GO MALLORY....

Its Monday. Thats enough. The weather was a little more bearable today, but the wind is blowing like 100 mph, and at one point this morning I thought the Honda was going to blow off the road. Luckily I made it to work safely and as soon as I opened the car door I felt like I was an extra in the movie Twister. At least the monsoons have stopped, but they are calling for a chance of rain this weekend.

On to more pressing issues... Tomorrow my younger sister is competing in the regional golf match back home. She is a great golfer and totally got all of the athletic genes. I am more of a spectator, I go for the scenery and for the joyriding in the golf cart. I cant get over how she packs that heavy bag up all of those hills and not to mention the heat. She plays golf in the dead heat of summer, the whole heat issue would be enough for me not to participate. I prefer to spend my days at the pool or lounging in a climate controlled zone.

She competed in several tournaments this summer and did extremely well. I have included some action shots for your viewing pleasure.

Such concentration....

Like a PRO....

Doing what she does best... J/K

GOOD LUCK MAL!!!

Mallory is a senior at FSHS and is narrowing down her college choices. She has not crossed UK off her list, so there may be two Wildcats in the family. I will be sure to post on her performance and her college selections as the information becomes available, hahaha,

I hope everyone had a great Monday. Just think its almost the weekend:)

Love, MKH

The Blogger is Back....

I have been out of the blogging mood for the past few days, I haven't really been inspired by anything to post. Its been raining in Lexington for the last 100 days, not really but it has been dreary and wet for the past week, and I think that may have been a contributing factor to the whole 5 day hiatus that I have been on.

This was another football weekend in Lexington, I was worried about the weather all week, thinking that it would maybe put a damper on the weekend plans. Lets just say I'm not much on inclement weather or less than favorable conditions and being the "inside" person that I am I was leery about the pre-game festivities yesterday. On Friday night I reminded myself that I was going to need to allow myself enough time to get up and find the appropriate rain gear for the game. When being dropped off at my APT on Friday evening I was not feeling well about the whole tailgate scenario. Lets just say that it was raining like it wasn't going to rain again. Of course my thoughts went straight to what I was going to wear and how the pictures were not going to be "blog worthy" because of the frizzy hair and dumpy blue jeans.

Waking up on Saturday morning did not provide any better hope for the day. I thought due to the swampy weather Lexington had been experiencing over the last 100 days that major campus retailers (Wildcat Warehouse, UK Bookstore, and Hands on Originals) would be prepared and have rain gear ready to sell. WRONG!!!! I went to three places before I found jackets. I resorted to having to go to Kennedy's, I'm not fan due to the parking situation (my car was towed sophomore year and I still haven't recovered). I went in and asked where I could find the weather proof jackets and lady proceeded to look at me as if I was crazy. I decided that I was on my own and that I would just browse anyway. Being back in the bookstore really made me wish that I was back in school. There were cute school supplies (I'm a sucker for school supplies) backpacks and all things college. My walk down memory lane was short-lived. I was soon reminded that I was here to find rain gear. After wandering for a short while I found what I thought was satisfactory and left with jackets for myself and the BF.

I have blogged about my cooking skills or lack there of, but thankfully the BF makes up for it where I do not. When invited somewhere I never like to show up empty handed, and tailgates are no different. I never know exactly what to bring because everyone has different tastes and I know that I am content with eating a hotdog bun (sans the hotdog) if nothing else sounds appealing. The BF being the masterful baker that he is decided that we could do funfetti cupcakes. The cupcakes were a hit and I even decorated them with blue icing. We both thought that the stuff in the icing tube was icing but it was really blue gel. It looked kinda like kid-friendly toothpaste but thank goodness it had no flavor.

Before the toothpaste-esque gel was applied...

The BF (Betty Crocker) in action

The finished product... notice the nice rain jacket also.

The cupcakes were a huge hit, and the weather turned off to be very pleasant. I wore my rain jacket from the car to the tailgate and then got sweaty and had to take it off, the BF did the same. Oh well, at least we both are now prepared for inclement weather. As nice as the weather was the game was that terrible, it wasn't even fun to watch.

Notice the score...

Despite the CATS poor performance it was a packed house and it was another great day of friends, food, and fun.

GO CATS!!!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and has a great start to the work week.

Love, MKH

Happy Fall...

Happy Fall...

Today is the first day of fall and I can't wait for the weather to start to change.

In honor of this special day I wore my orange JCREW sweater to work. It was a great choice because it was chilly this morning and my office was unusually chilly too.

Very cute....but very itchy

Hope everyone had a great first day of fall-

Happy Tuesday

Love, MKH

Monday Funday...

So its Monday, and that means that it is already getting close to the weekend. Not really, but I like to be positive about the time I can spend away from my cube. It has been raining all day, I didn't have an umbrella this morning so I had to run out to the Honda with an over-sized Dryel bag over my head. My hair is naturally curly and simply put I am a hot mess when it rains or when it is slightly humid. My hair grows and grows with the tiniest bit of moisture. Thank goodness no one is out at that time of the morning because I am sure that I looked ridiculous. After getting into the Honda (which is always an ordeal in the morning) and getting situated with my phone and bottle of water I looked in the mirror and thought I was in the clear.

WRONG... I have no clue what I thought I was looking at because when I got to my cube this morning my cube co-worker was like, "Morgan, your hair is all over the place." Fantastic, simply fantastic. I tried to run my fingers along the ends was hoping it would smooth the frizziness out but I soon realized that my hair was all ratted and tangly. I didn't even go to the bathroom (which is not what I would call "sanitary") to try and fix myself. I caught a glimpse of myself as I was walking past a glass paned door and I looked like a drowned rat that had been placed under a hand-dryer in that same "un-sanitary" bathroom that I refused to visit. See for yourself. Thank goodness it wasnt like employee photo day or anything like that...

Really.....

Other than the frizzy, nappy mess that was my hair today, my Monday was uneventful. Tomorrow is Tuesday and the weather is supposed to be gloomy and rainy, but hopefully there are no major issues with my hair, shoes, or my new found umbrella. I cant believe that it is already the end of September, where did the month go. I saw an ad today for Christmas lights and decorations and I was like, "WHOA," I am still in summer mode.

Since September is coming to end that means that it is time for HALLOWEEN. I don't remember being super excited about Halloween growing up but I have gotten very into the costumey thing the past few years. In the effort of trying I saw this funfetti spooky cupcake mix with a coordinating cupcake tin at Target and I momentarily channeled Paula Deen. That thought was soon lost when I remembered that I had forgotten to get the string cheese on my list.

Don't worry I have every intention to go back and get the holiday mix and all the fun knick-knacks that are necessary (probably not a requirement, but defiantly a necessity). The next order of business is finding a costume. Now that I have started thinking about it I will probably fret and think about finding the perfect (not generic or predictable) costume until the day of Halloween. At least I have plenty of time while sitting at my cube. Maybe I should ask my cube co-workers- actually that probably isn't a good idea. They don't exactly take me seriously so I think that chit-chat time about my Halloween outfit would not interest them. I will have to post on my costume dilemma as the time gets closer....

I hope everyone had a great Monday Funday...

Love, MKH

Simply Fantastic....

What a weekend...

This weekend was busy, fantastic, and full of friends. Yesterday was the UK vs. UL football game, and yes I did wear the Pennington and Bailes UK skirt, it was definitely a good choice. The weather started out cloudy and breezy, and I was worried that I would be cool. Well lets just say by the time the game was over my arms were sunburned. I had a tan lines were my short sleeve shirt stopped on my upper arm and even where my watch was on my wrist. The BF's face resembled a lobster and several friends who were at the game were equally as red. I was hoping that I would get some sun on my legs but they are just as pasty as when I arrived. It was a great game and UK barely pulled a win. I will say the highlight of the day for me was getting a stadium pretzel. I love the pretzels even though they are terrible for me. I dont know what it is about being at a game (any game- baseball, football, basketball, or even a golf match) I always gravitate to the jumbo pretzel. It is totally a mental thing.

I love football season for so so so many reasons but one of the best things is being able to be reunited with old friends (I know that sounds so nostalgic, but really). I have friends that have moved on and moved out of Lexington, but UK football and tailgating always brings them back. Below are a few photos pre-game and pre-sunburn.

Reunited at last.....

The BF pre-lobster face

So I am pretty much zonked out after a great weekend. As tired as I was I was able to muster the energy and made a quick trip to the mall today. It was surprisingly not crowded and the lines were not long. I tend to get annoyed/overwhelmed when there are outrageous crowds, but today was easy, and I did find some great casual pieces that will be great for fall.

Im usually not much on colored pants, but these are great!

The sweater is super comfy and fleecy on the inside

I love flats....these are extra-cushiony on the inside

I am blogged out, all that cheering and picture taking seriously took its toll yesterday. I hope everyone had a great and relaxing weekend.

Have a lazy Sunday

Love, MKH

Oh Kelly Ripa....

Kelly Ripa has to be my favorite morning show co-host. I love her so much that I even stayed home several mornings (lets be honest 90% of the mornings) my second semester freshman year to watch her. I know, I know I decided that the knowledge of my distinguished professors was second to that of Ms. Ripa. I will say that she taught me a lot about her adventures into domesticity. I can remember my friends and I watching and having belly laughs from some of her off the wall stories. Some of my favorite included those that dealt with her cooking skills (or lack there of).

Kelly Ripa and I have several things in common. We are both cooking challenged, we both love Regis, and most important we both share a love of Lexington. I moved to Lexington for college and I have loved it ever since. Lexington has been great for me. It was not overwhelming, I could handle the traffic, the city was clean, and it was the change of scenery that I needed. I do not think that I will be in Lexington forever, but I think that it has been a great place to launch myself and start my semi-adult life.

Even Kelly Ripa a big city celebrity can appreciate a quaint horse town in Kentucky. I think that she said it best......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL-eeNZVAaQ

Happy Hump Day!

Love, MKH

To Cook or Not to Cook....

Since graduating I feel that I have started to turn over "new leafs" here and there. I am a notoriously picky eater and am seriously lacking skills in the kitchen. I have started to do things like scramble eggs (i love bagel and egg sandwiches) and prepare take-n-bake pizza for the BF. I know it is not much, but slow and steady wins the race. As much as I am lacking in the kitchen arena I love looking at kitchen equipment, appliances, and magazines that showcase beautiful kitchens. I honestly have no clue what some of the accessories/tools are used for but I defiantly hope to have drawers filled with them at some point. I want to learn what to do with those tools, and I want to be able to bring "Morgan's" signature dishes to family functions and friend's events.

I just moved into my first real apartment after college and when moving all of my stuff several people asked where the rest of my kitchen things were. My response, "I don't cook, why would I need all that stuff." I have several cook books and I have pages marked in all of them but I always seem to get nervous (Im slightly nervous about everything-no really I am) when thinking about trying to cook. I know that is borderline dramatic but it is the truth. The women in my family are all great cooks and for the most part so are the men but I think that somewhere in the gene pool I, MKH was skipped.

So basically, I know that I love dishes, kitchen utensils, and all things cooking and kitchen related except for the part that deals with the actual food preparation. I am a work in progress and I know that Paula Dean didn't start out fantastic, I am sure she burnt eggs and forgot about the bagel in the toaster (because I did last week, and Im still trying to get the crusty egg off of my spatula). Like I said earlier, I am a work in progress. Slowly but surely I will learn to cook, but until then I am still living the college student's dream of cereal, chips and salsa, and the occasional pizza.

Until I learn to cook, I try to make my kitchen feel not so empty by filling it with fun and adorable knick-knacks Here are a few of my favorite kitchen things. They are just too cute.

The Geography Collection of State Dish Towels

The Geography Collection of State Frosted Glasses (set of 4)

A great serving piece for informal events and even better for chips and salsa, and its UK Blue...

Mackenzie Childs- I love love love the black and white checked pattern, great for everyday.

Hope everyone had a great start to the week.

Love, The Challenged Cook (for now)

Sunday Blues...As in Kentucky Blue

So the weekend is almost over and it is back to my daily routine as the "CQ." tomorrow... However, I am telling myself that the sooner the week begins the quicker the weekend will be here. I am so super excited for this weekend because it is UK vs UL game. Im so in love with football season that I cant stand it but I am even more excited about my football attire.

I found this skirt totally by accident. I had seen the Men's Long Pant version in the UK print and was not impressed (at first). My good friend Amanda P. had talked her BF into ordering a pair and she was planning on getting the matching skirt. His pants ended up being on back order and did not ship before the end of the football season, so I never saw them in person.

One Saturday before a UK basketball game Amanda and I were at a local dress shop that has the cutest things and we saw the skirts (they had just unpacked them) and I decided to try one on. Needless to say I purchased one that same day and I have been obsessed with it ever since. This Pennington and Bailes skirt is comfy, super breathable, and the super cute for all tailgating activities. Here is a picture of Amanda P., her BF, and myself at the UK vs. Alabama game in Tuscaloosa last fall.

Don't Amanda and her BF look so cute.... I have been trying to talk my special someone into a pair, but he is not too crazy about the whole matchy-matchy thing- I have no idea why....

This weekend was pretty calm and relaxing. I had a hair appointment on Saturday which was fantastic. My hair was in dire need of some love and attention, my roots looked horrendous, and my eye brows looked way worse. Saturday was a great day of maintenance, shopping, and movie watching. I also purchased Tori Spelling's new book MommyWood and it is surprisingly well written and funny. I am almost half way through it and can't put it down. Overall it was a great weekend to relax and just enjoy my time off.

I hope everyone had a equally relaxing weekend and has a great start to the week.

Love, MKH

Blogger Newbie...

So for the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about starting a blog. I follow several blogs religiously and thought "Hey, this looks like tons of fun, and it would be a way for out of town family and friends to stay updated on whats going on with me in Lexington."

I actually found some of my favorite blogs totally by accident and I have been hooked ever since. I have no real connection with the people in the blogs that I follow (as most people don't) but I find myself and my friends trying things they have recommended/commented on. I have seen fabulous things in terms of apartment or clothing ideas that I would have never put together, so thanks blogger friends....

I recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Advertising, I was one of the lucky graduates who was able to find a job so my days are spent typing away at my cubicle and dreaming of the weekends. When not acting as the "Cube Queen," (My coworkers aren't so friendly and since they think that I am slightly "special" I refer to myself as "Cube Queen" or "CQ") I keep myself occupied by perusing celeb gossip sites and obsessively cleaning everything (Clorox wipes are the best thing ever), and most recently trying to figure out this whole blogger mess.

Summer 09 has been fantastic and I am looking so forward to football season that I cant stand it. Acting in true writer form, I am already exhausted from my short post. I will leave you with a few recent photos. Until the next post (I will be thinking all day tomorrow as I am acting as the reigning "CQ")

Chad and I at the Cincinnati Aquarium, I defiantly recommend it

Emmy & I at graduation (Emmy is a huge blog follower)

The BF (I love abbreviations) and I in St. Louis

I think I am already addicted....enjoy your Tuesday