Toe Jam Free BFFs Seek Pedicures

It ain't easy being cheesy....


Before: Khristin did NOT want her pre-pedicured
toes photographed.... um, here's the compromise.

After: "Pretty n' Pink" completed.


Before: B'bye gnarly toes!

After: Helllllooooo "Wine n' Dine"!!!
(Who thinks up these nail polish names???)

I was looking at my gnarly toes the other day and 'bout went into a conniption fit meltdown. I was DESPERATELY in need of a pedicure! Already, I felt sorry for the person who was going to do my tootsies. A BIG tip was in order for the poor pedicurist undertaking this challenge... sigh.

I called Khristin and we made plans to get our pedicures done today. Prior to our visit, I conducted a li'l prepwork:

1) Shave legs (the "but it's winter" excuse was no longer going to fly). Check.

2) Inspect toes for toe jam. Check.

3) Slather feet with "smells-good" lotion from Christmas gifts stash. Check.

My meticulous preparations completed, I picked up Khristin and we beelined to her favorite nail salon. Note: For the record I made specific requests to get our tootsies done by Asians because...

1) I gotta keep my people gainfully employed due to the woeful state of our economy.

2) No one knows toes like my peeps.

3) I love being asked right away, "you got boyfween? fu special pwice, you get pedicule special fu special pwice.... then you get boyfween."

I want boyfween. Hence, I get pedicures.

Congratz, Dawn & Nicole!

Congratz to my BFFs Dawn and Nicole, my girlz from Charleston!

Together we were low ranking sailors at our first Naval tour in Charleston, SC in 1994... and have come a long way since, baaaby! Dawn and Nicole left America's Finest "Canoe Club" after Charleston and have climbed their way to greater successes:

Dawn (on left): Graduated December 4th with a Masters in Nurse Anesthesia and passed her board certification on December 22nd. Happy Birthday to my BFF Dawn TODAY, December 29th!

Nicole (on right): Entered the Uniformed Public Health Service as a Dental Hygiene Officer and will be promoted to Lieutenant Commander (O-4) on January 1st. Happy Birthday to my BFF Nicole on December 25th! A beautiful Christmas babe.





These pics were from our reunion in Las Vegas last December. Because of births, grad schools and my assignments overseas, it took us 10 years before all 3 of us could be together again. We were toasting our reunion in front of the Bellagio Fountain with the most expensive glass of wine. Nic blindly picked up the tab before any of us realized it was $30 per glass instead of $30 per bottle. Thanx again, Nickie! Below, we did our rendition pose of "Charlie's Angels" before finding our seats for the live production of "Mama Mia" --- which was FABULOUS!


Dawnie & Nic, congratulations on your multiple celebrations! Let's do our next reunion at your ranch in South Dakota, Nickie.... I'm sooo seeing a western "City Slickers" theme... I'll do the planning! LoL.

New Coat For Egypt

The Day after Christmas I met my BFF Khristin of 21 years to check out the "big" sales. However, Khristin and I got started late, um... waaaaaay late as we were to meet at 11 am, but I didn't get to her house until 4 pm! I had a good excuse. I didn't know that I was taking my sister Veronica back home until the morning of - and she lives a far spell. Khristin and I, however, finally met up and made our way to the mall. I found my big "find" there waiting for me at Macy's: a stylish Anne Klein double breasted black and grey herringbone coat.

"um... Hello. My name is Gina ... and I'm into retail therapy and long walks on the beach."

However, the best part of my find was that Macy's took 60% off the original sales price! I couldn't resist buying it, 'cuz one can't have enough coats for Egypt. (yeaaah.... rigggght)

Afterwards we picked up her hubby Kyle, and then headed to the trendy section of downtown W-S to eat dinner at Foothills.

Dinner was delightful, as we discussed their upcoming travels to England and Scotland in March. They will be visiting Khristin's sister Heidi, who married and moved to England last year. Kyle and Khristin are avid travelers. Within the last 7 years, they've managed to travel to Argentina twice, Amsterdam, Belgium, and Paris--- not bad for a couple of landlubbers. LoL. Hopefully, they'll visit me in Egypt while I'm out there. Our talks on traveling re-stimulated my excitement for Egypt. With my last week in the U.S. finishing up next Sunday, the butterflies in my stomach have begun to flutter... and I have found myself channeling Scarlett O'Hara, 'cuz "tomorrow is another day."

Christmas is.... Family Joy

I have always associated Christmas with family and all the feelings that it evokes - love, togetherness, joy - and this year's Christmas was no different, except that it was unseasonably warm. Sweaters were stripped off as we headed outdoors to see the kids play with their new toys.

Here's a rare shot with all the siblings together.

Even more rare is a photo of all the cousins. This is my ONLY photo of all four. Mad props to my sister Pamela for suggesting I get my littlest nephews these battery powered "Lil Quads" for Christmas. It was the first thing that Skylar ran to on Christmas morning, and Zeb couldn't get enough of his as he barreled over the hills and valleys (in his mind) of Nana and Grandpa's front yard.

Zeb and Skylar had a lot of fun four wheeling.

Meanwhile, the other two cousins were having

fun climbing trees.

Two little monkeys sitting in a tree...

S - M - I - L - I - N - G

Future's so bright... gotta wear shades.

Which mommy do I belong to? LoL.

It was great seeing my nephew Rex at Christmas! He was the only nephew that I had not spent time with yet. All the kids were worn out by night's end. Like the famous children's classic, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, they preferred to be "nestled all snugged in their beds, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads".... Here's hoping you and yours had a wonderful holiday, followed with a bevy of dancing sugar plums.

Season's Greetings 2008

Here's wishing you a
memorable holiday filled
with family warmth
and festive yuletide joy!

What's New at Old Salem?

Yesterday my grandmother and I went to the living history town of Old Salem to do the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) Tour and peruse Old Salem's bakery and gift shops. The town of Salem was settled by members of the Moravian Church in the late 1700's. The Moravians were tradesmen who produced tools, ceramics, furniture, metals and food. However, they founded Salem primarily to maintain their faith-based protestant community. In the 1800's Salem experienced a secular transitioning which eventually led the township to merge with a northern town, Winston, to form the new city of Winston-Salem in 1914. Consequently, Old Salem was created in 1950 to preserve the history and integrity of Salem. In 1966, Old Salem was declared a National History Landmark.

We purchased tickets at the Visitor's Center and walked across the bridge that connected us to a re-created perspective of the late 18th century.

At the end of the bridge stood the modern building of Frank L. Horton Museum Center, positioned on the outskirts of town. At the museum Grandmother and I did the guided MESDA Tour, which exhibited Southern decorative textiles, ceramics, paintings, metal ware, and hand crafted furniture in authentic 17th to 19th century period rooms.

Afterwards, we walked the brick lined streets that led to original homes and buildings of Old Salem. Living History workers dressed in period clothes to re-create trade work of that era.

Old Salem produces popular Moravian items year round, but sees a spike in commercial retail around the holidays for their Moravian stars, Moravian beeswax candles, and Moravian cookies. This holiday season Old Salem came out with 2 new items that have been selling like hot cakes at Old Salem: 3-D tin-pressed & pearl Moravian star ornaments and chocolate-dipped gingerbread Moravian cookies. Both have been quick to sell out. If you haven't gotten yours for the holiday season, get 'em while they last. I got mine!

Christmas Galore on the Biltmore Tour

Yesterday, I went to the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC for the Christmas at Biltmore Tour with my hometown BFFs Debbie and Shannon. Every year the Christmas tour is THE highlight of all tours at the Biltmore House, as grounds and interiors transform to an enchanted Christmas wonderland.

George Washington Vanderbilt II, youngest scion to the Vanderbilt shipping and railroad fortune, commissioned the building of this French Renaissance inspired chateau. He opened the Biltmore House's doors for the first time on Christmas Eve 1895. At that time, the Biltmore House was the largest private residence in the U.S. measuring 175,000 sq ft. with over 2 million brickwork hidden behind limestone facade on a 125,000 acre estate. Today, despite its non private residence status, it is still considered America's largest resident home; a worthy American Castle.

During our Christmas tour, the grounds were adorned with a myriad of white-lit trees and luminaries and the interiors decorated with over 100 Christmas trees, 1000 wreaths and bows, and 1800 poinsettias. Live piano accompaniment of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite played under glass roofed illuminated panes of the "Winter Garden" atrium, which added to the ambiance of festive elegance. Inside, the self-guided tour flowed fluidly and we were able to cover all four floors under 2 hours. The chateau had 255 rooms inclusive of a basement bowling alley, indoor swimming pool, and turn-of-the-century exercise equipment room.

The house was majestic and a beacon of opulence as furniture and decor hailed from Vanderbilt's extensive European and Asian travels.

We were not allowed to take photos of its interiors, therefore I uploaded photos from the web to give you an inkling of what we saw.

Here's a great pic of Debbie. I told her it woud look great on next year's Christmas Card. LoL. Doesn't it ooze yuletide cheer?

After our tour we walked over to the stables next door, which had been converted to a courtyard area of shops and eateries. We were taking "blog-ops" of each other, when a hottie approached us to see if we wanted our group pic taken by him. He was so hot we could only nod mutely, and then regretted afterwards that we didn't contrive to buy him a cup of cocoa so we could talk to him longer. LoL.
We did see him again. Shannon was taking my pic when said hottie walked past, and her shot was a reflection of what she was looking at when she clicked on my photo. LoL. I was, um, standing behind him in this shot. If you look closely, you can see part of my coat and scarf.

After the hottie incident, we perused the gift shops, and walked past Dickensesque Christmas Carolers singing in the courtyard. As the evening deepened, I captured a beautiful shot of the Biltmore House reflected by the waters of the outdoor fountain.

Here are more pics from the web that I uploaded. As we left Biltmore House, this is what we saw....

Driving past the the gate house, I couldn't help but feel a little sad that our tour was over. If you haven't done "Christmas at Biltmore", be sure to do so by its closing date on January 4th. You'll find yourself enchanted with the majesty of the Biltmore House and its bounty of Christmas cheer.