a Scarff year so far...

 28th birthday celebrations and a visit with sister :)

a reunion with an old friend

a visit to Houston. my brother-in-law, Mike the bull dog, being handsome. Robert trying to bond with his parent's new cat, Aiden and Aiden retreating as fast as possible. ha.

OKC Thunder game. so much fun. and Mi Co with two of my favorite people.

and finally a bachelorette party and a great time with great great friends

I feel like someone with an annoying facebook status here, but I feel so blessed by this year so far and can't wait to see what the rest of 2011 will hold. Thank you God for good times with friends and family. 

Countdown is on

The royal wedding is 30 days. Do you think Kate's starving herself? Do you think she and her mom are squabbling over last minute details? I think 30 days before my wedding I wanted to starve myself, but kept alternating having Taco Cabana and Hershey's kisses for dinner due to stress. And as far as squabbles with my mom over last minute details, it was more like bawling and screaming wars over the phone, ending with me saying "WHY DON'T WE JUST CANCEL THE WEDDING??!!" It was a beautiful time. 

I don't think Kate's starving or squabbling. Just counting down the days of when she'll go from civilian to princess. 

Read my friend Julia's great post about the royal wedding.

Hiplip posted this on her blog - Beauty Products Inspired by the royal wedding.

Also, their engagement pictures are on stamps.  (i wonder if they'll use those when they send thank-yous. do you think they send thank-yous? surely....)

no words

Vienna and Casey

Jake rejected Ali and picked Vienna. That did not work out. See here. Then Ali became the Bachelorette and she rejected Casey. All Casey wanted to do was guard and protect somebody's heart. Now, finally, the stars have aligned and two star crossed lovers that we're supposed to meet this entire time- Vienna and Casey- are dating. They've been seen canoodling in his hometown Fresno at a Buffalo Wild Wings. This is totally going to last. I'm thinking it's the real thing. 

They say love, it don't come easy....

what on earth....

Ummm. This is was at the top of my alexis.neal@gmail.com account today. (the address i used before i tied the knot, that i still use to update my blog with)

Warning: We believe your account was recently accessed from: South Korea (119.197.81.180). Show details and preferences|Ignore

Okay? And like someone would chose to "Ignore" that? I feel kind of cool and worldly that someone is South Korea cares about my email address. Does that mean I need to get out more? 

*also, Sarah. don't worry I changed my password. hopefully i'm not sending everyone viruses causing their computers to crash. 

Also, this was on my Facebook wall today.......

Alexis installed the iPhone application on her phone.

I don't have an iPhone. I have a blackberry. I'm so confused. 

Tired of using technology...... 

#oppsy

If you've ever read this blog, you know that a post can have any number of typos, misspellings and grammatical errors. Also, posts are not limited to, mis-information, plagiarism and hyperbole.

I usually don't acknowledge them and I let my husband tell me about them when I get home from work. After he tells me about them, I have a flash of embarrassment, claim that I'll never blog again, a period of self loathing and then I realize that the name of this blog is "ppppffffftttttt" which isn't even a word and readers probably aren't expecting that much from it. Then I go to yoga and I forget all about how I didn't learn where to put apostrophes and how I constantly forget where to put "to" and "too" and I move to the next crisis. Oh yeah, usually before the embarrassment portion I say something along the lines of, "oh, i wrote that in such a hurry! i can't believe i would make such errors!" - even if I've spent a solid 8 hours on it. (a girl has got to keep her pride.)

Instead of ignoring the errors in the last post entitled "Grave Errors" OR do that sneaky thing where I just go back and "edit my post" and try to pretend like it never happened, I'm going to go ahead and point out what an ignoramus I am.

1. This is purely the opinion of Robert Scarff. He doesn't like that I used "Ryan, I love ya!". "YA" does not work for him. I'm sure it annoyed others too. I was just trying to be breezey. I don't think there needed to be a serious. "Ryan, I love you." at that point in the post. Regardless, I received the stamp of husband disapproval. Still, Ryan, I love ya! and I love you. Whatever you prefer.

Ryan, Robert and I. July 4th 2010. Robert must be thinking of all the typos I make.

2. Also mentioning poor Ryan. I called him an "angle from above". Maybe my love for Geometry was coming out here. It was the only Math that I ever felt like I really "got" (not to brag - straight A's in 10th grade. Boom. don't be jealous). I didn't mean to call him an "angle from above", I actually meant to call him an angel from above. You know an extra-terrestrial being, not two straight lines that meet at a point. 

not this (Robert has been calling me his angle all weekend. ha. ha. ha.)

more like this. 

3. And final mistake (I think) is that I compared myself to Helen Mirren. --- i.e. -I'm classy! I'm Helen Mirren to these sweet innocent 19 year olds and if Ryan thinks I have a classy style, then all is right in the world. Again, according to my source of all knowledge, my husband, Bob: This just in- Hellen Mirren is not classy. She cusses in interviews? Eww. That does not a lady make. Although, I find that disappointing, my goal in that sentence was just to point out a vast age difference between my sister and her friends.You know...like, 'Alexis is to Augusta and her friends' as 'Helen Mirren is to Natalie Portman'. Does this make since? So really whether or not she is classy is really second tier in my mind on what really matters. I was just trying to focus on age here. 

she looks classy? ppppfffffttttt

I'll try very hard to stop making typos on here, in emails, in texts, on resumes (JK i hope) and in life... but I ask, what's life if it's not a little messy? It's our mistakes that mold us into who we are, so I'll embrace them, I learn from them and I'll be thankful that I can be better for them and move on. We all burn dinner, we all get too drunk, we all say something we regret, we all buy something we can't afford- every once and a while.We are human beings. It's exhausting trying to put up a front of a life without mistakes, without typos, so I don't even attempt it anymore and I can't attempt it here - though I probably should and let Sarah and Robert proof-read my posts, because that's a little different. Winky face.

All for now. Monday is half way done. We can do this. 

Grave Errors

So, I've been on Facebook quite a while. I think it was 2005 when Jenny kept telling me that I "HAD to get on it". I did and I've had a love/hate relationship with it ever since.

That being said, I think I've learned to navigate the waters of Facebook pretty well. As a well versed user I've learned what kind of statuses you should comment on and what kind of statues you should pretend like you don't see. I am embarrassed to admit that I'm regressing and have made some major mis-steps in status commenting with painful results.

Example One:

Girl I had a Class With

Friends in the Dallas Fort Worth Area: Some friends of mine will be visiting DFW for 2 days. They are from San Diego. I want to share with them the best of the Lone Star State, so it's time for me to back up all of my shit talking and show why I think Texas is the best place ever- please tell me your favorites and give me your thoughts on places to see, eat, visit and stay. She's specifically asked about bbq...


Nothing would be wrong with commenting on the status if this was a good friend of mine. Although a good friend of mine wouldn't have a status like this and would send out an email about it like a normal person. This is a status of a girl that I hardly know that I had a class with at Tech. I don't even know how to pronounce her last name. I don't even creep on her profile. This is completely a status that you "pretend like you don't see". BUT, for some unknown reason, I felt compelled to answer because I do, indeed, live in the Dallas Fort Worth Area.

my response:

Alexis Scarff they must get Tex Mex :). Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth or Mi Cocina all over the DFW area.

Have I even been to Joe T.'s? The answer is no. But, I hear it's great, so I can recommend it to these strangers. 

Then she hits me with this:

Girl I had a Class With I love Mi Cocina - When I lived there I would get their beef fajita nachos. There Guac is sooo good. Do you think Mi Cocina or Gloria's??

Seriously? I don't know? Wait- ummm, you've lived here?? Why are you asking for advice on where to go? But, now, I have to answer. It's like she can see me. 

i reply:

Alexis Scarff i lean towards Mi Co because they're true Tex Mex, Gloria's leans a little more towards the Latin side?? both great though!! Gloria's is a little cheaper, but i would say Mi Co has better ritas! i know way to much about this. haha.

First of all, what am I even talking about? True Tex Mex? Latin side?? What? I know we have no mutual friends that would see this exchange and endlessly berate me for such lame commentary...so I go on. I accidentally misuse the word "to", it should be "too" and throw in the "haha" and hope and pray that my duty here is done and I'm not asked anymore about Mexican food in the Dallas Fort Worth Area.

THEN, another comment from one of HER friends that feel compelled to share their opinion: 

EraDee Hernandez Ah the best Mexican is herrera's!

Is this a debate? I solemnly swear to myself at this point that I am never, never, ever commenting on a status like this as long as I live. Oh yeah and now someone with the last name of Hernandez is giving advice. Like I can compete with that. Tell your San Diego friends to go to Herrera's. Tell them to go to On the Border, I don't know you, nor do I know them, but now because Facebook does such a good job at "connecting people" I find myself taking this personally. Should I reply taking up for Mi Cocina? I decide definitely NOT. I'm so done with commenting on this status. SO. DONE. sodone. 

Then we get another random with an opinion: 

Mehgan Renee DeProspero I like Blue Mesa and La Hacienda Ranch for Mexican, if there aren't enough choices already!=)

Now, I want to throw my computer. Hey, Mehgan, guess what, there ARE enough choices already. 

And the grand finale:

Kaycee Johns I agree with Blue Mesa only for the brunch one miday... they have a huge buffet of mexican favs & all you can drink Bellinis!!! For other meals go to foodnetwork.com; find the show Diners Drive Ins; Dives with Guy Fieti & they have like 8 places between Dallas/Ft.Worth the show has been to. As for night life.... I've been out of the scene too long to know the hot spots:(

Blue Mesa specifics? Did anyone ask that? No. Now, you're just showing off. And his name is Guy Fieri and he hangs out with Matthew McConaughey, I bet you didn't know that Kaycee Johns. Also, no one asked about night life. Oh and you've been out of the scene? What does that mean? Probably that you've had a baby and you're way to mature to know about "night life". 


The torture finally ends there. I feel like I learned my lesson. No. No, I didn't.


Example Two:


My sister's bestie (and basically my little bro. Ryan, i love ya!) comments this on her wall:

Ryan McGonagill

It bothers me when I see people wearing things from like 4 seasons ago. I judge them

Why don't I just smile at his comment, mind my own business and move on. No, no. I have to comment.


i comment:


Alexis Scarff you would judge my work outfits so bad. i wear pants from 2001 sometimes. eeekkk.

No one. I repeat - no one should know this about me. It's just something I should keep to myself.


Ryan McGonagill i think pants/neutral work shirts are ok to reuse. but you can not rewear a detailed sweater than i am positive i bought from CK in 2009!

Oh Ryan, bless you for trying to make me feel better.

then my sister's other friend comments:


Jordie McGilvray i think 2001 was too long ago alexis! UPDATE! ten years is too long. also good for you for staying the same size for ten years!

Jordie, I just adore you. You're the cutest thing ever. But, I am feeling bad at this point because I'm causing my sister's friends to really worry about me and my fashion. I mean, Jordie used all caps and an exclamation point. UPDATE! HURRY! And I haven't been the same size, I've gone up and down and up again, I think those work pants are basically like sweats. They just fit. 


I waited 3 days to reply. Let my humiliation fade a little. 


then I commment:


Alexis Scarff I've done a little updating, dont worry :) I just thought i would wear cute office clothes, buuttttt thats not what's happened the last couple years. Like I would be a perfect candidate for "what not to wear" on a normal work day.

I really would. If that show saw me on the street, they would send me to New York stat. I think it just stems from the comfort here at my office. If I had to step up my game, you better believe, I would step up my game. That's why God made credit cards and mothers :). 


then Ryan, the angle from above comments:


Ryan McGonagill LOL omg. i highly doubt that. you have a classy style!


I'm classy! I'm Helen Mirren to these sweet innocent 19 year olds and if Ryan thinks I have a classy style, then all is right in the world. 


It might be a long time til I have the bravery to step up and comment again. "Liking" is another story.


The End

Jersey Shore Pug

Paul "Pauly D" Delvecchio gives a party-going pug a Jersey Shore makeover Wednesday at a Cosmopolitan magazine party in New York.

pugs are still cute, even as guidos. 

Trust me, almost no one loves to see pugs in the media more that I do, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is just a tad random. What's this poor pug doing at a Cosmopolitan magazine party? According to the picture's caption on people.com, he's a "party-going pug". Funny, because my pug is more of a "peeing-on-the-furniture pug". If my pug, Doug, would get his life together and become "party-going", maybe he could move to New York, go to Cosmopolitan magazine parties and mix, mingle and get makeovers with A-lister's like Pauly D. Somehow, I don't think this is in Doug's future, it's okay though because I love him just the way he is. And why am I judging Doug? It's not like I've ever been to a Cosmopolitan magazine party. Maybe I need to get my life together and move to New York? Food for thought. 

pppfffffttttt - it doesn't get any more party-going than that pug face. that's Doug, btw.

Ain't nobody gonna break my stride

Ain't nobody gonna hold me down.

Oh no.

I got to keep on mov-in'

(blog theme song today)

Earlier, I received word that my blog was (GASP) deleted. I clicked on it and it did indeed say, that it had been deleted. What the hell, blog? Maybe it had to do with my old email account that I use to log onto my blog with? Maybe it was just getting SO many hits after my last ground breaking post, "A Very Dull Update"? All 3 readers must have been reading it at once causing a melt down? Maybe it was because Lady Gaga toured the Google headquarters yesterday? We may never know.

BUT, I wanted to assure you that we are back. Live on the web and better than ever.

A Very Dull Update....

Try not to fall asleep while reading this post.

goodbye forever

If anyone out there cares, I want to shout to the world that I have finished "To The Lighthouse". I would compare reading this to participating in the Trail of Tears or the Bataan Death March. i.e. You don't want to do it again. A single sad torturous journey is enough.

Regarding "To The Lighthouse" Wikipedia says that "the prose can be winding and hard to follow". That just may be the understatement of the century.

Looking back, though it was a rocky road, I am glad I read it. There were some amazing parts and this was Virginia's most autobiographical novel. That's kind of neat/educational, I guess? Looking forward, I'm scared of Virgina Woolf books and think I'll steer clear for a while.

On my nightstand now is....drumroll.....Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Yes, I've seen the movie a million times, but I got the book several Christmas's ago and I think it's time for me to take in every detail that I can. I'm loving it so far and only 80 pages in.

"Fiddle-dee-dee. War, war, war; this war talk's spoiling all the fun at every party this spring. I get so bored I could scream. Besides... there isn't going to be any war. "- Scarlett's first line

Fiddle-dee-dee. Exactly. Fiddle-dee-dee is pretty much the same as ppppffffffftttttttt. I like it.  

All for now.... 

Suri Envy

is that a real fur coat Suri? will i ever own a real fur coat? ppppfffttttt.

Relief

A couple blogs that I read are taking a "Bloggers Day of Silence" in an aim to raise awareness and respect and acknowledge the devastation going on in Japan. Read more about it here.

I don't know devastation, I don't know what it's like to truly need "relief". I'm so comfortable in my own world. So caught up in my own issues. So immune to the suffering and not doing anything to help. 

Comfort - it came up in my Bible study a couple weeks ago. How we go into our days thinking of nothing else, but how to make ourselves comfortable all day long. When we are believers of God, we are not of this world and it's just a fact that a lot of the time we may not feel comfortable - My sweet friend Allison, said she had just heard a sermon that said, "we should look at the day like we are going to battle." Each day is like that. Who is going to be the God of your day, your words, your thoughts, your actions? This is a daily decision. By not making the decision, someone else is winning the battle and it's not the God of love. I don't make the decision and I become my own God and I wonder why I can't find peace, why I'm worried, why I'm stressed.

The people in Japan probably feel that they are going to battle right now and they don't understand what it is for. Japan feels so far away. Honestly, I've briefly thought of the horror going on there since it's happened. Then, at Bible Study, as I do every week, I learn so much from the hearts of the others. 

During prayer requests, Anne said her request was to pray for Japan. Anne is pregnant with twins and probably has a million other things to worry about, yet Japan is on her heart. It made me take a deep breath and exhale and think of the suffering that I can't even comprehend going on over there for two seconds instead of what's going on in my immediate present. God forbid I interrupt my normal steam of thoughts that are usually something like "What's for dinner? My hair is ugly. I need a new dress." Seriously, I need to check. myself. Pause and pray for relief and help for the people of Japan. Please join me. 

Click here to buy a Tory Burch shirt with the above design. 100% of the profits go to Japan earthquake relief.

Lucky Charm

Who needs a four leaf clover?

Velcro Dog sent me that handsome guy this morning. "Ohhh, I wove wittle wittle pugs!!!!" - said in my dog voice. We all have a dog voice, let's not pretend. 

Anyway, today one color comes to mind. Duh - Green. The blog world has been surfacing cute green things that I feel compelled to share today.

My sister posted  about her latest obsessions this week. One of them was this little number....

me gusta

Word on the street is that maxi skirts are coming back with a vengeance. Awesome. I have one that I sported during the summer of '05 that I can't throw away because I got it during my internship summer in New York aka the summer I peaked in fashion. I think it's been downhill ever since. I mean, I'm sitting at work today in Harold's black pants circa '06 and a Banana Republic green top circa '08 with dangling buttons. Dear me. Someone get Tim Gunn on the phone. 

Onward- I love this blog, if I had a fraction of her taste and money might help too, the world would be a better place. Or really maybe just my decor at home would be better. Scroll down to her post on March 15th. She informs the world the Emerald Green is a trend alert in design.

will i ever be able to keep up with design trends? ppffffttt.

Last but NOT least, how great is Spooniest? I want her to be my HR person. She's doing a raffle at her office. I die. Can that get any cuter? I think not. 

we don't have HR at my small office. everyone is free to harass each other. 

Yay green stuff!

So, tonight, I'm making this. Perfect weather for soup...80 degrees and sunny. ppppffftttt. Wish me luck. Also, March Maddness has BEGUN. Hope your picks are in. Robert's already taking this way too seriously because, well, sports are pretty effing serious to him and it's already thoroughly entertaining me.  Remember, when it comes to sports, it's not just a game, it's a serious matter.  Happy St. Paddys :)

Springtime Brew

Robert's bestie stayed with us last weekend and because he is awesome, he left us several six packs of this beer- Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager. It's good and not too sweet, I promise. You barely taste strawberry at the end of the sip.  Perfect for patio time with the girls, pool time with a book and lake time with the family. Is this an advertisement? Unfortunately, no, because that means I'd be getting paid. Getting paid for something I like?? ppppffffffttttttt. Oh well :). Enjoy.  

To find Abita in your area click here.

Why did God create whiskey?

So the Irish wouldn't take over the world. :)

on that note -Happy St. Patrick's week!

(thanks to my boss for that knee slapper. he usually tells semi-inappropriate jokes, but did get a sincere chuckle (not my fake work laugh) out of me after that one.)

Did you know this holiday was originally a religious one? Oh yes, I wikipedia-ed it this weekend. Another religious holiday gone completely secular, but this one trumps Christmas and Easter fo sho. People around the world solely celebrate St. Patrick's to drink copious amounts. Green beer, Irish car bombs, Jameson. St. Patrick's is about the booze.

On that note. If I was a stay at home mother and had time to bake desserts for every holiday, you know 1950's housewife style - I would make these desserts that are booze centered every March. Baked goods AND booze? Just when I thought I couldn't like baking any more....

3 recipes I found via foodgawker.

the recipes:

top - Irish Coffee Cake

middle - Irish Brownie Bombs

bottom - Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Creme Buttercreme

Yum, they all sound good to me.

Also, this week, March Madness begins! In my wildest dreams I never could have predicted that I'd care about March Madness. But, now that I'm married and I watch sports more than I've ever watched sports, I care about March Madness, I'm excited about March Madness, I love March Madness? Is this me stating this?

woohoo

Here's a link to print yourself a bracket. It really is fun. I promise. Last year I read that less gets done in the corporate world during March Madness than any other time...who knows if that's accurate or not, but I'm going to do my part beginning right now by wasting time at work by blogging about March Madness. I hope you'll do your part too. Take a little time this week to NOT work and think about if Memphis is going to beat Tennessee...you won't regret it!

Speaking of basketball. Robert and I watched a documentary last night on the Fab Five.

I didn't know about the Fab Five because I'm a girl, but I enjoyed the story. Robert loved the Fab Five as a little one. I asked him to say that he loved me more than the Fab Five...he did in a strained and despondent voice. HA. It's okay, he can love the Fab Five more than me, they've been together a lot longer :).

And speaking of L-O-V-E, The Bachelor Season Finale is on tonight. 

Who's it going to be Brad?

Brad and his bros own 4 bars in Austin. The Chuggin' Monkey, Molotov Lounge, The Dogwood and Dizzy Rooster. Party!

Is it Emily? Southern sweetheart, who is a fundraiser for a hospital in Charlotte. She has a 5 year old daughter and probably the saddest past of any contestant in Bachelor history. She lost her baby daddy in a plane crash :(

or could it be Chantal? Executive Assistant from Chicago. (shout out to Executive Assistants! well, I'm technically an Associate, but who are we kidding.) Chantal is divorced. Chantal's parents live in a big house. Chantal is emotional. 

I've pretty much made up my mind that Brad is in love with Emily and she will get the.........wait for it......wait for it...............FINAL ROSE. But, I've been wrong before, so we will see.

Okay - over and out for now. Hope the Spring Forward is treating you well.  Personally, I am still adjusting, but I think I'm going to make it. 

Maybe I should research things before I blog about them?

What a novel idea?!

Click here for an Academy Awards Nominee-Inspired Menu

I'm sure there are many others recipe/menus out there. Cheers to the Social Network Spicy Appletini!

Suri Envy

Nobody wants to be envious of a 4-year old. Even a smidgen of envy is pretty pathetic.

Yet, when I see pictures like this, I remember that Suri Cruise is more sophisticated, better dressed and more worldly than I am. As much as I try to stop it, the Suri Envy begins to manifest. She probably speaks French, eats only organics, has her own stylist and is over Facebook.

What is she drinking? A soy chai latte?

Speaking of things Suri is over.... She was over People magazine snapping pics of her after she saw The Nutcracker and got to meet the ballerinas. OVER it.

Sigh. Oh Suri.........