4 - running in place.

The snow started coming down today around 3:00 PM.  It started falling and accumlating very quickly.
By the time I left work at 3:52 PM the roads were already slippery. The speed limit on 65N was more like 35 mph instead of 70 mph.  What normally is a 20 minute drive from Cool Springs to Green Hills took 2 hours, yep that's right...I was fine until I got to Hillsboro Pike.  The slight incline after St. Paul's caused a major backup.  Folks were literally getting out of their cars and walking five miles home.  Luckily I made it home with no problems.  Justin on the other hand...

Left work at 5:30 PM and got home around 8:00 PM.  He was about 10 feet from turning in our condo complex when he got stuck.  The 4 Runner is not 4-wheel drive.  I couldn't help but laugh when me and three of our neighbors were pushing and pushing, snow and ice being slung upon us.  They were all like, "This thing isn't four wheel drive?"  Justin laughed too - he was like, "I felt like such a tool having to have my 4-Runner pushed!" We got him pushed off and parked safely.  Next we helped the Mazda Miata get over the hump and into the complex as well.  It was really cool to see everyone helping.  There were so many cars parked b/c they were stuck!

We were thankful to be home, safe, eating yummy spaghetti and warming up.  I had to share this picture of our shoes piled up by the back door.

Tomorrow morning will be interesting when everyone comes back for their cars.

Stay warm and safe!

career coach.

So for those of you who know me - I am a recruiter.  I truly love what I do - getting to help people find the right job as well as give them career counseling.  The Nest had a great article this month that really hit home.  It gives great advice as to how to climb the corporate ladder.

1) Work your butt off.  It might mean coming home late (yes I am all about work/life balance), but nothing pays off more than good ole fashioned hard work. Go above and beyond and life will get easier at the top.

2) Stay away from office gossip.  This is huge!  Remember this quote: "Small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events and great minds discuss ideas.  Stay clear of the drama.  Really, who has time to sit around and talk about others. Spend your time becoming better at your career and raising your character.

3) Dress for the job you want.  I work in a pretty casual environment, but even still, each day I try to dress for success.  It sounds cliche but it does pay off.  People notice the little things - how you carry yourself, how you dress, your over all confidence.  This goes a long way in an office environment.

4) Leave your personal business at home.  Think about it - no one cares that your husband hurt your feelings last night or that your son has a runny nose.  Keep it business personal - meaning, share enough, but focus on work at work.  Let your coworkers stay focused as well.  Again...it goes back to staying clear of drama.

5) Be flexible.  With the wonderful state of our economy you probably have noticed we are being asked to do more with less.  If you can survive the storm, you will move up the ladder faster when the the dust settles and the storm blows over.

6) Toot your own horn.  Arrange biweekly meetings with your boss to discuss your goals.  Have an outline ready to present.  If you don't promote yourself, no one else will.  Don't hold back your great ideas!

7) Grab a mentor.  Yes, this means putting time on the Outlook calender to meet once a month.  Think of someone you want to be one day.  Take them to lunch or coffee and ask them how they got to where they are.  Be sure to do your homework so you are armed with solid questions.

For more check out these Interview Tips.

Happy Promo! 


{copy credit: The Nest - Winter 2011}
{photo credit: The Office}

shoe heaven.

My parents came to visit this weekend.  My mom was dying to go to Marty and Liz.  It is the best shoe store ever!  They have all brands from Tory Burch, Coach, Jessica Simpson, Steve Madden and Nine West.  The average price per pair is $24.99.  You really can't beat it.  My mom bought four pairs of shoes (never been worn) for under $100.  Make sure you look each pair over carefully.  Sometimes a size 7 will be paired with a 7.5, etc.  The only thing wrong with them is that they have been tried on a dozen times or been worn by models.  

I highly suggest checking out Marty and Liz your next visit to Nashville or the next time you make it out to Cool Springs.  


2000 Mallory Ln # 210 
Franklin, TN 37067 
(615) 435-8125

Open Mon-Sat 9 AM til 9 PM


Happy Shopping!

Laissez les bon temps rouler...

My best friend, Celinda, and her boyfriend, Matt, came to visit from Atlanta this weekend.  They couldn't find Abita Strawberry in Atlanta, so Justin suggested we hunt down this amazing tasting beer in Nashville.  We ended up at Frugal Macdoogal.  They have it all at the best prices in town.  At first we didn't see the Abita Strawberrry, but as we rounded the corner, there it was...

Ahhh....Celinda was beside herself.  They bought three boxes full.  People, this stuff is good.  The clerk at Frugal said they just got it in Wednesday and they will be sold out by Sunday.  They only make a limited amount.  So in honor of Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday - go out and get your strawberry treat. And yes, this stuff is made in New Orleans...

Let the good times roll!

bon appétit...

It is time for Mardi Gras and that means time for my favorite cake - a king cake.  The Turnip Truck Urban Fare in the Gulch has the best king cake in Nashville.  It is delic with milk, flour, eggs and sugar. After it is rolled out it is covered with butter, cinnamon and sugar.  The cream cheese filling is to die for!  A food for thought - the green. gold, and purple on the king cake represent faith, power, and justice.  Since the Turnip Truck is all natural - they used spinach, kale, carrot, and beet juice for color instead of food coloring.  Now that is my kind of cake.

Don't be surprised to find a plastic baby in a lucky bite.  This means you have luck for the year.  Mardi Gras is on March 8th.

Enjoy!

{copy credit: nashville scene- carrington fox}

art that is goldsworthy.

So now that I have told you how great the Apple TV is, I will talk about the documentary we watched on it the other night - Andy Goldsworthy's Rivers and Tides: Working With Time.

Andy Goldsworthy is one of my favorite artists. He is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist living in Scotland who produces site-specific sculpture and land artsituated in natural and urban settings. His art involves the use of natural and found objects, to create both temporary and permanent sculptures which draw out the character of their environment.  It is just beautiful to watch him use the earth to create such masterpieces.  The photography is a key part of Andy's art to let others see how time effects the change. 


Here are some of my favorites: 

"My art is an attempt to reach beyond the surface appearance. I want to see growth in wood, time in stone, nature in a city, and I do not mean its parks but a deeper understanding that a city is nature too-the ground upon which it is built, the stone with which it is made." - Andy Goldsworthy

{photo credits: www.ulike.net}
{copy credits: www.wikipedia.com}

we feed our tv an apple a day...

A fabulous Christmas present Justin and I got was the Apple TV from his brother, Brandon.  With Apple TV we can rent movies and shows directly from our phones.  It connects to our TV through the HDMI cable and connects to our computer through our wireless.  (Dudes, I know you are with me...chicas, are you still there?) Our I-phones have an app that acts as a remote.  (As you see below, it comes with a remote as well).  The latest thing Justin added was the Netflix rentals.  We are able to rent the movies right to our set.  Other very cool features include access to the iTunes Store and media streaming from our iPhoto and iTunes libraries.  The best part is that is small and very discret, so you put it in any room.

{photo credit: amazon.com}

Happy Watching!