You're welcome.

Wednesday, I was very close to deeming my day perfect and I can't help but share. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, it was Secretary Day... or, if you prefer the politically correct version, Administrative Professional Day. For most people, there's nothing glamorous about being an administrative assistant/receptionist/secretary (however you'd like to phrase it). I know. But for me, I actually enjoy helping people. AND I love the idea of secretaries during simpler times. Have you seen Mad Men yet? :) So anyway, back to my storytelling. My supervisor surprised my co-worker and I by treating us to lunch at Winberie's in Wayne. It's a local spot I'd passed by on numerous occasions but had never taken any notice. I got to indulge in some new yummy foods and my most favorite sparkling beverage. To top it ALL off, we were also rewarded with extra paid time off and a gift card. Seriously, how thoughtful is that? It's amazing what gratification is brought from tokens of appreciation. When again is boss day?@!

ROSYRILLI.COM Secretary Day
Image found HERE

A blog in review.

A request has been made to provide some updates as to the subjects I've been chatting away about for the last few weeks. So, without further ado (and yes, that's the way to spell it. I checked!), here goes...
     Regarding my seedlings: They're quite healthy, thank you. In fact, I took such pleasure in rushing over to my growing tray every afternoon to check for signs of  progress, that I invested in some additional pots and seeds. And by additional, I really mean a few dozen more. Okay, so I may have gotten a teensy bit carried away considering that my sun room and kitchen window sill are now covered in pots but, really, I just couldn't help myself! Such pleasure is born from those little green leaves shooting up everyday. It's really quite incredible. 


     My alarm: I've come to the conclusion that I'm like a cigarette smoker when it comes to my snoozing habits. I couldn't, as much as I tried, give up this habit cold turkey. I went from a pack a day to just one a day, which hey, is progress. I'm sure my husband agrees that it's a step in the right direction anyway! 
     Birdie B&B: I regret to inform you that the breakfast portion of this ensemble has been destroyed. I went out back yesterday evening to see if re-stocking of seed was required only to find my cute hanging breakfast bar.... eaten! Literally. The squirrels appear to have gorged themselves on huge chunks of the house in order to get the goodies inside. Tsk tsk. It's a good thing squirrels are cute.
     The Starbucks Gold card: Check. Eagerly awaiting it's arrival in the mail. Any day now people.
     Sprinkle on: Um, too cute. I was this close [  ] to up and stealing all of the adorable little outfits Natalie received. Overall, a day filled with much oohing and aahing. Cannot wait for the day I'll get to hear the little pitter patter of feetsies on my hard wood floors. Sigh. Patience is a virtue. Or so I'm told at least.
     Wine: I'm still drinking it.
     The big day: Our one year anniversary is scheduled and awaiting take off.  We'll be staying at the gorgeous Virginia Hotel in Cape May, NJ. According to the reviews, there are many ravers. Cross your fingers for a beautiful weekend!

(Image found here)

Insomniac.

Maybe it's the shift in weather. Perhaps it's the increased consumption of caffeine in the morning. WHATEVER the reason, I have recently turned over a new leaf in my life, albeit an unintentional one. Once I needed 8 to 10 hours of beauty sleep to function where now I only need.. oh, maybe 2-3? If it's 4 am, I can pretty much guarantee that I'm wide awake. This has been going on for a solid 2 weeks now. I can't say that I'm particularly overjoyed about my new circadian rhythm so on tonight's menu: hot shower. hot tea. I can already feel the yawns coming on now...


zzz.

It's tradition.

I don't know about you, but tradition never dies in my family, no matter how old you get. Easter at my house is filled with Bible trivia (don't ask :), hunting for Easter baskets (or bags) and, of course, the infamous egg hunt. By far, the most humorous moment of the day? Girls in their twenties sprinting about the backyard in a contest to find plastic eggs while, just yonder, the neighbor's little kids are competing in the very same task. Like I said, age has no impact in our family when it comes to tradition.  Just wait until I tell you about the other holidays in our household! Because really, what are the holidays if not for the memories.

Sweetly sour.

There's so much I want to write about but time is of the essence. Updates coming soon!

In the meantime...
    Hubby's mom and grandparents are sweet enough to be making a trip to our house tomorrow while we're both at work to help us pretty up our yard. Weather permitting of course, but it's the thought that counts. I know it's nothing big but I love coming up with little tokens of appreciation so a little surprise has been left in the fridge for them to enjoy. Some fresh squeezed (let's pretend) lemonade with freshly sliced lemons and a little card that states "Enjoy!"

My own parents and sisters have been cordially invited to make a similar trip in May which I have lovingly deemed "Family Flower Day." And don't you fret, a rain date has been set just in case. I'm already busy thinking up some fun treats for them as well.

And while we're on the subject of my yard (again), I have to take a quick moment to tell you about my surprise in finding daffodils springing up everywhere in our backyard. I don't know how we missed them last year but apparently the previous owners planted a bunch of bulbs.  Surprise!
ROSYRILLI.COM Sweetly sour and surprise daffodils



Powdered pretty.

The phrase, “I’m going to go powder my nose” conjures up images of prim and proper ladies from the 50’s excusing themselves from the table to use the ladies room. So, of course, I love it. Who knows whether they even really did powder their noses. Regardless, I’m devoting this nostalgic phrase to the literal sense. I purchased some pretty, prim and proper powder this noon-time to carry with me in my clutch (ok, or purse). I’m vowing here and now to excuse myself to the ladies room once an afternoon to fix myself up. There’s nothing worse than starting the day with face a’glow only to realize by the time you finally return home to greet hubby that you’re washed out with nose a’shiny.

Added bonus: I just so happened (coincidence, I think not) to hit a gift sale at the Lord & Taylor Lancome counter so now, not only do I have the powder but, I also have a mini mascara, lipstick and bronzer to boot.


Color coordinated.

Just a random thought but why is it that traditionally pink is associated with little girlies and blue with little boys?


Day drinking.

This weekend hubs and I decided to join the masses at Riverpalooza. It was AMAZING. Beautiful weather, great music, and cheap drinks. Does it get any better? We didn't make it to last year's showing but apparently this year was even more packed and insane.  Shown below is just one small corner of the area where this event took place. The funny thing about day drinking is that... well, the drinking lasts so much longer. If you start at 2 pm and drink until 2 am, that's a whole lot of beverage. Things can get weird. Definitely detoxing for the next few days. Alright, well maybe I'll just have one small glass of wine tonight :) Hope you had as interesting of a weekend as we did!
Starting the day off with my fav - gin & tonic done right

Because, let's be honest.. you NEEDED some drinks in you to deal with these crowds

The happy couple

The loo.

Just a quick little question for you... why in the world do they not play music in the ladies room? Or any restroom for that matter. I'm not talking about anything exciting here. Elevator music encouraged. Because honestly, do you really need to hear every detail of what your neighbor is doing in that stall next to you? 


Birdie B&B.

Um, how cute is this bird bed and breakfast combo? I've been searching for awhile now for a birdhouse and when I stumbled upon this duo at our local nursery, I couldn't resist. Now all I need is some baby chickadees to take up residence!



The nest.

I recently came to the conclusion that my nesting instinct must be exceptionally high. For those of you who don't already know, I only get paid once a month. So when payday finally arrives, you'd think I would be running to buy up clothing, shoes, and purses (all of which I need, by the way), like most normal girls. Instead, where do I find myself milling around? Williams-Sonoma Kitchen. And I don't even cook!
I swear every single time I enter this store though, I want to become a chef.  I cannot wait to heat up this sauce and add it to some grilled chicken over noodles. Mmmm.
Um, and how cute are these champagne bubble candies? They have now taken up permanent residence on my desk at work. I just have to avoid eating the entire jar at once. 

Next on the agenda? Well, Pottery Barn, of course. I would feature some of the goodies I picked up here but can't seem to find them on their website. I'm thinking that perhaps this uncontrollable urge to decorate comes from the fact that my mom rarely splurges on clothing, shoes, or purses but does not hesitate to re-decorate a room (which I'm sure she's busy doing as we speak).  Uh oh. Does this mean I'm becoming just like my mom?! 


While we're on the topic of my favorite home decorating store, I would like to make a bold prediction. I say, give it a few years, and wall paper will be making a comeback. I'm not talking about your grandmother's old floral wallpaper either. I, for one, invite this trend back into homes with open arms. One of my favorite aspects to the venue I used for my wedding was the preppy vintage inspired ladies room! I'm already seeing this style pop up in magazines. Just a little taste of what's to come...




Featured items found herehere, and here.

These three things.

Three things I'm extremely excited about, in no particular order of excitement:

1. The elusive Starbucks Gold card 
             Ok, so it's not really that elusive. My sister earned one rather quickly and posted her proud moment on the book for all to envy.  Only people like me would actually be jealous. Going along with this morning's post about sweepstakes, another love of mine is a good reward. So, as soon as I discovered that the reward for purchasing 30 Starbuck's beverages is a nice shiny gold card with your name engraved (let's pretend), I knew I had to have one. And so, I've been busy buying up frappuccinos and vanilla rooibos tea lattes left and right. Another added bonus: Every Tuesday, in addition to my delicious drink, I pick up a free download from iTunes, courtesy of the coffee giant. This helps immensely since I neither posses the time or patience to keep up my music portfolio these days.  More importantly, I'm now only a few 4 stars away from my golden moment! It's no secret that I hate Dunkin' Donuts. Adding to the list of reasons: They offer 0 rewards programs. My poor sister-in-law would have accumulated a shiny gold card in probably less than a month, if only she was a fan of the right coffee shop!

2.  Natalie's SPRINKLE
               In late May, my first (hopefully, of many) niece will be born! I'm ecstatic to meet this sure-to-be adorable little girl. But first, before all of that excitement begins, we get to sprinkle her with gifts in April. It's not quite a full blown baby shower, but a perfect way to give the already-pro mommy some different colored items than her first wee one. I didn't know sprinkles existed before hearing about this one. Its got to be of the cutest party ideas ever. Everyone is bringing a food item and so there's no stress for the hostess either. And besides, is there not a better excuse for me to go hunting through cute baby clothing? And better yet, for the first time ever, I get to venture to the PINK side! As her Auntie, it's my duty to outfit her in as many preppy pastels as I can get my hands on. Her mommy is, after all, going to be supplying the hot pink and animal prints :D  I'm pretty inexperienced at this, but my favorite new hobby has become checking the racks at Janie and Jack for miniature deals. Honestly, does it get any cuter???

3. Our 1 year wedding anniversary
               Has it really been a year already!? Piece of cake. And on that note, I can't wait to actually take a bite out of our wedding cake, which has been staring at me from my freezer *almost* all of this time. If only you could see the big sugar peonies smothering that top tier. I can only imagine how delicious this will be after 12 months of icy existence. To accompany our slices, we've also kept one of the top shelf bottles of wine we received at our engagement party. What better time to pour our hearts out? When the discussion turned to exactly how we'd like to celebrate this momentous moment in our lives, we both decided against a second honeymoon-like vaca (I'm saving this for anniversaries to come :). Admittedly, to this day, neither one of us has ventured into a Bed & Breakfast and the idea of some old, creaky house where the owners can hear through the walls sounds a little too creepy for our taste. After some research, I think I found the perfect in-between. Not quite a chain hotel, but not a two room B&B either. More on this later!

Online sweepstakes.

I'm addicted. It's true.
...Just thought I'd bring some comedy to your day :)