Honeymoon at Atlantis

     Once we left The Greenbrier, we went home to exchange our luggage, do some laundry, and visit our lovely boy, Socrates.  We left after a few hours to catch a plane to Orlando, where we stayed one quick night.  We had to wake up the next morning to catch a flight to Nassau, Bahamas, for our stay at Atlantis!

From the beach our first night

At the front entrance

Inside the main lobby

Large ball of marble floating

     We had such a lovely time walking around and taking in all the details of this resort.  They were really able to capture everything a lost island would have.  Most importantly, The Dig.  This was our second time visiting Atlantis, but we had free reign since we were guests rather than passing through during a cruise stop.  The first time we seen The Dig was in 2008 during February on a Carnival cruise.  What we did not know until our honeymoon was that The Dig goes all the way around an aquarium and leads into a gift shop and restaurant.  It was a special surprise one evening we spent marveling the scenery.

Looks like a lost city to me

Lion fish, one of our favs

An old deep-sea diving uniform - a bit scary looking actually

One room had several walkways, with four corners, each corner had one of these helmets and a seat.  Well I couldn't let a moment pass without trying one one!  I'll admit:  I did nearly fall!

An oddity of sorts you can find at Atlantis

     Waking up in the morning on an island is breathtaking.  The sun illuminates the sky and the wind blows heartily, you hear seagulls and waves crashing.  You are at peace with yourself and your new husband -  at least I was!

From our balcony

     One of our favorite things were the water slides, there are dozens, bareback and tubing, for everyone of all ages.  Yet, my favorite time was the quiet nights walking and exploring.

An interesting palm

No swimming at night - but very tempting

Moon lights your way to the sea

     We were able to try out the casino too.  Not much luck other than a few dollars on the slots.  The scenery was unavoidable.

Domed ceiling

Nautical ceiling

Shipped ceiling

    One of our favorite restaurants at the resort is the Mesa Grill, by Bobby Flay, and it has the best margaritas EVER!  The secret: pure lime juice, freshly squeezed.  The walk is long if you stay where we did, the opposite side.  Nothing was going to stop us from using our complimentary coupon for two margaritas at the Mesa!

One long corridor heading to Mesa

The entrance

Our exit

A gorgeous pond

     Unfortunately, after only four days we had to head back to Orlando.  This is one more place we will visit again and again...and again.

Sunrise goodbye

Work Day Evenings

     Since our engagement and marriage, I have had several folks comment on how marriage is awful.  A sanctuary they want no part of.  Well, that is all fine and dandy for you.  But I love it.  Absolutely love it.  I get to come home every day (as before we were married) to the man I love and the dog I adore.  I can relax, chat, make and enjoy dinner, play, read, write, watch TV, laugh, cuddle...the list goes on.  Being married is wonderful and it is meaningful.

     I have told people from day one that I am one lucky girl.  My husband is absolutely wonderful and we are a splendid match.  This is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple and it will be exciting!  This will also be our first Christmas together as husband and wife.  Actually, we're trying no to start decorating right this minute.

     Blessed be to all.  Enjoy your life and live it passionately.  When things go wrong, remember they only get better. 

The Karl Lagerfeld Diet

     Karl Lagerfeld is an insightful, multi-talented character.  I say character because I have never seen a celebrity quite like him.  I recently completed his book from 2002 The Karl Lagerfeld Diet.  It is a memoir of sorts from his days of dieting with Dr. Jean-Claude Houdret's help.

He lost 92 pounds, that is something to recollect.  

Dr. Jean-Claude Houdret invented the Spoonlight program. It helped to transform Karl into the slim man that he maintains today. 

     He has faith in himself, he knows he can do anything he wants.  Many people put down his viewpoints on dieting, but they are direct and it got him where he is today.  Here is a photo of Mr. Lagerfeld before his diet:

Hard to believe, I know

     There is a significant difference, to say the least.  Here a few of my fav snippets from his book:

"If you attach no importance to weight problems, if not being able to wear new, trendy small-sized clothes does not cause you any regret, this book is not for you." - KL

"Above all you must be convinced of your ability to succeed.  There is no hurry.  You have no deadline for a new life!" - KL

"At first your closest friends (or loves) should not even know that you have decided to make yourself over.  You will have plenty of time to discuss it later but, to begin with, it must be a secret pact with yourself." - KL

"There comes a moment in life when the idea of youth and beauty has to give way to style and elegance." - KL

"Start your diet during a period of optimism and happiness.  You will have to detach yourself form your physical being for a period of time and you will need to regard your social environment as unimportant." - KL

"One fine morning I woke up and decided that I was no longer happy with my physique.  I had gotten along fine with being overweight and had no health problems, but I suddenly wanted to dress differently, to wear clothes designed by Hedi Slimae, who used to work for Saint Laurent and now creates the Dior Homme collections." - KL

"I would never have thought it possible to achieve this result without feeling the least bit tired.  Today, however, I work better than ever and I am never tired.  I have seven undisturbed hours of sleep a night - without using sleeping pills." - KL

"It was myself I was no longer satisfied with.  I was starting to say to myself, “You work in fashion and fashion means change.  If you don’t like your image, you only have to change it.  It’s not a matter of going back to what you used to be.”  So it was for totally superficial reasons that I got started on this diet." - KL

"It doesn’t bother me that I am getting old and wrinkled.  I don’t want to be young and cute, but there is a certain attitude that I like, which my father still had at the age of ninety.  That’s not to say I won't change my mind, but if that does happen, it will mean that the spirit has commanded the flesh to go there." - KL


"I started my treatment in the same way you approach religion, with faith and determination but without any qualms."  - KL

I did not include any from Dr. Jean-Claude Houdret.  He was very informative on health issues and why this program will work.  He also hits notes about plastic surgery and how it is not the answer.

     This is a good read, fresh compared to most diet books, but most will not take him serious considering Lagerfeld's view is very fashionable, and America's disdain for France.  I have to say that I enjoy and commend Lagerfeld on his way of life.  If that makes me the least bit superficial, which is does, then so be it.  Or maybe, that is just confidence taking over for a brief moment.

Sunday Potato Soup

     It was a beautiful day, a day to sit back, relax, and read until my eyes hurt.  It was also a day to make a lovely breakfast.  Well, it is actually lunch in our house!  We had lovely fried potatoes, bacon, homemade biscuits, and scrumptious gravy.  For dinner (or lunch, depending on your viewpoint) I made a fast and yummy potato soup.  

Romanian Potato Soup (Not mine...but similar visually)

     Nothing can quite compare to a spicy soup on a lazy day.  Spicy only because my hand shakes too much cayenne from its container.  Thanksgiving is only a few days away and keeping meals light is a must.  Preparation is key.  As is fasting after the meal!  

     I decided to chop up two medium potatoes.  I grabbed one large carrot and peeled it.  Once peeled, I peeled thin discs from the carrot and set it aside.  Crunching approximately eight good-sized cloves of garlic and cutting those up roughly before tossing it in one can of simmering chicken broth (99% fat-free, no MSG, low sodium).

     Tossing everything in the pot, along with two more cans of chicken broth and the water I kept the potatoes in.  Everything may now boil for a long while.  Bri wanted noodles, so I found a bit of Wacky Mac.

     I should let you know I would have added celery and onions but I haven't gone to the store yet (I know, what am I waiting for?  It is Thanksgiving in a few days!), so everything we had available went into the pot.

     My next step was adding parsley, cayenne, thyme, basil, rosemary, Himalayan salt, and freshly ground pepper. Did I mention I added loads of parsley?  Because that is exactly what I do when I make soup.  Once the pot was ready, I added the colorful Wacky Mac and a half of a can of chicken broth.  My last step includes the second half of the chicken broth.  I toss in a package of country gravy mix, whip it around and toss it in the soup.  It needed a second pack but it maintained a nice thickness that went well with the soup.

     You know the soup is good when your husband goes back for seconds.  Then I save the rest for lunch this week.  It is amazing that the price of lunch has gone from $4 each day - five years ago - to approximately $6 per day, in my personal experience.  Therefore, I need to buy less lunch and eat more leftovers.  Really, I'm the winner in this situation.

Maybe Frog Soup next Sunday?

The Honeymoon

I just realized that with all the excitement of receiving our GORGEOUS wedding photos, I have forgotten about the honeymoon.  This wondrous event began once we left Campelot and arrived at The Greenbrier!  A historic place that has seen many celebrities and presidents.  This place is something from a fairy tale.  As if you're Cinderella visiting a castle, not your Prince's castle, but one of equal standards.  Honestly, we could have spent our entire two weeks there and still never have left.  Ever.  That must show how much we adore our home state.

The design and decor are impeccable.  The staff unbelievingly friendly. 

We stayed mesmerized, start to finish. 

The Greenbrier is located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  It is very well hidden amongst our Appalachian mountains.  One of the greatest aspects of the resort is the bunker.  We were able to take a tour with the most gracious of guides and learned more than we could have imagined.  If you get a chance, go! 

The sulphur spring

Hebe, the goddess of youth

Beautiful and clean

Impeccable gardening

Taking a walk at night

I wish we would have taken more photos of the interior of The Greenbrier.  Do a quick search on Google Images and take a look.  You will fall in love with the way it transports you to another era.  It is designed after the original decorator, Dorothy Draper, by Carleton Varney.  His taste is exquisite, as is his talent.

This is one place we will visit again, and again.

Nina Garcia's Look Book

I recently finished Nina Garcia's wonderfully illustrated Look Book.  She informs women what is suitable to wear on every single occasion possible!  Her book is complete with quotes from everyone, including Pablo Picasso, Joan Crawford, and even that Al Gore man.

Knowing Nina's background is a must, being the fashion director of Marie Claire magazine and a regular judge on Project Runway, Nina knows (maybe more than anyone else is the business) what she is talking about and it would be wise for all to follow her sage advice.

Here are some of my fav snippets:

The key to style success is knowing what the essence is, and knowing how to effortlessly communication in the language of fashion. - Nina Garcia

If men can run the world, why can’t they stop wearing neckties?  How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a little noose around your neck? - Linda Ellerbee

Take your work seriously, but never yourself. - Margot Fonteyn

Insecurity is a terrible fashion faux pas. - Nina Garcia

I buy expensive suits.  They just look cheap on me. - Warren Buffett

The basic elements of any business woman’s wardrobe should rely on this trio: simple casual suits, tailored dresses, and good separates. - Edith Head

I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping your look relevant; fashion is cyclical and you’ve got to be aware of trends without becoming a slave to them. - Nina Garcia

I never go out unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star.  If you want to see the girl next door, go next door. - Joan Crawford

No, not one of my quotes are about what to wear and where to wear it, that is why you should go grab the book.  Whether you get it from Amazon or your local library, it will not be a waste of your time!

Our Wedding

Brian and I decided to tie the know on September 14, 2010.  We were lucky that the weather coorperated on our special day.  The winds were high and sun shone through the canopy of the trees.  We were blessed with family and friends to help us through the day and all the work the camp required weekends before.

Thank you to everyone.  I love you all very much.

Leslie Tucker of Winding Hill Photography did our photographs and we could not have asked for a sweeter, more talented lady!  Thank you Leslie, we are so thankful for your hard work!