Possibly my best idea ever!

In a brilliant parenting move, I let Tessa invite not one, but two friends on spring break this year. Which means we have the following breakdown for star players in our family vaca/drama this year:

Me

Caroline

Brian

Three 16 year old girls

Ummmm.........

BUT here is the good news. As I was discussing this with Tessa, I let her know that during this vacation, we would meet daily to discuss the rules and strategy for each day. (Yeah, right) I also let her know that we would be utilizing the frequently forgotten salivalizor. What, you might ask is a salivalizor? It is a device that monitors your teenage daughters mouth for foreign saliva containing DNA other than her own. If you don't have one and are in need of one, contact me for further deets. I accept all major credit cards.

What I'm reading, what you could be helping children read...

No big secret- I am an avid lover of all things in print form. I love to read. Occasionally when I read a book that really piques my interest I try to share it either or my blog or sending it to a friend for them to enjoy. Today, I have a dilemma. I just finished reading Little Pink House by Jeff Benedict. This book was outstandingly well written. Captivating. Non-fiction. Wait? Did I just use the words captivating and non-fiction in the same sentence? You bet I did. This book is very thought provoking and really, a great, great read. My dilemma is that as much as I love sharing, I want to keep this book. So no sharing will be had other than my strong suggestion that if you enjoy reading to pick a copy of this one up! And by reading this book (or any book) you can support La Belette Rouge's Reading is Sexy campaign. She is right you know. I can not even tell you how many times I have been approached by people telling me how incredibly sexy I am as I am reading.... Also, if you want to do a good deed, check out the Reach out and Read program for children. This is an important program and an excellent way to get books in the hands of children who might otherwise not get the chance to learn to love reading.

Eddie Merlot's- Man do I love this place!

You know how sometimes you head out for a pleasant evening, most likely a low key one that somehow winds up being a really great time? It comes at you from out of nowhere which makes it double the fun? We started off our evening with the Sunny 95 event, which was all class all the way. It was more crowded than what I expected, but we were greeted in the parking lot by a uniformed police officer who let us know where to park our cars and told us there would be limousines to take us back to the entrance of the hotel where the event was. Um, OK. Once we got inside I immediately ran into a man I had been on a business trip with YEARS before which turned out to be a very fun case of mistaken identities at a Ritz Carlton in California. (They thought he was a very prestigious return guest and gave him the presidential suite, he was just a man from Columbus Ohio with the same name as someone else.) So we chatted for a few minutes, then my friends and I went about getting every free sample under the sun. As the event ended we ran into a very well known local businessman/car salesman/guitar playing-singing self promoter and his wife who we will leave nameless for the purpose of this story. Said car salesman was HAMMERED. HAM-MERED. He wanted to take a picture with my camera phone while his less than thrilled to be putting up with his crazy antics wife waited around in her full length fur coat. Again, I won't name any names but if you live in Columbus and are familiar with your car salesmen I can give you a hint and say "He's dealin!" After the event we decided to pop into Eddie Merlot's for a bite to eat. What a complete and total gem this place is. Top notch all the way! The decor is fabulous as is the staff. You would have thought we were all friends. The manager, Vittorio introduced himself to us and make sure that we knew to please let him know if we needed anything.The other patrons were just as friendly. I ordered a calamari appetizer and let me tell you it is THE BEST! BAR NONE! Perfectly perfectly done calamari with a choice of three dipping sauces. And the portion would absolutely serve as a meal as it is larger than appetizer size. If you live in a city with Eddie Merlot's you need to experience it. As we left, everyone told us to have a good evening. I can not wait to go back and have more of the calamari! And have another Italian lesson from Vittorio! Check the website to see if Eddie Merlot's is coming to your town soon as they have new restaurants coming soon! And get the calamari! Thank you Vittorio for a great and hospitable evening! Can't wait to come back!

Snow day? Snow way!

Yesterday we did get a snow day but today it was time to get back to the grind. And as a property manager I knew, I just KNEW my phone would be ringing off the hook today. So my very first phone call of the day after being closed yesterday like the rest of the city was "Do you know when you can shovel my sidewalk and salt it too?" And yes, I love my job but really, ice melt is not going to do ANYTHING when you have inches of ice under snow which has also been rained and sleeted on. (Is sleeted even a word?) AND it is under 20 degrees and will be for the next few days. Well, I'm no mathematician but based on my best estimates I figure that with 228 individual sidewalks at 5 minutes per sidewalk with no warm-up breaks we should be able to clear all of this in about 11 hours and 40 minutes. Keep in mind that does not include the main sidewalks in front of each and every building. The good news is that I came to work dressed to help run the snow blowers which ALWAYS worries/irritates/makes the guys who work for me laugh. Last year they thought it would be pretty funny to neglect to mention to me that a snow blower has "reverse" much like a car does and they watched me lug the snow blower backwards down each sidewalk as I was done with it before moving on to the next one. Real funny guys. But, check out my cute Hunter boots. Worth every penny!

Biscuits Supreme

I found this recipe in our local newspaper this morning and decided to give it a whirl, seeing as how we are snowed in. This recipe is similar to the one used at the old Cooker restaurants.

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup Crisco

1 cup milk

Preheat over to 450. Grease cookie sheet.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add Crisco. Blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk. Blend until crumbs are evenly moistened.

Drop dough by tablespoons onto cooking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. (Mine were done in 9 minutes)

I have never made biscuits before but these were great AND easy!

Things that make you go hmmm....

In a pretty good case of "Katie-itis" I appear to have exfoliated my own lips off. Oops. I am a marketing SUCKER and will succumb to most any and every product that promises to make me look younger/enhance my appearance/distract me from something else I am neglecting. So I saw a lip exfoliator. Why do I feel the need to have a lip exfoliator in my life? I don't know. I just don't really know. It was however, cleverly packaged, came from Sephora and shipped with free samples. All things I NEED in my life. Right? Wrong. In defense of the company which shall remain nameless and blameless I overused the product. It came packaged in a lip-gloss/chap stick form and smelled really, really good. So I applied it oh, let's say 6-8 times per day. And guess what? The product works. I exfoliated my own lips off. In an effort to undo the damage I have applied:

Kiehls Lip Balm

Neosporin

Vaseline Lip Therapy

Nothing is helping. I will be at the doctor tomorrow. Should you be curious to find out what happens when you remove your own lips and need to grow them back let me know.

My name in lights! Read me while I'm still free...

Yeah. So maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion but to me this EXCITING! A few months ago I submitted a short (and true) story to another blogger. She emailed me today to let me know that she has a book deal and the book will be published this fall. And she asked permission to use my story! Um, hel-lo? Yes, yes, YES!!! As soon as I know more deets you can expect to see them. For now, enjoy this.

I just flunked kindergarten....

Kindergarten today is not like kindergarten of old. You know, where you just went, signed your kid up and in September they started school. Oh no, it's a lot of research. Which learning program suits my child's needs/personality/learning style the best? Morning or afternoon? After school care? Private or public? So there are three kindergartens I want to look at for Caroline. And I am very spoiled because Tessa had an AMAZING kindergarten program which gave her a great foundation for her education and helped set the bar for her educational experience. And, she looked oh-so-cute in the little plaid Catholic school jumpers! Long story short- last night was the first meeting for kindergarten at one of the schools I had wanted to look at for Caroline. And these are long meetings. Long. So we sat through the history of the school, talks from students and parents and then the actual kindergarten teacher got up to speak. And I can't quite put my finger on it, but that was not the person who was going to get to shape the first year of my sweet girls educational experience. No way, hunh-uh. I'm sure she was fine, but I just didn't feel the sweet smell of cookies and crayons rolling off of her. Hugs and encouragement. Nope. So I told Brian it was time to leave. And we did. One down, two to go.

Oh deer!

I hope no one is offended by this, but my brother in law sent home some deer sausage for us yesterday. And let me tell you, it was delicious! I don't think I've ever had deer before but I loved it! And he also sent some deer meat so if you have any good deer meat chili recipes send them my way. If you're not into deer meat, check out Oh Deer! shoes.

The fat and the furious

No, I am not about to star in a remake of a Vin Diesel movie. But I am quite angry with myself. I got fat. I feel off the proverbial wagon so hard that I need to get a passport to even go catch up to the wagon. Crap. And now I need to undo it. And that sucks. But it can't suck more than looking at a closet full of your favorite clothes (your own) and not being able to wear them. And trust me and the people at Visa, I have some pretty nice clothes. I guess I know what months of self-neglect and Pepsi add up to. Well Vin, I guess it's just you and me. See you in the morning at the gym...

It's Sunday, and I'm looking forward to the week!

Although we are getting another pretty good snow today and the temperatures are in the teens I'm pretty excited for this week! Here's what I have on tap:

Tuesday Night- The Candle Lab in Worthington is having an event where you can pour your own custom scented candle and enjoy a glass on wine from 7-10 p.m. The cost is only $16.00. If you've never been and live in the Columbus area you should check it out. It's pretty fun, and it's always nice to support local businesses.

Thursday night- Book Club. This month our book is Eat Pray Love. Next month is going to be really exciting, because I was contacted by Diana Spechler who wrote a book I enjoyed called Who By Fire. She offered to do a teleconference with us for our book club! How awesome is that???

Friday night- Another event that if you live in the Columbus area you should check into. Sunny 95 is hosting an event featuring 20 Women You Should Know. I am not on the list, but if they had expanded it to 21 Women You Should Know I might have been. Anyway, it is free admission, free hair and make-up make-overs, door prizes, goodie bags, the works. Check it out.

Super Saturday!

While reading my US Weekly this week, I noticed some GORGEOUS earrings by Roberta Chiarella. I've never heard of this designer so I checked out the website. Such cute things! Like this bracelet, which is on sale right now for $48! (Was $98.00) And I don't watch Gossip Girl, but I am aware that a number of people do and love the styles. Well, they have this necklace which was apparently used in Gossip Girl. And even though I'm not a fan, the necklace is cute and again, not a bad price. Let me know if anyone gets one. I'm curious how the quality is.

Me Vs. Michelle Obama again!

Man, I will tell you one of us is quite stylish. OK, maybe we both are. But really, when I saw Michelle Obama today I could not believe it! Pinch poke you owe me a Coke Michelle! Did we call each other to coordinate outfits or what? Statement necklaces and grand gold/yellow outfits? Let's do lunch. Have your people call my people.

Gold Digger or Brass Monkey? You decide...

A while back, Jane did a fun thing to complete and outfit based on a song. And Kat pulled off a pretty darn good Gold Digger. When I bought this amazing skirt from J Crew during the after holiday sales I couldn't help but think of two songs: Gold Digger and Brass Monkey. Anyway, today is the first time I've worn my sweet skirt, and I have to say other than the wrinkle factor I am loving it! I paired it with my new Betseyville open toe wedges on sale from Endless.com and am feeling pretty feisty and fierce today!

Z Cucina- Help support a local business

In a tough economy, the last thing any small business owner needs is for tragedy to strike. Unfortunately for many small business owners in Grandview Ohio tragedy struck last Saturday. I received a call from a friend Saturday afternoon letting me know that it appeared I would not be frequenting my new local favorite business The Candle Lab anytime soon. The building was on fire, and it appeared to be a major one. This was sad news, especially as my girls and I have spent some enjoyable evenings there recently making our own custom scented candles. But my first thought was of a friend of ours and another local business owner Rick Ziliak of Z Cucina. Rick opened Z Cucina a few years ago and I have had a number of great meals and evenings there with friends and my family. Rick is an amazing small business owner and master of making you feel at home and as invested in the success of Z Cucina as he is. You just want for this place to succeed so you can return for another fabulous meal. Hearing that the building was on fire was devastating, especially as so many people among all of the businesses are employed there and times are tough. Grandview Avenue is a part of my daily life as I drive down it twice a day to get to and from work. Sure, I could take the highway, but why would I when I can drive down Grandview Avenue and see some of my favorite businesses and pretty homes? See people getting their hair cut at Aveda, the cars being valet parked at Z Cucina and the wonderful old homes up and down the hill? Amazingly enough, Rick and Z Cucina will be the only business in the building to survive this devastating fire and will be able to re-open for business on Tuesday, January 20th. If you had seen or been able to smell the fire as we could from our neighborhood you would know that this is amazing news! Please help our friend Rick and support his business Z Cucina as the rebuilding of the neighboring businesses begins. The food is amazing, which I and my scale can attest to. If you have children I will tell you that you will be pleasantly surprised to find that they have a $5 menu for kids. It is a great place for a girls night (I will be there Friday) or date night (I will be there Saturday). So support a local business, and eat at Z Cucina. You can call directly at 614-486-9200 or reserve online at Open Table. Oh, and if you want to make some sweet (or other scented) candles, check out the Candle Labs other locations.

Free make-up, January 20th

"As part of a class action settlement, $175 million worth of free cosmetics products will be distributed to members of the class (see below to determine whether you are a member of the class) for a maximum of seven days, while supplies last, on a first come, first served basis, beginning on January 20, 2009. No rain checks will be issued. The products will be distributed at stores owned by the Retailer Defendants (see list immediately below).
The stores owned by the Retailer Defendants that will be participating in the settlement product distribution are the following:
Bergdorf Goodman
Bergner’s
Bloomingdale’s
Boston Store
Carson Pirie Scott
Dillard’s
Gottschalks
Herberger’s
Macy’s
Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom
Parisian
Saks Fifth Avenue
If you bought any makeup in these categories between 1994-2003, head on to any of these stores, fill out an affidavit, and get your free cosmetic item!
The following is a list of the products that will be distributed, while supplies last, through the stores listed above:
Boucheron (USA) Ltd.:Femme Eau de Toilette (1 ounce/30 ml)
Chanel, Inc.: Coco Mademoiselle body lotion (3.4 fluid oz)
Christian Dior Perfumes, Inc.: J’Adore Eau de Parfum (15 ml)
Clarins U.S.A., Inc. (customers will have a choice of ONE of two products, while supplies last): Clarins Energizing Morning Cream (30 ml) OR Clarins Beauty Flash Bomb (30 ml)
Conopco, Inc. (distributed by Coty, Inc. on behalf of Conopco, Inc.) (customers will have a choice of ONE of three products, while supplies last): Calvin Klein Euphoria Bath and Shower Crème (6.7 oz) OR Vera Wang Princess Body Polish (5 oz) OR Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker Shower Gel (6.7 oz)
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (customers will have a choice of ONE of two products, while supplies last): Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (15 ml/0.5 oz)

OR Clinique Moisture Surge (30 ml/1 oz)
Guerlain, Inc.: My Insolence Eau de Toilette (15 ml)
L’Oréal USA, Inc. (formerly known as Cosmair, Inc.) (customers will have a choice of ONE of eight products, while supplies last): Lancôme UV Expert 20

OR Lancôme Cils Design Pro Mascara

OR Lancôme Fatale Mascara

OR Lancôme Courbe Virtuose Mascara

OR Lancôme Primordial Skin Defense

OR Ralph Lauren Romance Shower Gel (6.7 oz.)

OR Giorgio Armani ACM Shower Gel (6.7 oz)

OR Lancôme Hypnôse Shower Gel
Parfums Givenchy, Inc.:Very Irresistible Givenchy Eau de Toilette (15 ml)

Viola!

Here are the fruits of my Friday night labor. (Get it? Fruits? Orange?)

*Note to self- Dust your home before you take pictures of it and post them for everyone to see!

Jon Gruden- You're Hired!

An open letter to Jon Gruden:

Dear Jon,

So sorry to hear about the Bucs. The good news is that I am more than happy to hire you as my Manny. The pay not be so great, but hopefully you managed your pay from the NFL well. We refinished our basement a few years ago, and you are more than welcome to live in it. If the basement does not suit your needs, I will speak to my husband about sleeping in it and we can move you upstairs with the rest of the rest of the (me) family.

Please contact me directly to finalize this agreement.

XOX-

KT

This is how I roll on a Friday night

Not sure why, but I really dislike doing things on a Friday night. I love coming home, putting on my jammies and waiting for it to be Saturday. So, as Brian is out of town AND it is Friday AND I have never been known for my stellar decision making skills guess what??? It's paint time once again! See the hot pink wall in the picture? See the can of paint in front of it? Guess what color paint is in the can? ORANGE! Orange you glad I told you so? Really, at some point I am afraid Brian is going to fax my picture to Sherwin Williams along with his travel schedule and a request to please, please not sell me any paint on those dates. At least I have moved my painting concentration to one wall, versus entire rooms. It really must get confusing to keep coming home to different colors. At least I didn't move the furniture around this time. A few weeks ago Brian came home after a few cocktails to find that I had moved our bedroom around. He said he was glad that he hadn't taken a running start and just jumped onto the bed. Which is a good thing as the bed had been moved to a different wall while he was out. But really, it could have been good for a laugh. So... tune in tomorrow to see today's finished art project!

My humps

While we were in Utah, my girlfriend Jordan spotted a lady in the CUTEST jeans. She asked the lady what brand they were, and it turned out they were a brand called Sang Real. So we went shopping and Jordan and Trinette each bought some. Not sure why, but I passed on them. Then when we got home I decided I wanted some so I ordered them online. Never wore them, meant to return them, never got around to it and finally wound up wearing them today. And let me tell you, I have had so many compliments. And I feel really, really good in them. And you know, that is almost as big of an accomplishment as finding a bathing suit you feel good in. If you're in the market for some new denim, I am not even kidding you, check these out! Love them!

Drop it like it's hot, cause it's not!

Damn! It sure is freaking cold! As a nod to my inner ghetto-girl I sure would like a little of this versus this. Really, I would much prefer to hang with Snoop, yo, instead of having to bundle up in some crappy cold-weather North Face parka. You know the polar bear I mentioned seeing walk by my office window the other day? Yeah. He got smart and went somewhere warmer. I think I saw some penguins walking right behind him.

Aw yeah.... It is ON!

Well well well.... I found a blog post from someone who apparently understands what it is like to be a part of some mysterious suburban gang that prohibits entrance into rollerskating rinks.

Check this out! Love this girl! So with much love to my boy Snoop, enjoy! And if you are interested in joining my posse, let me know, peeps. Word.

Special delivery

So, I came home today to a box on my doorstep. Which is not an unusual sight, as everyone knows I am pretty much addicted to online shopping. Which may be debatable, as I am just saving gas and time and having the things I need and want delivered directly to me as well as doing my part to keep the economy going. But I was a little confused, as I haven't ordered anything that is scheduled to be here yet. (Friday is another story, as I know from the tracking number I have been stalking for two days.) So I carried the box into my kitchen and set it down on the counter. And as I wasn't expecting anything it took me a few minutes to get around to opening the box since there was really no excitement factor for me. When I did get around to opening the box I was quite surprised. It was our dog. Which we had cremated. Sitting on my kitchen counter. We had no idea they were SHIPPING her to us. I would have picked her up. Honestly. Some kind of forewarning that they were SHIPPING her to us would have been nice. I was so surprised I just walked out of the kitchen and can't quite get myself back in there. I left her sitting on the counter. Crap crap crap. Really? They shipped my dog? For some reason, that really bums me out.

It's so cold and snowy

I honestly just saw a polar bear walk past my office window. I really, really dislike winter.

California, No Doubt About It

Whatever your take on California is, we're going! For Spring Break '09 we will be headed for Newport Beach, one of my fave places in Cali! As Brian and I are very different personalities AND we are taking Tessa and a friend on spring break (plus Caroline) this is going to need to be one well rounded trip. We're going to need to cover everything from this to this, and lastly, to this. I think we can make it happen. Really, I can not even tell you how happy I am when I am in California. Just happy. I feel happy just thinking about it! So let me leave you with this though about how I REALLY feel about this trip...... Me and LL Kickin' it old school... Can you just feel the excitement????

Dear Clinton Kelly...

How did this escape my notice? I'm not sure how, because I love you, I love fashion, I love books AND I spend a lot of my time either AT Barnes and Noble OR on their website. It matters not how it happened, because my copy is on hold for pick up. And that, Clinton, is FREAKIN' FABULOUS!

*My back up title for this post is "As an avid reader and lover of all things pretty and men who are witty, how did I not know this book was available?" (Cause I think I'M witty that way)

We did it!

Getting a picture of Tessa that she approves of for public use is a pretty major feat. You almost feel like you need to call in stylists, professional photographers and a team of people from Teen Vogue. But, we did it! Really, how cute is she???

Roller skating, take two...

Today was the return to the roller rink. As promised, there was a note waiting for us granting us free admission. As promised, I did not wear a ball cap. There were no violations to be found.

On tap...

Reads: Things I've Been Silent About by Azar Nafisi
Lima Nights by Marie Arana
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
On the big screen: Hotel for Dogs

If you have any comments or have read any of the abovementioned books I'd love to hear your input. Or if you are interested in reading a copy after me drop me a line...

So, I got asked to leave the roller rink

And yes, this happened today, not sometime back in 1985. Here's the story:
I decided today to take Caroline roller skating. And believe it or not, there are not many roller rinks in nice suburban areas. So I load Caroline up in our wheels to go and put on some wheels for an afternoon of good, wholesome fun. As we enter the roller rink, there are the mandatory State of Ohio signs proclaiming that we can not enter with a handgun or smoke inside of the building. And as we are in compliance with these rules, we pass through the double doors and pay the nice man at the counter and collect our ticket to go to another counter and get our rental roller skates. The nice man at that counter hands over two pairs of skates, which we put on while the dj spins tunes that evoke memories of couples skates from years past. Caroline and I make our way to the floor, holding hands and making memories that will last a lifetime. Cause I'm kind of Hallmark-y that way. And about 5 wobbles into the fun, the roller skating police pull me over. Apparently I am in violation of some kind of hat law and can not skate. Um, excuse me? So Caroline and I leave the floor and proceed to play every token chugging game in the joint and then leave. And then I get mad. I understand the rules, really I do but really? Is my Indiana ball cap a possible gang symbol? Am I brandishing a firearm under there? And can anyone tell me why no one mentioned this PRIOR to taking my money? And yes, I could have removed the hat, but I had hat head for crying out loud! As we drove home, I called the roller rink (the number was provided to me on the flyer they handed me on the way out the door) and asked to speak to the manager. I politely explained my understanding of the rules but my concern that there was no posted rule regarding hats, nor did the two employees who helped me mention the rule I was clearly in violation of. He apologized but mentioned that rules are rules, and that he remembered me as he was also doubling that day as the roller rink police and was the person responsible for pulling me over. In an effort to win my case, I told him that I was not trying to be difficult, but that I am Jewish and that I needed to cover my head, as it is Saturday and the sabbath. And guess what? We are going skating for free tomorrow. Caroline asked me not to wear my hat this time. Am I proud of this? Maybe. Am I looking forward to taking Caroline skating again? You betcha. And for your viewing pleasure, You can leave your hat on...

A dog is a mans best friend...

In most relationships, especially those that begin after you reach a certain age, you bring and acquire a certain amount of baggage, or history. When I met Brian, he came with a dog and I came with a daughter. Some of our earliest dates involved the two of them. Brian would try to talk Tessa out of doing her homework to go get ice cream, or I would go over to Brian's place and we would take Brook for a walk. I know for both of us, it took some getting used to. Brian had never had children, and I had never had a dog that was so much like having another child. When I met Brian, Brook was 6 and still had the energy of a puppy. So much so that she ran away from me once and I had to call the police to help me look for her as Brian was out of state! I got her home safely, after a tense phone call to Brian on a golf course in Kentucky. Sadly, Brook was diagnosed with liver cancer last December. It was a tough decision whether or not to operate on a 12 year old Golden Retriever well into the prime of her life, and with such a major surgery. But we did, and she bounced back better than we had ever hoped for. Then, a few weeks ago we noticed a growth on her mouth. I took her to have it looked at, really thinking it was some kind of abscess or skin irritation on her gums. Unfortunately that turned out not to be the case, and the growth was diagnosed as skin cancer, which had also progressed rapidly into cancer throughout her lungs and other areas of her body. We were advised by an oncologist to enjoy our last few months with her, and that Brook would let us know when the time came to say goodbye. What we were not prepared for was how quickly her illness would progress. Last weekend we took her to the dog park where she grew up so she could have her last fill of freedom and memories. A few days later Brook let us know it was time to say goodbye. We took her to the vet hospital on Thursday where we did say our last goodbyes to our Brook.

I've had some really nice phone calls and emails from some of you who knew about Brooks illness. Thank you for that. I had prepared myself for the facts of what would happen to her but not the emotions, so your kind thoughts mean a lot.

As Brian would say: 13 years. She had a good run.

Kirby, you make my heart melt

Just like a stick of butter. If you watched the final Lipstick Jungle, how about that scene at the end where he comes back for Niko? Oh, Kirby. How I will miss you... Enjoy my absolute favorite hottest ever Kirby scene. The only other one that even compares is when Niko meets Kirby and he writes his number on her leg with a Sharpie. So long Kirby... thanks for the memories.

The bookmobile is back!

I have a few books that I've read recently that I'd be happy to pass on if anyone is interested. Fair warning: It appears that I am in a "dark phase" in my reading selections as none of these books are very uplifting. But still... if anyone is interested in reading something, let me know. I'd be happy to pass them along. Just post a comment and I'll get in touch regarding the pass along. If you want to know more about each book just click on the title. FYI- Of the five books, the first two were my faves.

Manic by Terri Cheney

Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent

Yellow!

I have to say, I have felt like a little ray of light this week on my two "yellow" days. I got this skirt from J Crew after the holidays at some crazy sale price with an extra percentage off!

On a sad note, tonight is the last episode of Lipstick Jungle. I don't know about you, but I sure am going to miss Kirby...

Art appreciation

No, not Art Garfunkel, although I do like him too. But this time it is about my new piece of artwork I purchased. Love it! Can't wait for it to get here!

Do you want to see my monkey?

My Naughty Monkey? Seriously, Naughty Monkey makes some of my FAVORITE shoes. And they are comfy. And yes, I realize they are a bit bold but really, I love them and always have fun wearing them. Speaking of fun and monkeys, enjoy this video featuring one of my favorite songs and bands. I'll keep you posted on when I grow up.

They call me Mellow Yellow...

That's right. OK, that may be a lie, but really, check out my new sassy yellow shoes from the J Crew sale! And yes, my yellow tights as well. I can not even tell you how cute I feel in these! Also, I may be nominating myself for the unintentional goofy pose award. First, there was the "pull my finger" pose. Very ladylike, always a hit. Then today, I did the Olivia Newton John from Grease pose. If you watch the video, towards the end as she and John Travolta exit the "Shake Shack" she pulls this move. I think she may have done a better job pulling it off. And I honestly didn't realize what pose I was pulling until I looked at the picture. Then my first thought was "Oh my gosh, that is from Grease!." Not that I love that movie or have seen it tons of times. - OK, my last Grease reference for the day and one of my ABSOLUTE favorite lines- "Tell me about it stud." I have got to find a way to work that into casual conversation today.

Sunday Schooled

Well, it appears that we are at a crossroads at my house. Religion has never been a major factor in our home, and we are pretty comfortable with that. Lately however, Caroline has been asking some questions and making some statements which lead me to believe that it is time. Time for Sunday school, time to step up to the plate. Statements and questions such as:

• Look mom, there's a church. People go there to die. (She attended a funeral for a family member)
• Hey look, it's Jesus. (As we drive by a church) Did you know Jesus and Rudolph were born on the same day in the same place?
• I'd sure like to go see that Jesus statue again (This was in Utah and I'm not sure if this is more about her desire to see the statue again or go on vacation again.)
• Did Jesus have wings? Do angels wear these on top of their heads? (As she puts a baby teething ring on top of her head)

Obviously she has some curiosity about the subject. Obviously I should start getting up earlier on Sunday mornings to get her to church and Sunday school. I remember being told once that one hour of the week isn't too much to give up. Now if that isn't a guilt trip.

How about you? Is church an important factor in your life?

Dress Registry website- Don't show up in someone else's dress!

I think this is so cool!

NEW YORK (AFP) – A new website hopes to save guests at president-elect Barack Obama's inauguration balls from the ultimate fashion faux pas -- wearing the same dress as someone else.
Dressregistry.com invites party goers to post the designer, color and length of their outfit chosen for the dozens of January 20 inauguration bashes in Washington, DC.
"Our one goal is to lessen the chance that someone attending the same event as you will be wearing the EXACT same dress," organizers write on the website.
For example, anyone headed to the Commander-in-Chief Ball knows that someone else has got first dibs on a pink, ankle-length Adrianna Pappell dress with a plunging neckline.
The black Ralph Lauren cocktail dress is taken, ditto the strapless blue Amsale and silver, ankle-length Cachet.
The obvious problem with the scheme is that unless everyone registers their dress, guests will still be left wondering.
"We can make no guarantee that you won't have twin at your event, but at least we can try to eliminate such sad occurrences," the website warns.

Two days in, two trips planned!

Yippee! I love 2009 so far! As of today it looks like I will be headed to St. Louis in February for their annual Mardi Gras celebration (Thanks Ally!) and in May it looks like I may be headed to Montana to visit my friend Jordan at her parents ranch! I hope I get to see someone lasso something! It's going to be like City Slickers, but with us and kids!