My Man in a Nutshell

There are days - many days - when I wish Hubby could be more understanding, more like a WOMAN. Don't take that wrong. I don't want him to be feminine, but you know how girls just get each other? That's what I want. I want him to know what to say, how to say it, how to touch me, how to hold me, to just know what a girl wants. I want him to think like a WOMAN - think like me.

Then there are days - like today - when he is absolutely PERFECT. I was down in the dumps - probably hormonal - but anyway - he just knew what I needed and it reminded me of why I chose him to be THE ONE in the first place.

Today felt like I was invisible to the world, but I was the only one in the world to him. Sometimes I feel like I'm the luckiest. Hopefully I can remember this moment when I get mad at him for something silly tomorrow.

Love y'all!
Nikka

It's Date Night

So tonight's the night that hubby and I get to act like adults, or at least young lovers (in my dreams). We try to have date night every Wednesday, but it usually works out to be once or twice a month because more often than not something always conflicts and we put our hubby/wife togetherness on the back burner.

Now, here's the thing...

Hubby likes to go to the movies on date night. To me, that's not a date. That's two people sitting in silence immersing themselves onscreen. After the movie ends and reality brings us back, the date is over and it's time to go home. Tell me, how is that romantic?

I like to talk, to cuddle, to enjoy each other. Movie nights are great for first dates or even if we have date night often, but when it's rare that we get time to ourselves, sitting in a movie is that last thing I want. Oh well...gotta make Hubby happy, right?

Tonight we're going to see Eagle Eye. Guess I should be happy that he wants to spend time with me rather than be a cry-baby about what we do.

What's your idea of date night? Are you on Team Nikka or Team Hubby?

People watching...love the dirt!

So, I'm sitting here in the cafe at Borders in my fave area of Knoxville enjoying a little people watching. Do you ever do that? I have to admit, I LOVE it. I love guessing the stories behind the people I see, or better yet, making up stories. If they only knew...

For instance, this place seems to be flooding with older men at the moment. It's Tuesday mid-morning, and there isn't a shortage of khaki pants and stuffy shirts running around here. Why aren't they at work. If they don't work, why are they dressed like they do? None of the men are together, but they're all the same type. They flirt with the coffee shop chica, they look around the room eyeing all the other young beauties and then grab their coffee and huge slice of coffee cake and sit down pretending to do something important. Seriously, if it's that important, you'd be in your corner office right now yelling at some poor underachiever on the phone, and not here at Borders. You do not have any of us fooled. Sorry!

Then, there is the geek, huddled in the corner with books piled 2 feet high. Seriously? I don't care how long you stay here. No way you're reading all those books! He's probably figuring out quazi physics or whatever...something smart. Or, more than likely, he's actually designing his mega cool Star Wars Halloween costume. That's probably what he's up to. I should ask him. Naw, he'd probably fall out of his chair because no one besides his computer gamer geek friends has talked to him in like...ever. Not that I'm putting down the geeks. Love 'em!

OK...next we have the computer toting cool guys who seem a lot more intriguing than the others around here. Wonder what they're up to. One has the rocker look going on, so he's probably a musician trying to catch a break and is either working on web development (to pay the bills), or his latest and greatest, or... he's self-promoting himself on YouTube or Facebook.

The other laptop staring dude is actually my type of guy. His surfer blonde hairdo makes me feel like I should point and click the cursor to create a beach background for him and change his obviously uncomfortable choice of clothing to much more fitting beachy board shorts. He's totally out of place here. Trade that laptop for a surfboard. You know you want to! Time to move on...wait, where did he go? Should I search for him through the store to figure out what type of books he's into? That says alot about a person. In fact, I think a bookstore is a perfect place to meet someone and get an instant insight into their background. Did you find them in self-help, the children's section, fitness, travel or science fiction? This is priceless information to finding a dude or a dud.

Bottom line: If you wanna meet someone, head to your hottest bookstore cafe and take your pick from the "Newest Releases" to some "Possible Returns". Or, come find me, and we'll gossip. That'd be fun, too...and much less heartbreaking if you don't get a phone call the next day!

Drive-thrus are a moms best friend...and worst enemy

I am a mom of 2 and so I LOVE drive-thrus. If I don't need to take two small kids out of their car seats, drag them into the store to make a simple purchase, then drag them out of the store with my purchase juggled in between my kiddies, then that's just great with me. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a mom who created drive-thrus in the first place. Bless you!

Now, the only problem I have, being a health conscious girly, is that I cannot find a drive-thru that isn't going to toss me a paper sack full of greased up fat. That's where I have a little problem. So here I go, every day, weighing the pros and cons of easy vs. healthy with my 4 year old yelling from the back seat, "I want chicken nuggets!". That's no biggie for her, she won't gain 10 pounds just eating 1, but I will! Isn't this a world where we can have both healthy and easy? Please someone, build me a healthy drive-thru! I bet they have one in California. They're always 1 or 2 steps ahead of us east coast lovelies.

I have a list of things I will allow myself to get at each of the Drive-Thrus around that I have a love/hate relationship with.

McD's: Grilled Chicken Sandwich or a Yogurt Parfait
BK: Grilled Chicken Sandwich without mayonnaise.
Chick-Fil-A: Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Fruit Cup. Diet Lemonade.
Sonic: Grilled Chicken Sandwich without mayonnaise.
Wendy's: Grilled Chicken Sandwich without mayonnaise.

Are we seeing a trend here? What happens if I don't feel like eating a grilled chicken sandwich??

Dear Santa,

Please bring me a healthy drive-thru for Christmas or a nanny, so I can get out of the car and get a decent meal at a decent place without it taking 30 minutes and a headache. That's all I'm asking for...oh, and a lake house...if you happen to have one lying around.

You know I won't be good, because it's just not possible.

Love ya Santie,
Nikka

Blogging around

So, I'm a newbie to this whole wide world of people's craziness (blogging), and so of course I'm looking around completely intrigued by all the different types of blogs. I'm looking at what others are doing to get an idea of what really attracts a crowd and also what focus I'd like to make mine about. And, as I'm perusing...

STOP! WOW! DID I JUST READ THAT FOR REAL?

So, I find some really open and I mean OPEN people on their blogs. They just SAY IT...not hiding (well, they're kind of hiding, 'cuz they don't have pics posted and you probably wouldn't know it's your sister saying these things, but still...). They put it out there in truth and people like me can totally relate to what they have to say, although I don't think I would put it in quite their choice of colorful language. I have to give them props for just saying it like it is. I wish I could be just a tad edgy. Actually, I'm too scared. In fact, I just deleted one sentence that reflected a private secret I have. I'm just proud of the blogger-beauties for just putting it out there so we can be like...I AM TOTALLY THERE!

As for me, I'll be a little more conservative in my posts. After all, my mom will probably find this one of these days and then what will I do?

Martha Stewart is not me, but can I be her? Prob Not!

I am so not Martha Stewart. I wish I was. I wish I had that incredible knowledge of everything crafty, foody, and kiddy. She is the queen of etiquette and I can't even spell the word (thank you spell checker)!

Well, you know how best friends kind of start acting like each other. Do you think that some of her perfectness could rub off on me if I just keep reading her blog and watching her show?? I guess that's the whole point of having a show, right? To help people give great parties, make time to write thank you notes, and wipe your toddler's runny nose all without smearing your mascara. Amazing!!

OK..well...I'll give it a try!! Wanna join me? Let's check out Martha!

Til next time!!

It's sad when people fight

Even the best of marriages, the best of people, the most perfect couples fight.

Today I found myself in the midst of battle, dodging harsh words as they came flying at me one after the other. I retaliated with a few myself, double harsh. Neither person ever wins in these bashing wars. We just scream until our throats are dry and are hearts are bruised to the point that at that moment it feels like there is no possible healing. I cry. I hurt. The room spins and I hope that in the blur of my surroundings I can find arms held out for me to grab onto - to be safe - to be cared for.

Today, that didn't happen. I'm sitting here in more pain and more alone than I have felt in a LONG time. I know I'm wrong in the things I said and the way I said it, but not the meaning behind it. I feel that I deserved to be cared for when I'm sick with a fever and I have a sick infant with a fever at the same time, that I'm warranted some caring, assistance, at least words of sincere pity.

Why is it that a mom has to be there for everyone else, but she is expected to fend for herself when on those rare occasions she gets sick or tired?

Ugggh! I need a good friend right now to just tell me that I'm right...even if I'm not...I just need to feel that someone's on MY side.

Oh well...at least I can feel loved by reading french.

Que mes baisers soient les mots d'amour que je ne te dis pas.

Mwah!
Nikka

I am SO NOT going to the GYM

Today's COD (Coffee of the Day) is a Mocha Java Chiller from Sonic and I just read that it has 18 grams of fat, so looks like I'll be crossing that drink off my must have morning fix list. Ouch! Now I can't eat anything for the rest of the day, or I could go to the gym for 2 hours. FYI, I HATE the gym. I much rather starve than have to face the embarrassment of dressing in either super loose clothes, or overflowing in my form fitting gym duds. My gym is filled with people who go there AFTER they have perfect bodies, simply to show off just how tight they are and make me feel super huge just being beside them. They are full of smiles with their ipods and working it while I'm huffing and puffing on the elliptical set at a low speed trying not to embarrass myself and dying to get off after like 5 minutes while they can go on for hours. How are they human??

I could choose to go swimming, which I can endure a mile swim without getting sick, but then I would have to put on a swimsuit, and watch the lifeguards eyeing me while I put my locker key and towel down and get into the pool. I can never do that fast enough either. It's like everything is in slow motion and I'm dying to have the water cover me up like a blanket so you can't see my post baby blub that I just can't seem to get rid of, probably because of the Mocha Java Chillers I keep grabbing thinking it's way more innocent than an egg mcmuffin. Wrong! I know what the lifeguards are thinking, too. Here comes the whale. Better grab the hose and refill the pool!!

OH well...I could go with the old eating disorder weight loss regime, but Hubby is not too fond of that one, and I can never keep it covered. He ALWAYS finds out. Oh well...who wants to look like a model anyway? Um, ME!

My State of Political Confusion

Thanks for watching. Don't forget to leave comments!

All the best!
Nikka

To look young or to feel young? (that is the question)

OK, Guys...grab your mocha lattes and let's chat...

I was gonna go political in my post today, but I just had a thought and decided it was much more fun to talk about age and beauty than politics (which is my political problem in the first place, but oh well).

So, I was just in the bathroom looking in the mirror when I got to thinking...which is better...

1) Being young, but looking older
or
2) Being older, but looking young

Seriously, does it even matter? Is age more how you look or how you feel? Or, is it the actual number that matters to people?

I could go out and tell people I'm 25 and nobody even thinks twice (at least it doesn't seem like they do). In fact, at times I do...depending on the situation, of course. In all actuality, I'm 32, but who's counting? Definitely not my skin, at least I hope not. However, a 25 year old could look 35 and people are like (secretly, perhaps), really? They look much older than that. Now, which situation is actually better, or is it more of a preference?

So I ask the QOD (question of the day)
Would you rather look younger or be younger?

At some point, does it all kind of mix up together and age ends up not meaning anything at all? It tends to be a matter of how you look and feel and not so much the number of years you've lived?

What are your thoughts? Speak to me, people!

Lovingly yours,
Starbucks Sweetie

Did you ever notice?

So, did you ever notice that with just a few alterations to your surroundings, or the clothes that you wear, or even just the way you did your hair that morning, you can feel like a totally different person? This automatically dominoes to how you perceive the world around you and also how people view you at that moment.

That is how I felt today. I was at church, which is downtown and I just felt like slipping out and running down the street to grab a coffee. The city has a tiny eclectic feel to it, and I enjoyed almost skipping to the coffee shop a few doors down from the movie theater where we hold church. My kids were not attached to me, which is usually what happens on any given day at any give time (I have a 4 year old and a 10 month old). I was alone - no hubby, no babies, just me - wow! I felt carefree, younger, refreshed. In turn, I noticed that people immediately caught on to my happiness and rejuvenation, even for just 10 minutes. I stopped at the coffee shop, chatted with the owner freely and the great thing was the subject was not immediately about children (which is the obvious topic when meeting strangers). For all he knew, I was 25, single and just out and about on a Sunday morning.

I left the coffee shop refreshed and excited to go back to my kids and my husband who were all awaiting my arrival. It was just 15 maybe 20 minutes max, but it made my day to just be me - if even for a moment!

Gossip Girl and 90210

OK, so I LOVE Gossip Girl and 90210 and I have a feeling that I'll like that new show, um...what is it?...oh yeah, Privileged once I see it. Why do I like these shows? I guess I like upper class scandal. I don't know. But, I'm not the only fan. Every time I open up iTunes, it's like the #1 downloaded show, so...obviously the show is not wasted on my eyes only.

Gossip Girl does step over the line just a tad, so much so that I need to wait until my little one is napping before sneaking my Gossip Girl fix. So far, 90210 isn't that bad. I love 'em both and I'm not afrrrraid to admit it. Besides, what girl doesn't like a little hot gossip. On Fridays I grab my weekly tabloids, every night at 7 p.m. I watch E! News, and I have my Yahoo! news set on Entertainment. I try to keep up with the political scene as it is my citizen responsibility, but give me CW over the political conventions any day.

Mwah!
Starbucks Sweetie

Why "Starbucks Sweetie"

So, why choose Starbucks Sweetie as my nom de plume? Well, that's a good question... I guess because I have a heart for Starbucks. I used to work there and loved every minute of every day so much that I would still go in on my days off. Silly, huh? Well, when you like your job that much, it doesn't seem like work. What I loved about Starbucks was the atmosphere, the people that would come in every day, especially the regulars who I would call by their chosen drink rather than their actual names. I loved the laughs, the crazy concoctions the staff would come up with to drink. I'm surprised we didn't poison ourselves. I loved it all and cried when I moved away and left my beloved Nashville, Tennessee Starbucks.

So, when I start a blog with coffee in it, the name Starbucks Sweetie comes to mind. Now, don't get me wrong...I do indulge in other coffee houses. I am a huge fan of smaller mom and pop shops rather than chains, but as a business girl, I do admire the coffee empire that Starbucks has become and appreciate the hard work that goes into becoming one of America's most beloved and most hated coffee houses.

Welcome to our Coffee House

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All the best!
Starbucks Sweetie