Bri Cooley's Favorite Things- Part 1

I didn't watch The Big O's Favorite Things cuz I knew I would just get mad! this isn't really my FAVORITE things because I don't actually own ANY of it.
I saw that a friend had a posted a Christmas Wish List on his FB page. So I "borrowed" his idea & brought it HERE!

This is a list I have compiled throughout the morning. There is no rhyme or reason, no price list & no chance of me getting some of it, but a girl can dream, can't she? I am posting this now, it's fairly reasonable... I MIGHT get foolish with it later today.

Here goes:

 ZEBRA PRINT SNUGGIE- Judge not lest ye be buying this for me! and it MUST be ZEEBAH print!

The Bobby Flay Grill Pan- which is no longer available on the Kohl's website so whosoinever finds this for me is in my eternal...... gratitude!

 Rachel Ray Casseroval Dish- her voice is grating, but her products are GREAT! I need that color!

Ninja Master Prep- I neeeed it!

The Yudu Personal, tabletop Screen printer- ZOMG I fell in love early one Saturday morning!

XBox 360 with Kinect- YEZZIRRRR!!!

Andrick coat by Anthropologie- *drool drool drool*

Tibi Women's Bastia knee-high boot- it's grey suede DELICIOUSNESS!!! for only $715 sweet bucks!

Minnetonka Tramper & Hi Top Back Zip Boots-

I don't NEED either of these, but I WANT THEM BOTH! I *heart* Minnetonnka shoes!

Kooba Mara                                 Kooba Asher

Kooba Savannah

Haverty's Bayhall upholstered headboard-

 Do you know what kinda SWEET DREAMS I could have?

Anna Sui Classic- I only have a SMALL bottle left... I am wearing it right now & I feel/smell FANTASTIQUE!

OSIM uAstro Zero-Gravity Massage Chair- 

 I would give up all the furniture in my living room for THIS CHAIR!

Nintendo Wii- RED- I want NEEEEEED the red one!



Shoestring Vacay!

(I THOUGHT I posted this last week... but clearly I didn't)

Where have you BEEN, girl?

Atlantic City.

I decided to be fiscally responsible and take a road trip complete with navigation that circumnavigated the tolls! I love an adventure & had a great co-pilot, so we hit Atlantic City. It's the poorman's Vegas. YOU AIN'T KNOW!?!

Actually I chose AC because of my obsession with Boardwalk Empire on HBO. I wanted to walk the streets that Nucky Johnson ruled & breathe the air that the REAL gangsters breathed.

We stayed at the Tropicana which has been redone & has some real SNAZZINESS going on including The Palm & some other restaurants that we didn't eat at because we already have them here in DC!

DAY ONE:
 We had food from the Seafood restaurant which was having a 1/2 off special on the Raw Bar & Rose' wines. We stumbled across a Jersey Blush that was GREAT, but the OVERPRICED wine store in the hotel didn't have it. *Womp Womp*

But let's talk about that Tasting of Crab!!

Then we had a lil lobster:

These were all served with three dips: Red cocktail sauce, GREEN cocktail sauce (which was surprisingly BANGING!), and horseradish. WOWSERS!

DAY TWO:

I woke up & it looked like THIS outside of the window:

There was a building RIGHT NEXT to us, but it was so foggy you couldn't see a thing!

We had breakfast in the hotel. I tried benigets for the first time & they were AMAZING, I could use some right now as a a matter of fact! lol

We walked the boardwalk & the streets of Atlantic City including the outlets. I was pretty upset that I didn't have a coupon for the Coach Outlet. UGH! I fell in love with 2 pairs of boots that didn't fit me quite right:

We watched the game at a GREAT restaurant called Redding's Restaurant. If any of you have ever been to Harlem & had Amy Ruth's then you know what's up. This is the same chef! They had food & drink specials at the bar, YAY! The food was great: maple wings, slider sampler, & deviled eggs. And the bartender, Lenore, was AWESOME! She muddled blueberries for my drink & everything! The bar was so SUPER WELL-STOCKED with liquors, liqueurs and mixers that the bartender was able to be super creative!

 DAY THREE:

More boardwalk perusal than you could shake a stick at. We had pizza on the boardwalk & just enjoyed a day of doing nothing.

We discovered this little treats at a candy store along the boardwalk.

It was BREEZY the whole time and I almost got the swirly eyes from the hypnotic Sex In The City slot machine!

 from: http://alifeofstyle.com/

But I did get to get away & it was MUCH needed! I look forward to going back up that way when the weather gets warmer. It was a great time with great company. So much to see to even be concerned with gambling! You can still feel the history of the place without feeling like you're actually living in the prohibition era! lol

How Young is TOO Young?

Scenario 1-
There was a story out of VA of a 7 year old boy getting shot in the back by his 10 year old brother while hunting with their father. The 7 year old had a pellet gun & the 10 year old had a shotgun. A 10 year old with a shot gun? Is that too young? The 7 year old walked into the path of the 10 year old's shot supposedly.

Scenario 2-
Gwen Stefani and her 4 year old son were seen getting mani-pedis. The little boy had colorful polish on his hands AND feet. Did he ask for this? Is it ok to allow it? Was this mom's idea?

Scenario 3-
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt wants to be a boy. She's 4 years old & demands to be called John. Is this just a phase? Is she too young to be obliged?

How young is too young for children to be exposed to things? How young is too young for children to be able to make their own decisions about some things?

You're 4 & you want to wear a blue shirt instead of a purple shirt, FINE!
You're 4 & you want to wear Spiderman underwear with the flap in front instead of My Little Pony... IdunnoaboutTHAT!

You're 10 & you want to hang out with dad & fix cars instead of mom in the kitchen, FINE!
You're 10 & you want to go HUNTING with dad's & shoot a shotgun... IREALLYdunnoaboutthat!

I understand that children must have the option & freedom to form their own identity. But there MUST be a LINE! When I was younger, I wanted a Hot Wheels garage & service station or something like that that was ALL THAT in the 80s. I got it! BUT I also got a Barbie vanity & a Cabbage Patch Kid. My mother gave me a BALANCE. But I never asked or wanted to smoke a cigarette or learn how to gut a fish. That's dangerous! My mother would never allow me to do something as dangerous as hunting no matter how NEARBY she was!

I just don't understand what goes through some parent's minds. I guess that's why I don't have children, huh?

SAY IT LOUD: I Don't Care & I'm PROUD!

Yesterday, we had the Rev. Al Sharpton visit my place of worship encouraging us to vote. Then our pastor got up and encouraged our voices to be heard adding, "If you don't vote, you're trifling!"

I whole-heartedly agree until I heard someone announce: "Well, I'm trifling, cuz I don't believe in politics," with a straight face.

from: http://www.norcalblogs.com/

There was a young lady that will be voting for the first time on Tuesday and she stated proudly: "Well I'm voting because my voice needs to be heard!" To which the person replied again: "I don't believe in politics." and she promptly received an "Mm." and a side-eye from the young lady & I.

I refused to engage her in any further conversation. What more was there to say, she was loudly & proudly uninformed & makes poor-life decisions, right? What would make you announce something like that not only once, but two times? All I could do was shake my head. Because, basically, what she was saying was: "I let life happen to me & I don't take any action."

After having Al Sharpton come to you directly & your Pastor calling you trifling, you still say that two times and with confidence. While I kinda sorta wanted to know WHY. I realized that nothing this person said would have made any sense. Because the bottom line is: if you don't vote, you cna't complain. I mean, well, you CAN complain, but no one cares.

I could really get deep and go all in, but that's not even necessary because anyone that would announce they don't "believe in politics" at such a time as this, clearly, just doesn't know any better nor do they care.

With that said- Go out there tomorrow & do ya thing!

from: http://www.kevinambler.com/img/vote2010-a.jpg