"If you follow me on twitter"....

Is really just how it goes these days at ATK.

A few updates:

Boat...Boat...Boat... - is our summer, loving it as much as you would think!

Choke...have had issues with choking when I eat, ended up in the ER in Wisconsin, now on a super restricted diet, not able to eat - eggs, wheat, soy, milk, all nuts, shell fish, beef, and corn. Figure that menu out.

Planning our annual trip to Nantucket!

Busy Kimba, and wishing for an wheat bagel, egg and cheese, doh!

Cheer to you all and wishing you're enjoying the best days of summer (minus the rain in New England)!

xo

Side - kick

Hope you are all having a great weekend! It's a little iffy here in New England with these storms, looks like the mid-west is having the same weather.

With our new boat will bring new ways of entertaining, it's been a lit of a learning curve to ensure we have enough "stuff" to make a proper dinner for ourselves and guest. I mean who would have thought you would need a cutting board on board to be able to cut the steak tips?! Good thing we have a live well and fishing "station" and there was a cutting plate on there.

So my point and or ask, I've got the meat part of entertaining down, but the sides are another story. Any suggestions would be and are very welcome. Also appetizers, I will not allow cheese and crackers every time, not that I don't love a good cheese and cracker platter, but there are not enough miles I could run if I start eating cheese everyday.

Here are a few things I've pulled together:

Basic Pasta salad

Veggie Bomb (peppers, onions, mushrooms and potatoes, cut up in tinfoil put on the grill)

Cape Cod Chips :)

Said cheese platter with turkey peperoni

Veggies with light ranch dressing

Corn on the Cob - done on the grill

I swear I've come up with more, but that is all I can think of. So clearly you can see I need a little help!

For you red meat eaters, I found that 93% ground beef actually makes wonderful burgers, make them a little thicker and you won't even know how lean they really are!

Summah is here...

Just blogging from the Jeep while RJ drives, I do love having a Verizon wireless air card, minus the fact I have spent most of this drive back from the Cape doing work. But that's just how I roll.

We've been spending a lot of time on the boat, cleaning, entertaining and just enjoying! Its a lot of work, but it's so worth it!!

We've officially named it the Silver Lining. Maybe one day I'll explain (its pretty funny actually), you know it's official when you get tumblers!

Kimba just kicking back on the boat.

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend!!

Thank you to all who serve our Country to make this all possible.

xo

Gone Boatin'

I'm currently writing this while on the Plymouth Brockton bus heading down to the Cape. And why am I on a bus heading to the Cape and not in our fine Jeep with the top down on this fabulous Friday evening?

How are we going to get home you may ask? Well by boat!
Tomorrow morning we're going to pick her up in Yarmouth and motor it back to Boston where she has a very nice home!

To say we're excited is a little bit of an understatement! Talk about setting ourselves up for one awesome summer! Now lets not talk about all of the headace that comes with boating, that'll be another post!

So please get use to a lot of boating talk around here, maybe not that much! :)

Navy is the new Pink

I noticed that almost everyone of my facebook profile pictures I'm wearing either a navy dress or a navy polo.

So yes, navy is the new pink.

No title needed

Has anyone seen the Michael Buble's video for "Haven't Met you Yet". I haven't seen the whole thing only the clip on iTunes. He's pretty hot...until they pan away and he's in skinny jeans and chucks.

Come on.

With that said, I can get over it.

Thanks for all your sweet comments, it's good to be back! But was I ever really gone?!

Anonymous Comments

So I disabled the anonymous comment option, if you're anonymous and want to comment pony up and sign up! Unless you plan on being a jerk because I have no room for that, well maybe a little room, I'm tough!

The reason is I get A LOT of spam comments and then they get emailed to me and it's annoying. I don't use my personal email for sales or any shopping companies, mainly because I don't need to know when JCrew is doing their 20% or when Lilly has the most adorable adds to their line. But it would be a true ATK post if I didn't add Vineyard Vines is the only clothes site I get emails from. Sue me.

Sorry, back to my point. I use my phone as my alarm clock, yes, I'm an adult and use my phone as my alarm. And my phone buzzes when I get emails, so if I get an email in the middle of the night more then likely it will wake me up. Well maybe not really wake me up, but it has and it's annoying. So if some spammer leaves a comment it will email me and also if I get an email on my phone I know it's something good because I have tried to weed out the crap emails. And if I can eliminate the let down of getting a crap email then that's what I'm going to do.

Happy you asked?!

Haha, if I start to get random emails to my personal email because of this post you're all going to get it! :)

Skinny-twist

We all know about Bethenny's Skinny Girl Margarita recipe - a whole lotta this and that oh and a hint of lime juice.



I decided I'd try a little twist on the typical recipe by making it frozen. I think this was more of an excuse to pull out the blender for the first time this spring. (Protein shakes don't count).



Skinny girl version

2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila
Tiny splash of Orange Liquor
Juice of 4 Fresh Lime Wedges



- Kimba's additions

club soda

cup strawberries

chunks of pineapple

half packet of splenda



blend and pour in wine glass with random plastic Starbucks reusable straw





Funny thing is I just went to her actual site to get the measurements to copy and paste and she has a video of her doing it frozen. So disregard, she's got it covered!



Cheers

Showin' some leg

Now if you're a RHNYC faithful you've heard all the chatter the girls have with Kelly about her short dresses this season (well every season). But they all seem so surprised by her leggy baring dresses. Have they not seen the trends the last few seasons?!

While in Florida in March I went to the Vineyard Vines outlet and tried on all styles and types of their classic dresses. I was a little bummed that we really didn't mesh well. Though it may have been less the dress and myself and more the fact I had to take a step back and face I was not going to be able to buy ALL of them. Or if i'm being perfectly honest, I may just be too old to pull off their dresses. For some reason they're all so damn short!

So I ask you this, am I the only one who is finding that the cute summer dresses are just a little leggy?

Maybe I just have to learn to be a little more graceful when well doing just about anything in this new trend.

WHOA

To think it's been 3 months since I have blogged. Good thing for twitter!

To also think I have been back and forth between Boston/LA more times then I can count with a trip to Wisconsin and Florida thrown in there. I think for the time being my by coastal way of living is going to slow down for a little bit. I was this close to getting my mail sent there every other week!

I've been composing and erasing blog post in my head for months, nothing other then a little of this and that. I know I tend to say this, but I think I'm truly coming back. I miss posting about whatever comes to mind. But the ongoing crap in Preppy Blog Land has really taken the fun out of it. But hey, you can't control it all!

This is just me dipping my toe in the water, but I plan to jump right in soon!

A very very Happy Mother's Day to all of my wonderful blogging mommas out there, and of course the happiest Mother's Day to the very special moms in my life! Mom, Step-Mom and Mother in-law, I am ONE lucky gal!!!

More fun to come here at ATK!

Bangin'

If you follow me on twitter you know I have zero shame in taking pictures of myself. It's more for my mom then anything, but I thought I would share my new haircut. It's of course pulled back but I added some bangs, and I'm loving it!

AND don't judge, the Christmas decor has been taken down, I mean lent is right around the corner. Speaking of, what are you giving up for lent?

Me: diet coke (slightly worried)

You're going to Hollywood

While in LA I visited the "Polo Lounge" you know the super popular bar at The Beverly Hills Hotel. I hear you can catch a celebrity now and then, but come on who really could you see at a hotel bar?

Well it just so happened that Simon Fuller (created the Idol franchise) was there with Nigel Lythgoe. I know it's no Britney but please tell me that's not a pretty sweet sighting. AND to top it off it was only days after Simon Cowell announced he was leaving Idol and the three guys below were discussing it. AND their next steps together (Fuller and Lythgoe). Will keep the details to myself, I'd hate to leak anything. HA!

Not the best picture, but I couldn't really stand up and ask for them to smile. AND I didn't want to be "that person" snapping pictures. I really just wanted to blend, which wasn't easy because the gals I was with were cracking me up and we couldn't help but be that one table that is louder then the rest. Hey we're east coast gals!

Sorry it's been so long, I've been busy busy with life, work and well pretty much just the latter. I am heading back West in a week, so pretty sure I'll find something to blog about on my 6 hour 30 minute flight.

One last thing, we finally got a house cleaner, I kind of put my foot down and said there is no reason I can't keep up the housework. But finally last week I looked around and said we need someone. We are both far to busy to keep up with the weekly (read as daily) dusting, floor washing and the other cruddy tasks. She came yesterday and I actually may work from home the next time she comes just to give her a hug. Dear goodness people, she did wonders. It looks like a brand new place. And people, I'm a damn good cleaner, so that just shows you how great she was. One other perk, she prefers to be contacted via text as she doesn't get to her email until the evenings. PERFECT!

Have a great weekend friends, and stay warm and safe my Nations Capital followers!

xoxo

Prayers are the best gift

It's been a sad few weeks in blogland. Two completely different people in PA's hearts are completely broken. For two different my two very similar reasons.

Though i've never met either in person, I could tell how deep their relationship was with the ones they lost. I'm requesting if you know what i'm talking about to please pray for these two dear ladies. I know our prayers are the best thing right now.

Love to you both, my heart is with you.

xoxo

At least I laugh at myself!

A little recap of my latest trip will come shortly, but as I sit in the LAX airport I have to tell you about two little "All Things Kimba" that happened.

I have this very bad habit of reading tweets/blogs in bed on my iPhone. I don't do it at home anymore, but It's more of bad habit of reading them all the time.
So I was at the hotel not ready to get up but was checking my phone and then set it down on my blanket. A little while later I pulled the blanket up to cover my shoulders and my phone went flying and smacked me right under the eye, I jumped up right away to double check it wasn't suddenly black. It's a little sore now, but i think I will walk away unharmed. So note to self, if you're going to read tweets in bed, set your phone back on the bed table when finished.

We grabbed a drink at The Beverly Hills Hotel and I walked into the bathroom and a lady was standing at the sink and we made eye contact, I said "Hi, how are you, crazy weather out there", she looked at me and said "are you from the Midwest"? I said, no actually I'm from Boston, she said oh, well I am from Indiana and I said I'm originally from Wisconsin, she said I knew it, no one other then people from the Midwest talk to people. Ok, well, happy to know living in Boston for 9 years hasn't changed me!

Also, super random, but I was having an impromptu dance party in the bathroom while I was getting ready yesterday morning and I realized that Carson Daly is the morning host on 97.1 AMP radio in LA, I think he may have always had this show. But this day he was making snide remarks about Ryan Seacrest and Billy Bush...Not for nothing Carson, but I would think both of those two guys have the career you wouldn't mind having right now. Just sayin'!

Ok, time to board, but not to worry, I'm hooked on the in flight wi-fi!

Marty!!!

I was pretty impressed with the Golden Globes last evening, I thought Ricky Gervais did a great job as host. He is who he is, and I can appreciate his Irish humor! When he took his beer and put it on the podium, I laughed out loud! That was sure a jab he took at Mel Gibson, but I feel he's pretty much the only one who can get away with it, because he could care less.

Moving on....

I was touched and trilled to see Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio present Martin Scorsese the Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement.
I think he's truly brilliant, maybe because I'm "young" (note it's in " as I'm really not that young anymore, but it's my blog so young I am!) but I think The Departed is the best movie that Scorsese has directed. It could be for multiple reasons, it's based, filmed and all about Boston, it's a great cast, from Alec Baldwin, Martin Scheen, Leo, Matt Damon, Mark Walhberg, Vera Farmiga and many more. OR because it is the movie with the most uses of the word "f*ck" and its derivatives (237) to win the Best Picture Oscar. All of the above!

There's my favorite skyline and a not so shabby Leonardo DiCaprio who I really didn't do anything for me, but he looked pretty snazzy in his tux last night...just sayin'!

I'm currently on my flight to LA, I can't get over how AWESOME it is to be online, with my laptop plugged into a power outlet under my seat. My work computer laptop has a shotty battery at best so I did a ton of work yesterday as I didn't think I could get it done on my 6 hour and 30 minute flight, but guess I was wrong. But I'm blogging, twitting, facebooking, catching up on golden globe fashion and then I'll suck it up and get some more work done.

One last thing: if anyone is paying attention to the weather, I just left Boston where we had hail and it was snowing...heading to Southern Cal where it's cold and raining. How it is possible I'm going to the only other place in the country that is having cruddy weather too?! But I'm not complaining, I'm really looking forward to it! Remind me of that when I get on the red eye on Thursday night. Oy!

I Guess I Never Got the Memo....

I'm going to be spending some time on the other coast and would love some suggestions on what's what!

I'll be staying in Beverly Hills, any thoughts on Dinner places near Rodeo? Don't be shy!

One thing that should never touch Lilly....

SNOW!

The picture did not come out as clear as I had thought. Though I was standing at the bus stop on NYE waiting to get home to start another long weekend. I didn't leave the office before the snow started so I had no choice but to put Lilly out in the snow. But a bus came shortly after so I safely got her in the warmth where all Lilly belongs!

Cheers to a WONDERFUL 2010, pinky swear! (I took that one from the fab Clemsongirl, cause that's how I roll)

Merry Merry Christmas

I thought why not a little post with a few honorable mentions I got for Christmas! The first three things I actually bought myself while vineyard vines was having 50% off all outerwear. I actually met my very fav E for shopping, latte's and a wonderful mani/pedi. We've decided this is going to occur monthly, it was a fabulous way to spend a Saturday, she is just the best! I just love love her!

1/3 Fleece vest - i like the mens ones as they're the exact kind of the ladies original fleece vest from years ago

Vineyard Vest - White

Sherpa Fleece Vest - in Navy and White

vineyard vines Patchwork Wool Cord Tote

The tote is from my boss nonetheless he clearly knows me well!

Lilly Pink Checking In - Murfee Scarf

I feel this is always say this but here it goes...if you follow me on twitter then you know I've spent most of December working. I'll have some good news on that front another day!! A resolution for 2010, be a better blogger!

Until then, ciao!

Monogram Oh MY!!!

Thanks to ClemsonGirl I found out about Monogrammed Marketplace, how adorable are these wine koozies? LOVE THEM! Only $20, or $18 if you're a blog follower. Seriously how cute are these?!

I got my new shoes on...

I'll be humming the Paolo Nutini "New Shoes" song all day well sporting my first ever pair of Tory Burch Reva's. I ended up getting the classic black with gold, but I have a feeling my next pair will be the Suede Navy. I've been been huge into shoes, also enjoy a nice looking pair but never jumped on the designer bandwagon. Well guess what, that has all changed! I also have a feeling these puppies are going to be addicting. Am I right?

It's the Patriot's fault, why you ask? I'll recap why;

This is how it all started, The Pats do not play until this evening so what else am I to do, I cleaned the house, laundry, did food shopping and went for a long run yesterday. Besides going to the gym or doing work I was out of idea's. I am trying to rest my hip as I over did it the last two days and it is killing me, I will be sidelined even longer if I push it. I promised myself I would not do ANY work this weekend even though I did bring work home with me this weekend, I truly needed the weekend off.

So I set off to Natick Collections this morning because if I'm going to be honest here, I miss Metro West A LOT. I use to live out that way before I moved to the city and I just loved it. I've even threatened to move in with E and her Ladybuys! Sorry sidetracked... Anywho, I figured I would just TRY on a pair of Reva's. I only really wanted to hit up the Apple Store for new ear buds, if you follow me on Twitter you know I have headphone problems, it's my ears...they're too small for the standard Apple ear buds. SERIOUSLY sidetracked...

This picture was taken for a little guess where Kimba is right now... and of course E guessed it correctly! Natick Collections was the right answer.

After a hard day of shopping I was ready to get back into Boston, I would miss city living way too much, I always remember that when I get out that way. Kickin' it with my new shoes and some football, blogging and tweeting. Happy Sunday indeed!

Ohhh I almost forgot, I stopped into JCrew to take a little peek at what they had, I was more or less looking for vneck t's for RJ, which do not exist ANYWHERE, unless you are looking for an mens XS then Banana has a ton of those. SIDETRACKED should really be the title of this post, gesh!

I scored this super cute jacket for $79.99, very very on sale. I knew I had a gift card in my wallet so I figured I would get it, and it's perfect for work and winter. I went and redeemed my gift card and figured i would have to pay the difference, nope I still have $125 left AFTER i got this jacket. How on earth did I have a $200 gift card in my possession without me knowing? So A successful trip if you ask me. It's tweed and has ruffles, what more could you ask for?

Oh and while driving on the Pike coming home some stooge gave me the finger. How's bout them apples.

That's all folks!