In loving memory of Lois Ann Schuster Freundlich

To my sweet Nana, you are always in our hearts

Lois Ann Schuster Freundlich, beloved wife of Edward Freundlich for 60 years, passed away peacefully on Oct. 10, 2009. Born Dec. 9, 1929 in Chicago, she was a wonderful, compassionate, sweet, loving person. She married Edward on Dec. 3, 1949 and devoted her life to family whom she loved so very much and for whom she gave endless hugs and kisses. We will always remember her smiles, warmth and generous heart, her love of cooking, every holiday, parties with dear friends and anything joyous. Her home was open to all and always a place of much love and happiness. In addition to her husband, Edward Freundlich, she leaves behind her son, Edward Freundlich, Jr. and his wife, Susan and their children, Evan and Sara; her son, Andrew Freundlich and his wife, Carrie and their children, Amy, her husband, Adam Gregor, Melissa and Scott; and her daughter, Susan Zimmerman, her husband, Richard, their children, Katie and Bill. She also leaves behind her dear brother Jerry Schuster, dear sister-in-law Mary Lou Schuster, and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and many friends that she spent so many wonderful years with. She is now with her mother Lorraine, father Jerome, brother Jack, and sister-in-law Elaine and many other loved ones. Private only memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care Center, Skokie, IL or a charity of your choice.

On October 10th, 2009, we lost our loving Nana to Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is a progressive and fatal disease which destroys brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior, severe enough to affect daily life activities. Today Alzheimer's is the seventh-leading cause of death in today's society. It was a long several years of watching our Nana lose her memory. Deep down she still had memory of her husband, our amazing Papa. The love they shared was an unconditional fairy tale love that every person is looking for in their life. They are lucky to have each other, and are an inspiration for those in love, looking for love, or waiting for love. I admire them both, the commitment to their children, grandchildren, and each other. We know Nana is in a safe place, much happier place, and is missed by all her children and grandchildren every day.

all that jazz

sequin leggings, the buzz has grown and they are ever so popular this season!

expressfashion.com $98

the glitz & glam has sparked the fashionista in me. as i have been "cutting back" on my spending, i have allowed myself to only shop for the needs, but these leggings will have to be bought soon. leggings have been such a hot trend for the last year and its great to see the new legging in a fanciful form.

victoriassecret.com $88.50

neimanmarcus.com $348, La Rok (i want you but can't afford you)

sequin leggings I will find you, this may just have to be an expensive indulgence to perk up my with-drawl of shopping, they have been worth the wait!!

teeny halloweeny

dear amy...thank you for the embarassament

dear all readers, my sister decided to take some pictures out of the vault to paint a picture of what halloween means to her. but i want to put it out there, that my mother always dressed us alike. always, from corny holiday sweaters, halloween sweatshirts, but thats what made people believe we were twins. to this day people still think we are like twins.

so in order to get back at my sister for the lovely photos, i just decided to take it all the way and post a video, please enjoy. this video is my little brothers 1st birthday, he is our teeny halloweeny. he is the only reason i love halloween, he is the cutest most adorable little thing i have ever seen. i love him so much. please ignore my 4 inch thick glasses, and the two mullets that my sister and i are modeling. enjoy our teeny halloweeny on his 1st birthday (1989), i heart you scott*

Basic Black

so i have been reading this book called basic black: the essential guide for getting ahead in work and in life by cathie black

cathie is the president of hearth magazines. she is in charge of the great magazines cosmopolitian & marie claire, which i am sure everyone has heard of. this book offers invaluable lessons that will help you land the job, promotion, or project you are vying for; cathie provides personal stories of her own and other women that have been valuable in her life. as i read this, the one thing missing from this book is the fashion, but as i read it, all i can think about is the basic black necessities in fashion that these women should be wearing while conquering their successful careers. so i decided to share some of the "basic" blacks that i think every woman should have in her closet (not all these are work appropriate, but i love them)

a little ruffle goes along way

from work to play

one shoulder, a great new trend that leaves a little sexy

these are my must have accessory when the leaves have fallen and we hit our cold months (in dallas that means december)

and who doesn't love a little Louboutin

are you ready for some football

that's right ladies, it's football season, the men hibernate into bars, homes, basements, where ever they can get away from us, but let me tell you something i have learned, football is fun to watch. the adrenaline rush you get when that hot body runs down the field, so worth watching. i have to say there are some good looking football players, but the best ones are the ones with the great touch down dance.

but if you don't find this amusing, sorry ladies, you are going to have a very boring fall, because these men are obsessed with the "fantasy football" and the "real football", i know its sick. i suggest you get down to the googling, and google your fingers away and read up on your football statistics, so when you finally get your man to take you to dinner, you can find something to really intrigue him with, football. that's all that makes these men happy. i honestly love football, love finding a great team to root for. it really impresses these men. so just a little information on my favorite football player : Marion Barber, he is known for "the stiff arm" i love him for this. when he gets the ball he puts that arm out and just pushes all these big boys down and runs it into the endzone, unbelievable! i love it. so please if you have learned anything, pick a player talk about it with your man, he will be head over heels for you.

a good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world. ~Lois Wyse

that's right my best friend is coming to Dallas! i haven't seen her since we graduated in May 2007, so it's been 2 & 1/2 years. long time. i haven't seen alot of my great friends from college because we live all over the U.S., but i am super excited, i mean there are no words to how excited i am to see her. here's a little bit about our friendship. we both joined pi beta phi our sophomore years of college. we had been randomly selected to be roommates, along with another girl in our house. every semester it was house policy to switch rooms, and every time we would choose to be in a room together. our friendship grew from day one, and we really are so much alike. she is just like a sister to me. what's great is we both have amazing sisters that we are lucky to add each other into our lives. as senior year was ending, that last semester we really embraced each other, and became best friends. through some of the hardest times we were there for each other, leaned on each other, and giggled with each other. we went out together, ate jimmy johns together, got dressed together, did our hair and makeup together, gossiped together, laid on the futon together, watched every MTV show together, held each others hands through many shots of vodka. we were inseparable. i love her with all my heart, and can't wait to capture some good memories with her when she comes in town. friends aren't always easy to find, and i believe fate really gave me such an amazing best friend. thank you fate*

beautiful INSPIRATION

style : the images below are what style is defined by. this is beauty, carrie bradshaw gives women all over the world the confidence to feel beautiful in anything they wear. thank god for the amazing writers of sex and the city, cannot wait to enjoy the next addition to the sex and the city collection, with the second movie. i heart you sex and the city*

My beautiful sister just got married on 8.08.09, the wedding was incredible, and she married the most amazing man. Here are some incredible pictures from pencarlson.com, they captured this wedding to the 10th degree. enjoy*

"Every time we make the decision to love someone, we open ourselves to great suffering, because those we most love cause us not only great joy but also great pain. The greatest pain comes from leaving. When the child leaves home, when the husband or wife leaves for a long period of time or for good, when the beloved friend departs to another country or dies ... the pain of the leaving can tear us apart. Still, if we want to avoid the suffering of leaving, we will never experience the joy of loving. And love is stronger than fear, life stronger than death, hope stronger than despair. We have to trust that the risk of loving is always worth taking." - Henri Nouwen

seesters*

A few weekends ago, I threw my seester a bachelorette party. She is getting married August 8th in Chicago, but we decided to have it here in Dallas. It was extremely special since we grew up here but she lives in Chicago and all her friends came from all over the place to celebrate her last final days as a single lady. Here are some entertaining pictures and a glimpse of the weekend!!!

the nest.com has the cutest ideas of "20 dates for under $20 dollars.

At Home Dates

$-$$$ Bathroom SpaTake turns giving each other massages and rinse off all that oil with a bubble bath. Just don’t get too relaxed. Falling asleep really kills the mood!

$$ Movie Theme NightIf you’re in the mood for Italian, rent The Godfather and cook up some pasta. Watch Wedding Crashers with slices of cake from your fave bakery.
Artsy Dates$ Art GalleryMost art galleries are free, so check out new artists in your area. Free wine is often served on the opening night of exhibits. Cheers!

Artsy Dates

$ Art GalleryMost art galleries are free, so check out new artists in your area. Free wine is often served on the opening night of exhibits. Cheers!

$–$$ Local ConcertsCheck your local paper or its website for free concerts. For shows in the park, pack a picnic so you can dance and dine in the same place.

$$$ Pottery Painting Okay, you won’t exactly be able to reenact the scene from Ghost at a pottery shop, but you’ll be able to paint funky coffee mugs!

Free Book Readings

$ Hiking Pack your hiking boots or a comfortable pair of sneakers, two large bottles of water, and yummy sandwiches.

$ Driving Range Whether it’s outside on a sunny day or at an indoor range to escape the rain, teeing up is a cheap wy to get your golf on together.

$$ Roller Skating If you own skates, head over to the nearest roller rink for a retro good time.

$$–$$$ Minor League Games : tickets in the back row are cheaper and more romantic

Foodie Dates

$ Street or County FairWhether it’s a pie bake-off on a farm or a falafel stand in the city, street and county fairs are great places to sample food and soak up the local flavor.

$ Ethnic Eats Here’s the thing about low-key ethnic restaurants: The food is often just as good as pricier cuisine. Who can resist pad Thai with chicken, veggies, and peanuts?

$$ Cooking Class Get friends together and ask everyone to bring their favorite recipes and the ingredients to make them. Since it's potluck, you'll feast for a fraction of the price!

$$ Farmers’ Market Wake up early on a weekend morning, grab your canvas grocery bag, and head over to your local farmers’ market or health food store.

$$$ Brunch Ask about the brunch specials at a favorite restaurant. Many weekend hot spots offer deals on brunch buffets, limited brunch menus, and drinks.

Offbeat Dates

$$$ Thrift Shopping Head to a flea market or thrift store and have a contest to see who can find the wackiest item. The only catch? You can spend no more than $10 each.

$$$ Amateur Comedy ShowLaugh it up during open mic night at a comedy club. Admission rates are cheaper when you watch amateurs take the stage.

On-the-Go Dates

$ Volunteer “Work” Doing good together can be a lot of fun. If you love the outdoors, find an organization that plants trees or cleans beaches.

$ Historic TourEvery town or city has a unique history, so find out yours by taking a walking tour of local sites with historical significance.

$$$ Dance Class Obsessed with Dancing With the Stars? It’s time to test your own skills by taking a couples dance class.

cottage cuteness

stinkin' cute

this is the cottage from the move The Holiday, which is my favorite movie (probably because of this adorable cottage). i would love to have a vacation home such as this little one, cozy, cozy, cozy

bold

recently, i have enjoyed adding some color into my apt, such as a mirror once bronze/gold finish, has now been updated with my fabulous paint job of a new turquoise coat, to add a touch of color (it is highly needed in my neutral place). i am now on a hunt for a new kitchen rug with bold colors. i wish i could just dive into color like these images, they are so bold and full of color in such intelligent places.

sweet paradise

oh please, please, please, someone take me here...my small confined office isn't doing it for me today...

flowerbomb

i really wish headbands didn't hurt my head b/c these are just stinkin' cute, i would wear a different one everyday. perfect (easy) way to accessorize.

i scream...u scream...we all scream for ice cream

i used to love all kinds of ice cream except sherbet, i wasn't a fan, but this........this stuff is ridiculously amazing, i can't live without it, it also is a great source of vitamin c, and i absolutely love it.

preppy par

i love the fashion in golf. preppy, sophisticated, playful, sweet.

the sport which started in scotland in the 12th century when shepards were knocking stones in rabbit holes, is the boyfriends favorite sport; he is so good, and dedicates alot of time to his golf game. it is the game that makes him happy and is a great way to hang with the guys. i am terrible at golf, i want (NEED) golf lessons desperately. i sometimes get to tag along, which i love because it is nice and relaxing, and i am a great caddy (passenger seat car rider). it is something i hope to dedicate some time to so we can play together. i believe with some great outfits i will be more confident to playing and it will become more desirable, here are some looks i think i would love to model on the course

j.lindenburg

nudity

(not naked)

jcrew

elegance

if i had an apparel line, it would be nude, nude, and more nude pieces, with delicate lace, sheers, and pure simplicity