Deals A Plenty!

I am going to apologize for the lack of photos or examples in this post, but I still have to get the 3 of us packed for our flight tomorrow morning. Yes...here is a tip for those of you that don't like to cook Thanksgiving dinner...don't leave for your destination until Thanksgiving morning.

And in advance of our flight tomorrow...THANK YOU to the men and women of American Airlines for working on Thanksgiving so I don't have to!

I did want to pass on the Black/Pink Friday deals that I know of:

KEP Designs...and you know you have had your eye on one (or more!) of her necklaces is offering 20% off with code: GOBBLE2009 through November 30th.

Ralph Lauren's Friends and Family 25% Sale started on the 24th and will run through December 7th with code: HOL2009

LaPlates is offering 20% off with code: thanks09 through November 29th.

Piggy Paint...if you don't follow them on twitter your should! They are favorite of Mini K and as a mom I don't mind her wanting to paint her nails with their non-toxic nail polish. They are have been promising an amazing Black Friday deal on twitter for over a week so make sure to follow them before Friday. Tell them GroveGalK sent you. I will let you know that their gift sets of 3 polishes make GREAT birthday or camp care package gifts so buy early!

Bendels....and Dallas ladies, this is where I will be Friday morning! 40% off their Bath & Body Collection before 10am and 25% off their candles and sweet treats before 10am. The email didn't give me a code, just let me know that these were the store specials.

Bliss is offering a great deal. 30% off 2 or more Bliss items with code: GIFT30. What better way to make your own gift basket than with 30% off?

I promise to post any comment with a coupon code and to post codes as I get them tomorrow. I will warn you, I will be posting in transit tomorrow from my iphone so please forgive me if it is not pretty.

And finally, as the very thankful mom of a now healthy child I cannot help but think of all of the children and parents spending Thanksgiving at St. Jude's. So if you see their Thanks and Giving Green signs as you shop on Friday, it's only a $1 and it is such an amazing place.

And with that, I am off to make sure Mini K hasn't kicked off her covers and finish the packing.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

A Monster of A Good Time...Recap Part 2

I promised you the rest of my warehouse recap. I must say thank you to the amazing ladies who organized such a fun meet up in the KoP. I met so many truly talented women and I also must thank them for helping me spread the word about a friend's new business. And full disclosure...NO I don't work for this business, but I do think it is simply FABULOUS.

Dawn is the talent behind Monster Cookie Co. and let me say her cookies are not only STUNNING they taste great. After all how could a business based on creativity and pink & green not be a success. She was kind enough to make some Lilly P themed cookies that I was only too happy to share. I still cannot get over the fact that the icing is all done by hand.

This might be my new favorite handbag....

A miniture version of the Originals Collection....

Here are a few of Dawn's ther creations...

These cookies are like a walking tour of D.C.--without the traffic, lines or blisters!

Can you believe this is a cookie?

I am a Texan, but after attending college in Boston, I must say I do love the Red Sox Nation!

So if you are looking for a great care package, gift or party favor, just tell Dawn your theme, wait for your delivery man and look like Martha Stewart with time to spare!

Trip Recap Part 1

I am back from the pink haze known as the Lilly Pulitzer Warehouse Sale. I had a mission, well besides shopping all of the amazing deals. I wanted to thank Trisha and the rest of Lilly Team for showing Mini K so much kindness before her surgery last spring. Well we all know that in the South we cook to say thank you....or in my case we call in the help of a professional. The professional in this case was a professional baker who is also a Lilly lover!

Excuse the photos taken in my car before the delivery, but I forgot to take them before I left for the sale. Words couldn't express how thankful I always will be to the Lilly team, but I hope the sugar helped during all of those crazy sale hours!

With my mission accomplished, it was time to shop, and shop I did. The girls sample size was Mini K's size so I stocked up, picked up more than a few Christmas gifts and of course a few things for me. The sale really was well worth the trip and after a quick rest I joined

some fellow Lilly lovers for dinner. It was so much fun, but truly deserves its own post.

Pink & Green Are In My Future

The Grove has been busy....and we are thrilled! The last week has been a blur of processing holiday orders, my day job, and too many children's birthday parties to count, but all of them fun.

But starting tomorrow, for the next 36 hours, I am letting Calgon take me away (BTW, if you don't know what that means, please DON'T email me and make me feel old!). My Calgon of choice will be the Lilly Warehouse Sale, a fun evening with some fabulous bloggers and two long drives without a Disney movie playing.

I promise to update all of you in my haze of pink and green. I am also choosing to ignore the fact that come Friday morning I will be back at work!

Heroes Surround Us

Today is Veteran's Day and the heroes are all around us. Sometimes it takes a terrible act of violence, like the one that the brave men and women at Ft. Hood just faced, to remember that are enemies are both foreign and domestic. Regardless of location, the soldiers in uniform today and the ones that have gone before them pay for our freedom with their lives. Such an amazing call to service and one that deserves respect from EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN. And to the families of the men and women in uniform, thank you for your service to our country.

I am grateful for your service to our amazing country!

God Bless You and God Bless America!

Feeling Brown, White and Striped All Over

There is something about a well presented box and grosgrain ribbon that make me smile. I think most people would say the Tiffany & Co. box is the most recognized in the world, but whenever I see chocolate brown and white I think of: Bendels.

I confess when we go to NYC every December I have every item I purchase at Henri Bendels placed in one of their signature brown and white boxes tied with their signature brown grosgrain bow. Preppy, classic and always festive. The wrapping can make anything from a candle to a handbag look like something to behold.

Image from Henri Bendel

Image from Henri Bendel

Bendels is holding their friends and family sale this weekend, and while there are more than a few fabulous items, all I can think of is the wrapping. There is something about a pretty box, some Christmas music and those festive red cups from Starbucks filled with a nonfat, sugar free peppermint mocha that get me into the Christmas spirit.

Cliff Notes....For Life

The homily today at mass focused on there are no Cliff Notes for life. I am not sure I agree. Don't get me wrong, I don't think life is full of short cuts, but I do think if we look around us, with eyes wide open and an open mind, we can discover ways of doing this better. The other thing we notice is how amazing some people are when they think no one is watching.

Feel free at me or tell me off during/after reading this post. I started reading blogs because CNN, MSNBC and Fox News said everyone was doing it. It was 2 years ago, and between the 5 newspapers I read daily, what felt like hundreds of preschool applications to fill out, doctor's appointments to make and keep, I was feeling anything but hip. SO I introduced myself to the world of blogger. Then I realized you had to enter in a word to search for blogs...or at least I think you did. While I am on the subject, I will just confess to this right now...technology is just NOT MY THING. I literally went into the Apple store to buy an APPLE ZIP DRIVE...that's right I thought there were separate zip drives for PC's and Mac's. I keep seeing all of this twitter chatter about Google analytics and anonymous commenting...I am not sure what is means or how you even know who lands on your blog from where or after what search. To be honest, it kind of scares me. The real laugh was I think it took Monogram Momma 3 hours to explain twitpic to me.

My point is, while I didn't find a wealth of new technology knowledge from blog world, I did find a world of amazing women (sorry men, but I don't know of a single non-political blog written by a man). Unfortunately, I think blogland has changed in the past couple of years. When I started reading there were blogs about fashion, make-up, Lilly Pulitzer, home decor, kids, the South, the North, cupcakes, and yes I will say it J.Crew. Now I can't change the world, but this is my blog. If you like it read it, if not, I at least hope you like our little PGG.

I don't know if what I am about to do will catch on, I hope it does, so here I go:

I am calling this my blogland Shout Out Awards. I have learned so much from so many of you, but there are a few of you that have really made a difference and I want you to know that. I think we can all agree that we can now travel almost anywhere and not have to purchase a guidebook to find a great meal, a must see place, fabulous shopping or a new friend to have coffee with thanks to the network that is blog world.

ATN...If you haven't read her blog, you are missing out. Nina, I read your blog and although I have no idea what happened in Chicago that led you home it made me think of one thing. If Mr. Grove and I am do as good of job parenting Mini K as your parents have done I will be happy with myself. I pray that someday if she needs to turn to someone when something bad happens she will turn to us and would allow us to help her. The relationship you have with your parents is amazing and I cannot imagine how proud they must be of you. Aside from your sense of style, you have a self confidence that comes through in every word you type.

Hopsy, you always see the world not as if it was half full, but if your cup was running over. You have impeccable manners, a sense of adventure and always make time for your friends. And let's not forget, you introduced me to Greystone and we cannot wait to send Mini K there.

DCGopGirl. This woman is a technology wizzard. She literally talks about building a website on a Monday and launches it on a Tuesday. It takes me that long to figure how to navigate from page to page. She also just started a new job, and trust me D.C. is not an easy market these days. Her attitude is even can do...I don't think there is much she is not in charge of or organizing.

MojitoMaven. I am not a writer. In college, sure, but now not so much. Writing is not why I admire her (although she is a fabulous writer), she is fearless I tell you. She dreamed of creative writing. She not only has a fabulous novel on her site (check out SIBU), but has started creative writing classes.

Monogram Momma. Secretly I am convinced she is somehow related to Martha Stewart. I mean seriously, at 4pm she tweets what to cooke for dinner and at 6pm there is some 3 course masterpiece...and unlike me she didn't use her telephone. If I ever have a boy, you had better believe I will be calling/emailing nonstop.

The Lilly Blog. Trisha can always bring a smile to my face with a little pink and green. Will it solve all of my problems, no, but trust me after a long day at the hospital it can make you smile and that means a lot.

Kristin Pearce. Aside from the fact that I might single handedly make you have a higher yearly revenue than Tiffany's, you make me smile. You and I seem to have been on the same page as to how long it takes to launch a website and may have even had questions about the same things. I knew I couldn't wait to meet you when I first landed on your blog, and Grove Gal E and I had a blast meeting and talking with you at NSS. And I love that you made me feel less crazy for paying someone to straighten my hair, because you hate frizz and a hairdryer as much as I do.

And the last one is a little personal for me. Sippycups has always had an eye for home decor, party planning and well just fun in general. Recently she was brave enough to share with all of us that she has separated from her husband. As someone who was raised by a single mom, (love you Dad, but even you admit now that sometimes it takes men a little longer to grow up), and everyone can learn something from her post. I cannot imagine what she is going through, but I can say I think of her and know that as long as anyone follows their heart it will lead them in the right direction.

What happened you may ask fro me to write this. All I can say is perspective. I took a break from blogging and twitter when mother got sick. The time away made me realize their are blogs I read as part of my day and they mean something to me. I also think every one of you out there has something to give, I hope I do to. I also realize that, there are people with far more technology knowledge than I have that like to point fingers. I, along with Grove Gal E and Mr. Grove for that matter will tell you that I say what is on my mind. You might think it, I say it. I have been this way since my grandfather died suddenly one night...the night before we were supposed to leave for Hawaii. I never got to say goodbye. I was too focused on running out the door to see my friends before we left for two weeks. I would do anything to get a do over on that night. Since then I speak my mind, because well you never know. We all have our opinions, I for one think there is much more to life than wearing a brand new J.Crew outfit everyday, but I do admit that sometimes a new bag or shoes can make a crummy day a little less crummy. And while I am on the subject, did you know that J.Crew's Jenna Lyons got a $1 million bonus...and she doesn't even work for an investment company...it must be the $400 shoes.

I am sure most of you have gone on to another site and have stopped reading by now, but if you are still here I would say that blog land might have changed, but I for one am going to make sure to say thank you to all of the blogs that I love. I keep seeing stores that I said I would always check out closed up and that could easily happen to blogs. So to the ones I have mentioned and the tons more I didn't, thank you for putting it out there with each and every post. Your words matter.