yours for the taking

Some hood-rat(s) gave Mr. Ritter a surprising birthday present last night. They broke into his car - without damaging it, and hubs says he locked it. And because he doesn't clean out his vehicle, the thief hit the jackpot, taking Mr. Ritter's golf clubs and laptop that were in the trunk and an iPod docking station. And for good measure - two winning lottery tickets worth $4. Lame. So, a grand total of over $1,000 worth of loot.

The only thing I've ever stolen was a stuffed lamb from daycare, which I took back the next day. So I pretty much just borrowed it for the night. I was 3 or 4. Cut me some slack, it was an awesome stuffed lamb. This was when Lamb Chop was gaining popularity for goodness sakes.

Today, I believe the only things worth stealing are:

Kisses 

Hearts

The Covers

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happy birthday, mr. ritter

Happy birthday to:

the one who makes me laugh

the one who cleans our house

the one who loves me in the morning when my hair is a disaster

the one who accepts that I pee with the door open

the one who gets drunk and giggly with his friends

the one who talks/cheers/claps to the TV when a game is on

the one who has bought more TVs than I can count on one hand

the one who holds it all together

the one who is a great fur-baby dad

the one who keeps me sane

the one who I will spend the rest of my life with

the one I love

the help: movie review

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Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing a FREE screening of The Help, a movie based off the incredible novel by Kathryn Stockett (read it if you haven't!). The book is all about a controversial, hush-hush topic in America - stories of black maids working for white families in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s, told from the perspective of the maids. This is by far one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. 

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I felt the movie followed along with the book (I have to admit that I only read about half or three-quarters of the book - though I plan to read it all again). It's really a fascinating story. This movie made me laugh, hearty laughter from my gut, and it also made me cry. A great combo.

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Viola Davis' character, Aibileen, teaches us the power and beauty of faith.

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Bryce Dallas Howard's character, Hilly, is the epitome of racism and conniving evil.

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Emma Stone's character, Skeeter, (she is absolutely fabulous and precious in this role!) reminds us that there are people brave enough to fight for what they believe in, what's right.  

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Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny (Octavia Spencer) prove that courage and belief know no race, no boundaries.

One of my favorite characters from the film was Celia (Jessica Chastain). She embodied the innocence, all-embracing and non-judgemental essence that very few people truly have in this world. 

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The cast of characters worked flawlessly together and played their roles perfectly. I left the theater feeling truly humbled knowing that I most identified with Skeeter. Not only do I play a journalist/writer in real life, but I am a firm believer in equality and that people deserve a free and full life.

 

 This movie is a MUST see this summer. It hits theaters on August 10. 

If you end up splurging on the $8-$10 movie ticket to see it, let me know your thoughts!

pinteresting spaces

There are so many pin-worthy places and spaces on Pinterest!

As if I needed more incentive to redecorate our abode. Shhhhh....don't tell Mr. Ritter. I may or may not have already had him paint at least three rooms in our condo twice in less than four years. And he may or may not have threatened my life if I have him paint again.

He knew I was indecisive before he married me. And he asked anyway. God love him.

Look at these chic spaces. Swoon.

Source: bhg.com via Holly on Pinterest

I love this color combo. I keep running into it on Pinterest too, so apparently it's popular. Or my Pinterest is trying to tell me something. That I need a room like this in my house.

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Holly on Pinterest

Yes, this is a nursery. No, I don't have kids. Nor am I pregnant or even thinking about having a child yet. But, my child MUST have a room like this. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't provide this luxury to my baby? Adorbs!

Source: brabournefarm.blogspot.com via Holly on Pinterest

I've also got my eye on this delightful color combo. It's so chic and fresh. And all those patterns mixed together add a welcoming texture to the room. With a vintage-meets-modern twist. Yes, please.

Source: cotedetexas.blogspot.com via Holly on Pinterest

The pop of color certainly helps break up the sterile look in this all-white kitchen. But I like how the color is not so overdone in order to compensate for all the white. Well played.

Source: homebunch.com via Holly on Pinterest

I seriously cannot deny anything teal. It's not just my favorite color. It's an obsession. I love how the teal offsets the wood/manliness of this space. I love everything about this room, except maybe the fish hanging on the wall in the background over the doorway on the far left-hand side. Yep, I could do without the fish.

So what are you pinning this week? Link up with Michelle @ The Vintage Apple and show off your pins.

a winner and country music

Happy Tuesday, pretties!

First, congrats to Lauren @ Chocolate, Cheese, and Wine (a woman after my own heart stomach). She won my giveaway, (which wasn't wildly popular. And by wildly I mean not at all. You win some, you lose some), for a free poster from UPrinting.com! Lauren, you should be getting an email shortly. Thanks to Giveaway Blogs for asking me to host. We'll have to do this again some time. Second time's a charm?

 via we heart it

Summer is perfect for sundresses, lazy Sundays by the pool, flip flops, and country music. I spent the weekend in Nashville for a bachelorette party (more on this later). And it was perfect timing given the country music kick I'm on.

Here is my current honky tonkin' playlist:

• Honeybee - Blake Shelton
• Dirt Road Anthem - Jason Aldean
• If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away - Justin Moore
• Remind Me - Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood
• Red Light - David Nail
• Love Like Crazy - Lee Brice
• Watching Airplanes - Gary Allan
• Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not - Thompson Square
• Don't You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean
• Country Girl - Luke Bryan
• She's Country - Jason Aldean
• Soon As You Can - Dierks Bentley
• Felt Good On My Lips - Tim McGraw
• My Kinda Party - Jason Aldean
• Barefoot Blue Jean Night - Jake Owen
• Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum

Now, add your favorites to my playlist. I can't get enough!

Doesn't this just make you want to drive on country roads with the windows down?

more pinteresting diys

I'm still on my DIY project kick, especially since I just moved into a new office space! I guess now that I've pinned all of these projects I should actually start making some of them. Huh? That motivation will come soon. As soon I can pry myself away from Pinterest. Damn, is it addicting! Here are a few more ideas I've pinned since last week:

Monograms are so in right now. Isn't this such an easy and fun idea? Tyler @ Rants. Raves. Ridiculous. mentioned on Pinterest how awesome of a wedding gift this would be. She's so smart. And I have weddings coming up.

Source: etsy.com via Holly on Pinterest

I am always in the mood for jewelry organization (nerd alert). I think if I actually displayed my accessories like this, I might actually where more than three necklaces.

Source: laurenzietsman.wordpress.com via Holly on Pinterest

If you're like me, you have more baking trays than you'll ever need or use. Heck, if you're like me, you use the same one every time. So, why not actually put those extra ones to work serving up some goodies?

Source: marthastewart.com via Holly on Pinterest

Did anyone else used to pretend they were a ribbon dancer when they were little and twirl around with a ribbon to Ace of Base? Oh, that was just me. Well, now I can put all that ribbon to a more socially acceptable use.

Source: creaturecomfortsblog.com via Holly on Pinterest

Talk about a friendly reminder.

Source: craftaholicsanonymous.net via Holly on Pinterest

Now, stick pin 'em up! Play along and link up with Michelle @ The Vintage Apple.

change for change

{isn't this video so inspiring? the world needs more people like Ashley}

Imagine what all that spare change hanging around in the bottom of your purse, jingling in your pocket, or filling up the top of your dresser could do for a few inner city high school students in Phoenix, AZ. That's exactly the vision the beautiful and inspiring Ashley @ The Shine Project had when she created the Change for Change challenge.

Ashley's goal is to raise $20,000, by the end of October 2011, for The Shine Project Scholarship Fund, which will give four students at Cesar Chavez High School in Phoenix scholarships towards their college education.

Today, I pledged to raise $100 for the scholarship fund. This weekend, I will be creating my change jars - one for home and one for the office - to collect leftover change over the next three months.

How can you get involved? I'm glad you asked. Contact Ashley and she'll send you tags to put on your change jar(s). It's that easy!

And mark your calendar for the celebration party in Phoenix, AZ in October!

Now, hand over your change, friends! We've got lives to change here!

fashion friday and a giveaway

Hello, yellow.

I love wearing bright colors in the summer. And yellow is just one of those colors that can put you in a good mood. Kind of like Arby's (good mood food, anyone?). 

It's a little dreary here in C-bus today, but rain is a necessary evil, especially when we're trying to grow grass in the bare patches that our dogs have killed with their super pee. 

Anywho, I guess I should have worn yellow today, but I wore it yesterday and opted for pink today instead. I feel good about it.

Link up with Kori @ Blondes Episodes to play along with Fashion Friday!

Now, on to that giveaway I mention in the post title!

GiveawayBlogs.com has asked me to do a giveaway for UPrinting.com. And who doesn't like a giveaway?! 

One (1) winner will receive an 18" x 24" semi gloss or high gloss poster from UPrinting.com (one business day turnaround!). If you are looking for a way to promote your business or need a poster for a special event, now is your chance to get a poster for FREE! This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents 18 years and older only.

How to enter:

Leave a separate comment for each! And don't forget to leave your name and email address.

1. Be a follower of Running in Stilettos

2. Like Running in Stilettos on Facebook

3. Follow Running in Stilettos on Twitter

4. Like UPrinting.com on Facebook

5. Follow UPrinting.com on Twitter

6. Like GiveawayBlogs.com on Facebook

7. Follow GiveawayBlogs.com on Twitter 

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive a poster for hosting. Check out UPrinting.com to see more of their poster, different poster sizes and poster templates.

Giveaway winner will be randomly chosen on Monday, July 18.

Good luck, pretty people!

therapy thursday: living in sin

 {via we heart it}

Hello, controversial subject. My name is Holly and I lived in sin. Don't judge me. It was a good decision for Shawn and I in our relationship, and it worked out for us. Given the choice, I'd do it again. If it's not your thing or against your belief system, then I won't judge. But if you're debating about whether or not to take the cohabitation plunge, here are a few pieces of advice:

Meet on neutral ground. If you move in with him (or her, for my secret male readers), the place may not feel like yours, collectively. No one wants to feel like a guest in their own home, so move into a new place together.One that you pick out together and make your own.

Make it yours. Decorate the place together. Whether you think your man (or woman) has no taste or sense of style, his (or her) opinion, when it comes to decorating your pad, matters. Just asking for their input, even if you don't take it all the time, lets your hunny bunny know that you're willing to compromise and see things from their perspective.

Respect each other's space. If your place is conducive, find a space in your house that's all your own. A retreat of sorts where you can relax alone when needed. Just because you live together, doesn't mean you have to be together, in the same room, all the time. Mr. Ritter retreats to his "man cave" aka the basement when he just wants to watch sports without my questions or comments. It's just his thing, and I respect that. He also respects when I need want to watch my crime shows.

Accept each other's living habits. Don't think that when you move in with your beau that he's going to change his living habits. If he left his clothes, clean or dirty, on the floor, he's still going to leave his clothes on the floor. Most likely you saw this when you hung out at his place before cohabitating. If you were OK with it then, you should be OK with it now. If you weren't OK with it then, well, sorry sister, you picked him. Pick you battles. But if he has a habit that you just can't handle, then approach the subject positively and let him know what it is that bothers you and present a solution. Don't show up to the discussion without a solution. He may not know any other way of doing things, and habits are hard to break. So go easy on him and help him to kick the habit. On the flip side, don't get your panties in a pinch if there are habits of yours that irritate him. Be open to change.

Don't reveal everything at once. Get comfortable with each other slowly. You don't want to scare your man away or repulse him, at least not at first. Some things are better kept behind closed doors, such as shaving your bikini line. If you ask Mr. Ritter, he'd tell you the one thing he wishes I kept a secret was that I prefer to keep the bathroom door open when doing my business (And yes, he knew this before he married me). Oh, that's gross? Well, then be glad you don't have to live with me. I guess I just don't like the enclosed space. At first, I always kept the door closed. After awhile, I just started leaving it open on occasion. Now, depending on my business, I'll leave the door open. He's accepted my going number one with the door open. It's a daily occurrence. But he hasn't quite accepted number two, so I still close the door for that one. What? Everybody poops. Stop judging. Moral of the story: slowly introduce those things you typically keep behind closed doors. But I believe it's important to introduce your whole self to your significant other: good, bad, and disgusting.

Share responsibilities. Splitting up cleaning duties ensures that you both get your hands dirty. Maybe even make a day of it. This will keep you working together. Relationships are not a one-way street after all. I must admit that Mr. Ritter does most of the cleaning in our house. He's so darn good at it. But I am also so busy that he usually has everything done by the time I get home. Lately, I've been trying to step up and help out with duties around the house, whether he recognizes it or not. Perhaps I should make this my mid-year resolution.

Living together before marriage, even engagement, worked for Shawn and I. I could see a viable future with him, and it turns out that I was right (which I am most of the time...ha! jk.). If your relationship is unstable, and don't kid yourself, living together isn't going to fix your issues. There are a lot of stats out there about people who live together before marriage and end up divorced. Those people probably weren't meant to be together anyway. It most likely had nothing to do with living together. But you can tell by living apart whether you can live together or not. And if you can't, you probably haven't been dating long enough.

To each her own, my friends. Happy cohabitating!

pin up

I joined Pinterest about a month or so ago, and I love pinning all my favorite things to my categorized boards. It's so easy and there are so many fabulous things to discover from fashion to home decor and beautiful places to quotes. If you're not on Pinterest, email me and I'll send you an invite. I'd hate for you to miss out on all this fun!

So today I'm hooking up with Michelle @ The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!

While pinning today, I came across some chic DIY projects that I'm excited to try:

I love the idea of using maps at matting for photos. Wouldn't it be fun to use maps from wherever you took the picture? Say, your honeymoon or a fun vacation?

Source: marthastewartweddings.com via Holly on Pinterest

I've been looking for a unique way to store my jewelry, since the hanging holder I'm currently using is overflowing, and I think these two ideas are perfect and so chic!

Source: onewomenshaven.blogspot.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: brassrazooboutique.com via Holly on Pinterest

I love this idea of using mason jars filled with votives to add a warm glow to any outdoor space. I think I might have to tackle this project ASAP for our patio.

Source: chezbeeperbebe.blogspot.com via Holly on Pinterest

Isn't this bracelet amazing? I'll let you know if I give it a shot.

juliapetit.com.br via Holly on Pinterest

Source:

So what have you pinned today? Link up and show off! Oh, and look me up on Pinterest (hritter18). Happy pinning!

milkshake

Those of you who know me know that I'm a dancing machine. I can't help myself. I can and will dance to just about anything (except the Electric Slide. I refuse. I head straight to the bar at weddings when this song comes on. Call me a party pooper, but that's the worst wedding song ever). I digress.

So I put my moves to the test during my bachelorette party. At one of my favorite bars in Columbus, The Big Bang - a dueling piano bar, they called all the bachelorettes up on stage. Then they announced that we would all be participating in a booty shaking contest. Ha! Right up my alley. I went last. And this is what happened:

And then I won these:

Registration is now open for booty shaking lessons.

i confess...

I confess...that this was the best idea I could come up with to reintroduce myself back into the blogging world after my three-week hiatus.

I confess...that I don't care if I see fireworks this weekend. I know, how un-American of me.

I confess...that I am going to the NKOTBSB concert this month with my girlfriends.

I confess...that I won a booty shaking contest during my bachelorette party just so I could get free shots. Shameless. More on this later...

I confess...that I let Mr. Ritter do all the cleaning and laundry lately...OK, all the time. I'm a bad wife.

I confess...that I'm addicted to Old Navy. There, I said it. Sheesh.

I confess...that I cried the last day of cheer camp yesterday. I'm going to miss my seniors next year (yes, I'm aware that the school year hasn't even started, nor have our cheer seasons). And for the record, they started crying first. I just have overactive mirror neurons this time of the month. It's not totally my fault.

I confess...that I want a giant metal chicken. Read this and you'll understand, and probably want one too.