Tea vs Coffee..

*Bianca and Me at the 2008 Air Show enjoying our coffee*

I finished reading The Ultimate Tea Diet. My feelings about the book are a mixed bag. The author has some valid points:

• A tasty tea is a good replacement for bad craving such as junk food and candy.
• Eat a well balanced diet, and begin exercising. (Like we have not heard that before.)
• Only drink tea you actually like in the form you like it whether hot or cold.

This particular author began his tea shop after going through a midlife slump after a divorce. He basically replaced his thirteen cups of coffee a day with tea. Neither of those beverages are good in that amount. Dr. Tea is very negative towards coffee, which I must say I love over tea. He believes that coffee in years will become what cigarette's are today, considered dangerous to our health. I have to disagree.

When I was five years old I would go visiting with my great grandmother, and when they had coffee they would give me a little cup. Although then it was more condensed milk and sugar it was the beginning. In high school, I would always stop by gas stations and get the "cappuccino" out of the machine. I loved the specialty coffee drinks I would get for the Starbucks on USM's campus in the library. Between graduation from USM and going to Scotland I worked at Nezaty's Coffee Shop in the mall. There I learned how to pull a good shot, and create some truly unique combos. (Green Tea Chai Frap with soy and white chocolate!) Coffee and tea jointly got me through my many night writing on my dissertation. Overseas, I tried coffee in five different countries along the way. Italy and Croatia were the most enjoyable with there stand up espresso bars with the morning crowds and the "shot" was so smooth you would drink it right there at the bar and go on with your day. I worked at Books-A-Million for almost a year making coffee for customers, and still continue entertain my dreams of opening a coffee shop as I enjoy my two cups a day.

Coffee has some good benefits and positive studies behind it just like tea. It can help prevent Alzheimer's disease in women, colon cancer, and adds to the quality of life. Needless to say, I will not be embarking on The Ultimate Tea Diet, but I may be trying some of the crazy tea he has listed on his website: http://www.teagarden.com/ Who wouldn't want to try tea flavor's such as Tiramisu, S'Mores, and Mango. However, I will always love a good cup of Earl Grey.

Wedding Wednesday

Yesterday was the eight month mark for my wedding. Therefore, I need to get my tail in gear. I have two big details in the works, and hope to get some more leads at the Bridal Premiere show on Sunday at the Coast Coliseum. However, I have all the little details really bugging me. Like what shade of blue to use? What flowers should I choose? Where is the sign in table going to go? The list goes on and on... However, I have found relief from my plight. These are some of my favorites details from Etsy.com and theknot.com

*These Bouquets?*

*Or these??*

*I LOVE the hair pieces! They are way cooler than veils*

*This cake topper is the coolest ever*

*They match the cake toppers!*

Tea Diet!

I received this requested book from the library today. I glanced at it years ago in the bookstore, but have not revisited it until my sudden urge for a new diet. I managed to lose a pants size this past year. It would be fantastic to be few sizes smaller for wedding pictures. My biggest challenge is my lack of self motivation. If I am hungry, I generally eat what I want. Edward has to hear me whine if I am tired after a day of work, and do not want to go walk our normal three miles.

I read the introduction so far in The Ultimate Tea Diet, and hope I can get some good leads on a new system. The author "Dr. Tea" came up with his ideas for this book by entertaining questions from customers at his tea shop. He believes that tea is a great way to kick start a diet. He does not give instructions to starve yourself and not exercise, or so the book claims. If I find this book helpful, I will certainly share.

In other news, I am currently working on creating my wedding website through www.theknot.com. More to come on that later as well.

Monday Noms

This past Saturday, Edward and I went to the World Market in Alabama. There they have all kinds of imported goodies. Illy coffee, Asian spices, and chocolate from all over the world. The gummies above are a particular favorite of mine. They are fizzy gummy coke bottles. In Edinburgh I would buy them from the convenient store around the corner from our weekly pub quiz spot at the Blind Poet.

After this picture was taken Edward and I demolished this bag. Some of my other favorites are rock candy, candy apple suckers, coconut M&M's, and Lemon Heads. A good treat is a nice way to chase away the Monday gloom. Especially since the snow did not come this far south, and Monday proceeded as normal for us all along the Gulf Coast.

Be good out there, and stay warm.

Wedding Talk

Edward and I booked a place!!!! We booked the newly remodeled Redding House in Downtown Biloxi on Jackson Street. We will be getting married in September on the same date my grandparents got married in 1959. Trying to find a place has been very stressful for me, because the last thing I wanted was to decorate a community center. This proved to be a challenge with our budget. However, the reopening of the Redding House proved to be a stroke of luck for us! Now I feel like I can let the reigns loose and start putting it all together. Cake tastings here we come!

For all my friends that struggle to be domestic

Over the past two weeks I have had an unusual amount of time off even for the holidays. I spent some of it reading

book I owned by Amy Sedaris. (One I received for Christmas thanks fiance!) Both of her books are her point of view on crafts

and entertaining. I Like You is a collection of hints, tips, parties, and recipes, while Simple Times is a craft book.

I really appreciate Amy's humor as she spins tails about parties past. Some of her recipes even look tasty. However,

almost none of her crafts are very attractive to someone who follows the Etsy trends like I do. There is a lot of yarn,

felt, and popsicle sticks. However, Simple Times is still hilarious, and anyone looking for entertainment and crafts for

random crafts sake will enjoy it.

I have begun my own crafting in a space I finally have sent up, and have all my supplies out of rubbermaid

containers. For my Girl Scout troop this Christmas I gave each girl an album I made out of brown paper bags. I plan on making

most birthday gifts, and shower gifts this year myself. There may even be a little of whatever creativity I have at my wedding in

some of the favors and decor. Sadly, today will end my long holiday stretch, and it is back to work tomorrow.

*My Paper bag Albums*

Resolutions!

I hope everyone has had a great and safe holiday season. Now all the wrapping paper has been thrown away, the turkey carcass has been picked to the bone, and more sugar has been consumed than grown annually on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation we look ahead onto a brand new year. What better way to do that than setting some goals for the upcoming year. Rarely, I make resolutions or give up something for lent. It is just not part of my personality, and I rarely remember them a week after. Over the past few years I have been inspired by my friends that successfully complete multiple goals within a year, especially my friend Tabitha. Therefore, I have several this year to make up for my apathy. Here goes...

M&Y's NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS 2011:

*Be a size six for my wedding in September! I am currently a size ten. (The deposit is down it is definitely happening in September!)

* Write something everyday: whether it be a blog, short story, poem, journal entry, historical society journal article, or whatever else strikes my fancy.

*Read all the books I currently own and have borrowed in the house at this moment before I buy anymore. (There are about 120)

* Use my Kitchen Aid Mixer at least twice a month in order to improve my baking skills.

*Make a profit from my crafting hobby by starting a possible Etsy shop online.

So my goals are pretty lofty, but I have taken into consideration things I have wanted to do for sometime. Therefore, I have geared my resolutions towards those changes I would like to make. I just need to stop watching so many darn T.V. shows!

One last bit of holiday cheer before we return to normalcy.

*Edward and my random red Christmas tree*

Things I love about October

This week began one of my favorite months out of the year. Although I can think of something I love about every season, October has a lot going for it. My absolute favorite holiday is Halloween. We always had these fantastic parties on Halloween where all my cousins and school friends would come dressed up. So Ed and I will be continuing the tradition with a huge party our first Halloween in the house.

Here are a few other things to love about October:

~ It is finally "warm coffee weather" like Leah and I call it. It is the beginning of nights that end with a hot chai, tea, coffee, or cocoa.

~CANDY CORN! This candy is my obsession.

~I can wear skirts, tights, and my Merrell boots.

~Harvest Moon

~ Pumpkin Spice Lattes

If I had a hundred lives to live...

Things I would love to know how to do....

~Salsa and/or swing dance

~ Bind and repair books

~ Decorate Elaborate Cakes

~Bake Delicious Danishes

~ Speak Croatian, German, French, and Spanish

~ Design websites

~ Write a Best Seller

~ Open a Coffee Shop

~ Sail something bigger than a Sunfish

~ Keep a goldfish alive

~ Save half my paycheck

~ Get into a size 6

~ Not press snooze 4 times in a morning

Just something on my mind.... Pictures of our home projects coming soon!

EAT-PRAY-LOVE

Last week I finished reading Eat, Pray, Love and last night I got to see the movie! They were both really enjoyable and inspirational. I love how Julia Robert's portrayed Elizabeth Gilbert. In some ways, I am very much like Liz Gilbert and her insatiable appetite to travel. "I am loyal and constant in my love for travel," is a line she uses in a book that I must agree with whole heartily. When I lived in Scotland, every day was an adventure for something new, and I relished in it. My week full of Eat, Pray, Love has made me reflect on where I would go if I could spend a year traveling the world. Going with her rules with have three countries all starting with the same letter I chose the countries Costa Rica, Croatia, and China. The beautiful pictures and lure of tropical paradise attracts me to Costa Rica. Croatia is what I have heard being called the "homeland" by my fellow friends of Croatian descent, and I have to agree. My four days in the jewels of the Adriatic was not nearly enough. I actually feel the same way about Croatian as Liz Gilbert felt about the Italian language. China would have to be added to the list because I have not made it yet to an Asian country and its rich culture fascinates me since I took a survey of Asian history class. I harassed Edward with the same question and he chose the countries Argentina, Austria, and Australia. I do know that I want to travel with him to them all.

In the spirit of my travel thoughts post, I have also compiled a list of my travel tips I have accumulated through my adventures.

1.) For the love of god pack extra underwear in your carry-on. I learned this the hard way when I landed in Rome with only the underwear I was wearing. Unfortunately, my luggage never made it to the place I was staying (it actually made its on tour of Italy) Wearing Ed's boxer briefs in Pompeii was not my idea of a good time.

2.) Never eat somewhere with a picture menu, you are just asking for trouble.

3.) Have a travel ritual. I had a friend backpack from Barcelona to Istanbul within three weeks and her group counted all the different ways you can flush a toilet. Tabitha, my bff, tries McDonald's no matter where she goes and plans to take pictures with every state capitol building. I have a cup of coffee at every random cafe I come across when I travel.

4.) Have a playlist for your adventure. Whatever inspires you.

5.) Public transportation can be the biggest thrill and biggest headache you have ever experienced. it is totally worth it.

6.) Write about your trip, you will not remember a thing if you do not.

**There may be more to come of these later**

However, until then, happy trails and good night.