If you're looking for a new movie to watch, Slumdog Millionaire is it. A dramatic, action-packed, critically acclaimed love story with stellar performances and beautiful settings. You couldn't ask for more. Go now.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Christmas & New Year in Florida
Happy New Year! The Conner-Taylor apartment was super busy over the holidays as my parents, Matt's mom, and my sister and brother-in-law came to visit for a week. I thought I'd do a quick Q&A post about their visit.
Question: What is the perfect Christmas gift for three sisters in their late twenties?
Question: What is the perfect Christmas gift for three sisters in their late twenties?
Answer: Coloring books and crayons, of course!
Thanks Aunt Sue! You should be receiving refrigerator art in the mail :) Katie and I cropped our picture because there should be no evidence of "bed head" floating around the web. But Lindsey was looking cute enough for an un-edited pic. PS. We also loved the cards filled with money! Thanks everyone!
Question: What locale conjures that warm Merry Christmas feeling better than any other?
Question: What locale conjures that warm Merry Christmas feeling better than any other?
Answer: Sun and sand at Cocoa Beach!
While the fam was visiting, we took a day trip to the beach to walk along the pier and eat delicious seafood. I vote for lobster and shrimp over turkey every year!
Other fun moments included: watching ultra-sound videos of Lindsey's baby (yay!), "girls day" pedicures, tanning by the pool, shopping, trash-talking games of euchre, and eating a ton of food! And after all of that, I think it's time for a nap.
Question: How do you entertain 8 people for 4 hours in a 1,000 sq ft apartment?
Answer: Jenga on a glass-top table.
The glass table top is key as it makes for a spectacularly loud crash when the tower finally topples!
Other fun moments included: watching ultra-sound videos of Lindsey's baby (yay!), "girls day" pedicures, tanning by the pool, shopping, trash-talking games of euchre, and eating a ton of food! And after all of that, I think it's time for a nap.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Lazy post
We had a fabulous Thanksgiving with Katie and Robby! But Katie already posted pics on her blog, so I'm just going to point you in that direction ;-)
We also enjoyed some delicious food at Animal Kingdom... and again, I point you to Katie's blog ;-) This is the only way to post!!
We also enjoyed some delicious food at Animal Kingdom... and again, I point you to Katie's blog ;-) This is the only way to post!!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Just for Katie...
We haven't done a post in a while... and other than working and going to the Disney parks almost every weekend, not much is new. However, after a visit to the fabulous MouseGear shop at Epcot (think the Disney Store on crack), Matt and I brought home this lovely new throw... and Katie's been giving us Hell ever since. So you tell us... have we gone overboard yet? Oh, and speaking of overboard, I've got to go check on those Disney Cruise Line deals! :)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Disney Daytrip
When Whitney, Katie, and I got the mail this past Saturday, Saturdays equal group-adventure-to-the-mailbox-day, we noticed one envelope stood out from the others. It had an aura of happy and it giggled a little when you shook it. It was our Disney passes! Our keys to the Kingdom...Magic Kingdom of coarse, and Animal Kingdom and Epcot and Hollywood Studios...they all had arrived! So, what do you do with such power? You decide at 4pm to take a trip to Epcot and experience the International Food & Wine Festival...ON A WHIM!!!
We took showers, hopped in the car, and were in the park by 5:30. That gave us only one and a half hours to hit Future World, the rides portion of Epcot. Luckily, Whitney was on top of her game. She had Katie reading our options to us from Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando 2008. From the backseat, Katie spat options like a rabid Tasmanian Devil while Whitney navigated the back lots. (That whole Tasmanian Devil thing was a bit of dramatization. Katie is a lady and probably doesn't even know how to spit.)
We decided on Living with the Land and Soarin', two informative rides. Yeah, we know we're nerds...what of it? Living with the Land started out slow, but proved well worth it once we got to the future of horticulture section. It was unbelievable. Seriously, I'm not sure I believe it. They were growing nine pound lemons. Crazy! Next, we headed for Soarin' to enjoy a simulated glider ride over various California landscapes. Beautiful...I imagine. It was a 55 minute wait. The Seas with Nemo and Friends was only five. We likes 'dim numbers! Again, things started out slow, but became totally gnarly when an animated Nemo, along with other memorable characters from the beloved movie, were, somehow, projected into actual aquariums and swam with dolphins, sharks, and varius other marine life. But, by far, the highlight of the ride was watching kids, and their parents, talk to Crush, the surfer sea turtle. The animated turtle selected auidence members to ask him questions, which he then answered in his own way... Duuuuuuuuuuude, it was totally swwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttt!!!
We took showers, hopped in the car, and were in the park by 5:30. That gave us only one and a half hours to hit Future World, the rides portion of Epcot. Luckily, Whitney was on top of her game. She had Katie reading our options to us from Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando 2008. From the backseat, Katie spat options like a rabid Tasmanian Devil while Whitney navigated the back lots. (That whole Tasmanian Devil thing was a bit of dramatization. Katie is a lady and probably doesn't even know how to spit.)
We decided on Living with the Land and Soarin', two informative rides. Yeah, we know we're nerds...what of it? Living with the Land started out slow, but proved well worth it once we got to the future of horticulture section. It was unbelievable. Seriously, I'm not sure I believe it. They were growing nine pound lemons. Crazy! Next, we headed for Soarin' to enjoy a simulated glider ride over various California landscapes. Beautiful...I imagine. It was a 55 minute wait. The Seas with Nemo and Friends was only five. We likes 'dim numbers! Again, things started out slow, but became totally gnarly when an animated Nemo, along with other memorable characters from the beloved movie, were, somehow, projected into actual aquariums and swam with dolphins, sharks, and varius other marine life. But, by far, the highlight of the ride was watching kids, and their parents, talk to Crush, the surfer sea turtle. The animated turtle selected auidence members to ask him questions, which he then answered in his own way... Duuuuuuuuuuude, it was totally swwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttt!!!
After the brief exposure to rides, we proceeded towards the International Food & Wine Festival for yummy drinks and snacks. We sampled fare from Canada, Poland, and France, leaving us only 27 countries. The food was exquisite, the drinks expensive/tasty, and the scenery was ethereal. Seriously, look at those skies!!!
So, to summarize, naah-nah-naah-nah-naah-nah (sing-songy)!!! :-P
And we're going again this weekend. How much do you hate us?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
First days of work!
Last week, Katie started her first day at Heery International and together we wrote a post on her blog about "First day" traditions. Today, I'm reposting that blog with my own "First day" of work pics. Enjoy ;-)
"First day" traditions- originally appeared on Katie's blog last week:
The glorious legacy began 22 years ago at a McAlpin's register. Whitney was in line with mom and grandma Peggy when she spied a red Rainbow-Brite umbrella. The purchase would inform her fashion, and sense of humor, for years to come. While the umbrella was memorable, the purpose of the trip was Back-to-School shopping, and resulted in many outfits of Spumoni, Osh-Kosh-Be-Gosh, and Khaki-cuteness. After this successful and fun day, Peggy declared it a tradition, topped only by Derby Day.
In the next two and three years, respectively, Lindsey and Katie received their prestigious invitation to join The Event. It didn't stop there. Luckily our family was blessed with seven granddaughters, each of whom was initiated into the yearly retail ritual before the first day of school.
The first stop was always McAlpins, as Aunt Susan worked there and could scout the newest styles and deals. As youngsters, we were easy to please, however, as we matured so did our personal styles.
Whitney:
Princess and the Pea Complex- no itchy fabrics like wool, no tight turtle necks, and no sleeve rolling (although she did tight roll her pants in middle school-ha!). In high school, she was a Total Bitch. Nothing pleased her. She refused to try anything on unless it was brown or black. She had that flannel-grunge-thing going for her, or against her. Later on, she improved. She added reds and pink to her repertoire. And she started to take advice from her fashion forward family.
Lindsey:
Lindsey liked it all, the shopping and the clothes. Consistently classic, she liked stripes, solids, denim and khaki. She despised Whitney's inevitable rummage through her closet to find the newest (unworn) addition to her wardrobe, stealing her thunder and wearing it first. But she did get a nice superiority boost by bitching Whitney out ALL the way to school.
Katie:
At an early age, like 3(!), Katie had developed her own style. She didn't want the gray pea coat that mom picked out and bought, she wanted the purple one. Distraught by the pain of betraying the purple coat, she burst into tears when modeling it for great-grandmother Sara Newt. (Sara Newt remedied said situation by demanding that mom exchange the coat for the appropriate color. More to come on "The Spoiling of the Grandchildren" by Sara Newt in a coming post.) From then on, Katie was not afraid to voice her opinion on fashion choices. As a result, Katie could be found in the best wears, with her eclectic-before-the-trend style, which gave her that "unapproachable look."
With our shiny new wardrobes in closet, we would spend an hour, minimum, getting ready for The First Day. We chose the outfits based on majority votes, men excluded, followed by hair styling, shoe picking, and later, bad make-up application. We were ready by 6:30 am when Aunt Robin would pick us up and drive us to the end of the lane to wait for the bus. There we were, seven groggy, yet beautiful and dressed to the nines, granddaughters huddled together at the end of VanDeren Lane. At the butt-crack of dawn, we waited. Aunt Robin got out her camera, and snapped the first picture. Beginning to dismantle, Robin would flail, "Megan had her eyes closed!" Rolling our eyes and making snide comments we always had to take at least five photos before she was satisfied. :-)
We never escaped the dreaded "First Day of School" picture, even when we went to college at UK. There she was, with her camera, waiting eagerly for us to drop by Funkhouser Building (where she worked) and where she would take at least five photos.
And so, this post is dedicated to all of the wonderful women who enabled our addiction to shopping, and saying cheese. Here is my "First Day of Work" picture, complete with new outfit and new haircut, highlighted by a classic vogue pose. My "Day Two" pic illustrates my new Disney look- with name tag, company ID, and Mickey trading pin! Also, I'm wearing the cutest new navy, patent leather open-toed shoes, which unfortunately are not very visible. Perhaps I will devote a future post to the shoes ;-)
"First day" traditions- originally appeared on Katie's blog last week:
The glorious legacy began 22 years ago at a McAlpin's register. Whitney was in line with mom and grandma Peggy when she spied a red Rainbow-Brite umbrella. The purchase would inform her fashion, and sense of humor, for years to come. While the umbrella was memorable, the purpose of the trip was Back-to-School shopping, and resulted in many outfits of Spumoni, Osh-Kosh-Be-Gosh, and Khaki-cuteness. After this successful and fun day, Peggy declared it a tradition, topped only by Derby Day.
In the next two and three years, respectively, Lindsey and Katie received their prestigious invitation to join The Event. It didn't stop there. Luckily our family was blessed with seven granddaughters, each of whom was initiated into the yearly retail ritual before the first day of school.
The first stop was always McAlpins, as Aunt Susan worked there and could scout the newest styles and deals. As youngsters, we were easy to please, however, as we matured so did our personal styles.
Whitney:
Princess and the Pea Complex- no itchy fabrics like wool, no tight turtle necks, and no sleeve rolling (although she did tight roll her pants in middle school-ha!). In high school, she was a Total Bitch. Nothing pleased her. She refused to try anything on unless it was brown or black. She had that flannel-grunge-thing going for her, or against her. Later on, she improved. She added reds and pink to her repertoire. And she started to take advice from her fashion forward family.
Lindsey:
Lindsey liked it all, the shopping and the clothes. Consistently classic, she liked stripes, solids, denim and khaki. She despised Whitney's inevitable rummage through her closet to find the newest (unworn) addition to her wardrobe, stealing her thunder and wearing it first. But she did get a nice superiority boost by bitching Whitney out ALL the way to school.
Katie:
At an early age, like 3(!), Katie had developed her own style. She didn't want the gray pea coat that mom picked out and bought, she wanted the purple one. Distraught by the pain of betraying the purple coat, she burst into tears when modeling it for great-grandmother Sara Newt. (Sara Newt remedied said situation by demanding that mom exchange the coat for the appropriate color. More to come on "The Spoiling of the Grandchildren" by Sara Newt in a coming post.) From then on, Katie was not afraid to voice her opinion on fashion choices. As a result, Katie could be found in the best wears, with her eclectic-before-the-trend style, which gave her that "unapproachable look."
With our shiny new wardrobes in closet, we would spend an hour, minimum, getting ready for The First Day. We chose the outfits based on majority votes, men excluded, followed by hair styling, shoe picking, and later, bad make-up application. We were ready by 6:30 am when Aunt Robin would pick us up and drive us to the end of the lane to wait for the bus. There we were, seven groggy, yet beautiful and dressed to the nines, granddaughters huddled together at the end of VanDeren Lane. At the butt-crack of dawn, we waited. Aunt Robin got out her camera, and snapped the first picture. Beginning to dismantle, Robin would flail, "Megan had her eyes closed!" Rolling our eyes and making snide comments we always had to take at least five photos before she was satisfied. :-)
We never escaped the dreaded "First Day of School" picture, even when we went to college at UK. There she was, with her camera, waiting eagerly for us to drop by Funkhouser Building (where she worked) and where she would take at least five photos.
And so, this post is dedicated to all of the wonderful women who enabled our addiction to shopping, and saying cheese. Here is my "First Day of Work" picture, complete with new outfit and new haircut, highlighted by a classic vogue pose. My "Day Two" pic illustrates my new Disney look- with name tag, company ID, and Mickey trading pin! Also, I'm wearing the cutest new navy, patent leather open-toed shoes, which unfortunately are not very visible. Perhaps I will devote a future post to the shoes ;-)
First day of work- Vogue Style
Second day of work and covered in Disney!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Yet another pretty meal
I'm starting to feel a little like Rachel Ray, but we've been trying so many new recipes that I just can't help myself. I have to post the pictures. Tonight for dinner we had Grilled Shrimp Tacos, compliments of Real Simple magazine. It's light, refreshing, and flavorful thanks to the sour cream sauce made with mayo, milk, and cumin. Calories= 500.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Me Employed, You Envious
In case you haven't heard, I'm employed...well sorta. I am now a marketing intern at G&G advertising. I landed this gig as a direct result of my "unique" portfolio. I'm not sure what was meant by that comment, but I'll take it. :-) Let's start at the beginning.
When Whitney and I first moved to Orlando, I set out to find a creative position in advertising. Major obstacle: I had zero experience in advertising. I vaguely remember working to obtain this thing...it indicates a sound knowledge base and ability to perform. What is that thing called again? Oh, right. A degree. In English, no less. I knew it would come to me. I hoped that all those years spent amassing writings and an impressive library (or so I'm told) would in some way benefit me in my career search. And it did. I compiled a sample of works, from travel writing to blog posts, that demonstrated my range as a writer, called it a portfolio, and bam! Oh no, no, no. We need an Emeril style, over-the-top, emphatic BAM!!! Much better. That was all it took to find the entry level career of my dreams. Well, that and a willingness to work for free. Who needs money when you have an awesome sugar momma?!
So, now I go to work every day, excited to learn the inner workings of G&G advertising. Once I get over the "Hey, I'm new here and you all scare me," acclimation phase, I think I will love working for the Gs. Here's a video of the office ambiance...aren't you jealous?
When Whitney and I first moved to Orlando, I set out to find a creative position in advertising. Major obstacle: I had zero experience in advertising. I vaguely remember working to obtain this thing...it indicates a sound knowledge base and ability to perform. What is that thing called again? Oh, right. A degree. In English, no less. I knew it would come to me. I hoped that all those years spent amassing writings and an impressive library (or so I'm told) would in some way benefit me in my career search. And it did. I compiled a sample of works, from travel writing to blog posts, that demonstrated my range as a writer, called it a portfolio, and bam! Oh no, no, no. We need an Emeril style, over-the-top, emphatic BAM!!! Much better. That was all it took to find the entry level career of my dreams. Well, that and a willingness to work for free. Who needs money when you have an awesome sugar momma?!
So, now I go to work every day, excited to learn the inner workings of G&G advertising. Once I get over the "Hey, I'm new here and you all scare me," acclimation phase, I think I will love working for the Gs. Here's a video of the office ambiance...aren't you jealous?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Installment Two: Diet a la Whitney
Started the day off right with yummy pancakes and blackberry syrup. Usually, I'm a maple syrup kinda gal, but Matt found this blackberry goodness at the local farmer's market. It's so heavenly.
Now, you'd think that meal would eat up all my calories for the day, but luckily it was only 586, leaving plenty of room for the salad recipe Katie and I discovered in the new issue of Domino magazine. Super simple, the salad consists of 2 pears (sauteed in olive oil), mixed greens, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. We added some pecans and freshly grated parmesan to make it even more fabulous. Mmm.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Dessert and Exercise
Mmm. Peaches and brown sugar. The first step to a healthy balanced lifestyle... a la Whitney.
Surprisingly, this dish (one large peach, 2 tsp. brown sugar, cinnamon, and cool whip) only contains 115 calories. It's all part of my new fitness regimine... 30 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week, and a 1500 calorie diet. Results to follow.
Oh, and my sister, Katie, has joined us in paradise. She will be staying with us for 6 months while she works as an intern for Heery International. I'm sure our hijinx will end up as posts eventually!
Katie, and her cute new hairstyle.
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