lilies for the fillies: The Kentucky Oaks {UPDATED 5/1/10}

I know that most of you know that tomorrow, the 1st Saturday in May, is Louisville's moment in the global spotlight with the Kentuck Derby. But..truth be told, The Kentucky Oaks is the local treasure and my favorite.

There is something extra special about the Oaks in my opinion. It is not as crowded as the Derby (it is getting close though), but it is just as spectacular. From the horses to the fashion to the new "Oaks" mint julep...I am in love.

And personally, the garland of lillies is even more breathtaking than the garland of roses.

The Oaks is a tradition for my mom. Every year, my mom finds the perfect dress and decorates (herself) the PERFECT hat. Then she and her girlfriends are off to day at the races. The first time she invited me, I about fell out of my chair. It was extra special and the experience was all together perfect.

I wanted to share a piece of Oaks with you...just so you could see how and maybe one year, come join me. :)













Ahhh...the infield. Something you should do once...key word is ONCE.




And the most IMPORTANT part of Oaks (and Derby)..the hats. Lovely hats everywhere..such eye candy.

photos by www.kentuckyderby.com

Just a glimpse into our little corner of the world. Maybe one year you can come and join me. I will even help you find and decorate the most perfect hat.

Cheers~
e

UPDATED!!!!!

I wanted to attach pictures of my mother and sister at Oaks....you HAVE to see her hats she made. It was a gorgous day..and the hats...well look at them! Need I say more?

i have been outed

Sooo...it appears that my secret may have seeped out. What secret you are asking? Well, it has come to my attention that a few of you have found out my real name via a blog highlight that featured a few of my projects and included my real name.

Thurgood & I when he was still a baby

New to the secret?

Well...my name is not Megan.

MeganDVD is my alias. Hahaha! I LOVE how that sounds. If only I had Jennifer Garner's body too. :)

Long story, but I created that name when I was 11 and I was on the internet for the 1st time. My dad would NEVER allow me to use my real name (he was always there when I was online -- good dad)..so I used a name I loved.

The DVD? Well there were no DVD's in 1990 so DVD was after my favorite show - The Dick Van Dyke Show. :)

My cousin Patrick (my little brother) & I in Florida.

He spent EVERY summer with us from over 15 years.

There you have it..that was the beginning of MeganDVD.

I have used that screenname forever. It helps me feel safe (I did have an incidence once which is why MeganDVD is now more than ever important to me.) Funny sidenote is that most of my buddies from the Nest or the Knot (remember that?) would not know who to look for if I used any other name.

During my pilgrimage to Room & Board....this pic was taken especially for one of my oldest & dearest online buddies war_eagle & her fixation with the Ian sofa

So - now you know.

Whew...what a relief.

I truly treasure my relationships that I have here but after a few recent emails, I thought I should make you aware of the situation to avoid any confusion or hurt feelings. I also do not want anyone to feel deceived. Believe me when I say this...you are so cherished that words seem to fail how much I think of you.

Which is why I believe I should address this matter.

And I KNOW you have always been a tad curious as to why I sign with an ~e~. Well, I assume I may have shed some light on that.

Cheers~
e

PS And I also know that having probably the only son NAMED Thurgood would make me an easy find, but all the same...I cling to MeganDVD like my strawberry blankie (ohh...I will save that for another revealing post).

a little ruffle..and it was meant to be

I am a girl who LOVES symmetry. I think balance is so important and I find my eye tends to focus in on patterns and dual images. (I know I am such a science nerd at heart.)

And so in finessing my master bedroom in the hopes of acheiving SOME area I can call bliss (oh do I need it now more than ever), I have come to a halt. As much as I want balance on my dresser wall, it is not going to happen.

Instead, I am embracing the assymmetrical...the unbalanced (which mirrors my world right now) and focusing on comfort.

What I WANT right now...this very minute, is a lovely slipcovered chair (with a ruffled edge of course) and an ottoman to match.

image via Pottery Barn (was there ever a doubt?)

Ahhh, it is so dreamy! All that is missing is my huge 2.5 inch binder of notes, Atticus clawing at the side, and a Diet Coke.

Oh and wait! Is that Battan Board I spy behind the chair? Could this be a sign?

Now all I have to do is scour Craig's List until I can find something to achieve this look.

Oh!

I also need to find someone to help me make a slipcover (meaning I study while you sew). I will give you all the sweet tea and Derby pie you desire. :)

Cheers~
e

*sniff-kisses*

I wish I could call each one of you personally and thank you for your thoughts and prayers...because of you I have such a strength, such a support system, that I will be ever so grateful for.

And today, I have such a light heart..today was an AMAZING day.

After lunch today, my mom called me and told me that Lola was in great spirits asking about Thurgood. Well I stopped what I was doing (playing a SpongeBob Xbox game with Thurgood) and started to scramble for shoes and socks to head over to the rehab facility.

While I was struggling with perfecting the line on his socks across his toes (only MY child would not want it any other way), Thurgood asked me if he could bring "Nana" one of his animals to sleep with at night since she is sleeping alone and not feeling well.

I said of course and he went off to retrieve a stuffed animal. He returned with his lion because "Nana likes yellow."

I was nervous about walking into that room with Thurgood and seeing Lola, but the second we stepped into that room, she called to him...she said his name! Lola asked Thurgood to come play with her bed remote (2 months ago Lola showed Thurgood how he can raise and lower her, which they both thoroughly enjoyed)...I was floored.

Lola and Thurgood
(with my dad hiding from the picture so it could be just them)

I know my Lola would HATE that I am showing this picture because her hair was a mess and she had no makeup, but having her aware of who Thurgood was...trumps all of the above.

Granted Lola did not say my name or speak a word to me, but when I said goodbye...I got my *sniff-kiss*and truth be told, that was all I needed.

Cheers~
e

P.S. I can't help but notice I am *sniff-kissing* Thurgood at night...try it one night when your babies are fast asleep. I guarantee you will treasure it.

being strong means it is ok to be weak sometimes

School was rough this week...but life brought me to my knees.

Lola is not doing well and I just do not have the strength to detail the issues of the day and my fears for tomorrow. I feel so torn that I can not do more for her, or more for my grandfather, or more for my mother.

If I could though....I would loan Lola my mind, if just for a moment, so she would recognize her husband as he lovingly holds her hand.

If I could though....I would loan Lola my voice, if just for a moment, so she could tell her daughter she loves her.

If I could though....I would loan Lola my body, if just for a moment, so she can run and play with Thurgood.

Somehow not being called Pangking or being "kissed" by my Lola in that famous Filipino *sniff-kiss* way...rocks my foundation.

And yet...all I can do is tell her I love her and *sniff-kiss* her.

e

get thee to a target {for a CUTE PB knockoff}

Oh how I love Tar~jay. There is something about the red bullseye that speaks to me. So after a monotonous day of studying on Friday, I treated myself to a little Target excursion.

Have you seen these little precious candleholders from PB? They are soooo cute, but $7.50 each? Ick!

Well as I walked into Target, I found myself rummaging through the $1 bins and found this:

Close enough to the PB inspiration to catch my eye.

Simple...precious...and only $1? I immediately grabbed 8 more of her girlfriends. I have an idea/project in mind. :)

I should mention one of them came crashing down by my foot as I placed them in my cart, but that did not stop me from grabbing every clear one they had (they come in pink, green, and blue).

So....just thought I would share a cute little find with you....It is ONLY $1! And I am trying to figure out if I should get 3 more.

Perfection!!

Cheers~
e

"lovely" science project - the goods behind the will {part deux}

Somewhere in the distant future I will be finished with pharmacy school and can return to a life filled with simple pleasures and loveliness.

Here is my latest little project that I have smooshed between 2 rather intense exams. FYI...every day, EVERY DAY I have an exam OR quiz.

Inspired my by love for science and nature, here is my lovely little project:



Using the same font that inspired my PB Numbered Pillows and using FREE test tubes (hehe...love being a former teacher), I took my $1 Goodwill test tube rack from this:

And made it oh so pretty:



Come Spring...I swoon over pink.

I can not help but smile when I look at my little project. It is just perfect for making a window more Spring worthy.

Or even a garage floor more lovely.


Just know that my little pharmacy world doesn't hold a candle to my little blog world. :)

Cheers~
e

it is fabulous when it is free

I can not believe it is Wednesday! Having 1 class all day, every day for 6 hours is EXHAUSTING. So please forgive me if you feel neglected....in less than 72 hrs..I have neglected much just to keep my head above the water.

I adore you, my readers..my friends, but as you know I am a student, mom, wife, AND then blogger. Do not for a second believe I take you for granted...I just completely believe in our unconditional friendship.

Wanted to share with you a FREE bench that I got at Kohls. Yes...FREE! My neighbor had some Kohl's cash and GAVE all of it to me. I went there and found this beauty on sale. I have wanted a bench at the end of my bed for quite some time but have found nothing...at least nothing within my price range.


Right now I have a wooden box in there that holds some of Mr. B's special momentos and I used (ok..don't laugh), but my cream popcorn dish (with the wording turned around to the back) that holds a few of my scarves.

The coloring is perfect and I imagine changing the fabric on the seat to go with the finished room.

It is slightly smaller than I would have liked. But does size matter when it is FREE?

As you can see from the pictures..I am back to my "night" shots. Oh well...it gives me an excuse to perfect my skills...my staging..and lighting (which is lacking in these pictures). :)

Hope you still find visiting my little world inspiring. So many of you inspire me beyond words.

Cheers~
e

happy easter

I'm so in love with Spring, and for me it begins with Easter and the sightings of the lovely daffodil.

At my parents' home (which was built by my great-great grandparents for my great grandparents as a gift) I was blessed with having a great grandmother who adored the daffodil. She planted over 1000 bulbs behind her yellow farmhouse.

Far from the Big Fish 10,000 bulbs, but nonetheless every spring there is a breathtaking view of yellow from my former bedroom window (now Thurgood's bedroom).


Ahhh Spring - it's delightful how annually it continues to surprise me with it's wonderfulness. It has completely faded from memory how last year, we went through the same ritual of shedding the sweaters, opening the windows - hmmm, spring amnesia, I like you. We've loved the evening walks the recent weather has encouraged and yesterday it dawned on me that soon my little Thurgood will be 3.

Happy Easter to you and your families..and welcome Spring. It is so pleasant to meet you again.

Cheers~
e