Sweet Valley, Sweet Valley High.

Somewhere after "The Boxcar Children" and "The Babysitters Club" and decades before "Twilight" hit my shelves, my sister and I discovered the "Sweet Valley High" series. It was originally published before we were even born (in 1983)and was re-released in an adapted version a few years ago with the addition of cell phones and the Internet. A series about identical California girl twins, something about this series was intriguing to Rae and me. Elizabeth - smart, morally stable and much nicer than her sister - versus Jessica - more fashionable, better with boys and honest to a fault. On any given day, we wanted to be either one or both of them.

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Imagine how excited we were when the TV series came out. All of a sudden, afternoons got much, much cooler. Unfortunately, not many other people in North America agreed. The sad thing? I can still remember which twin in the above photo is Jess and which one's Liz (we're obvi on a nickname basis).

Just when we thought the empire couldn't get any better, I found out that Diablo Cody (of "Juno" fame) signed on to write a movie script.. and it's apparently "written", according to her Twitter. I have no idea when it's coming out -- but it's a pretty good guess Rae and I will be there on opening night.

I think what appeals the most about the series is that all of us are a combination of both twins - sometimes flirty, sometimes wise, sometimes responsible, sometimes...not. SVH just packages it neatly into two separate people. One hour, I relate to Liz - the next to Jess. But hopefully, I'm the best blend of the two I can be.

Happy Anniversary!

I am so excited about this weekend! I am working this morning, but after that, we're celebrating our two year anniversary all weekend. On Monday (our true anniversary - 3/21!), I'll update with all of the fun things that we do and see, but until then, here's some pictures. Because what would an anniversary post be without wedding pictures?

Starting the day off right with some MAC Lipglass in Prrr. I love that name. I'm finishing off the tube of this right now - time for a stop at the MAC counter.

My sequin shoes - Steve Madden peep toe silver pumps. Maybe I need to pull these out tonight!

Our little chapel. It was the perfect size and I love that stained glass in our wedding colors. Driving away from the ceremony. It was literally one of the happiest moments of my life. I'm sure you can't tell by the look on my face.

Our wedding party. They were amazing. All of our nearest & dearest.

Our reception site. We were going for a downtown Manhattan loft vibe. LOVED it. That's our cutie ringbearer in the middle.

Why I do what I do - some of my favorite darling students. This is what gets me to work every day - even on Saturdays!

I can't wait to share with all of you what we do this weekend. We're thinking a little road trip - and with beautiful spring sunshine, I hope that's where we end up!

Comfort Food

One of my "life mantras" is that I believe you should do one thing every day that comforts you. When we are young, there are things that comfort us, maybe when we are sick or when our parents do something special for us. For me, it was a pink blanket and macaroni and cheese. There are other things that comfort me today - cuddling with my dog, hugging my husband, lighting my favorite candle. The interesting thing about each of these things is that they aren't expensive or extravagant. They can be the simplest things.

I don't believe that God created us to be comfortable, and I always want you to look for new challenges and new ways to grow. However, the Lord is the God of comfort and I encourage you to find something to enjoy today that He has given you.

Here are a few ideas of "comfort" things you can indulge in tonight!

1. Comfort food. Brownies? Nutella? Mac & cheese? Whatever yours is, make a pan of it tonight.
2. Comfort activities. Take a long bath or shower. Read a chapter of a book on the couch. Hold someone close to you - a pet, a loved one. Nap.
3. Comfortable things. Wrap yourself in an old sweatshirt or a soft blanket. Use your favorite lotion or facewash or nail polish.
4. Comfortable memories. Watch a classic movie, look at old photos, or call a good friend.

These are just a few ideas. None of them take a lot of time, and none of them cost a lot of money. But we all need a break every once in a while, even if it's only for a few minutes!

LUSH Haul

In February, Emma & I went to Columbus to spend a girl's afternoon at Rag-o-rama and exporing LUSH for the first time.

Oh. Em. Gee. It's official. We are converted into Lushies.

I wanted to smell and test everything in the store. I restrained myself (somehow) to the following purchases.

A Cupcake face mask. There were soo many face masks, and they are only available in the stores because LUSH is known for their fresh, handmade products. This mask smelled like chocolate cake. Mmm. Since I couldn't find a picture online, I took this little gem:

Stunning.

My favorite purchase was this facewash:

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While it doesn't smell as good as some of the other lotions and potions that LUSH offers, I die over the way my face feels after I wash it with this. It's amazing! Soft, not greasy (which is vital to my oily skin) and completely clean. The only caveat I have? I still need to use a tiny amount of makeup remover around my eyes to get rid of leftover mascara and eyeliner. But the way that this rejuvenated my winter skin was worth it!

I bought two solid shampoos. I am sold on solid shampoos. I got the Soak & Float and the Ultimate Shine bars. The Ultimate Shine is my new go-to deep cleansing shampoo. It's a little intense for every day wear, but perfect for my once a week or so deep shampoo. The Soak & Float was what I had the highest hopes for going in, but won't be repurchasing. It did a great job cleansing, but I couldn't get over the odor. My hair smelled like a campfire for days. I kind of thought it was hot. Ben did not. He thought I smelled like a boy scout.

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My favorite thing about the shampoo bars is the ease of bringing it with you. I took my Ultimate Shine bar to NC to see my sister and my mama. And the shampoo bar is mama approved. I threw it in a ziplock bag, and didn't worry about spills. It would be perfect to carry on a plane.

I got my first bath bomb, something that LUSH is legendary for. See the amazing array here. I haven't tried it yet because I want to show you a video. And I'm not smart enough to get videos off the camcorder. I'll work on that. The camcorder work and the getting smarter.

The girls from LUSH gave me some great samples - Dark Angel, a facewash for oily skin and the R & B conditioner. They are currently on my 'maybe' list for our next big LUSH trip on May 14.

Speaking of the girls at LUSH, follow our favorites at @LushCbus on Twitter!