Do I get lunch?  Help me people!  In the end I decided that I could not go to Sullivans and not have seafood.  Broiled seafood platter it was.  And, it was yummy!!!  I even got to take some banana pudding home!

Side Note:  I have a weird obsession with purchasing t-shirts from places I go, particularly restaurants.  I have some random shirts, and this trip was no exception!  I got me a Sullivans t-shirt!!!  Yay Kim.

That week was full of working and other things, until Thursday, when the husband and I headed to Edisto.  We LOVE Edisto!  I can remember being a child and our parents taking us to Topsail Island Beach and I hated it.  I hated that there was absolutely nothing to do!  However, now that I am getting older wiser, I enjoy a quiet, low key beach.  Our drive down was a good one and we arrived around 5:30pm.  That evening we just sat back and enjoyed not doing a thing!!!

The next morning, we got up, but unfortunately it was raining.  :( I am never one that likes to sit still, so we headed "downtown Edisto" (basically a few shops) with our nephew.  I, of course, was on the search for a t-shirt, but as always, I could not make my mind up on which one.  We grabbed some snow cones, then headed back to the house.  I then enjoyed a nice afternoon of reading and caught a nap!!  That evening we headed to a local restaurant where we had all you can eat oysters.  Dear Heavens Above!!!  I ate until I thought I might A. pass out or B. get sick. 

Saturday was beautiful and sunny and perhaps maybe too sunny!!  We headed to the beach, complete with snacks, chairs and my e-reader. 

Now earlier in the week, the husband and I were in Target purchasing our suntan lotion and I, with my master convincing skills that I possess, talked the husband into us getting the spray on kind.  So now, back to my story........

We get out on the beach and spray each other with the lotion.  I get situated in my chair and begin reading like a champ.  I sat in that chair and did not move from about 11am-2pm.  Oh wasn't that a big mistake on my part!  When I got inside the house, not only did I take note in the fact that I looked like a lobster, but also that the burn was on only 1/2 of my body.  Apparently I was sitting with the sun to my left and since I did not bother to get up and turn, I was 1/2 burnt.  And, ladies and gentlemen, I mean an absolute perfect line down the center of my legs, particularly the left leg.  HOW EMBARRASSING!!!!!!  As you can imagine, I am hitting the tanning bed to even this out.  ;)  I partially blame the spray on sunscreen and I partially blame myself. 

I then was getting board, so I took our neice back to the shops.  She and I went into a store that had the cutest t-shirts!  Jackpot!!!!!  We left with three shirts, which made the trip successful.  Then we headed to the local Piggy Wiggly and got the husband and birthday cake and candles.  I am full believer that one cannot and should not have a birthday without birthday cake.  It's just not right. 

So that evening we partook in some very yummy, yet unhealthy fried oyster/shrimp po boys from a local restaurant.  Ahhhhhhh, so good.   We then got up the next morning and head home. Overall a nice trip away from Greenville.

After a week of shedding skin peeling like a snake, we headed to our sweet T-Bear's house to do some shootin!!  Yeeeee-haw! 

The shootin adventure took place partly because my friend's sister and her boyfriend were in town from up north and she was trying to welcome them to the south in true redneck style and partly because, well, the guys like shooting guns.  (I personally just think it makes them feel macho)  I did, reassure them that we do not shoot guns every Saturday here in the South, I promise.  Anyways, in true southern girl style, I sported my rhinestone sandals......who says shooting can't be fashionable??  (although I didn't shoot at all)  After an afternoon of me catching up with Lar-Lar (I was going to call her "Blue", but didn't want her to de-friend me), which was totally needed considering I had not seen her in about 50 years, we headed to her and K-Poo's house.  (I told you, everyone has a nickname)  We had a fun cookout with everyone, complete with cornhole, where she and I ruled the day for a hot minute and I will still argue that we won.  Of course, later that evening we had an Xbox Kinect dance game dance-off.  There is ALWAYS time for a dance off.  We then started watching the GSP fight, but I fell asleep on the couch.  :( What a fun day it was!!!  I hope that the Northerners enjoyed the South!!!  =)

The next weekend was a fun weekend too!! The husband and I headed to eat with his mom at Blue Ridge Brewery downtown.  This is one of our most favorite places to eat and we were not disappoined this time!!  I had the bbq sandwich, which was delicious!!!!!  After lunch, we headed to some shops then headed back home to watch one of my favorite events of the year.....The Kentucky Derby!  I love the horses, the hats, the dresses, etc.  Going to the derby is a bucketlist item of mine and I can assure you that I will be sporting a hat to die for when I do go!  One thing I did learn this derby was to never pick a horse to win on their name alone.  I picked Comma To The Top (apostrophe, I would guess?) and it finished last.  Ha!  Just my luck!

Well, this post is definitely long enough, so I am calling it a day my dears!!  Until til next time!

"My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter." ~Thomas Helm

This may come as a surprise to many after reading my rants and raves on this blog, but I read.......a lot.

The types of books I read may come as a shock to you as well.  I have the widest range of subjects that interest me in reading.  I also have these periods of time where I only want to read a specific type or genre of book.  For example, I went through this HUGE dog book phase.  Seriously, every book I read for months were stories about dogs.  Weird. 

Anyways, the real reason I am writing this boring normal post is to share some of my recent books with you.  I am always looking for interesting new books, so I thought why not share with my blogg-ah buddies!! 

I am going to start with the most recent ones:

• How Good Do You Want To Be
• This book is written by Nick Saban, who is the head coach for the University of Alabama's football team.  This book was a gift from my father-in-law, who was also a football coach. I bet most of you are thinking that there is no way that I read this book, let alone actually enjoyed it.  However, I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to understand what it takes to not only be disciplined in life, but how to connect with a group of individuals and be successful.  This book relates to anyone........your career, your personal life, your goals, etc.  I have to admit that before this book, I was not a Saban fan, but I am a huge fan of his now.  What a true leader this man is.  Plus, I love me some college football, so this played another part into my liking this book.
• Oogy
• This is the story of a dog (go figure) that was a bait dog in a dog fighting ring.  He was discovered and during his rehabilitation at a local veterinarian office, he found his forever home.  This book talks about how not only did they rescue Oogy, but in some ways, he rescued them.  It is a tearjerker book, but a heart warming story.  If you love some doggies, you will love this!
• LA Candy, Sweet Little Lies, and Sugar and Spice
• Ok, here is where I have my weakness in reading.  I cannot resist the ultimate girlie books that have the predictable plot and will never change my life in any way at all.  But, you know, I am one girlie lady, so these suite me.  :)  These are actually three different books, written by Lauren Conrad (the girl from Laguna Beach and The Hills).  I just put all three titles together because they are a series.  This book is about two friends who move to LA, get randomly picked for a reality TV show and have their lives changed forever.  Sounds awfully familiar if you watched Laguna or The Hills.........but, if you like a good fun read, this is a great one!!
• A Place of Yes
• This book is written by Bethenny Frankel who got her start on Martha Stewart's Apprentice.  She then went on to be a member of the Real Housewives of NY and Bethenny Getting Married.  Bethenny is outspoken, blunt and a very successful business woman. (she recently sold her Skinnygirl Cocktail brand for $120 Million) I am a huge fan of hers and watch her show religiously.  In this book, she takes you through the things she overcame in her life, as it was not always $120 million glamorous. It is again, a motivational book of sorts, and I highly suggest it. 
• Something Borrowed
• This book by Emily Giffin, is now a movie staring Kate Hudson.  I highly suggest this book to all of the ladies out there!!  I could not put it down and read it in a day and a half.  You probably have already seen the movie previews, so I won't bore you with the details.
• The Lincoln Lawyer
• See, this is where my wide realm of subjects come into place.  From dogs, to success, to weddings, to lawyers????  This is a book by Michael Connelly and was actually a movie as well, staring Matthew McConaughey.  I read a good bit of John Grisham books, so I thought I would give this one a try.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It goes through the life of a defense lawyer and one trial he is handling in particular.  There is a surprise element at the end, which I appreciated.  If you like this sort of thing, be sure to read this book.
• Something Blue
• You guessed it!  The follow up to Something Borrowed.  I am currently reading this one, but so far, so good!!! 

I have an e-reader, but still like to browse books at book stores or Target. Here are the next books to read on my list:

Until Tuesday
Water for Elephants
The Bond
Heaven is for Real
Onward
Decision Points

I hope that those of you who read enjoyed this post!  Those of you who are used to my craziness......have no fear, there will be a Kim post this week! 

"British fashion is self confident and fearless. It refuses to bow to commerce, thus generating a constant flow of new ideas whilst drawing in British heritage." ~Alexander McQueen

Wanna guess what this post is about?? 

If you were one who guessed The Royal Wedding, then BOOM....you are correct!  Many of my closest friends are aware with my obsession infatuation with this event, and if you are one of those who is not aware, then you have been warned.  :)  Oh where do I start?!?!?!  I'll just start from the beginning................

So, the first time I watched the wedding (yes, the first) I woke up at 5:45am since I knew the ceremony began at 6am our time. (Sorry I did not share this with you T!) You know, it is amazing to me that I struggle to get out of bed for work every morning, but this morning I was up and ready to go!!  Anyways, I got downstairs, brewed myself a nice pot of coffee and got under the blanket on my couch ready for the festivities.  Not only was my sister up watching with me, but I was also texting back and forth with a friend.  What's wrong with us.....texting at 5:45am?! 

I missed the arrival of William, but was not too concerned about that.....the one I was waiting for was Kate Catherine!!!!!  And at 5:50am, my eyes became glued to that TV as she climbed into the back of the Rolls Royce Phantom that brought her to Westminster Abbey.  (they say she rode in the car because she wanted to arrive to the church as a commoner and leave as a royal in a carriage) As you can imagine, I was dying to see her dress!!!!!!!  Of course I was...I picked the above quote just because it was Alexander McQueen. 

As I expected, she looked like a dream.........modern, yet very royal. The lace was to die for.  The veil was perfect.  Her hair, fabulous.  The dress was everything and more.  Grace Kelly 2011.  Kudos to Kate and the designers at Alexander McQueen. 

Collective Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........

I then saw Pippas dress and thought it was smashing!!  (had to break out the British term)  But really, what a great dress!!! 

One of the best parts of the wedding was how in love they are.  I wanted to cry when William looked over and told her "You look beautiful."  And when she climbed into the carriage and said "I'm so happy!" So Sweet!  They seem like the perfect pair.  

Now for a tangent:

THE HATS, oh my, THE HATS! (or fascinators as the apparently call them.  thanks, lauren)

I need to hold a Hat/Fascinator party, because I became so in love with this tradition of the British!  If only we got to wear outrageous head pieces as these to weddings here in America!!  I DIE!

Here are a few of my favs from the day:

Do we ever doubt her style? No.  

I LOVED this one!!!!

The Worst of the day:

Do these two not remind you of the stepsisters from Cinderella??  Ugh!

Back to the wedding...........

I was just amazed by the entire ceremony.  How in love they were, how happy they were, the beautiful music, the attire of both William and Kate, the decorations of trees inside the Abbey, the architecture of the Abbey, etc.  It was the definition of the ultimate fairy tale wedding.  With that being said, I would like to let everyone know that I am fully aware that there is more to a marriage than the wedding and that weddings are much more than a fairy tale.  I do, however, fully believe that EVERY woman dreams of the ultimate fairy tale wedding and deserves this as well.  No matter what a woman may tell you, deep down inside they wish they could have their very own "Princess Catherine" wedding.

The other day we were discussing the wedding during a round table for pageant interview prep and a good point was brought up.  Catherine Middleton represents that one woman that was born a commoner in London and not only met, but fell in love with and married a Prince.  It seems that we only see this in movies, but she gives a real life meaning to this.....it CAN happen.  :)  I think this is partly why we have become enthralled with this wedding!!

The Kiss........

I have to admit that I left my house early that morning to be sure to make it to the office by 8:25 to witness The Kiss!!  (Thankfully I have an awesome boss that didn't mind us tuning in for a minute or so) How cute was Kate??  The way she said "Wow" when the doors opened was precious!  I mean, can you imagine walking out to all of those people screaming and yelling.....and they all came to see YOU!  Overwhelming!!!

The first kiss was blah....let's be honest.  I was a little disappointed.  But then, they kissed again, this time much better!!!!!  Why did I doubt for a second that they would let me down!  haha!

The cost.........

I am amazed at the cost of the shindig!  Close to $70 Million including security.....whew!!!  But, I think it was worth it......wouldn't you pull out all the stops to become a princess too????

Two things I would have liked to have witnessed:

- Catherine and William dancing/singing to "You're the one that I want" from Grease
- Harry's after party....don't even act like that wasn't a fun time!!

At the end of the day, it was AMAZING and I sure am glad I tuned in.  I also watched it again this Sunday morning as I was clipping my coupons.  I just can't get enough!!!!!!!  I will be blogging a few times this week...so see you soon blogg-ahs!!!

It's Ok.........

This weekend, the husband and I were on our way to Edisto Island and read my newest issue of Glamour magazine during the drive.  You will find in most issues the "It's Ok....." list, which proceeds to go through a list of things that assure women are ok to do, believe or partake in.  I decided that I wanted to start my "It's ok" list......so here goes.  :)

It's Ok......

• To wear false eyelashes "just because"
• To not want kids until your mid thirties and because you are a wee bit selfish of your time to yourself
• If you only accept Darius Rucker as the lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish and refuse to listen to his music now
• To add more sugar to your already flavored coffee and creamer
• If you wear a matching outfit to work out......and it's pink
• If you want to be one of the first people to wear or carry a designer outfit or handbag
• To not like to cook, but want a super cute apron
• To think that Vera Bradley looks like it was meant for your grandmother
• To believe in total coverage make-up (why the bare coverage stuff?)
• To sing at the top of your lungs when you are home alone
• To love a celebs haircut and totally copy it (i.e. Victoria Beckham)
• To act 15 years old and watch the new 90210, Gossip Girl, Hellcats and Pretty Little Liars
• To love being over the top girlie and not apologizing for it
• If you think females are not meant to be sports broadcasters (they just seem awkward)
• To think tailgating not only includes football, friends, food and drinks, but also cute shoes, dresses, hats and pearls
• To despise the Gamecocks
• To want to be a total Blonde (we have more fun anyways!!!)
• To have a few celeb crushes (Ahem, Bradley Cooper)
• To think of your dogs as your children
• To choose who you do and don't want to be friends with (I'm not in high school anymore)
• To be a strong woman and not take any BS
• To be a successful female in a mostly male career field
• To break it down once (or maybe more) at Market Street Saloon in Charleston
• To have the utmost respect for Miss America
• To be obessed with reality tv and watch every Real Housewife, Bethenney, etc.
• To let a beautiful dance make you cry
• To cry not because something is wrong, but just because you need to (it's like a cleansing)
• To believe in true love
• To have best friends that can be brutally honest, while ALWAYS having your back
• To have some "Boos" in your life ;)
• To eat cereal for dinner
• To watch GLEE religiously with your Gleek friends
• To dance like no one is watching
• To shoot for the stars
• To think that you don't sweat......you Glisten!
• To live by Coco Chanel quotes
• To think Lady Gaga rules
• To squeal like a 4 year old when Backstreet Boys and NSYNC come on the radio
• To have wild and crazy friends (everyone needs a few)
• To stand up for what you believe in
• To dog-ear Elle magazine pages (I can't afford it, but I sure can afford that Forever21 replica)
• To love everything that encompasses the South and embrace that Southern Drawl
• To kind of want to wake up at 4am and watch the Royal Wedding
• To do the "pageant pose", complete with hand on hip, in pictures
• To still wish you could go to prom
• To never be afraid to go after anything you want

This list will continue to grow as time goes on............Have a great evening Blogg-ahs!!!

Weekend Preview.......Chal-Ston Style!

This weekend I am heading to my most favorite place in SC....Charleston!!!  It has actually been TWO YEARS since I have last been down (except for a quick day trip for work).  I cannot wait!  Ahhhhhhh, here is what I get to experience.....

The Ravenel Bridge (Cooper River Bridge)

The new Forever 21!!

The Market!

I will be sure to provide you guys with details about my trip next week.  I hope that all of you have a wonderful weekend as well!!  G-Day Blogg-ahs!!

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." ~Coco Chanel

Ahhhhhh.....I really don't even know where to begin.  It has been too long blogg-ahs!!!

You know, let's start with the last two weekends:

Two weekends ago, I ventured to Columbia for the Miss SC work/forum weekend (I am still not sure what they call it now, haha).  Of course, the trip down was with Boo 1 & Boo 2 and PLENTY of stories were shared.  Once in Columbia, we headed to the convention center to meet up with the sweet angels (our pageant girls) and then sat through several Miss SC meetings.  After finishing with the meeting we went and did a little shopping at the marketplace, where some crazy fool bought a beautiful peacock ring right out from under me!!!!  They know who they are and they are going to pay for their actions.  ;)

I digress......Of course, then our girls had the opportunity to film a 60 second "commercial" on why they should be the next Miss SC/SC Teen and I have to give props to them.  They were FANTASTIC!!  I don't mean just good or cute or average....I mean amazing!!  Great Job Girls!!  After finishing with more meetings, we headed to the hotel to check in and grab a snack before dinner that evening.  Well, we went to the hotel restaurant, only to be sadly disappointed.  :(  We decided to jump in the car real quick and see what we could find, I mean, there had to be something near by.....WRONG!!!  We ended up back downtown about a tenth of a mile from the convention center at Longhorns.  haha!!  But that's ok, because we had delicious appetizers and drinkies!! 

So we then head back to the hotel (we stopped at Cupcake first), only to arrive at eh, 5:55!  Whoops!  Of course we were fashionably late to the dinner.  =)  Dinner was fun, but then came the fun part......the lottery for choosing your placement for pageant week!!!!  At the time, this seemed like the most stressful event in the world!  After it was over, we all talked about how it was stressful, yet very exciting!!  Our girls were very fortunate in the fact that they got the placing they wanted.....yay!!! 

After finishing with placement, we head to the room and ordered a pizza.........we did not eat our dinner due to eating right before at Longhorns!  We sat and talked and had a blast until about 1am!  The next morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel, looking like a hoodlum with no make-up, let me tell you and then got on the road back to Gville.

Now.....let me go on a rant for a moment.  You have (or prob not) to be wondering why I chose the Chanel quote for this post, and I will now tell you.........................

I believe that as Miss Local/Miss State/Miss America that you should:

A. Always dress like a lady

and

B. Always act like a lady. 

They don't say "Actions speak louder than words" for nothing.  That's all.  :)

Now for this past weekend....BLESS IT!!!!!!!!!!!  I signed up for this little thing called the Fight for Air Climb Greenville, because for one, I am a board member for the ALA and two, I don't want to be beat down by Boo for not participating in her event!  ;)  However, this is possibly the most insane thing I have ever signed up for.  I climbed 60 flights of stairs in 7 minutes and 21 seconds.  Now, that seems fast to me, because I am weak, but some people did it in 4 minutes!!!!  What?!?!?!  Seriously. 

The first building was 13 stories and was rough!!  I seriously considered quiting and not climbing the second building, but I was NOT going to go home and tell my husband that I did not finish.  This was the first "athletic" event I have ever partook in and did not want to disappoint him!!  I put on my big girl panties and pulled myself up those last few flights.  As hard as it was, I made it through (breathing like a 250 year old person) and was proud of myself.  Yay me.

Sunday was my lazy day, until about 6:00pm, where I headed to one of our College Planning workshops.  This week is jam packed again (that's how I love my life) before heading to Charleston on Friday with my sister to help find her somewhere to live for school next year!!  Yay, free place for Kim to stay in Charleston next year!!!!  haha. 

This Charleston trip will be complete with a stop downtown for some summer fashions. Forever 21 in particular.  I have told you before that I get ill when I go shop and find nothing.....so get yourself together King Street, I'd hate for you to ruin my Saturday. Or shall I say....for me to ruin yours. 


Cheers Blogg-ahs!!!!!  (like my "low country accent" Boo?)

Life The Last TWO Weeks Wrap-Up!!!!!

Oh my blogg-ahh friends!!!  I have missed you!  It has been two weeks since my last post, which is insane.  I promise to never leave you sitting and wondering "what is happening in the life of Kim" for that long ever again!!!  ;)

Oh, where do I begin??  I think I shall begin with the MGM group trip to the Dirty Myrtle!

We left out on Friday, March 18th........I rode down with my two most favorite people and we met up with the rest of the group once in MB.  Now, let ME tell YOU.......I wish I had wrote down all of the funny things said in that car ride down.  You cannot imagine how many times we died laughing!! 

We did not get to the beach until around 9:30pm and then we made a little pit stop for some Mexican and Margaritas!!  Of course, there was more laughter and stories!  After our stop, we headed to the condo and then stayed up talking pageants until about midnight. 

Saturday started with everyone getting up and getting ready around 7am, followed by a trip to Starbucks before we headed to The Foxy Lady dress shop. (a.k.a. A Pageant Girl's Heaven!!!!)  I love trying on clothes and dresses, but every now and then it is fun to have someone else as the model and you just sit back and drink your caramel machiato!  The girls were beautiful in everything!!  I truly mean that! 

Around 1pm we headed to Broadway at the Beach and had Margaritaville for lunch, did some shopping around there, went to some swimsuit shops, then headed to the mall.  After perusing the mall and grabbing another Starbucks coffee (of course), we headed to the outlet shops. 

Side Note:  I say Out-LET as if two different words kind of.  Is that weird??

So, we went around the shops and I was proud (or sad) of myself.....I only spent $16!  And that was on a pair of Calvin Klein pants for the husband that had been $80!  Shout out to my Boo for sending me back to look over their sale items!!!!

After all of this shopping, we headed back to the condo to settle in, but not before we took a ride down the strip.........

Now, there are some interesting characters along the strip in MB!  There are also, a lot of airbrush t-shirt shops and Eagles, etc.  As we are "cruising", I start reading aloud the quotes on these shirts hanging in the windows of these shops.  Some are pretty inappropriate!  Whew!!  However, this is where we had an epiphany...........We HAVE to start making shirts!  You know, like printed t-shirts with sayings on them.  You will all be the first to know when our line comes out.......they're going to be a hit, we just know it!

Sunday morning we all got up and got dressed and then took the girls on the beach to take some pictures.  My lord was it COLD!!!  AHHHHHH!  The wind was blowing like 350 miles per hour!  ;)  Upon taking the pics, we loaded up and headed to G-Vegas! On the way out of MB, we did stop at a Pancake House and eat breakfast.....which was yummy. 

The week of the 21st was busy for me with work, but we did get to spend some time with one of our most favorite couples that Friday!  We hung out and ate yummy paninis, had some wine and played Cranium.  If you have not played Cranium, you need to do so!!!  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!  You try humming the song "Wild Thing" good enough for your partner to guess it.  (Personally I think I had a crappy partner...haha) 

That Saturday, I got up and headed to go to Sparkle City with my Boo!  We, of course, did pageant stuff!  ;) You all may get sick of hearing about pageant stuff, but as I said in an earlier post, it's what I like........I am not going to apologize for it!  :)  Once we finished in Spartanburg, I headed home, only to turn around and head to the mall with my sister.  I was disappointed, because I found nothing I liked, and to tell you the truth, when I go to the mall and don't find anything, I get in a foul mood.  I was irritated, so we headed home and cooked hot dogs and relaxed!!!!

Sunday started with a lazy morning followed by attending a crowning and then home to go coupon shopping!  This has really become mine and my sisters Sunday ritual!! 

AND THEN......THE DAY CAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Monday was full of work for me followed by the biggest event in two years in my life.  (two years ago I had a wedding)  PRINCE was at the Bilo Center!!  Yay yay yay!!  Now, if you did not go to this, shame on you.  This was the best concert I have ever been to! 

Let's rewind a few weeks......the tickets for Prince went on sale.  Myself, my sister and a friend decided to go cheap, so we bought the $20 seats.  As long as I could hear him, I was good. 

Fast forward to Monday......We get to the Bilo Center, purchase outrageously expensive t-shirts (but it's Prince, right?!?!) then head to our seats.  On the way to our seats, we notice a lot of people in one of the luxury suites.  We stop and ask the gentlemen "working the door" if it was open to the public.  He then says "yes, it is tonight."  Jackpot!!!!!  So, the 3 of us make our way into the suite to the front, where there are a row of chairs.  I look to my left and there are 3 empty seats!!  Double Jackpot!!  This is where we parked our little booties for the night!  We paid $20 and got better seats than the people that paid $50 and $90!!

The concert in general was amazing!  It was two solid hours of everyone on their feet singing and dancing. No special effects were needed.....Prince is the man. 

Needless to say that was a late, very late night, so Tuesday evening was spent taking a nap, eating dinner, pushing myself through a work out, then catching some much needed zzzzzzzzzzz's. 

Wednesday was my health kick day.  That day during my work break, I went to the Fresh Market on Pleasantburg.  I purchased some healthy juice.....here is a pick:



If you like juice and being healthy, go get some of this stuff!!  It is packed with fruits and vitamins, etc.  So after that purchase, I went home and got the husband to go to Bloom with me.  We got everything healthy!!  Fruits, bocca burgers, whole wheat pasta, etc.  The checkout lady even commented on how everything we bought was healthy.  This made me happy and made me feel as if I had accomplished my "healthy mission" that day.  :)

Thursday was spent not doing much of anything.  During my lunch hour, I went to Walgreens and CVS to get the necessary equipment for this weekend:  fake eyelashes, blush, eye make-up, lipstick, etc.  I was quite proud of my trip considering I got $50 worth of cosmetics for $12 after coupons and still ended up getting $4 in register rewards (can use like cash)!!  Hey-Oh!  I went home, had dinner, worked out, and then posted some more items on ebay for sale.  This, my friends, will be another post.  I am now an ebay-aholic and have sold a ton of old clothes on there!!!!! 

This weekend will be spent, with my favs.....yes, you guessed it, my pageant family!!!  We have the Miss South Carolina forum weekend in Columbia Saturday and Sunday.  I am excited to spend time with everyone! 

This blogg-ah is out for the day!!! 

Outfit of the day!

Here is a super cute dress from Forever 21

$13.50

I do think it would look a lot better paired with this belt:

$6.50 Forever 21

Weekend Wrap-Up!!!!

This weekend flew by!!!  Woah!!!! 

My workday on Friday ended and I headed home for a movie night with the husband!!!  WooHoo!!!  I had been sooooo excited about finally getting to go home and just relax in my PJs, watching movies after a busy week!  We watched Despicable Me (cute!), Burlesque (awesome!!!) and ended up saving the last movie for Saturday morning.  We went to Joy of Tokyo and grabbed dinner, which was yummy as well!!

Saturday morning we got up, watched Jackass 3 (funny, yet gross!) and chilled until I went to a dance studio to watch some choreography.  I really think I could sit in a studio for hours watching dance......it really makes me want to get back into dancing.  After that, my sister and I headed to the mall (yeah, I know, again) and made it rain at GAP!!!  Let me break down the deals we got:

My sister got $220 worth of clothing for $32!!!  I mean, that is huge!  I got $145 worth of clothes for $29!!  Needless to say we were very proud and felt like shopping superstars after this.  We then headed to shops of Greenridge to check out the Yankee Candle store.  I am over the top obsessed with Yankee Candle and I am pretty sure we smelt every scent they had!!  I ended up with the Cupcake scent for my kitchen and the Lemon and Lavender for the living room (I also had a buy one get one free coupon).  I could buy all the candles in that place.  LOVE them!!!  We then went home and cooked hot dogs and watched TV.

Sunday was moving day.  We got up and headed to Clemson (the best place in the world) and finished moving the remainder of my sister's belongings. I just have such a special place in my heart for Clemson and miss it dearly every time I am there.  Why, oh why, did I have to get old and move away? ;) 

After moving, we got home around 6, ate dinner then the couponing began!!!  Tonight I am going to have a post dedicated to the deals I got this week!! 

I have to admit that I missed my Sunday TV shows......BUT, I did watch the Bachelor Finale on Monday night.  Here is my recap:

I fully believe that he was "in love" with Em from the beginning and just strung little ol Chantal along like a puppy following its owner.  If that woman had walked up to me and slapped me in the first 5 minutes of meeting me, I would have been OVER her from that moment on.  I say "in love" because, let's think about this.....I would almost fall "in love" with anyone who takes me on helicopter rides as dates, etc.  THAT IS NOT REAL WORLD PEOPLE!!!!  This is in part why I do not watch the bachelor.  I know, I love reality TV, but that is not reality. 

B-Rad:  This man has an anger problem and you cannot convince me otherwise!  If Em said "I love you" one more time to him during the After The Rose show, I was going to vomit.  If he pulled at the neck of his shirt one more time, I was going to scream.  He has issues.........

Em:  This girl is NEVER going to love anyone like she did her fiance.  Bottom line. 


Until next post, stay safe out there bloggers........I have a rant post coming up this week, so stay tuned!!!!!!!

Weekend Wrap-Up!!! BCBG and More.......

Good Mornt-ing Bloggers!!!  I hope that each of you had a fabulous weekend! 

I hate to break it to you, but this weekend was really boring.  I think that I can contribute this boring-ness to me having no pageant related activities this weekend.  : (  Pageants always give me something to talk about!!  That's part of the reason why I love them so!

Friday:  I worked until 4pm and had made plans to go with my husband (yeah, I know I have never mentioned his name.  he is just not too much into the whole sharing everything on the computer, so I leave his name out of it.  He does exist though, I promise) to eat using a gift card I had received auditing.  We celebrate birthdays at our office and had a "Lunch Field trip" to Longhorns that afternoon and I was stuffed!! So, when I got home, I told husband that I could not possibly eat right then and asked if we could go walk around a bit before we ate.  Of course he said ok and asked where I wanted to go.  What a silly question....the mall, of course.  In my defense, I was going to window shop.  I truly had no intentions on making any purchases.  But, I just had to walk into Dillards.............

First I had to take a trip by the handbags.  I must confess.  I have a problem.  I LOVE handbags, shoes and coats.  I have told my husband repeatedly, "I never want diamonds or fancy jewelry.  I only ask for amazing handbags, shoes and coats."  I know that diamonds "last forever" and are a "girl's best friend" but my besties come with leather, amazing buttons and cute fabrics. 

For those of you who appreciate all that clothing and fashion have to offer know what BCBG is and you probably know that Dillards carries it.  We made our way to the top floor and there was a rack of 70% off.  JACKPOT! 

Anyways, I ended up with some great deals!!  The great thing is I have offset what I spent by selling old clothes I no longer wore on Ebay!  So, I came out even.....love it!!

Next we headed to Victoria's Secret.  I had a free panty coupon and I never turn down a free pair of undies!!  Now, this girl needs a tan, but I did not want to lay in the tanning bed this year.  I have gone back and forth about sunless tanners, but found this one at VS:

So far, I love it!!!  It is very easy to put on and it only costs $14. Maybe I can post a pic of my tan as it gets darker.

We then headed to eat, well husband ate, as I was still stuffed from lunch.  I did have a nice strawberry margarita though ;)

Saturday:  Again, uneventful!!  I got up that morning, did my cousin's make-up and headed back to the mall with my sister and another friend of ours.  I had to share my success with the Dillards trip on Friday, so of course they had to check it out!  After the mall trip I went home to hang out with husband.  It is shocking, but I turned down the opportunity to go to a pageant that night.  I didn't get to see my Boos.......*tear*

Sunday:  I got up, read the paper, had some coffee and then headed to do my Sunday ritual of shopping with my coupons.  This week was not a good coupon week though.  Sunday night ended with my TV shows, which included The Amazing Race, Celebrity Apprentice and that new show about opening a restaurant.

Of course Celebrity Apprentice trumped (no pun intended) the other two shows.  NeNe Leakes is one of my most favorite reality TV stars and she did not let me down Sunday.  I am just waiting for her to pounce on Star Jones!!! 

I am sorry this post has taken a while, but my internet has been out at my house all week.  I will be updating later in the week though! 

Until then bloggers!

"From the cradle to the coffin underwear comes first." ~Bertolt Brecht

Now, I do not know who Bertolt Brecht is, however I fully support this quote......and if you keep reading this post you are going to find out why ;)

Let's. Talk. About. It. 

Any dancer knows that the number one thing you do not do with your costume is wear panties, however, you do wear bloomers, hot pants, etc. underneath your costume.  Any pageant girl knows the same applies for some outfits they wear.  I mean, I really thought the general public knew to wear something under a costume, not JUST tights.  So....basically here's the story:

I attended an event were a young lady wore nothing but nude dance tights under her dance costume. 

DO NOT dance at a pageant, at home, in your bedroom, at a talent show, etc. with NO bloomers under the costume!!!  Ladies, Ladies...nude dance tights are not sufficient!  I (as well as the rest of the audience) can see your hiney through them!!  Bless It!!!!!!!!!!! 

Reading this post may have been a total waste of your time, but I now feel it is my duty to start an awareness across the nation!!!  "Underwear and Bloomer Awareness: Don't Dare to Bare"

So, let's talk about TV:

- Real Housewives of Miami:  I am not on this train yet.  It takes me a while to warm up to some of the housewives shows.  DC, Jersey and NY took me a few episodes.  We shall see how I feel in later episodes.....only time will tell.

- Bethenny Ever After:  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her!! I can't get enough of her!  She and her husband are so cute together....awwwwwww!  Now, you better believe that if I ever walked into a hot dog shop and saw her sitting and eating that I would flip.  Really, I would cause a scene and rightfully so.  :)

That is really it on the TV front thus far.....I can tell you that at 8pm Sunday night, I will have myself parked in front of my TV to watch Ms. NeNe Leakes on Celebrity Apprentice!!!!

Now that my rant is over.....I will see you guys later!!!

Fashion Favs..........

I frequent several clothing websites daily.....Banana Republic, JCrew, Forever 21, etc.  So I decided that I would try to start sharing some of my favorites from their sites.  You will be seeing more Forever 21 more than anyhing due to the fact that they update their site almost daily......AND the fact that you can get some amazing deals!!!  We like deals!!!  Hopefully some of my posts will inspire you!

Geo Top: $10.50 Forever 21

Dress: $13.50 Forever 21

Express

Tomorrow I will try to post some of my favorite jewelry pieces!!

Weekend Wrap-Up!! Yes........I know I am behind!!

Soooooo......this weekend was fun!  And, as always, packed full with things I had going on!!

Let us start with Friday, wait, back up....let us start with Thursday............

Thursday night was exciting!!!  My younger (and much smarter) sister received her letter of acceptance to the South Carolina School of Pharmacy at MUSC in Charleston!!!  Yay!!!  So, of course we have to celebrate ;)

Now Friday, of course I had the usual day of work.  I left work and went home to meet my husband, my sister and her boyfriend.  We headed downtown Greenville to begin our Pharmacy School celebrations!  We had dinner at Carolina Ale House, which was great......I had the Tuna Sandwich (in case you were wondering).  I ran into a few friends of mine that work at Carolina Ale House and in all, we had a fun time!  After eating, we went to Mast General Store, where of course we purchased old school candy, tried on ridiculous hats and bought bandannas for our dogs (they have to be styling too!!!).  When our adventures there ended, we headed home to watch Charlie St. Cloud, since my sister had never watched it.  I was sooooooooo excited to watch it, as this is one of my most favs, however, I fell asleep about 5 minutes into it.  I'm getting old.

Saturday began with me cleaning my house.....I clean a lot on the weekends.  Frankly with three dogs, I should clean more often, but that's another story.  After cleaning, I did my cousin's make-up for a pageant she emceed that night.  I wish I had taken a picture of her make-up, because I really liked the way I did her eye shadow!  Toot Toot!!  (that was me tooting my own horn.  haha!) I will be sharing a little picture of her eye shadow this weekend so get ready for that next week!  After doing her make-up I headed to audit a pageant with one of my Boos.  I am not going to say which pageant, although some of you  know which one it was, because I am going to be blogging about this certain pageant tonight.  Yeah, you will enjoy that post.  ;)  Auditing was fun and we both admitted that we felt powerful being the auditor.  We knew what everyone else in that room was wanting to know.....WHO THE WINNERS WERE!!!!!   I do, however, wonder if it is a good idea to make the two of us feel powerful though........haha.  Upon the completion of the pageant and us no longer feeling powerful because the winners had been announced, we headed to dinner at Copper River.  I AGAIN ate a tuna sandwich (weird) and took home some divine white chocolate banana pudding my fellow auditor so delightfully shared with me!!   Let me tell you...you need to run, not walk, to the nearest Copper River and order some.  I fully believe that it will change your life. 

Sunday was blah for me....I did the usual Sunday coupon clipping, headed to my stores and made my purchases then came home and had dinner.  Not very exciting.  Oh well....what ya gonna do?!?!

People, fasten the seat belts for my next post, which will more than likely be done tonight (I need plenty of time to write this one).   See you soon blogg-ahs!!! 

You *wear* the crown, *be* the crown, you *are* the crown!

Many of you that follow my blog are my pageant friends and understand where this post is coming from.  What you may or may not know is that I have many friends who do not understand my love for pageants at all.  So, after much thinking and debating, I decided that they need to see this from my perspective.  Quite honestly, I am tired of defending and explaining my involvement. 

Pageants, for the most part, are not: a waste of time, stupid, a bunch of airheads wishing for "world peace" and believing that the world is made of rainbows and teddy bears. 

Now, please keep in mind that I am talking about a specific pageant system, which is the America system.  This system produces the Miss America Scholarship pageant and the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant.  I also have no problem with the Miss USA system, however, I have had no experience with this system and could not speak intelligently on it.  I am not referring to children's pageants in this post.....that is a entirely different can of worms.  ;)

Let's start from the beginning....and let me prepare you, this is going to be a long post.  I began competing in Miss South Carolina preliminaries in 2001 upon graduating high school.  I did not grow up competing in pageants and had been in three high school pageants previous to this.  It took me 7 tries to win my first local title, which was Miss Pickens/Dacusville (I saw the jealously in your eyes when you read that title!).  Now here was the "slap in the face" for me.....I was not a girl used to loosing.  As a competitive dancer for 13 years, national championships were something we won every year.  (and, I say that not to brag, but for you to see things through my eyes)  To enter my first preliminary and not win was a heart breaker for me.  Not only did I not win, I did not even place!!  GASP!! 

Why do I share that with you?  I share that to illustrate what intelligent, inspiring, and amazing ladies I was competing against.  I had to step up my A game and step it up fast.  See, that's the problem with how people perceive pageants.  They look at them the same way I did.....in my mind, I was going to be in a pageant with girls who couldn't even spell their last name, let alone have talent, and walk away with the title.  Well, I've already told you the ending to that story..........

I can remember winning Pickens/Dacusville and calling one of my dear friends, who was involved with the Miss SC organization at the time, the next day.  Upon hearing that I won, he said, "Kim, congratulations, you are now a member of one of the most prestigious sororities there is."  That always stuck with me for some reason and I soon realized how true that statement is.  Of course I competed in Miss SC that summer and well, again, we all know how that story ended.  ;) However, I remember crying when my parents came to get me backstage after the pageant and not because I did not win.  I had just spent every waking minute with a group of 50 girls that week and I made some great friends, some who are my closest friends today.  I was crying because I did not want to leave that. 

The next year I competed in and won the first preliminary I entered, Miss Berea.  If you are from this area, you KNOW this is one of the most prestigious titles.  (I kid, I kid)  During that year, I had the most amazing prep team a girl could dream of and they are still close friends of mine to this day, in fact, they are like family.  Now, that my friends, is what this system is about. 

So, my dreams of becoming Miss SC ended the year after I competed as Miss Berea.  But, my pageant involvement has not ended there.  In 2009 I came back into the Miss America organization, this time as a volunteer.  I am board member for a local preliminary here in South Carolina.  This experience has been an amazing journey.  I have reconnected with wonderful friends, been introduced to new friends and watched girls grow and learn from their involvement. 

For those of you reading, who still do not understand, let me share these little tidbits with you:

• This organization gives you the opportunity to share your personal story with others through a platform. (mine being the American Heart Association)  I spoke to schools, churches, clubs, etc.  This is something I would have never have been able to do had I not participated in pageants
• It gave me an outlet to showcase my talent
• It teaches the poise and confidence that I believe every woman should have!!
• I had the ability to walk into a room with 5 judges, whom some I had never met before, and carry on an interview concerning politics, current events, my platform, etc.  You better believe this gave me interview skills that I used later in life. 
• The Miss America Organization is the largest provider of scholarships for women.......if that doesn't say something, then I have no hope left for you.
• Community service is at the heart of the Miss America Organization and these women volunteer thousands of hours each year to their respective communities
• Many women who compete in this system and many former Miss Americas go on to attend prestigious schools.  Some have gone to become attorneys, doctors, actresses on Broadway....the lists goes on and on.  Now, it may be me, but girls who aren't that intelligent do not become those things.
• It's a sisterhood.......many girls who compete with each other keep in touch forever.  And, I have to say that I don't mind being a part of this sisterhood.....it's kind of an exclusive one.  :)
• The friends I have made competing are probably the base of my involvement with this organization.  I am not talking about the girls I competed with here, although some are included, I am talking about the other volunteers, LEDs, mothers, fathers, contestants, etc.  I am talking about my somewhat warped "Pageant Family"  (we are kind of warped....admit it)
• Did you know that you are more likely to have a son play for the NFL than to have a daughter compete for the title of Miss America???
• Lastly (of course I could go on and on and on and on), I believe that competition is healthy. There is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition!!

I volunteer a good bit of my time to this organization because I believe in it and fully support what it is about.  This system has helped shape me into who I am today. (and let me tell you, I still respect the Miss SC and Miss America crowns......they are more than a crown!!)  I love being a part of something that impacts and shapes young women in our society everyday!!  So, the moral of the story....Don't Hate, Appreciate!!!

Weekend Wrap-Up!

So, I decided that instead of blogging during the weekends (which are usually very busy for me), I would blog every Monday about my weekend!  :) Yes, I know that it is Tuesday, but give a girl a break....yesterday was a holiday! 

Friday- Hmmmmmmmmm, not too much excitement for me on Friday.  I just went home after work, ran a few errands with my husband, rented two Redbox movies then had a lazy night at home. 

Saturday- Got up and cleaned some around the house.  I do not particularly like to clean on my weekends home, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!  Then I got dressed and headed to the mall, where I added a new favorite shoe to my wardrobe!! 

Now, keep in mind that I purchased these at 75% off!!  Woop Woop! 

After my successful mall run, I head to one of my most favorite people's house.....T-Haney.  ;)  From there, part of the MGM Crew headed to SWU to attend the Miss Clemson/Easley pageant.  After the pageant, we all headed out for Mexican in the booming town of Central, SC!! 

Sunday- This was a lazy day for me, as I woke up with a terrible headache!  Every now and then I get migraine headaches and this was one of those days.  I eventually got to moving later in the afternoon, where I proceeded to clip my coupons (go ahead, make fun), then went and did my grocery shopping.  I really wish that I had the patience to type out all that I purchased at Bloom and the great deals I got, but just not today. 

Monday- This was a holiday for me!  yay!!!!!!!!  But, I did nothing fun.  Actually my day was very uneventful......I cleaned.  I cleaned, then I watched some TV, so let me share my thoughts on the shows:

• The Talk:  Ok, this was my first time watching this show and needless to say, I WAS NOT impressed.  I continually felt a lack of enthusiasm from any of the women on this show.  The only reason I watched yesterday was to see Sophia Vergara from Modern Family.  These ladies need to get some "spunk" about them, because this lady isn't watching again.
• Ellen:  She is my all time favorite talk show host!!!  I want to be an audience member on her show very badly! 
• Oprah:  She had Celine Dion on the show and I am just not a big fan.....I think "My Heart Must go On" really put the nail in the coffin as far as me being a fan of hers.  I turned the channel on that one
• 90210:  The new 90210 is one of my most fav shows!  I love it, but do think the writers need to give Annie a break.  I mean, first you have her be the "new girl" in school, have her kill a man via a hit and run, make her date a psycho, and now bring in her crazed cousin!  Poor girl. 
• Gossip Girl:  If you do not watch this show, then something is wrong with you!  It is the perfect mix of crazy, drama, love and deviance.  Chuck Bass is my favorite, followed by Blair.

I know, I love weird TV shows......it's what I do. 

So, I hope you enjoyed hearing about my weekend and stay tuned for my "Thought of the Day" post, which will be posted tonight.  (This is the post I was referring to on FB)  Until then, keep it classy bloggers. 

Spring is in the air!!!

After getting to experience WARM weather today, I was definitely in the Spring mood!  So, after my shopping trip to Target and Bloom, I settled in to check out some spring attire online.  :)  I cannot live without sundresses in the spring/summer time.  So I thought I would share a few.......

Some may hate the tiger tank....but I happen to love it! 

Love, Love these Nautical shorts!

And Let's not forget to add the Michael Kors sunglasses to top off the perfect summer accessory!!

Well, that is just a touch of what I found this evening!  I hope all of guys have a great evening!!!

Where the Blue Ridge Yawns it's Greatness....

I am sitting here on my lunch break desperately wanting to be in God's Country (Clemson) this afternoon!!  I just walked out to my car and could NOT believe how beautiful it is outside!  Today is Clemson's baseball home opener and here is a little preview of what I am going to be missing:

Oh well, maybe I will get to catch a game Sunday!  I will be updating the blog tonight, so stay tuned!

Cheers!

"I Ain't Got Time"

Before I start completely spilling my life on here.....I figure I need to tell you guys a little bit about me.  The title of this post is one, of many, of my outlandish sayings. "You want to know why I don't wear a watch??  Because, I Ain't Got Time."  This phrase is usually used when someone is annoying me and I just don't want to deal with it!  I am sure that I will share more of my sayings as my blog progresses.  (yes, I know you're excited)

So, here are some facts about Kim..... Some, however, are not facts, yet just things that I fully support or believe in.  ;)

• I have a wonderful husband, to whom I have been married to for almost 2 years
• I LOVE my doggies......I have three.  Lola, Ace and Patton (all adopted too!)
• I am an avid, or maybe I should say rabid, Clemson Tiger fan and I also attended college there
• Pageants are quite possibly one of the best things that I have ever become involved with
• I was a competitive dancer for 13 years and my parents actually owned a dance studio at one time
• I have some of the best friends a girl could ask for and I cherish every single one of them
• I have learned that life isn't always fair, but you have to roll with the punches
• Clemson football breaks my heart every season, but I tailgate like it's my job
• Bethenny Frankel may just be my idol and/or hero
• I think everyone should stand when Miss America walks into a room.....I mean she's as close to royalty as we will ever get ;)
• I just got a new haircut that I love and thank Victoria Beckham for the inspiration
• I believe that you should try just about anything at least once
• I am absolutely, completely and utterly obsessed with the "Real Housewives of....." shows
• Thanks to my husband, I have become much stronger and have more will power, which is a great thing
• My family and my married family are both wonderful and I love them
• I have an entire list of goals/dreams/to do's that I will share with you soon enough
• I thought throughout college that I would have a job in a health/science field, therefore I obtained a Biology degree.....little did I know that I would be working in the financial industry
• I am a board member for the American Lung Association and the Miss Greater Mauldin Scholarship program
• I believe that the south is the BEST place to live and I do not apologize for my southern accent
• I believe that every lady should own her own set of pearls
• High heels are my friend
• Make-up is uh-mazing and every woman should have good make-up
• I also wear false eyelashes every chance I can.....they hold the key to my heart
• You're never fully dressed without a smile
• I am infatuated with pocketbooks and coats......who needs diamonds?!?!
• I cannot survive without my rainbows
• Sex and the City should be a staple in every woman's dvd collection
• Every guy looks good in seersucker, a vineyard vines bowtie, and sperrys
• I have three boyfriends:  Bradley (Cooper), Justin (Timberlake) and Peyton (Manning)
• Karaoke is my guilty pleasure
• I am super competitive, but the most nonathletic person you will ever meet
• I am now a workoutaholic
• I CANNOT, I repeat, CANNOT go without at least one cup of coffee in the mornings and usually drink about 5 more throughout the day
• I love to give nicknames and don't think I have a friend without one
• I have developed a recent OCD with couponing.....yes, coupons!!  Just try it once and you will be addicted.  Don't worry, I will share the stories of a "life of a coupon freak" later on.  
• MGM for LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

Whew!!  That is quite a long list for now.....stay tuned as I share my goals with you soon!!!!!  Night Bloggers!!

So What?!?! I caved in!!

I have never been a big "blogger" before, however, reading all of my dear friends blogs has made me want to start sharing my life with them.  Of course, I never would have thought that deciding on a title would be so difficult (which I am still working on by the way).  I mean, I don't really want my name in the title and thought of making a reality TV show reference, considering my obsession with them, but a title like "Keeping up with Kim" just didn't strike my fancy.  For those of you that know me, know that I am lady that has many different interest, ranging from pageants to football (Go Tigers!!).  So, I decided that maybe I wanted to make my title about things I love.....thus, "Football and Pearls."  There is nothing that beats getting up on a fall Saturday morning, putting on the pearls, a cute sundress, a pair jacks and heading to a college football game here in the south.  I am, however, still taking suggestions for a different title.  ;)

So I hope that each of you enjoy following me.  I am excited to join my friends in the blogging world!!