Victoria's Secret fashion show has convinced me I need a boyfriend (and lipo)

Did you watch last night? Please tell me you did.  I love me some VS fashion show.  The lights, the perfect hair and make-up on the perfect bodies I could never dream of having, the exciting performances, did I mention their BODIES? I. love. it. all. 

But when Adam Levine took the hand of his Angel girlfriend Anne Vyalitsina and walked her down the runway during his performance ...

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and then gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek at the end of the catwalk, my heart literally melted.  So, so, so sweet. 

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Do you not die? They are beyond presh.

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If you saw my thighs you'd know there is no hope for me to ever become a Victoria Secret Angel, but I've decided I want what they have.  He was so proud and supportive of her. I mean, wouldn't you be if your gf looked like that? 

Truthfully we don't know what goes on behind closed doors but I am choosing to believe they adore each other IRL. 

"I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming,
can't-live-without-each-other love."

-Carrie Bradshaw

And while I'm out there looking for love, I'm also going to make an appointment at Lipo Xpress.  That's my only hope.  You better believe my ass will be at boot camp tonight. I need me some Adam Levine and Anna the Angel type love.


Be still my heart.

Dear Santa (2011 edition) ...

Ho, ho, ho! Today's post is short and sweet because my fam bam was asking for my Christmas list this weekend and I told them to make things easier, I'd just blog it.  There's not much to say other than I WANT IT ALL!  I keed, I keed.

I've mentioned before I have a very small family.  Three grand kids total to be exact, so we've always done Christmas up big.  Less people equals less you have to divvy up.  I know this isn't the reason for the season, but it's fun to give and receive.  Don't you agree?

So far this is what I would like Chris Kringle to drop under the tree for me. *wink, wink* What are you asking for this year?

 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14

Thanksgiving weekend wrap-up

I'm baaaaccck from my mini-bloggy break.  Did you miss me?  I doubt it because like me, I'm sure you were busy spending time with your family and friends. 

Thanksgiving was hosted at my house, so I added a few fall touches to the abode before my family arrived:

Although I technically hosted Thanksgiving, I definitely didn't cook.  My Grandma brought all the supplies with her from San Antonio and I just provided the kitchen for her to work her magic. 

Thursday morning I went to an early morning boot camp session so I wouldn't feel as bad stuffing my face.  Except when I got home, I accidentally drank a Venti Starbucks vanilla latte and ate a jalapeno, sausage and cheese kolache from The Czech Stop in West.

I know all my Texas girls know all about the kolaches in West, but for the rest of you... just know they are magically delicious.

My Aunt brought snacks for us to munch on while lunch was being cooked:

And naturally, I was only in charge of the vino:

The bro bear sliced the bird. Gobble, gobble.

And by 2 p.m., it was time to feast on all this yumminess:

Mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, turkey, fruit salad, cranberry salad, deviled eggs, gravy, stuffing and pea salad ... oh MY!

As if that wasn't enough to make you have to unbutton your pants, pumpkin pie and cherry cobbler for dessert:

So. much. food.  What is not to love about Thanksgiving?  The best part is that once Thanksgiving is over, I can officially switch to Christmas mode! 

Fa, la, la, la, la! 

Friday after recovering from a food coma, the fam and I picked out my second "fresh from the farm" Christmas tree.  A 6 foot noble fir that this kind sir tied securely for us to be exact:

Our tree was promptly decorated by Reese with stockings:

Before I took over for the real deal:

Blackberry pic.

Call me crazy, but I love how Christmas trees look through windows.  Here's mine! 

So other than some shopping on Saturday (I don't do the Black Friday madness) and a mani/pedi with my Mom on Sunday where I decided to try the one glitter nail trend ...

... that concludes my Thanksgiving weekend wrap-up!  This week I'll be blogging about my Christmas decor (with better pics of my tree) and my Christmas wish list for Santa.  I'm so excited that it's finally Christmas time!  This is my favorite time of year.  Happy ♥ times a milli!

["How the glitz stole Christmas" swappers: Don't forget to get your packages in the mail TODAY!]

My Thanksgiving favorites before a mini bloggy break

Happy day before Turkey Day!  Have you had a talk with your belly and is it prepared for all the calorie consumption to be had tomorrow?  Mine is! 

I love how every family has their own traditions and it is so interesting to me to see how people all over the U.S. (and the world even) celebrate Thanksgiving with their loved ones.  For instance, this is my families Thanksgiving spread from last year:

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Umm, I'm lieing.  In my dreams.  But for reals, I'm nosy so I want to know all the specifics like what time do you eat?  Do you eat around lunch? A late lunch? Dinner time?  We eat a late lunch around 2 p.m.

Do you have several Thanksgiving celebrations you have to attend?  Just one for moi! 

What are your families signature dishes? We have mostly traditional dishes like turkey, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, rolls, green beans and deviled eggs (yuck) and then things like pea salad (my mom's fave) and cranberry salad (my cousins fave).   Personally, I look forward to the stuffing, turkey and gravy the most.  Get in my belly ...

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Do you all bring a dish or does one person cook it all?  My Mom and Aunt assist, but for the most part, my Grandma cooks it all.  Thanks Grandma!

What are YOUR favorite things you look forward to on Turkey Day? Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!  I really hope one year I can go to the actual parade.  Maybe I should start a bucket list. 

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So those are my answers, what are yours???  Tell me! I want to know.

My family gets in town today so I'm going on a mini bloggy break until next week.  It'll be tough, but y'all will pull through without me. I just know you will.

Enjoy your time with your friends and family and remember to be thankful for what you have in your life.  I know it's easy to always want the latest and greatest (guilty!), but let's take this time to be thankful for what we already have (like our health, a roof over our head and amazing readers like you). 

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End rant.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving my loves.  XOXO


p.s. REMINDER! For those of you participating in our "How the Glitz Stole Christmas" blogger swap, don't forget to get your shopping in this weekend.  All packages have to be in the mail on or before next Monday, November 28! 

Recap of Court's Bach Party in "Nawlins"!

Happy Monday and Happy Turkey Week!

Last week was a little cray cray, so my apologies for just now getting around to recapping Courtney's Bachelorette Party weekend in New Orleans. Hopefully it is worth the wait as New Orleans is full of characters, many of which can be found in photos below.

I really don't think you can go wrong hosting a Bachelorette Party in The Big Easy, especially if you have a mascot who goes by the name of Dr. C to accompany you. He was quite popular the entire weekend.

Bachelorette Decor for the hotel room

Friday we flew into NOLA from Dallas at an ungodly hour.  Like I had to wake up before 5 a.m. to make our flight ungodly.  By the time we got to our hotel and checked into the room it wasn't even 9 a.m.  Oh yes, long day of shenans to be had. 

After we spent a few minutes getting dolled up, we took immediately to Bourbon Street to enjoy the day.  One of the first things we spotted was a wedding march.  How sweet is that "just married" couple with their umbrellas?

One of the first bars we ventured into had these "Chugglers", which might have been the best purchase of the weekend if I do say so myself.  You can bong a beer from the comfort of your own cup. 

In this same joint some rando man wanted to take a shot, so naturally I volunteered to join him.  Jäger bombs before 11 a.m.?  Only in NOLA, folks.

Next we took back to the street and ended up in Bourbon Street Blues Company where our bachelorette, Courtney, received a couple of G rated lap dances from some nice young lads.  You're welcome. 

At this point we realized we probably need to get some food in our bellies if we were going to make it through the first day, so we headed to the French Quarter to sight see before stopping to have a casual lunch at Cafe Pontalra. 

After lunch we went to Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, which was built between 1722 and 1732, and is reputed to be the oldest structure used as a bar in the United States. The Hurricanes and Bloody Mary's were STRONG:

After a drink at the historical and supposedly haunted Lafitte's, we went to "The Swamp" where I spotted this elegant creature next to me at the bar.  My friends were shocked I whipped out my phone to snap her picture, but this was an opportunity I was not going to miss.  #riskworththereward

Rat Tail hair how-to post coming soon!

Courtney rode this ride while at The Swamp, and I seriously have not laughed that hard in a long time.  The guy operating it was such a perv that we all refused to ride it after she got thrown off.

We made a few more stops on Bourbon ...

... before we walked home to change into our matching tees and put wigs on:

If this isn't how you are taking shots ladies, then you've been doing it all wrong.  This delicate flower picked Courtney up in the middle of the bar to feed her a shot from her mouth. Ummm ...

I have no words. Shortly after this shot was had, we had a late dinner at Oceana Grill.  While leaving dinner, I stepped off the curb, which is when the ankle #2 incident happened.  As you can tell, we had a long day and every one was ready to retire for the night so we all got in a cab and went home. 

The next day, we put our shirts on again (I mean, it's New Orleans ... never mind we had worn them the night before) ...

and walked (I hobbled) to Cafe Du Monde for their world famous beignets:

When they are served warm, they are worth all the hype. If you ever go to New Orleans, a stop here is a must:

After a light breakfast we had a very casual day sans booze where we walked to the Riverfront mall and gambled a little in Harrah's before a late lunch at Acme Oyster House.

Ew, excuse my awkward smile and haggard look.  I had the crab and corn chowder with fish po boy. #todie

We had late dinner reservations (9:30 p.m.) that night @ Emeril's New Orleans, so we went back to the room to get ready and have Court's lingerie shower.  We all had wine and champagne while she opened gifts before a little game of "pin the macho on the man".

A cup has never been more perfect for me:

Dr. C showed up towards the end of our dinner at Emeril's. There were plenty side-eyes from a few patrons in the restaurant, but the staff loved him.

Come on people, it's New Orleans and a bachelorette party. Get over it.

I highly recommend you get a Dr. C of your own if you are out for a Bachelorette Party on Bourbon Street. Every single person was throwing beads at him and stopping us on the street.  Even this "lady" who gave Courtney a bachelorette whipping:

I think it's best I end on that note.  Love me some New Orleans.  Don't you?

Sweet and Sour Showers' bargain shower hosting tips!

Good day bargainistas!  Today I am sashaying around Dallas helping Courtney with her make-up and dress for her bridal portraits.  I can't believe her wedding is 2 months away, eeeep!  Since I knew I'd be detained, I lined up a very special treat for you: a guest post from my talented fellow Texas ladies at Sweet & Sour Showers.  They wrote an awesome post about bargain shower hosting tips, so I'm just going to let them take it away ...

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Hey everyone!  We are Jac and Leah from Sweet & Sour Showers, and we are thrilled to be guest posting on the Bargain Blonde today!

We live in Austin, but we sort of feel like we know Lindsey in real life because two of her besties are our friends from college - shout out to Liz and Stefanie!  

So about us - we have been friends since high school (although you won't see any 9th grade pics any time soon) and recently took the plunge into the blog world.  Since we're at the age where tons of our friends are getting married and having babies, we have had LOTS of practice planning showers.  What we noticed through all this practice, though, is that while there are tons of wedding and totally over-the-top party-planning sites, there isn't a good resource to help girls our age throw a really special shower for our BFFs.

You know what else we noticed?  Sometimes planning showers sucks - especially the part about how being a bridesmaid can run you into debt.  So, we thought it would be kind of fun to blog about that, too. 

To help cope with the rising cost of life as a bridesmaid, here are our favorite money saving tips:

Don't be a shower martyr.  We can totally relate to all the control freaks out there, but taking on the entire shower by yourself can be time-consuming and expensive.  You should check with other bridesmaids or even family members to see if they’d be interested in sharing hostess duties.  

Lose the boys.   Couples showers are becoming the new norm, but you know what’s the quickest way to double your guest list?  INVITING THE MEN.  Encourage your bride to keep the party intimate (a nicer way of saying "cheap").

Hold the shower at home.  Paying for everyone’s food and drinks at a restaurant can add up fast.  Even if you REALLY don’t like to cook, catering food at home will surely save some cash.   

Engagement Brunch

Time it right.  Don’t throw your party at 6pm when people are expecting a full meal.  Try scheduling your shower for mid-afternoon (around 2pm), or after dinner (around 8pm).  This allows you to just provide snacks, appetizers, or maybe even try your hand at a desserts-only shower – we can certainly help you there!

Monogram Themed Shower

DIY décor.  We love to craft and try our hand at homemade party decor, especially on the cheap.  One of our favorites has been these paper rosettes - check out our tutorial here. Don't try to stock an open bar.  Drinks are one of our favorite parts of any shower, but as soon as you enter mixed-drink territory, the bills can add up.  Sticking to beer and wine is perfectly acceptable, and you can also find some fun recipes online that involve doctoring up these staples.   Our go-to drink has always been summer beer, a fun out-of-the-norm drink with simple ingredients and HIGH potency.  Check out the recipe here. 

Paper Rosettes

Create a shrine to the guest of honor.  This one is so simple we literally do it EVERY time.  Replace the photos in your home with pics of the guest(s) of honor.  Print out some of the couple’s engagement photos or silly pictures, and use the frames you already have at home. 

Tapas and Sangria Shower

Don't underestimate the power of a little competition.  We are big fans of shower games because they are basically free entertainment.  With a little planning and some cheap household items you may already have, you can easily try your hand at some of our favorite shower games and bachelorette party games.

Minute to Win It Couples Shower

To see more pics and read about our parties, visit our shower themes page.  

Did we mention we also love to bake?   We thought that blogging about all our showers would be a great way to feature our baked treats, many of which we have customized specifically for wedding-related events.  

Here is a look at some of our favorites:

You can check out more of our baked treats here, and feel free to contact us for a quote if you are in the Austin area.

So there you have it!  Thanks again to Lindsey for letting us guest post.  (Our husbands may or may not think you are the "biggest blogger in the world" - true story.)  

To all of Lindsey's loyal followers - we hope you'll come check out our blog, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.  Be sure to say hi! (This is Lindsey: y'all better get on it!)


Happy Planning (on a budget),

Sweet and Sour Showers