The Proposal

This movie is HILARIOUS and really good!!! These two are GREAT together!!! Get thee to a theatre! I'm so glad we went to see this - a really great and fun movie to see just before getting married... though I did have a few thoughts of leaving Mister for Ryan Reynolds cause he's HOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!! I have since come back to earth and decided to go through with the wedding as planned! hee hee

So excited!!! Leaving tomorrow morning!!! Wheeeee!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

How Sweet It Is!!!!!!

I slept in till 8:30 this morning... which is what time I usually have to be at work!

Very nice!!!

Happy Friday!!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

The Proposal

I SURVIVED!!!!!!!! I'm officially finished with work! Yippeeee!!! The day didn't turn out to be as bad as usual - busy with a few things to clear up, but I've been preparing for being gone for so long that I actually managed to avoid any mayhem!

However, after hitting the hay last night around 2:30am, I'm soooo tired. So my mister and I skipped dinner and opted for blizzards at Dairy Queen instead. I know... gasp! Who eats a 10,000 ice cream snack 7 days before their wedding? Well... I do. hahaha

We took a small detour and hit the bookstore and Blockbuster on our way home and tonight, we're going to relax with some tea and watch New In Town (one of my faves this year... already saw it, but can't wait to see it again!!!). Will be in bed by 11 in prep for tomorrow - the SPA DAY!!! I'm having waxes, mani/pedi, facial and massage and mister will also enjoy a facial and massage!

And with our wedding so close and our trip around the corner, it's only appropriate that we unwind by going to see The Proposal tomorrow evening!!! I just can't wait to see that movie! I love these two and Betty White is awesome!!!

Have a wonderful Friday tomorrow gals!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

PS - I'm so excited!!!!

Only One More Day!!!

Only one more day of work for Secretary Barbie aka Pink Julep and I'm so psyched!!! Everytime I'm about to leave the island or it's just before a major holiday, my office has a tendency to go off the rails just before I leave, no matter how hard I work to ensure an easy-going transition. This week has been no different. Yesterday, I worked 1 1/2 hours late, making my plans go later into the wee hours of the night last night. So today when I got home, I promptly collapsed and slept for nearly 4 hours!!! YIKES!!! I was so tired! So now I'm up with some energy and ready to conquer a few tasks before going to bed! I am prepared for a hard day tomorrow that will inevitably end with my boss grilling me for an hour starting at 4:55 about what I've left behind and what to do in my absense... bla bla bla.

Pink Julep repeats: I will not stay late tomorrow. I will not stay late tomorrow. I will NOT stay late tomorrow! (hee hee)

We're pretty set on the wedding front! I found out today that our guests for the wedding who stay in the hotel are given complimentary valet parking! AWESOME!!! That makes me feel so swanky! Valet is one of my favorite pleasures in life! It just makes life so easy when travelling! It's a massive waste of money, but when it's complimentary, YES PLEASE!!!

We managed during lunch today to pick up some slightly late Cayman souvineers for Mister's neice and nephews' birthdays! The one thing I can't seem to do is get my engagement ring cleaned. Something so simple in the US that takes 24 hours apparently takes like 2 weeks here! RIDICULOUS! And some places want to charge the equivalent of US $100!!! Ick! I'm going to try to get it done in the states when I'm home, but if not, que serra...

I'm off to organize my packing a little better so I won't have to do too much on Friday. Friday morning starts off at the spa for a full day's beauty/relaxation and that evening, my mister and I are hoping to go see The Proposal with Sandra Bullock then to bed early for an early flight on Saturday and an entire day of travelling! (yikes)

I will update as much as I can though I'm not sure when and where we'll have internet access, but when I do, you'll hear from me!!! I may not be commenting as much for a while, but occasionally, I'm still reading blogs (even though you don't know it) when I can so I'm still here! I'm just finding it harder and harder to focus on comments and posts the closer we get - I suppose that's normal... :-)

Also, thanks to everyone who's left a nice comment wishing me luck and throwing support! You gals truly are the collective virtual fifth bridesmaid!!!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Lazy Rainy Day Off

My mister and I just watched Citizen Kane, the best movie ever made! If you haven't seen it, you must - it is so powerful that I personally believe it could teach anyone a very valuable lesson, if not 10 very valuable lessons - no matter how bad you are or how good you might be. This film is deep! Orson Welles had the insight of Shakespeare, showing us in this film how people really are and how they walk right into their downfalls or create their own successes.

I won't say much more about the film, but I'll leave you with a few great quotes!

Charles Foster Kane: "I always gagged on the silver spoon."

Charles Foster Kane: "As Charles Foster Kane who owns eighty-two thousand, six hundred and thirty-four shares of public transit - you see, I do have a general idea of my holdings - I sympathize with you. Charles Foster Kane is a scoundrel. His paper should be run out of town. A committee should be formed to boycott him. You may, if you can form such a committee, put me down for a contribution of one thousand dollars. "

Charles Foster Kane: "You know, Mr. Bernstein, if I hadn't been very rich, I might have been a really great man."

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

Progress and the Fright of My Life

Yesterday I spent some time making the name tags for our out of town guest welcome gifts. I just used the paper left over from the place cards and escort cards - it's gorgeous purple & pink papers that are recycled and printed with soy ink! (reducing our carbon footprint one place card at a time!!!) All the papers are different prints and shades of pink & purple so I think they'll be perfect since we aren't there to match everything so so. For the sake of anonymity for my guests, these are the blank spares:

While I did that, Mister did some packing!
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Look at his cute little Groom hat!!!

After all our hard work, we settled in for some Jerk Chicken for dinner and watched some movies on tv again! It was very late when I stumbled on Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 and really wanted to watch it, so we snuggled up with our tea and did just that! (it's so bad, but for some reason, I love those movies!)

All of a sudden, around 1 am we heard click clack click clack! I turned to see if the window was open and to my horror, found this guy:

He was perched on our window sill and couldn't find his way down! HE'S HUGE!!!!

So we went outside to have a look:

Look at the size of him! His leg span is long and his clippers are MASSIVE!!! SCAAARRRRRY!!!

Needless to say, I couldn't sleep for ages and when I did, I dreamed all night that crabs were pinching my toes! Scary!

Well, that's all for now from our Wild Kingdom home! We have today off for the Queen's Birthday so there's lots more work to do before we leave!

Happy Monday!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Happy Sunday!

Hope you're all having a wonderful Sunday morning! I'm feeling very rested, which is a nice change from previous weeks!

Last night mister and I watched a load of crappy movies on tv, ate Ramen Noodles for dinner, and just chilled out! It was a much needed rest for both of us - I just love those lazy days!

The movies on tv were great! Steel Magnolias (we both cried at the end), Clueless, The Sweetest Thing, What Happens in Vegas, and I'm sure there were some others - we just flipped between them all.

I've decided that my mister and I are like Ouiser and Clairee. He's very sweet so he's Clairee - I'm hateful, grumpy and completely intolerant, so I'm obviously Ouiser! I really think both of us love each other more than our luggage!


We got a little slap happy and started taking pictures! This is me, lounging in true Blanche Deveroux style on my Golden Girls couch next to the Copacabana drapes - ICK!!!!

My mister - notice his People's Republic of Cork t-shirt! He's proud of his Irish heritage!!!

This morning he woke me up with breakfast in bed!!! How sweet! I only eat the egg whites, so he made me four! YUMMY!!!!

We're hard at work on chores here today! Hope you're all enjoying this lovely Sunday morning!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Happy Weekend

Yesterday, my office took me out for a lunch at Guy Harvey's as a send-off for my wedding! Many of them are heading off on business or vacatons this weekend so we did it a little early! Only 3 more working days for me until we leave!!! Monday is a holiday - The Queen's Birthday!!! I am taking Friday off to have a spa day and get ready for the big trip!

Here's a picture of everyone at lunch:

This morning I had my last highlights and haircut before the wedding. It takes a while for the hair to lift, so I got a little camera happy! hahaha



There was actually a bride in the salon this morning with her bridesmaids & mother getting their hair done while sipping Champagne. It made me a little excited & emotional - will be my turn soon!!!

The end result!

It's windy here today so nevermind the flyaways - no taming any hair in the island wind!

I've been resting quite a bit today - not really feeling well today. Trying to get psyched up for finishing our wedding details tomorrow and Monday. I really don't want to be doing too much the day before we leave, so I better get to work.

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Pink Julep's Favorites - Lush Edition

If you've never found yourself in a LUSH store at your local mall or wherever dropping at least $50 on bath & body products, you've made a huge mistake! This is my HANDS DOWN favorite bath & body store so much so that before I moved here, I stocked up, spending nearly $500 on my essentials since there's no LUSH on the island!!! These things last forever and smell AMAZING! They are also just really great products and are all natural, many of them in recyclable containers! Also, the gift boxes are amazing and gorgeous!!! Anyone is sure to love a gift from LUSH!!!

Bath bombs from LUSH are above and beyond any others I've ever tried! They price out at about $6 each, but they are totally worth it! They last for a while, smell up your whole bathroom if not the entire house and many of them have things like rose petals, glitter or confetti in them that makes your bath not only soothing, but also pretty!!! I love Champagne Supernova, The Happy Pil and Sex Bomb to name a few, but they're all great!!! Also, buy a few of these babies and keep them in a basket on a shelf or the back/top of your toilet for a sweet smell in the bathroom!!!

LUSH also has amazing gift boxes - shown above. Also, the massage bars, hair products and moisturizers are to die for! I'm a huge fan of Fair Trade Foot Lotion - it's pink and peppermint! They also do lovely face masks, soaps and these amazing butter creams, which are body cleansers that contain less soap which dries the skin. They are GREAT for summer because you can pop them in the freezer for a cool and refreshing shower or bath!

The shower gels are great too! The Olive Branch is my current favorite, though I've previously enjoyed Happy Hippy, Snow Fairy, Tramp & Sonic Death Monkey! They're amazing and leave skin smelling great and feeling soft!!!

The soaps are GREAT and don't leave skin dry! I love these particularly for travelling since you can pop them into a travel soap container and they won't spill in your suitcase! They are made in huge blocks and cut to size by the ounce or pound, so you can buy as much as you like and cut to the size that suits you! If you're buying online or in a gift box, they're pre-sized like a regular bar of soap. They smell delicious!!! My favorite is pictured above. It looks gross, but it's amazing! It's called Demon in the Dark - it's minty and leaves skin refreshingly tingling!

This is one thing I'm particularly looking forward to - my visit to the Lush booth inside the Macy's at Kenwood Towne Centre in Cincinnati!!! I can't wait to stock up!

And if you're philanthropically minded and in need of a moisturizer, I highly recommend the Charity Pot - proceeds are donated to charities to help those in need and things that need saving, like the Rainforests!!! Beauty and philanthropy really can go hand in hand!!!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Tag - I'm It!!!!

The lovely Jemma Ruby at Diary of a Wonder Woman tagged me to play this fun little Q&A game! She and I are both expats, but she's currently working in finance in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emerates. She has a fascinating life over there - check out her blog! Anyway, I think we have lots in common - both of us away from home, living the expat life and trying to stay pretty in unimagineable heat! Thanks for the tag!!!

The Questions:

What is your current obsession?
I have so many right now but to name a few: Dallas on DVD, Guniot skincare products and facials, flax seeds and flax seed oil, and LUSH bath & body products - yes, that's only a few!

What is your weirdest obsession?
List making. I make lists of everything and then make lists of lists. And if I can't find paper, I make them verbally. It freaks people out, but it sooths me. And if I'm super psychotic and PMSing, sometimes my mister will hand me a notebook and say "Hey sweetie, why don't we make a list?" because HE KNOWS! Scary I know - and comparable behavior to they list-making psychosis of Rory Gilmore.

What are you wearing today?
Today I wore grey slacks from Ann Taylor Loft, a sleeveless white v-neck t-shirt type shirt from Express, Black & cork Jessica Simpson wedges, a black cardigan from England (brand unknown), and Dolce & Gabanna sunglasses. Right now I'm wearing mister's old running shirt and shorts... not nearly as nice!

What's for dinner?
Garlic chicken, pasta and sweet peas - it was yummy!

What would you eat for your last meal?
The Melting Pot

What are you listening to right now?
Well, right now I'm listening to/watching Dallas season 3, but earlier I was listening to a cd I made in the car with The Clash, The Violent Femmes, The Jam, The Killers, The Cure and loads of others...

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Mint Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate, or my new favorites from HD are Cappocino Caramel Truffle and Chocolate Midnight Cookie!!!

What do you think of the person who tagged you?
She seems like a fun and well-travelled gal! She has a lovely sense of style and we're both American girls married to (or marrying) European fellas. I love her blog!!!

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Not sure yet, but the practical options are Charleston, Dallas, or maybe LA. An option in the middle is maybe Monaco. The impractical options are Paris, London, Rome, or the French Riviera!!!

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Paris - I've really been itching to go back! Or London to see Michael Jackson at the H20 Center.

Which language do you want to learn?
French

What's your favorite quote (for now)?
"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." - Coco Chanel

What is your favorite color?
Pink of course!

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
I really love my new maxi dresses, but also, I have a beautiful chocolate brown Calvin Klein grecian-style gown that I bought for the Roundabout Theatre Company Spring Gala a while back and I'm still totally in love with it!!!

What is your dream job?
Still trying to figure that out, but I think it might be PR or event planning.

What is your worst habit?
I'm a reformed nail biter - ew gross, I know. I had a melt-down about 4 weeks ago and bit them all off in a movie theatre! Thankfully they're growing nicely and will not look chewed off for the wedding! Sheesh!

If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
A full body treatment at the spa!!!

Do you admire any one's style?
I admire many peoples' styles! A few on top of the list would be: Jackie O, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, and Kate Middleton.

Describe your personal style?
Honestly, I can't - I'm all over the place. Maybe classic casual girly chic? Is that a description? It really depends on my mood. I might go to work looking like Miranda and go out to drinks later looking like Carrie and then go to dinner this weekend looking like Charlotte. I'm all over the place and just go with whatever I like that looks good on me. My personal style is Simply Ashley (yes, that's my name).

What are you going to do after this?
Fill out the contract and credit card authorization form to fax in tomorrow for our wedding breakfast in The Julep Room!

What are your favorite movies?
There are so many - I'm a movie fanatic! But some of my all-time favorites are White Christmas, When Harry Met Sally, Bridget Jones' Diary 1 & 2, The Godfather Trilogy, and Citizen Kane.

What is your favorite fruit?
Strawberries for sure!!!

What inspires you?
My fiance inspires me regularly! Also, things of beauty, whether they be people, parties, movies, works of art - having pretty things around really get me moving to try to be better and do better!

Your favorite book?
I love the Great Gatsby and my other favorite lately is That Extra Half an Inch by Victoria Beckham (I know - cheesy)

Do you collect something?
My grandmother gave me her shot glass collection before she died which include shot glasses that people brought her from various wars, etc... I've added over the years and am trying to get all 50 states currently!

What is your favorite smell?
Almost anything from LUSH - right now I'm pretty obsessed with Olive Branch shower gel! I also love anything citrus or mint!

What is your fave HGTV show?
I don't have that channel here on island...

Now, I tag:

Anyone who wants to play!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

Our Last Trip Grocery Shopping as Singletons...

We're leaving the island in 10 days and like most people before vacations, we're trying not to leave behind too much perishable food that will be all stinky and moldy when we return, but we did need to pick up a few basics to keep us going! I was so slap happy today in the store - I don't know what came over me! And then I remembered... this is our last trip to the grocery store before we get married!!! The next time we enter the hallowed halls of Kirk Supermarket together, we will be husband and wife... Mr. & Mrs. Walsh (even though I'm not changing my name)! YAY!!!!!!

Mr. Julep shopping...


Pink Julep shopping... (excuse the dishevelled look - this is what I look like after a full day of running around in the blazing sun and ridiculous heat!)

Mr. Julep's face after I told him we've only 10 days left on island before we run off to get married!

Oh, and I never do this, but in case you're interested, above dress is Simply Vera Wang from Kohl's (I love it! So comfy) and the shades are Dolce & Gabana.

xoxo,

PInk Julep!

Delicious Treats From Across the Pond

Since I'm marrying an Irishman in just 16 short days, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some of my favorite foods from Ireland and England. Now, Ireland is NOT part of the UK, however they do eat many foods from the UK such as Cadbury chocolate. In the four years I've known my fella, he's introduced me to many lovely snacks that come from his side of the pond! If you have a grocery store with good international choices or even better, an Irish or English store nearby, I highly recommend trying any of these yummy treats! If you're in the New York area, I'd recommend The Butcher's Block on Queens Blvd & 41st Street in Sunnyside, Queens or in Manhattan you could go to Myers of Chiswick or Tea & Sympathy, both located downtown.


Shepherds Pie - YUM! The More gravy the better!!!

Go here for an easy recipe to make it yourself. http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000216easy_shepherds_pie.php


I could never be a proper Irish wife without enjoying the occasional Bailey's on the rocks! Mmmmm! I always have Bailey's at Christmas time especially - there's just something so Christmassy about it!

I was skeptical at first when mister introduced me to potato waffles, but these beauties are DELICIOUS!!! You pop them in the toaster (at least 2 or three times at the highest setting to get them nice and crispy!) and then smear them with butter! Salt & pepper or season to taste and they are to die for!!!

Rountrees Pastels - gummy snacks with a sugary coating! TOTALLY ADDICTIVE!!!

Quality Street candies are a staple at Christmas as well - they are slightly similar to Hershey's Miniature in that you buy a box and each color is a different flavor! The Brits & Irish simply do better sweets - no contest!

PG Tips is my favorite tea! I just had a cup with milk and it was delightful! I've been drinking PG since I was a senior in college.

Mi Wadi is what the Irish & British refer to as squash. Basically, you use a little Mi Wadi in a glass of water. It's a great way to trick children or even yourself into drinking water. It's yummy and when I stayed with a family in England, this is pretty much all we drank at their house in the way of non-alcoholic beverages. I always keep a bottle in my fridge!

Kerrygold Aged Irish Cheddar is one of the best cheeses on the planet! Kerrygold also makes really nice real butter, but beware, it's fattening!

Jaffa Cakes are soooo good! Basically it's a little cookie with a cakey consistency. In the middle there's an orange flavored gel and it's covered in chocolate. It sounds disgusting, but they are soooo good! I don't even like orange & chocolate confections, but I love these! *Note: In Ireland, they often give these to fatigued soccer players for energy - they contain electrolites (like in Gatoraid) and other good stuff too, but they taste sinful!

Jacobs Cream Crackers are like large saltines without salt. The difference is that they're made with cream so they aren't as dry and taste, well, creamy! These are lovely with some cheese or buttered with soup!

Rowntrees Fruit Gums - They're just like pastels, but chewier, more tangy than sweet and don't have the sugary coating!

McVities Caramels Digestive Biscuits - Any proper Irish wife is ready to make tea at a moment's notice! Now, you can't possibly have tea without biscuits! That just won't do! Across the pond, a biscuit is not the fluffy white bread we get at KFC, it's more like a cracker or cookie! Most are sweet. For special guests, one should pull out the fancy biscuits. Plain ones are much like graham crackers. The next step would be like these caramel ones or anything with a little chocolate or fruit and for very special occasions if not serving cakes or scones, super fancy biscuits have all the bells and whistles and can somewhat resemble a malomar. This is the best way I can describe it - this is what I've learned from the Irish women I know - it's different in England and I don't pretend to be an expert. Anyway, this is my favorite biscuit!

An interesting tidbit - tea was more easily ready for Irish wives of the past. When my mister's mother married in 1963, she had to give up her job as a librarian to marry. It was not legal for women to work and be married!!! Now that women are working and keeping house, the new rage in Ireland when we were there in 2007 was getting a house keeper, which was pretty much unheard of previously! It's not uncommon at all for people in Ireland to drop by your house unannounced for tea - when we lived in NYC and our Irish friends dropped by unannounced, it used to drive me mental - shoving everything under the couch before they walked up the three flights of stairs and scowering the cupboards for the last few biscuits in the house! I'm used to it now and always prepared - though no one drops in down here. But if they did, I'd be ready!

Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel - I could eat my body weight in these, but for obvious reasons, I stick to about 1 every week or two!

Club Orange or Diet Club Orange - This is like orange juice mixed with sparkling water! My favorite soda substitute!

White Chocolate Cadbury Buttons

Brennan's Bread Pan - This is FRESH bread! The Irish certainly love their bread! And foods overseas don't always have as many preservatives as they do in the US. For that very reason, it drove me mad to buy this bread in NYC because it goes bad within a day or two. But it's so nice - fluffy and white! Makes the very best toast!

Heinz Baked Beans Blue Tin - these are great! Though we have the US version, it has more sugar in the sauce, so it's sweeter. These have more of a tomato taste to them. I prefer them and I'm a huge fan of beans on toast, a popular English & Irish breakfast! Sprinkle a little cheddar on top and serve with a soft boiled egg & Irish bacon or bangers for a proper Irish fry!

Most of these foods are expensive in the US, but you're paying for the import and shipping. They are worth it if you're feeling a little international one day! I'm so glad that we can get most of these things here on island, not just for me, but so my sweetie doesn't feel homesick! Because Cayman is an English Colony, every store has a British foods section, though some Irish things are very very hard to find.

Night Night!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Dinner and a Trip to the Bookstore

I wasn't feeling particularly up to the gym today so mister and I headed out after work for a casual meal at one of our favorite spots on the island, Legends. It's kind of a sports bar, decorated with pictures of old movie stars and the food is soooo good and really moderately priced! They have EVERYTHING from burgers to turkey and gravy to pasta to fish! I always get the same thing cause it's my favorite - Chicken Terryaki Hibachi! YUM!!!!

We weren't quite ready to go home yet, so we headed over to Camana Bay to browse around Books and Books! I knew for a fact that the future Mr. Julep needs some reads for the honeymoon since he tends to buy one book at a time and read it quick as a flash as soon as he gets home! And since we were there and I have incredibly painful cramps, I thought it was only appropriate that I get a little treat too!

I've heard such great things about this book! After reading the synopsis, I just know this is going to be a fun read! And it's a lovely hardback book with a really nice cover, which always seems to rope me in! I'm sorry, but how good could a book be if the publishers didn't even take time to create a nice cover for it!?!?!

Only 6 more working days till we jet off this rock! Whoop whoop! I'm having lunch with my manager tomorrow to celebrate the upcoming wedding and on Thursday, another colleague is taking me out to lunch as well! So exciting!!! The celebrating begins!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!