Go Tigers Go

College basketball season can now officially begin... we have finally gone to a Memphis Tiger basketball game and it was a good one at that. They won!! It's always a successful night when you team comes out with a W. 

In other news.. I'm SO happy it's Friday!! We've got some fun things planned this weekend.. St. Jude Marathon (no, we're not running, just volunteering) and a Tacky Sweater Christmas Party and lots and lots of relaxing!! Should be a good one.

 Ps. How is tomorrow DECEMBER?! Where did this year go!!!???

 

Things You Never Knew You Couldn't Live Without

SkyMall Edition

On the plane this past weekend, Jeremy and I started browsing through the SkyMall catalog.. if you've never looked through it, you're pretty much missing out. 

I think we came up with some good Christmas gift ideas ;)

This is pretty much the ultimate Christmas gift guide!

For the Multicultural:

 

Celebrate the warmth and wonder of both Hanukkah and Christmas.

Just in case you were decorating a Hanukkah themed Christmas tree...

For the Wine Enthusiast:

Whether you prefer chardonnay or merlot, this is the wine glass you (and a friend) need.

If you're going to drink a whole bottle of wine.. why do you even need a glass?


 

For the Man Who Has Everything (except hair):

For instant smiles, wear a shady visor with a built-in 'doo.

The model looks so much happier with some fake hair on his head.. oh, I mean his visor.



For the Fashionista:



One of a kind shirts, for one of a kind men.
All shirts are a piece of art and patterns are never repeated.

Shouldn't he be happier that he's wearing a shirt pattern that is never repeated? I know I would be!



For the Dog Lover:



Comfort and luxury have gone to the dogs.

Doesn't everyone want to store their dog in their side tables?



For the Kids:


Animated T-Rex Hoodies

Doesn't this make you wonder what the hoodie looks like when your arms aren't folded?



For the Workaholic:



Sleep like a baby while sitting up.

Nobody will ever know you're sleeping at your desk!



Now, I just need you all to buy me one of everything :)

By the way, these are all real items, anddddd we just thought they were silly.. there are plenty more!

PS. Have you seen the "Things You Never Knew You Couldn't Live Without - Sharper Image Edition"?

Three Best Friends

I seriously have the best friends in the world. 

Allow me to introduce Mary and Catherine. [You might remember Mary from this past post] Catherine and I have been best friends since high school then Mary came along in college. Well, over Thanksgiving weekend, when I was up in New Jersey visiting my family, I had planned a lunch date with Catherine and her boyfriend. This was going to be the first time Jeremy was meeting them and it has been a year since I saw her. We arrived at the restaurant and sat down at a table and the next thing I knew Mary was walking over to us! Mary!! Who lives in Pittsburgh! Absolutely nowhere near New Jersey! It was the best surprise ever. The three of us hadn't been together since January... of 2011. That's a long time for three best friends to not see each other. 

Even though we all live so far apart, and don't talk as often as I would like (I promise I'll be better!!) when we're all together it's like we've never been apart. That's how you know a true friend. Even though our lives are changing and we are getting older, I still would go to these girls for anything and know they will be there for me no matter what.

Mary and Catherine.. you girls mean so much to me and I love you both!!

Ps. This is Catherine's dog.. I got to meet him this weekend, too!! How cute is he?!

   

New York, New York

We spent Saturday in New York City showing Jeremy the city at Christmastime for the first time. Even though the tree hasn't been lit yet, the shoppers and tourists were bustling like crazy! Seeing New York at Christmas is something that cannot be described, you really have to see it to understand why people love it so much. 

Even though I know that living in New York is absolutely not for me, there's just something about visiting the city, especially when there are Christmas decorations everywhere that's really special. 

We walked around a whole lot and took Jeremy to see the Rockettes, which is something everybody should experience at some point in their life. We also went to Bobby Flay's restaurant, Bar Americain. Oh my yum.

Turkey Day

I hope you are all full and had an absolutely wonderful Turkey Day full of family, friends, and food. We went up to New Jersey to spend some time with my family, and we had a great great time! We spent Thanksgiving with some extended family and even went into New York for a day (check back tomorrow to see that ;)
It's so crazy to think that in just a few more weeks I'll be back up there for Christmas!!

Anyways, you may have noticed on Instagram, but for Thanksgiving, we eat turkey, just like tradition calls for. However, my Italian family starts Thanksgiving off with some Escarole Soup (aka Italian Wedding Soup) and Manicotti.. all homemade, I might add. It's pretty amazing. Even Jeremy agrees. 

Do you have any Thanksgiving family traditions?

PS. A big congratulations to Bella Mosqueda for winning the Blue Bird Bride giveaway!!! Send me an email :) alyssa.perrella@gmail.com

Happy Birthday, Bloggers!

You may have or may not have seen this floating around blog world, but earlier this week I started a little something called Blogger Birthdays. Everyone has a birthday and I thought there should be a list somewhere full of blogger's birthdays! 

If you want your birthday added to the calendar, simply go to the Blogger Birthday Blog, fill out the form, and spread the word... that's it!! What do you have to lose. The more birthdays, the bigger the party!

Now you can send a little message to bloggers you love on their birthdays, and they can send one to you....anddddd it's also a great way to find some new amazing blogs (seriously, I've already found a bunch).

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you're all spending time with those you're thankful for and eating a ton of pie.. 

you too, Canadians ;)

 

Thankful

We're heading to New Jersey later today to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

In the meantime, I just wanted to share a few things I am thankful for this year..

my family -- we may not always agree but they're always there for me
my jeremy -- everyday i'm thankful i have him, he truly makes me a better person

my friends -- one of my biggest support systems (that includes you, blog friends!)

puppy snuggles -- one of the best things at the end of the day

memphis -- of all the places i could have been, i'm glad i'm here

skirts and boots -- i love dressing for fall
gibson's donuts -- simply the best

pandora radio -- they always play exactly what i want to hear
themed 5k's -- makes running a little bit more fun
real new york pizza -- it's not the same in the south
the office - the tv show.. i think i've seen every episode hundreds of times.. literally

What are you thankful for?

All Because of a Twinkie

All this talk of Twinkies reminds me of something. A good memory for the beginning of the story of Jeremy and Alyssa. Some might say we are only together because of a box of Twinkies. Okay, that's not true, but Twinkies play such a sweet memory (no pun intended) in the beginning of our relationship that it's sorta sad that we will no longer be able to buy any!

Confession: I lived my entire life never eating a twinkie.. until Jeremy came along. Somehow, this topic came up and I think his jaw hit the floor. He didn't understand how I could have survived without ever eating a Twinkie. We took a special trip to the store just to buy a box. Even though we hardly ever buy them, I know what all the fuss is about!
Twinkies, you will be missed.

< picture source >

The Chaperone

I think I love historical fiction. I love reading stories from different time periods that have a glimpse of the truth. With that being said, I loved this book, The Chaperone. It takes place primarily in the 1920s during a time of prohibition, flappers, and silent movies. I thought this book was well written, captivating, and the story line was entertaining. All things I look for in a book. 

The book is about a summer in New York City. Louise Brooks (who is a real person), an ambition teenager from Wichita, Kansas heads to New York with a chaperone to pursue her dream of dance and escaping small town USA. There is so much depth to this story and so many interesting tid-bits about his time period. I loved it. 

I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in a good story, and especially anyone interested in learning about how life was in our country not that long ago.

Blue Bird Bride Giveaway

So, unless you live under a rock, you've probably seen and lusted over a few bubble necklaces. Well, if this sounds like you, today is your lucky day!! Thanks to Blue Bird Bride, an adorable etsy shop, I have the honor of giving away a $20 gift certificate to purchase your very own bubble necklace!

If that isn't your thing, I'm sure there is someone special to you who would love a necklace for Christmas... ehemmm, me!!..... just kidding, but seriously, these necklaces are ridiculously cute!

They also have some great holiday deals going on right now so everyone can get some holiday shopping done! 

Oh, and I have some more good news. 

Special for all Ten Feet Off Beale readers, you can get 15% OFF ANY order by 

entering FALL2012 during checkout!! Awesome, I know.

To enter to win the $20 Gift Certificate just use the giveaway tool below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway





  

Influenster

I was given the opportunity to participate in the Influenster Beauty Blogger VoxBox which basically is just a giant box full of samples. What I liked about this box was that all of this stuff were things that I would definitely try, just not things that I would necessarily buy for myself. 

Here's the breakdown:

<> NYC Individual Eyes Eyeshadow: Normally I use a giant eyeshadow palate that doesn't fit in my makeup bag! I like that everything you need is in this tiny little package.

<> Goody Spin Pins: I pretty much never wear my hair up, except at the gym, so I would never buy these for myself, however, they're pretty awesome.. I may be trying to incorporate some updos in my hair routine! They are so super easy to use I was actually surprised.

<> Kiss Ever Pro Lashes: I'll be honest, I haven't tried these. I've never worn fake eyelashes and I've never really had the desire to. I've been blessed with long eyelashes and have never felt like I needed them to be any longer. Maybe one night for fun I'll try these on! I will say, I like that they are multi-use.

<> Vitabath Fragrance Mist in Heavenly Coconut Creme: This is something I definitely wouldn't have bought for myself in the store but I actually love it! At first, the coconut scent is pretty strong but it eventually it's just a subtle fresh smell that lasts throughout the day!

<> Bath & Body Works Candle in Black Pepper Bergamot: This smells like man. Definitely not a fragrance that I would have picked for my apartment. Typically, I like light fresh scents or seasonal scents like evergreen trees. I put this in my bathroom and it literally smells like a man doused cologne all over everything. It's not bad.. just not something I would have chosen or would choose in the future. I will say, for such a small candle it gives off a surprisingly strong scent!

<> EBoost Daily Heath Booster in Orange: I'll be honest, I haven't tried this yet, either. I don't normally like these powdered heath things although I probably should have tried it since I'm sporting a fabulous cold right now.

<> Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream: Now that my hair has been growing (thank you, Biotin) I've been wearing it curly more often. Naturally, my hair is incredibly curly and with the right product the curls actually look pretty. With the wrong product, they look a mess hah. I normally like sprays for my hair but this cream is light and smells nice anddd gives my hair the curls I like.

There you have it!! Thank you to Influenster for choosing me to be a part of this and sending me all of these amazing products!

 

The Tigers Win!

Saturday are fun when we go to football games.. Saturdays are even more fun when the Tigers win!! It doesn't happen very often so we need to celebrate it when it does! Before the game we had some time to kill so we walked around campus, it was such a beautiful day. Then, we went to the game and the Tigers looked GREAT! Looks like Fuente is figuring it out and I couldn't be more relieved. Now we have to keep it up!
 

 

 

 

 

 

The biggest Tiger fan I know was certainly very very happy. 

My First Furniture Project - Part II

Sooo way back at the beginning of August I bought an old piece of furniture off Craigslist. Well, it finally got finished this weekend and I am so incredibly thrilled!!! I no longer have a giant cabinet in the middle of my bedroom -- I have a freshly painted, minty, adorable cabinet in the corner where it belongs.


 

Jeremy was a huge help with this project and he only has one request... no more buying furniture online.. at least not for a while hah :)

Eating in Memphis (10) - Chinese Sub Shop

Even thought the sign over the door says "Super Sub Shop", in Memphis, if you refer to the Chinese Sub Shop everyone knows what you're talking about. I've been a Memphian for two years, and this was my first time going there! It's relatively surprising since we spend alot of time around the University at this part of town.

There has been some talk that the building where the Sub Shop is located is going to be torn down forcing the Sub Shop to relocate or close completely. So, my advice for you? If you're in Memphis you better get your butt on over to this little hole in the wall on Highland and get yourselves a tuna sub.

The Tuna Sub was the item on the 100 Things to Eat in Memphis list, so of course, this is what I ordered. I miiiiight have been a little hesitant to order tuna in this place (when I say hole in the wall... I mean hole in the wall) but it was surprisingly delicious!
 

 

You can see the rest of the 100 Things to Eat in Memphis list the 
we've accomplished by clicking here!

Ps. Have you RSVP'd to the Memphis Blogger Meetup yet?

  

The Casual Vacancy

If you grew up reading and loving Harry Potter, like me, you might have been anxiously awaiting the release of J.K. Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy. I knew there were be no wizards, Quidditch, or magic, but I was really looking forward to what else could come out of the creative mind of Rowling.

Well, I was definitely not expecting this. In a small town in England, a sudden death leaves an empty seat on the town council. In trying to fill his seat, you learn a lot about all the characters and the secrets they are keeping from each other. There are a lot of British terms, drugs, sex, and an unhappy ending. 

While I am glad I read this book and gave Rowling a chance, this is not my favorite book and I will probably be more hesitant to read Rowling's next non-magical book.

Have any of you read it? It took me a while to really get into it.

Frankie

On Friday my family decreased in size. After sixteen years of being in our family, our adored pup Frankie was put down. 

We got him when I was in the third grade. I remember it so vividly. We had gone to a pet store and I got to hold this adorable little yorkie puppy. When we left, I started crying and crying telling my parents that I was sick and he was my medicine  (yes, dramatic, I know). Little did I know, that struck a chord with my parents. The next day, my Mom came home and told me to look in her purse. Out popped the little puppy from the pet store. 

We named him Frankie after St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, because I had prayed to St. Francis for that little puppy I fell in love with. 

My brother and I are very fortunate to have grown up practically our entire childhood with the same dog. It still doesn't seem real that he's gone. I'm sure it won't hit me until I'm back in my parent's house and there's no one snuggling with me in the morning when everyone else is already awake (he liked to come into my room because I was always the last one sleeping). There will be no more cheerios in a pile on the kitchen floor, those were his favorite. There will be no more yip when we walk in the door.

He is missed. There's nothing like the relationship you have with your childhood dog, that is something that will never be replaced. 

Even though he was very sick at the end, I know we'll always think of Frankie as that crazy little dog that we got at a pet store, the crazy little dog who broke his leg and had a cast that was practically bigger than he was, the crazy little dog that liked to sleep underneath the hanging clothes in my Mom's closet, the crazy little dog that was always a part of my family and always will be.

 

Decatur, Alabama

We headed down to Decatur, Alabama to spend some quality time with Jeremy's grandparents. This was my first time visiting this sleepy little Southern town, and we had a great time. We spent majority of the weekend lounging around, watching football, and eating... lots and lots of eating.

On Saturday, the weather was absolutely gorgeous so they gave me a tour of Decatur, Alabama.

We went on a little nature walk, to see an old abandoned train station, and even a bank that was caught in cross fire during the Civil War! You can even see some bullet holes.. I was fascinated hearing all the stories and history of this little southern town.