My Favorite Perfume, My Secret

Hi friends!

I usually don't do this, but I can't keep this secret to myself. As I sit here having run out of my favorite perfume and thinking I must make a trip to the mall for some more - I figured I'd better share my FAV smell with all of you.

About a year ago, my friend Janelle introduced me and another friend to her amazing scent she was wearing called Fracas. Fracas is the most original scent I've ever smelled. Its woodsy, flowery, bitterly sweet smell always gets compliments!

Fracas can only be found at a couple stores; Sephora & Nordstroms are the closest most popular store that cares it.

Here's Sephora's gift sets & pricings:

Click Here For Fracas @ Sephora

Enjoy!

We Have Alittle Girl!

Hey everyone! Well, there's going to be another Harmsen-Coplen GIRL! We are so excited to annouce that we now know what this little creature is inside of me!

The Ultrasound was an interesting experience. This little baby was stuck in my pelvis which made it very hard for the tech to get all her measurements - after 3 liters of water (I just kept on drinking b/c I had to go pee like 4 times before our appointment came around) the tech started to jiggle my belly - and then Wade started to jiggle from the other side... HOLY JEEBERS!!!! I thought I was going to let it all go on the table.

After 30-40 mins, lots of silence (and worrying on my part), a trip to the bathroom, I think she got all her measurements and TADA "You have a girl!" or as the tech said "a little stubborn girl!"

It was the most amazing thought that went racing through my mind, because all along I thought I was having a boy. Even had a boys name picked out!

Knowing this little baby inside me is a girl, makes me so happy because there is so many girls in my family and in Wade's family that are ALL SO AMAZING, that I know this little diva will be just a doll.

My mom says she looks like Sophie, my niece, already...and also said she looks like a "Patsy, Lily or Mary" HA!

Thanks for everyone's prayers, support and great wishes! We truly appreciate it!

We love this little baby so much already!

-Julie & Wade





Kindest Regards,
The Coplen Family

Leave Strawberry Shortcake ALONE!!!!

This is just too much of a disgrace to not post.

American Greetings has unvieled the "new and improved" Strawberry Shortcake and I am upset! I can't believe this!

Take a look:



They are set to revamp the Care Bears this fall, what are they going to do? Make one gay? One Metro? Come on America! Some things you just DON'T mess with.

Wordless Wednesday

A Lesson Well Taught

Everyone hates having to talk in front of people, I don't care who you are. I have a boss who gives us a topic (as a learning tool) every month, we have to research it and present it...in front of our department. (The department that I'm in, of Underwriters, consists of 5 people - so don't think it's like 20-30 or even 40). Regardless of the amount of people or how comfortable you are in front of them, EVERYONE has a fear of messing up. Am I right? (Minus the President of course)

Today was our day to present and my topic was "Broad Form Products", for those of you who don't know what I do for a living, I work in the Underwriting department for an Insurance company - going on my 8th month. Learning is a must for me if I want to move up or even become an Underwriter. I dread doing research, it reminds me of school and I just suck at homework. I believe that all my teammates are in the same boat. But I got a really good compliment from a co-worker of mine today saying " I really hate doing this research things" and I replied, "Ya, me too - but lets get it done and over with and move on with our day" and he says "But you always do so well on your topics and I just studder over what I'm trying to say and look ridiculous!" ....I was amazed, b/c I thought I did that too!

The meeting went really well (as they always do) and was over within an hour. I don't know why I stress of stuff like this so much, because apparently I come prepared, speak well and sound like I know what I'm talking about.

Thats a good feeling.

The Next Best Thing Out of The U.K.

I came across a new artist (well, new to me) that is the next best (clean) thing to come out of the U.K. (next to the whack-job Amy Winehouse)

Her name is Duffy (Amie Ann Duffy), and it currently the top-selling artist in the U.K. and I think her sound is .....60's / 50's inspired, with a bit of a raspy yet calming, clean sound voice. My mother would love this music as well as 16-17 year olds. Its THAT good.

Here's a sample of her hit that has come here to the U.S. just recently, that has me dancin' on the ceiling! ;)

Hurry and download her music onto your IPOD, MP3's - She's a definite "get the day started" type of artist that everyone should listen to in the morning..

Enjoy!

Cake Balls Recipe

This is probably the most delicious dessert you will EVER taste (that or I am just suffering from my pregnancy condition known as cravings)

Ingredients:
yellow - or - white cake mix

philly cheesecake filling

two bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips

crushed nuts of choice (optional)

Directions:
Bake a cake, cool completely

crumble cake into super fine peices

Mix in 1/3 to 1/4 of a tub of pre-made cheesecake filling (will be consistancy of dough)

Roll into balls and chill until hardened

Dip into melted semi-sweet chocolate & roll into crushed nuts

If you're serving them for a party, you can put toothpicks in the top or plastic drink stir thingys.

ENJOY!

Side note:

You may want to keep these in the fridge or freezer until you eat them, the chocolate tends to "sweat" and its a mess.

Phoenix Has Landed - Wordless Wednesday

Memorial Weekend

There's nothing more interesting than: Entertaining 35+ people while being pregnant. This weekend we had the Logue-Coplen's over (Wade's immediate family) over for a Memorial Pool Bash. It was a great time, but MAN is it hard to entertain people, or at least be a host. My Mom/Dad - Aunts/Uncles always made it look SO easy growing up!! I don't know if it was because I was pregnant or what, but by 4 p.m. I was EXHAUSTED! But the tiredness was all worth it because fun was had by all! (Or at least I hope!)

I am always so bad at taking pictures of food, but there was some AMAZING food including; Ribs, Steaks, Salads, Rices and the most amazing dessert that Wade's Dad and Sister had made. The Party wouldn't of been possibly without those two! Granted I didn't really get to eat b/c I was busy making sure everything was put out, picked up and everybody had enough - I'm looking forward to some left overs today!

We had SO many babies in our presence yesterday including Wade's friend Ryan's baby Hailey - Wade's friend Larry's baby (and forgive me b/c at the moment I can't remember this little cutie's name - I will blame it on the pregnancy b/c I seem to be forgetting EVERYTHING these days), Wade's nephews Tillman & Caleb. MAN! They were precious and it's so fun to see Wade with all the babies b/c he is the definition of baby crazy. He's going to be a GREAT father. All the babies were just under 1 yr and one, Tillman, just over a year old. SO CUTE!

My biggest baby of all, Wade - is pretty beat up today - from head to toe. Thinking it was a fantastic idea to jump into the pool from our roof - he biffed it before he even reached the roof and tore up his leg. I think there may be a finger that is broken too, but I'm not quite sure what the story was there.

Thanks to everyone who helped made this day a GREAT day - I had so much fun!

Til next year!

A Whole Slew of Information

I'll admit, I've been a bad blogger lately - so here's what I've been up to in the past weeks..

First off I want to start off my saying Happy Mothers Day to all the mom's, Step Mom's, Mom's to be out there!!

Last weekend was a dear friend, Janelle's 30th Birthday and boy did we celebrate! She got a room at the Hilton Scottsdale at we had a blast! Me being pregnant, I wasn't able to enjoy the delicious drinks that were being made (ie, sex on the beach, Vodka and soda's and Margarita's) But I did endulge in a fantastic virgin Strawberry Daquiri! YUM!! I downed that sucker in 2.2 seconds! ;) Nothing beats, the Sun, good friends, lots of laughs and celebrating a day of birth! Happy 30th Janelle! And I need to add that this pregnant lady lasted from 9 am to almost midnight that night - dancing the night away! We were all impressed, however I was extremely worn out the next day and the following week! Phew!







Next, I'm not sure if I mentioned that we had our 2nd doctors appointment on the 30th - which I was expecting an Ultra Sound, but since we knew how far along I was and every test came back "absolutely perfect" - the Ultrasound wasn't needed - I was alittle bummed out, but then we got to hear the heartbeat and that made it all the better! We have a healthy heartbeat of 150 beats per minute, which the N.A. said was a "strong heartbeat"! My heart melted at the sound of that little heart beat!

We get to find out the sex AND FINALLY get to see the little pooper in June! The suspense is already killing me and I'm still thinking its a boy ;)

Lastly - I celebrated my first unofficial Mother's Day yesterday, which was amazing, yet alittle sad. First off, I was amazed b/c of all the calls, texts, emails that I received wishing me a Happy Mothers Day, when really I'm not a mother yet - and then also receiving an unexpected gift from our really good friend Darrell. I was truly thankful for everyone's support and love. Secondly, I was alittle sad b/c I couldn't be with my Mom, my best friend, to celebrate her. Its always so hard to be away from family on Holidays like this. But I know she knows that I was there in spirit and maybe, just maybe I'll get to be with her next year on Mothers Day to celebrate us both being mothers.




For all you Mothers out there, I appreciate every single one of you and admire what you do. For all the Mothers I know, I can only hope one day I'll be as good as a Mother you all are to your children, to mine.

God Bless you all.

Julie