I'm Headed to Tennessee...

Memphis Weekend by accordingtojax featuring a bikini swimwear

It's Memorial Day Weekend and I'm in route to Memphis to see my family & friends.

Yippee!

Want to know my incomplete, unofficial agenda so far?

Sure you do.

Friday: Put Paisley in the car and drive 7 hours to Memphis. Dinner with family. Out with friends.

Saturday: Workout. Madelyn's (my niece) 4th birthday party & hanging out with family. Dinner and partying downtown with friends.

Sunday: Workout. Pool day with Stephanie, Kimberly & Lauren. Dinner with family.

Monday: Put Paisley in the car and drive 7 hours to Cincinnati. Hug/Kiss CV. Pass Out.

Short and Sweet.

What are you doing this weekend???

Instagram Catch Up

My Instagram Catch Up:

  

1. My delicious dinner at the "Second Annual Clambake"! See the first one here.

2. After running (Couch to 5k) I got to enjoy this wonderful view at the park.

 

3 & 4: This is where I can find Paisley every night at 10pm (her bedtime).

These pictures were taken on two different days, both at 10pm. Ha.

  

5 & 6: The beautiful hanging basket CV bought me for our two year (dating) anniversary! He always gets me flowers (that die) and this time, we are hoping these will last a long time!

Oops, did I forget to mention last week was me & CV's anniversary? Well it was!!

Happy TWO years, CV!!

 

7. Delicious truffles that CV and I shared on our anniversary.

One was blueberry cheesecake and the other was Chocolate Raspberry.

My skinny jeans hate me right now.

8. Oh just a snapshot of myself lounging on the ever-so-popular couch.

This pictures aren't that exciting, I'll make sure to whip out my phone when more exciting things exist!

Happy Thursday Everyone!

World's Largest Pool

With the temps getting up close to 100 degrees this weekend in Memphis, it's sure making me wish there was one of these there:

The Crystal Lagoon, located at the San Alfonso del Mar resort in Algarrobo, Chile, is the world's largest outdoor pool, stretching more than half of a mile and filled with 66 million gallons of water.

 

 Fortunately, I do have a POOL DAY scheduled for Sunday in Memphis with my friend Stephanie!

(Its not the world's LARGEST pool, but it will do!)

Can't wait to hangout poolside and chat with my BFF this weekend in my hometown!

T-minus 2 days till Memphis!

How To Add A Button To Your Blog

With the New Name, comes a new.....BUTTON!! 

A lot of blogs have a "button" that you can post on your blog that links back to the button's homepage.

Want to make one for yourself? Here's how.

Step One: Create your button. Begin with a picture or logo...you can use paint, photo applications, etc. I used PicMonkey.com for mine. Make sure your picture is smaller than 150 x 150 pixels. (Why? Because most sidebars are 200 pixels wide, so any larger and your logo will be cut off.)

Step Two: Host your picture. Upload your picture to a photo hosting site (photobucket, flickr, etc) And copy the html code they provide.

Step Three: Place the button in your sidebar. In blogger, go to your "Design" page and "Add a Gadget" and chose "HTML". Use the following code and replace YOUR IMAGE URL with the html code from your image and replace YOUR BLOG URL with the direct link to your blog.

[center][a href="http://YOUR WEB ADDRESS/" target="_blank" title="BLOG TITLE"][img alt="BLOG TITLE" src=http://YOUR IMAGE URL/][/a][center]

[/center]

[center][textarea id="code-source" rows="3" name="code-source"][center][a href="http://YOUR BLOG URL/"][img border="0" src=http://YOUR IMAGE URL/][/a][/center][/textarea][/center]

IMPORTANT: All of the front brackets [ will need to be replaced with < and all of the back brackets ] will need to be replaced with >

Step Four: Save and preview your blog. Make sure your button shows up on the sidebar and the link works. (Test it by adding it to your own page and clicking on it. It should open a new window for your page.)

VOILA!! You now have a button for others to post on their blog!

Easy, huh?

*see my sidebar for the completed look and to grab my button*

My New Name

Well, after two years of being "Jax and Marbles" I decided it was time for a blog name change.

So WELCOME to my newly designed blog, According to Jax.

The name is a little more fitting, wouldn't you say?

My header has gone from this:

To this:

And now to this:

I'm enjoying the simplicity of it.

You will automatically be switched over to my new site via Google Reader {According to Jax} instead of {Jax and Marbles}.

And since I don't want to lose any of my non-google-readers, the link http://www.jaxandmarbles.blogspot.com/ will stay the same. 

Horray to a new name! :)

DIY: Infinity Scarves for Infinity

In case you didn't know, I'm obsessed with scarves!

Warm knitted ones for the winter, light breezy cotton ones for the summer, long ones, short ones, square ones. And lately, my most favorite type of scarf, the infinity scarf!!

But I must say, sometimes finding an infinity scarf is hard work. There are regular scarves e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e

 but for some reason infinity scarves are a lot harder to come by.

So, I decided to make my own.

That's right, I DIY'd an Infinity Scarf!

I bought a HUGE scarf from F21 last month and it seemed to be the perfect victim for my little project.

Look how long it was!

I folded it in half longways (right sides facing) and sewed both edges together.

Then, I turned it inside out so the stiching is now on inside of the scarf.

(which is great if you made a mistake!)

Then, I grabbed both ends and sewed them together to make a perfect infinity scarf.

(sorry, this tutorial sucks, but there are better ones here and here.)

I know I know, I need to take a picture of myself WEARING IT. It's on my to-do list, don't worry!

Oh, and I also had another scarf that I NEVER wore, but now that I made it into an infinity scarf, I will probably wear it a lot more often!!

(This one was alot easier to do because it was very thin. I didn't have to fold it longways and sew the side, I just simply sewed both ends together and Tada! It was completed within 2 minutes!)

Turning my regular scarves into infinity scarves was so easy (and brilliant).
And now, I'll never have to go searching for an infinity scarf every again.
 I'll just make my own! :)

The Time I Made Caprese Salad for 50 People

Remember my Caprese Salad with Grape Tomatoes recipe?

Last month, I made it for an event at work for all of my coworkers.

Caprese Salad Samples for 50 people??? Sure, sign me up.

My portion of the event focused on growing your own herb garden, and easy meals to make with your new herbs. Cue the Caprese Salad with BASIL! :)

The event turned out great, and even better, EVERYONE loved my caprese salad recipe. Its so easy and light. And a great summer-time addition to any meal.

AND I was really excited to hear that a lot of my coworkers made this recipe at home and enjoyed it with their families. I rock.

If you are looking for an easy summer salad, look no more. It's sooooo good.

The Bachelorette - A Bunch of Duds

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty disappointed with the group of guys they picked for Emily on The Bachelorette.

Let's review, shall we?

Dislike #1: Kalon

Showing up in a helicopter doesn't bother me at all. (I mean the girl last year showed up on a horse!) Regardless of how you showed up, you are a huge tool. And a "luxury brand consultant" just makes you sound like a huge snob, and perhaps a little too metrosexual for Emily.

Dislike #2: Alejandro

Not that I know much about Emily's tastes, but I seriously doubt she would date a petite guy with both of his ears pierced. He seems too immature to be on the show, let alone take care of a six year old child.

And he is a mushroom farmer, what the hell is that?

Dislike #3: Brent (Elliminated)

Seriously??? He is 41!!! (Emily is only 26) and he has 6 kids.

I know she likes kids and all, but six is ALOT.

Dislike #4: Jackson (Elliminated)

Sure, you are a fitness model. But the fact that you ripped off your shirt after you were eliminated makes you a huge tool. Congratulations.

Dislike #5: Stevie

Sure you had okay dance moves, but I'm sure the father figure Emily is looking for her daughter is not a "Party MC". And you obviously have "short man syndrome" by the way you kept calling out Kalon for the helicopter and etc. And "Stevie" you are not 7 years old, please change your name back to Steve or Steven.
 

I could go on and on, but I'll leave it as my top 5 dislikes.  Didn't you think they could have gotten better guys for Emily? Who were your likes/dislikes???

Art, Lager and Baseball

What do Art, Beer and Baseball have in common?

Well, they were all included in my weekend fun.

My weekend started out with a girls night out with Sara, Jen & Sam at Cheers To Art on Friday night.

Yes, I went AGAIN. See the other times I went here and here!

And here are our Monet Masterpieces. What do you think???

Saturday, Christopher and I ventured downtown to Christian Morlein's Lagerhouse for dinner and drinks to celebrate his cousins graduation. It was definitely a fun night with his family.

Me with his aunts and cousins. Definitely a fun family!

And Sunday, Emily, Sam and I ventured downtown again to the Reds/Nationals game. Unfortunately, it was raining like crazy all day and the game was in a 3 hour rain delay!!!

Notice our "rain hair" and the tarp in the background.

We got there at 1pm and the game didn't start until 4:45pm! On the bright side, I had  tickets to my companies suite, so we stayed undercover, with free food and booze!! We even played a game a flip cup in the suite, 'cause we're classy like that.

We left around the 6th inning (since we were there for 6+ hours already!!) and then I met up with CV and friends for dinner. After dinner and a few minutes of tv time, I was out like a light.

Sad to see this weekend come to an end since it was filled with alot of fun.

But another one is only 5 days away! :)

99 Things

Happy Friday Everyone!

This list has been going around the blog world and I thought I would play along. It's a list of 99 things and I've bolded the things I've done.

1. Started your own blog - duh
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower
- CV and I watched one last year
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
- nope I always give what I can afford, or I give my time
7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
- refinishing furniture, I kinda taught myself
15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning
- from J. Alexandars rattlesnake pasta in high school Ugh.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
- nope but I was on a ferry around it.
18. Grown your own vegetables
- does Basil count? :)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train
- nope, but I've been on a train.
21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked- no but I've picked up a hitch hiker before
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
- rarely, but its happened
24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb
- i think so atleast
26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language - taught myself a little bit of sign language, but not alot
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
- I'm not broke, but I'm definitely not satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing 

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance
- car accident in 2002. Yikes.
47. Had your portrait painted
- does a caracture count?
48. Gone deep sea fishing 

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie 

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason
- CV brings me flowers all the time :)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
- NEVER
68. Flown in a helicopter
- In Vegas!
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job
- does getting Laid Off count?
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book
- I wrote a poem that was published in a big book. Count?
81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper - not my picture, but my name was several times.
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous
- Justin Timberlake...Carlos Mencia...uhm..I think thats it.
92. Joined a book club

93. Got a tattoo

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit
- Yup, I was sued once when I was in a car accident. I lost in the appeal. :( 
98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

I have done 40, what about you??