The Preppy Pink and Green Puppy: November 2010

Happy Birthday, Hadley!

I've so enjoyed reading about everyone's Thanksgiving and have lived vicariously through pictures of all the delicious food. My turkey day was a little bit different than I planned. With SAW in the hospital, Mother and I decided to bring Thanksgiving to her while JDD went to his dad and stepmother's house to deep fry their turkey.

Thursday afternoon, I was on my way to pick up last minute things at the grocery store when Mother called. She said SAW was in labor and that it was likely the baby would be born that day. Yikes! Wow! What do we do now?! Since I knew it would be a long few days, I went to Mother's to get my sister's dogs. We had a full house in our teeny tiny house. JDD and I got everyone settled and then he went to do his deep frying duties and I headed to the hospital.

My dog whisperer

{The Blenheim Cavalier is our foster, Princess.}

I was ready for lots of excitement when I arrived at the hospital but instead was treated to some waiting. And then more waiting. Finally around 8:00 p.m. they decided to give SAW some meds to move things along. However, the little person wasn't tolerating the medicine, so a semi-emergency c-section was on the docket.

After they wheeled SAW to the operating room, I made my way to the waiting room where I waited a little more. Thank goodness I had my laptop to keep me busy! Mother came out about 10:30 to tell me that SAW and the little person were doing well. SAW was in the recovery room and the little person was in the intensive care nursery, where she'd be for several weeks.

A little after midnight, SAW and I went to the ICN to meet Hadley Anne for the first time. She was born at 9:34 p.m. and weighed 3 pounds, 9 ounces.

You can tell how small she is in this picture with SAW's hand.

SAW was a preemie (though not this premature) so I'm positive Hadley will be just fine.

I can't wait to buy little girl clothes!

Several friends have asked how the name Hadley Anne was chosen. No matter what the first name was, the middle name would be Anne. Every girl in my family has the middle name Anne or A..., my mother's maiden name. SAW's middle name is A... so the baby would have, Anne, which was also my middle name.

In October, SAW asked me to send her first names I liked. Hadley was one on my list that she liked as well. SAW looked up each name in the baby name books she had as she wanted to be sure she liked the origin and meaning.

It turns out that Hadley means 'field of heather' and Mother's name is Heather A... W... It was fate. :-) And now we have an HAW II.

Better in theory than reality

My little sissy, SAW, is pregnant and in September, was put on bed rest. For the first few weeks, she relished a life of leisure with lots of DVDs, books, her iPod and her puppies to occupy her time. But after a while, the immobility and constant surroundings got to her. In October I managed to sneak her out a few times, including a trip to see The Social Network and to pick out nursery furniture.

Earlier this month she texted me to say she was craving fried ice cream from Chevy's. Um, I can think of many more delicious things to eat but she was adamant. While our mother was out shopping, I snuck SAW out of the house so she could eat as much fried ice cream as her little heart desired.

With her tummy full of her icy treat, SAW promised this would be her last trip out of the house. Not so fast. The next morning, I woke up to three texts from her. During the night, SAW's water broke (at 30 weeks) and she'd be in the hospital until the little person decided to arrive.

She handled the first few days at the hospital like a champ, but the unfamiliar place, fear of the unknown and constant stream of doctors and nurses got to her.

In a moment of genius, Mother arranged with SAW's doctor to have 15 minutes outside on a warmer than usual November day. Mother was 'running late' and called to tell us that she'd meet us outside in the hospital courtyard. I wheeled SAW downstairs and when we turned the corner to the courtyard, I saw Mother 'hiding' behind a shrub with SAW's Boston Terriers, Rocco and Ruby. To say SAW was happy would be an understatement.

The visit was just what SAW needed to lift her spirits. And being with her canine family also calmed SAW down, which is just what the little person needed as she cooked a little longer in my little sissy's tummy.

All three of us have newfound respect for any mother-to-be who is on bed rest. It sounds easy and glamourous but as SAW can attest, it's anything but.

SAW and our mother

{The reason the trips outside the house were done under a veil of secrecy is that SAW is temporarily living with our mother. In June, three months pregnant, SAW's fiance called off their wedding and she moved out of their house in Annapolis and in with Mother. It's not an ideal arrangement, but she has a lot of space at Mother's house and Mother is way more attentive to her than her fiance ever was. And Mother definitely takes her role as the bed rest sheriff very seriously.}

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends. I know I have a lot to be thankful for this year, especially 'meeting' so many wonderful ladies in blog-land. Thank you to each of you!

Shop on! Online and national store addition

If you're too full from turkey and dressing to take off your jammies to shop in person, or like the ease of shopping at national retail stores, here are some sales for you.

My all time favorite stationery boutique, Felix Doolittle (they did my wedding save the date cards), is offering 30% off all note cards and return address labels through Sunday. I am so excited to stock up on these two essentials!

Groupon Chicago has a $50 Nordstrom Rack gift card for $25 that can be used at any of their stores.

Target shoppers who spend $100 before 10:00 a.m. will receive a $10 gift card.

My mother and I are convinced Macy's has a perpetual sale. But according to the email I just recevied, their Black Friday sale promises to be bigger and better than anything they've done before.

Best Buy promises to reward early bird shoppers with can't-be-beat deals.

Some Old Navy stores are even open on Thanksgiving! I always start my Angel Tree shopping at this store.

According to Computer World, some Marshalls and TJ Maxx stores have 16gb iPads for $100 less than retail.

If you're an outlet shopper, Coach Factory stores are offering 20% off through Sunday and Polo Ralph Lauren Factory stores are offering 30% off storewide.

Some Etsy sellers are also getting on the Black Friday bandwagon. Just search "Black Friday Etsy" from their main page to get a list of shops offering specials.

There are too many stores with holiday deals for this little ole post, so just visit BlackFriday.com or BlackFriday2010.com for sale information for all your favorite retailers. And Consumer Reports and the Washington Post made it easy to track store's specials for Twitter and Facebook followers.

Shop on! D.C.-Maryland-Virginia Edition

I'm not one for Black Friday shopping but with the deals some local stores are offering, how can I say no?!

D.C.
Georgetown will be overflowing with shoppers taking advantage of these fantastic sales.
Urban Chic will offer 30% off from 9:00-10:00 a.m., 25% off from 10:00-11:00 a.m., and 20% off the rest of the day. Also, there will be 20% off sale merchandise all day.
Shoppers at Simply Soles will receive 40% from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 20% off for the remainder of the day.
The sale at Sassanova lasts all day. Everything in the store will be 25% off.
Sherman Pickey is also having an all day sale with 15% off all items in the store.

Maryland
Two fun shops in Bethesda Row are offering great specials.
Ginger is offering discounts throughout the day, but the earlier your shop, the more you will save. Take 40% off from 9:00-10:00 a.m., 30% off from 10:00-11:00 a.m. and 20% off the rest of the day.
The Pink Palm's discounts include 40% off the Lilly Fall 2010 collection and 20% off Resort.

Virginia
Like the Bethesda store, the McLean Pink Palm outpost is also having the 40% off Fall and 20% off Resort.
The sale at Periwinkle in Alexandria lasts all weekend. And the more you buy, the bigger the discount. Buy one item, take 10% off. Buy two items, take 20% off. You get the idea (the sale is limted at 50% off five items). Periwinkle is also offering 25% off accessories.
From 9:00-11:00 a.m., The Attic at Hysteria in Old Town is offering 50% off the lowest price.

Tomorrow I'll share some online and national store specials.

The Macbeth Collection's Pink Monday

Today until midnight, you can take 40% off anything on The Macbeth Collection's website. What a fantastic deal! I love the decoupage accessories and have several of them in my home, including a French flower vase I use to hold umbrellas and a mail pocket that everyone notices as soon as they walk in the door.

With over 200 design choices, there is something for everyone.

This naptowel set makes a perfect holiday hostess gift.

Last year I gave Mother this oval tub to hold magazines.

I have just the place for this trinket tray. On our hall table to hold keys, change, and whatever else JDD has in his pockets.

Now that my sister has a name for her soon-to-be-born little girl, I can start buying her personalized items, like these metal letters.

Curling up with a good book

The adorable Screen Door Prep tagged me in her favorite authors post. I really enjoyed reading her list.

Here are my favorites, in no particular order...

1. Erich Segal
Wrote classics such as Love Story, and my favorite book of all time, The Class.

2. Fern Michaels
Certainly not the most prolific writer, but I have lots of fond memories reading the Texas, Vegas and Kentucky series with my mother and grandmother. We had our own little book club.

3. Laura Hillenbrand
Seabiscuit was read by millions and I can't wait to read her new book, Unbroken, the story of an Olympic athlete and WWII hero.

4. Rebecca Wells
I adored her three Ya-Ya Sisterhood books.

5. Euripides
I was a Classics major in college and he was my favorite of the Greek playwrights. His plays were modern in their style and I loved how the chorus always knew what was going on.

6. Dick Francis
He's written more than 40 bestsellers, most of which focus on our 'family business', horse racing. My mother inherited my grandfather's collection of Dick Francis books and I can't wait until they're passed on to me.

7. Curtis Sittenfeld
I enjoyed all three of her books and eagerly await her one.

8. F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby. Enough said.

9. Beverly Cleary
Loved Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby growing up.

10. John Feinstein
He writes fantastic sports books for both adults and children. My favorites include Tales from Q School, Next Man Up and Caddy for Life.

11. Natalie Babbitt
I read Tuck Everlasting many times growing up and it was the first book I gave JDD, before we started dating.

I will read anything written by
12. John Grisham
or
13. David Baldacci

14. Jane Green
I'm not too fond of her newer books but love her oldies, such as Jemima J and To Have and To Hold

15. Isabel Gillies
You may know Isabel from her parts in Law and Order: SVU and the fantastic movie, Metropolitan. Last year she wrote Happens Every Day. It tells the true story of Isabel halting her acting career to follow her husband to his new teaching job at Oberlin, only to see the demise of her marriage. I loved every page of it and have since re-read it.

Santa Claus is coming to town

I couldn't leave my darling hubby off my Chritmas list list. Here are a few things Santa may drop under the Christmas tree.

Paul Stuart engine turned belt buckle to use with the almost finished motorcycle needlepoint belt.

After shoveling mountains of snow last winter, JDD asked for warmer Bean Boots.

JDD is crazy and rides his motorcycle when it's frigid outside. Hopefully this heated jacket liner and pants will help keep him a bit warmer.

Xbox Kinect and Fitness game. We both have big plans to get in shape.

One of his faves, Acqua di Parma, for nights on the town.

JDD starts his 2011 Africa travel schedule right after the new year. This T. Anthony classic duffle is perfect for the long SAA flights.

JDD writes his daughter a letter every week and is quickly running out of stationery. I think he'll like this navy bordered paper.

Gonna find out who's naughty and nice

Save for a few naughty spells, Spencer has been the perfect preppy puppy this year. Since pets are as much a part of the D family as people, Devin, Angus and Spencer each get their own Christmas stocking filled with goodies.

A few things I am sure are on Spencer's wish list.

Barbour waxed-cotton jacket

Maybe if I get Spencer a snuggly new bed he'll stop sleeping in mine!

These cute toys look durable- a must with my Cujo.

I love Spencer's Bella Bean collar/harness/lead sets and this set will be perfect for our annual cherry blossom photo excursion.

My preppy puppy loves Robbie Dawg treats and I love their customer service

And a little splurge. A perfect English cottage for my perfectly English pal.

She's making a list and checking it twice

As eBay reminded me this morning (so thoughtful!), there are 46 days until Christmas. Mother usually complains that I don't give her a list soon enough or with more than two items, so this year I'm starting early. And I'll probably add to it as eBay tells me we're getting closer to Santa's visit.

Salt and pepper shakers. I broke the salt shaker in my MacKenzie-Childs set and need a new set. These two whimsical sets are tops on my list.

I'm need to lose a lot of weight (the pounds went on while my leg was in the cast over the summer) and am hesitant to buy clothes. But I think this ruffled cardigan at Macy's is perfect for chilly days this winter.

To say connected, a subscription renewal for MobileMe and the Lightroom 3 upgrade.

The Canon DSLR I have now is perfectly fine but I'd love to try out the new HD video capability of the new Canon 60D.

In case we have a repeat of last year's blizzard, the patterns in this needlepoint book will provide me hours of stitching entertainment.

What are some items on your Christmas list?

Let's hear it for the girl

Tomorrow afternoon we'll be at the Urbanna Oyster Festival, but you better believe at 6:15 p.m. sharp I'll be in my car, tuned to ESPN radio. That's post time for the Breeders' Cup Classic, this year being raced at Churchill Downs. Zenyatta will be going for her 20th straight victory as well as vying for her second Classic title. She'll be racing against the finest male horses on earth. And when she wins (I'm positive she will!), she'll be only the second horse to win two Classics. A victory in the Classic will also get jockey Mike Smith one step closer to tying the record of most Breeders' Cup wins, held by Jerry Bailey.
P.S. I heart Mike Smith. He's my jockey crush. ;-)

In racing circles, there is some question as to whether she can beat the boys on a dirt track. Seventeen of her nineteen victories have been on Polytrack, or synthetic dirt, surfaces at three California tracks. On the flip side, her two largest margins of victory were on the dirt track at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. She's not only the odds-on favorite at 8-5, but also the sentimental choice of all.

2009 Breeders' Cup Classic

304 down, 365 to go

Rabbit, rabbit.

Ten months, of Project 365 are complete. I'm really looking forward to my Thanksgiving and December pictures, as I plan to do lots of holiday photographs. Here are a few from the last two months.

September

Friday before labor day- JDD getting one last wear from his favorite summer suit.