The Mentalist

Does everyone realize how great this show is? Or to be more accurate, does everyone realize how charming and hot Simon Baker is?

Two more books I read on vacation...

Picking Cotton- This story of a woman who wrongly accused a man of raping her was amazing. He spent 11 years in jail for a crime he did not commit and amazingly enough they have developed a friendship. This was a book worth reading.

Life Sentences- There were a few points in this book where I thought it was predictable but then the author proved me wrong. I loved this book!

The tax man...

Like many people, tax season is not fun for me. This is the time of year where once again my husband is left scratching his head and wondering "How did I get this girl?" Brian is a VERY together person when it comes to money. He is a SAVER. I am a SPENDER. But like Paula Abdul knows, Opposites Attract. Prior to our wedding Brian mentioned to me that we should most likely go over our finances, goals, plans, etc... Then, he emailed me an Excel spreadsheet. It detailed the mileage on his leased car by month, amount he invested, monthly savings detailed until retirement, all of it. And he didn't just put that spreadsheet together for me, it was part of his life. He updated this thing on a regular basis. I picked up the phone and called my friend Mike, the most computer savvy person I knew at the time. I let him know we needed to make a spreadsheet PRONTO and find a way to make my shoes, purses, Longaberger baskets and loose change look like a plan for the future. So, fast forward six years into our marriage and you will find out why I HATE tax season. Brian tells me our accountant needs to know how much interest my savings account earned last year for our taxes. Because obviously that is income. Umm... let me log into my account so I can get that number to you. That would be seven cents Brian. As in $.07. Thankfully, at this point Brian doesn't expect much but I could tell by the pause in the conversation that he just wants to scratch his head yet again... I'm a spender, not a saver; what can I say?

Free Eyelash Curler from Tarte

This is a pretty sweet deal! Purchase a mascara from Tarte and get a free eyelash curler. Use promo code CURLER at checkout. Just trying to keep my girls looking good!

Giveaway! Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings! I'm not foolin!

Seeing as how April Fools Day is coming up and I loooove a good story I thought I would do a little "giveaway" to get people to share their funny stories with me. Put your best April Fools Day story in the comment section between now and midnight on April 01st. On the 2nd I will draw the name of a person who will win a brand new pair of purple Kenneth Jay Lane chandelier earrings from the Gilt Group. They really are gorgeous! (If you aren't a member of the Gilt Group let me know and I can get you the referral to get in. AMAZING deals on designer goods.) So go ahead and tell me your funny stories! Amuse me, please!

Better late than never- Join us!

This Sunday, March 29th from 2-7 p.m. there is a Recessionista Shop n Swap in Cincinatti. I personally find this too good to pass up and am loading up my car with friends and making the trek. See some friends and fellow bloggers? Meet new people? Come home with new things which I did not pay for? I'm in! If you are interested read the following. Sorry for the short notice. Hope to see you there. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about the process.

Recessionista Shop 'n' Swap
Lots of clothes but nothing to wear? Here's an upcoming opportunity for you to satisy the frugal fashionista in you!



Recessionista Shop 'n' Swap
Hosted by Cincy Chic and M641 Clothing
Sponsored by Kelley Long, Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley

Sunday March 29, 2-7pm
Fashion shows at 4 & 6pm

West Chester Conference Center
9248 Princeton Glendale Road
Hamilton, Ohio 45011
Click here for directions

Enjoy discounted shopping, a clothing swap, food, drinks, games & prizes! Event to benefit the Conductive Learning Center of Greater Cincinnati.


Cash Cube Sponsored by: Eddie Lane's Diamond Showroom West Chester
Fashion Show Sponsored by: Snooty Fox
Clothing Swap Style Advice Presentation Sponsored by: Details by Amie Berger
Music and Entertainment Provided by: Brian Douglas with Q102 - WKRQ
Food Provided by: All Things Catered
Wine Provided by: Little Black Dress Wines
Photography Provided by: SB1 Photography
Videography Provided by: Glass Eye Video
Fashion Show Hair & Makeup Provided by: Ambience Salon and Spa
Shopping Vendors Include: Elizabeth's Closet, Missy & Jack, Busom Buds Boutique, Boutique Allie, ByGone Ju Ju's, Snooty Fox, DeGroot Handbags, Beija Flor Jeans, M641 Clothing, It's Just Jewelry, Beijo Bags, Miss Martha, Splurge Cincy

Special thanks to My64, Q102 WKRQ-FM, and Zipscene



Directions:
I-275 to Exit 42 (St. Rt. 747) North Follow 747 (Princeton Glendale Rd.) North for 2.2 miles. Location will be on your right past the intersection of Rialto Rd, but before the intersection of Port Union Rd. Look for “Cincy Chic event” signs.


Top 10 Reasons You Need to Come to the Shop ‘n’ Swap:
1. You like free stuff
2. You really want a cocktail
3. You like helping the less fortunate
4. You desperately need a girls day out
5. You have nothing else to do on March 29
6. You are really lucky and always win the raffles
7. You have too much clutter and need more closet space
8. You want deep discounts at local retailers that you can’t get in the stores
9. Your friends have great style and you always wanted to play in their closet
10. You want to look fabulous without filling up landfills with your unwanted items

Swap Rules:
1. Please bring new and/or gently used, fashionable women’s clothing only. Clothing must be cleaned/dry cleaned and pressed. All sizes will be accepted. No lingerie or underwear. We reserve the right to refuse old, unclean, unstylish items at the door.
2. Bring dressy/professional/casual tops, dressy/professional/casual pants, jeans, dresses, blazers, suits, coats on hangers. Accessories (handbags, scarves, jewelry) will be accepted. Please separate jewelry items into plastic baggies. Shoes will be accepted. Only if stylish/new/gently worn. Bring shoes in their boxes if possible.
3. No fighting over clothes! Please respect all the other swappers.
4. Dressing area will be provided.
5. You may want to bring a tote bag to take home all your “new to you” items from the clothing swap!
6. You will receive "Swap Money" based on the value of the items you bring, so the more you bring the more you get to swap. The "Swap Money" is only valid at the 2009 Recessionista Shop 'n' Swap event. The "Swap Money" is only valid in the "Swap" portion of this event (i.e., not accepted in the game portion or at vendor booths in the "Swap" portion of the event).

Luxe, Rumors and Envy...

No, I am not describing another day in my life. I am hooked on yet another teen book series. First it was Twilight. Now it is a series by Anna Godbersen. I picked up the first book, Luxe on vacation. That was on Tuesday. By Thursday I had purchased the second book Rumors and as soon as we got home Friday I was at Barnes and Noble buying book three, Envy. I am obsessed with these books! I love them! Kind of like the Twilight series, you would never read these thinking they were a teen series. I just can't get enough! There is also going to be a 4th book in the series coming out. Splendor. I can't wait!

All good things must come to an end...

Five nights, three teenage girls, one five year old, one sunburn and one husband I can not believe agreed to this. My manicure is chipping so it must be time to go. Now comes the fun part. Loading up the mini van at 5:30 a.m. to drive back to LA to head back home. Bye bye beautiful desert and mountains. As much as I'd love to stay I have a feeling Marriott would catch on if we didn't go so I guess we really must leave. Boy I sure do hope the weather is nice back home in Ohio...

Hostess with the mostest... Juice?

So, I wanted Tessa and her friends to get the most out of vacation. We have a "wish list" of places to eat/drink. We hit Jack in the Box and IHOP and last night we headed off to Jamba Juice. Somehow our 12 mile drive took 35 minutes. I used my handy Garmin and got us right to the front door of Jamba Juice which was ... no longer in business. The good news is I maintained my composure! Especially as there was a Ben and Jerrys right there. THAT made me feel a little less bitter...

Things you DO NOT want to hear on a plane...

1) Ladies and gentlemen, in case of an emergency evacuation please leave your belongings behind (This was announced after they told us we were flying into 40 m.p.h. winds and that flight attendants would need to remain seated for the duration of the flight so there would be no more beverage service and in-flight entertainment was being shut off.)
2) We will be on the tarmac for just a few minutes as we wait for the crew to tow us into the gate (This was announced as we landed. Comforting.)

*Hey guess what? We made it to California!

Weekend wrap up...

Brian just wrapped up his "busy" season at work and they always celebrate by having a reception afterwards. Which it is very nice that they are able to enjoy the end of a stressful and productive time, but here is how this shakes down for me.
1) Brian is gone a lot which means I am Caroline's sole source of entertainment. Yet as soon as she spots Brian I am obsolete in her world. Good for the ego.
2) Brian works very late and comes home a bit wound up and not quite ready for bed. Which would be fine, but I AM ALREADY IN BED. Wednesday night was especially awesome as he got home at midnight and decided to blend himself a protein shake. The only thing I wanted to shake at that point was... Oh wait, I know you can't shake a baby but what about an adult?
3) Thursday night was the big celebration. Again, would be fine except I am guessing my husband "over-celebrated" as Friday morning around 5 a.m. he woke me up with the sounds of his celebration coming back up. Niiiice.....
4) So Saturday morning I am pretty sure I'm going to get to sleep in until AT LEAST 8 a.m. Sounds pretty luxurious right? Caroline comes into my room at 7 a.m. and politely says "Excuse me mom, can you turn on Martha Speaks?" OK, time to get my day started. SO I headed to Target to get a few things I needed. Was there at 7:55 a.m. only to be met with lines of girls getting their copy of the Twilight movie. (Yes, I bought one) Yesterday was Caroline's birthday party so we hosted 17 kids. Which means just as many presents for one over-stimulated child who wanted to do/make/touch/play with EVERYTHING as SOON as we got home.
5) Today, well today I'm just getting my two kids, husband, myself and two of Tessa's friends on a plane for spring break in California. Please, say a little prayer...
*California ladies- I'll email you when we get settled and have what resembles a "plan" in my world

Six years later...

Prior to getting married to Brian it was discovered that I have polycystic ovary syndrome. If you are not familiar with this, it causes fertility problems, weight problems and can lead to problems with diabetes. Fun, right? I will never, ever forget sitting at the doctors office with Brian prior to our wedding. The doctor was very thorough in describing how many women with PCOS are so obese that they can't even sit in armchairs. They sweat. They get hairy. I sat there thinking it would be a miracle if Brian showed up at the wedding after hearing all of this. Although I do have to say the doctor was very generous in stating that I looked nothing like the typical PCOS patient as I was very fit and healthy. Whew! Well, it appears that lady luck is no longer on my side. As of this week I started a medicine called glucophage to help with the diabetic problems related to PCOS. And after a week, let me tell you, glucophage is the devil. The absolute devil. All I can say is I hope it helps because this is NOT FUN. I thought fertility drugs were rough but I can honestly say I think they were easier than this. Aargh! So now, I am stuck in the middle of Lent with no shopping (I confess, I am back on the Pepsi- could not deal with the headaches caused by no caffeine) and now the devil drug glucophage. Woe is me, right?

This place is going to the birds!

So I got to work today and I had to laugh a little. My buildings had a bunch of geese hanging out on top of them. I'm not a bird person at all but I was so amused. All of these geese were just hanging out on top of my buildings and talking to each other. It was a fun way to start the day!

Sweet dreams are made of this

Again, I go back to the "What the?" segment. In last night's dream I was trying to get to a Junior League meeting. I'm not clear on why I did not have access to my car, but I didn't and I really, really needed to get to that meeting. And I'm also unclear on how I was able to do this but somehow I got a local company to let me borrow their pet-mobile to get myself there. You know, like the car from Dumb and Dumber? And the van was surprisingly easy to drive, and I was able to get to the meeting and return the car after. Just in case you were worried...

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Well, it took an entire year but Caroline is five now. Tonight we will celebrate by watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Isn't that how everyone celebrates?

Yuk!

I've spent most of this week feeling pretty under the weather. (Which is a nice way of saying I think I hacked up a lung and it us currently under my desk at work.) I spent Monday huddled up shivering and had a fever. I was pretty sure I was having "visions." On Tuesday I felt a little better and if I applied about 4 inches of makeup I actually looked kind of okay. Wednesday was getting a bit rough again. By today my body was having an all-out brawl with itself. So I went to the doctor and it appears I have bronchitis. Which is better than the malaria I had self diagnosed myself with. Not to make light of malaria but I am glad I don't have it. Guess it's time to get started on some antibiotics...

Next up on the College Road Trip

Now that we've got Caroline squared away for Kindergarten we need to get Tessa ready for college applications. (Do not email me asking for advice on family planning...) Our most recent list includes:

Kentucky

Indiana

Michigan State

Purdue

Miami

and...

Clemson

None of the others surprised me. Clemson did. Somehow she snuck that one in and blindsided me. Hmmm.... We're headed to visit Michigan State in a few weeks. I love College Road Trip! True confession- I BOUGHT the movie College Road Trip I loved it so much!

Analyze this...

I'm not sure WHAT is going on but I have been having some weird dreams. And I know I am opening up a can of worms by sharing this information but these are too good to not share.
Dream #1- The other night I had a dream that I went shopping with some friends. At old Navy. Included in my group of friends was Meryl Streep. Only she was of short stature. And she opted not to try on clothes in the dressing room, but chose to just change in the store. Odd, right?
Dream #2- As teenagers, Barack Obama and I went on a date. And made out. And it was pretty smokin' hot. I was willing to keep making out but he was a gentleman. But he did ask me out on a second date...

I wonder who I will dream about tonight, and how tall they will be? The Meryl Streep one threw me for a loop.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

I don't know the answer to that, nor do I know which came first; the chicken or the egg. Here is what I do know. I am a ding dong. So on Friday we were trying to decide what to have for lunch. Everyone wanted White Castle. And with it being a Friday during Lent I very dutifully told everyone I could not have a cheeseburger, I would just have a chicken sandwich as I could not eat meat. After work Brian asked me what I had for lunch and I very proudly told him "chicken" in a ha-ha I didn't forget kind of voice. Um, who am I? Jessica Simpson? REALLY KATIE? It never, ever occurred to me not to eat the freaking chicken.

All work and no shopping makes Katie a dull girl

Albeit one with cute kids!

Close encounters of the shopping kind

Made the mistake of going to Target last night. Tessa needed a gift card for a school project and like a misguided loser I thought I could handle the pressure. Until I got to the stationery section. And they have the CUTEST little tent favor bags that I have almost purchased in the past and didn't. They are down to just under $7.00. That makes them 14 CENTS EACH! How can I pass that up??? So it's true confession time. I put them in the cart. I walked them up to the cash register. And then guilt got a hold of me. I DIDN'T BUY THEM. I WALKED AWAY. Big props to Tessa for being a shoulder I can lean on.

Got milk?

If you like in the Columbus area, you have GOT to check out the Cheryl & Co Bake Sale this Saturday. If you have never been, you can buy an entire case of ready to go cookie dough balls. Just pop them in the oven and bake! The prices are great and there is so much to choose from. Fair warning: It does get crowded. But the crowds are worth it. Well worth it!

Jodi Picoult, Amazing as always!

I have been so excited to get my hands on the new Jodi Picoult book, Handle With Care. I have to fess up that I got it on Wednesday and finished it last night. Like all of her books, it was very thought provoking and makes you ask yourself a lot of questions. She always does such an amazing job of taking a controversial subject and bringing it to her readers from many different perspectives. Oh, I just LOVED this book. I still think Plain Truth may be my favorite of all of her books but for me, all of her books have been big hits. I'd offer to share but have already passed this one along.

*If you go to Jodi's website you can find information about an online chat she will be doing this Friday, March 6th at 1 p.m. EST.

Also, I do have another book I am looking to pass along if anyone is interested. I read While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky this week. Another great read from a great author.

It's been one week

It's been one week since I went shopping
Pushed my debit card to the side and now I'm angry
Seven days since I've had Pepsi
Easter morning we will be reunited

Seven days in my living room
Looking at the Internet
Watching all the sales go by

J Crew has lots of flashy sales

The clothes tell tales

Of how my life could be better

Shu Uemura's products reduce fine lines

That tell the passing of time

Free shipping is a great value

Banana Republic I love you too

Your clothes make me drool

When my bank account is overdrawn

I look like a well dressed fool

Endless.com not a day goes by

When your shoes don't catch my eye

Size 8.5

Your boxes make me feel so alive

Anthropologie and Sephora

Don't think I forgot you

You know I miss you too

And I hope to be back real soon

Hold it now I think I've been hoodwinked
By a church I'm barely a part of don't you think?

*Bonus points to the person who can sing this along to the Barenaked Ladies version of One Week. Other than myself. Do you think maybe I can get the position left open by Steven Page???

I could go on, but I think I'm too depressed and weak to continue... I miss shopping...

I AM IN HELL

There is a slight change I am exaggerating. Slight chance. So, today in my email is a notice from Gilt Group about the Catherine Malandrino sale today at noon. I don't know if you know this about me, but Catherine once told me I am her muse. Ok, again I may be exaggerating. Why, why did I give up shopping for Lent?

Whew! Problem solved...

I know it might not seem like a big deal but I have been so worried about Caroline starting kindergarten. And not for the usual reasons where I was concerned about whether or not she is ready, but because in our area, kindergarten is only 2.5 hours of the day. And for a working mom, 2.5 hours doesn't make a lot of sense. Either I find childcare which is just as costly for part time as it is full time and have her in two places each and every day, possibly deal with shuttling her all around or I find a full day kindergarten. I had Tessa in full day kindergarten and loved it. And Caroline is used to being at a child care program all day so going to an all day kindergarten won't be a big change for her. I have to say Brian has been VERY patient with me during the kindergarten search. We went to one open house and as soon as the teacher started speaking I decided we needed to leave. In my mind kindergarten teachers are warm and fuzzy. This one was not, so home we went. Then we went on a tour of another school. I was making all of my little notes about the student/teacher ratios and to me they seemed a little high for kindergarten. I am sorry, but these kids require A LOT of attention. And again, we saw two classrooms of kids and neither teacher exuded warm and fuzzy to me. Today we hit gold. I KNEW we had found our place when we walked into the classroom and all of the cute little faces AND the teacher told us "Chicka chicka boom boom welcome to our classroom." THAT sealed the deal for me. (As did my mental count of kids versus teacher: 17) Time to start shopping for backpacks... If only the college search for Tessa was this easy.

Aveda, take me away...

Not sure why, but I have been feeling pretty un-inspired and a bit worn down over the past few days. I called my Aveda salon to schedule a facial. When asked which facial I wanted I replied "A quiet one." I even went so far as to tell the girl on the phone that they could leave me alone in the room for all I care. Due to a little juggling in our schedule today I needed to call and re-schedule for later this afternoon versus my early afternoon appointment. I knew things were bad when I got there and the girl at the front desk said she was SO glad I didn't cancel completely because on the phone I sounded like I REALLY needed to be there. Ummm... oops. I didn't know my complete and total desperation for an hour of solitude were so clearly showing through. I really, really would have spent an hour alone in that room reading for all I cared... An hour later and a few compliments on my skin (don't know if she meant it or was just trying to keep me in a calm place) I was out the door and feeling so nice and refreshed. Ahhhh, Aveda. Thank you.

*Speaking of books, I finished The Piano Teacher by Y.K. Lee. I have read a few books lately that I have been a little so-so about but this was a really, really good and engaging read. For sure a book I would suggest to someone else if they were looking for something to read.