Weekend recap: The 4th of July, Wisconsin-style

Hello and happy belated 4th of July!

I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend. I took a few days off after my little vlog adventure to relax and chill in Wisconsin, where is it so quiet, it creeps me out sometimes.

I find that now, whenever I go home, I miss the Chicago urban hum. What? No drunk person stumbling around or horns honking at night? I should record the Chicago "hum" and bring it with me to soothe me to sleep. Or get a nice little mobile for above my bed. Sad.

Anyhow, outside of getting a much needed/deserved mani/pedi at home, the big activity of the weekend was my hometown parade, which I chronicled here last year and was dying to photograph again.

Wisconsin loves the 4th and it loves our country. I see this displayed in several ways at home, from interesting outfit combinations to pride in our parade.

In fact, our local parade is so big and popular that the city had to pass an ordinance a few years ago to keep people from putting out their parade materials too early, thus monopolizing the good places. Clever. And I can guarantee you that people woke up early and waited outside until it was officially 6 a.m. to start roping off space. We're that hard core.

You don't f*ck with America and you don't f*ck with our parade spots. I even started stretching before the parade so I could be more limber to get candy instead of kids. Yes, that's what I do, please don't pretend you're surprised.

So here are some highlights from our parade, from sh*t to camels to kazoo bands to enjoying the parade with bistro tables, wine and a feathered mullet. It's better than what people used to do which is drink openly and ignore their children at the parade. Guess that was cracked down on too with the new ordinance. I cannot wait until next year!

Saw this on the hood of a car en route to the parade - yes, I'm immature

Celebrating the Civil War heroes

My favorite picture of the day. Bistro tables, feathered mullet and wine (forgive the grainy image, I had to zoom almost all the way to capture it)

Yay, a camel...in a southeastern Wisconsin parade...yay, a camel!

Kazoo band drummer. Yes, he's pointing RIGHT AT ME *faints*

Parade outfit - Wisconsin loves America and keeping its legs warm on a cool July day

Cleaning up sh*t from a horse-drawn carriage. We're givers

I was also home this weekend because tomorrow is my dad's 61st birthday. I mentioned here last year that I risked increasing my chance of skin cancer to help him ring in #60 and this year, he's keeping the celebration much more low key and unfortunately I can't be with him on the big day.

I know he doesn't read this blog (thank god, although I think he's hunting for it), but I want to say in closing, happy birthday dad. I know I'm not always the easiest person to love, but you do, and I love you back a lot.

How was everyone else's fourth of July? Is there anything you do every year or that your family/city is really hard-core about?

Note: Thank you everyone for the sweet comments about my vlog last week. I was so nervous in recording it and making it public. Your comments definitely made my day and made me smile. I'm so lucky to have you guys :) Oh and yes, big things are coming up! I can't wait.

Facebook makes me feel old

Once you set up a Facebook profile, you go through a variety of emotions:

• Acceptance, yes, you have a Facebook account now. You're not left out in the cold
• Shock, OMG friend requests from people I knew in high school and that guy I fooled around with for one night in college?
• Joy, yes! I am more successful, prettier, etc. than people who were mean to me in high school
• Stalker, hmmm John didn't call me back last night, let's check his Wall and see what he's been up to? Was he really "away from his phone?"
• Old

That's right, I said it. I'm at the stage where Facebook makes me feel old.

Sadly, I'm passed the shock and joy phase, I've moved through those emotions and have now settled on the "old" stage of Facebook. Of the many Facebook acceptance levels, I really hope "old" is the last one.

I hit this stage when I checked my e-mail a few weeks ago and received the following "friend" notification.

"Jessica, Grace [last name] has added you as a friend on Facebook."

Grace is my 13 year old goddaughter/cousin. Immediately I thought it was a joke, and that a pedophile was pretending to be my goddaughter so he could talk dirty to me on Facebook chat and spam me.

To my displeasure, I was wrong. It was my goddaughter trying to friend me.

Once I accepted her request, I checked out her profile. And let me say, the girl is gorgeous, which I already knew. Five foot seven inches tall and all legs (bitch).

I am about to leave a note on her Wall when suddenly I see her status as "in a relationship."

IN A RELATIONSHIP??? WTF did I miss? She's 13 and has a boyfriend??? If she has a boyfriend, have they been necking or god...touching???

To see if my worst fears were true, I lovingly wrote on her Wall, while having a near heart attack:

"You have a boyfriend?? How old is he? Did you run a background check? Does he have good credit? DOES YOUR FATHER KNOW??" (I know my Uncle wouldn't take too kindly to a boy around his pre-pubescent daughter).

And as I hit "send" I realized, OMG I sound just like MY parents.

That was a tough realization.

While cowering in the reality that I am just like my parents and that I said a "parent-like" thing to my goddaughter, I came into work the next day and got another friend request.

"Jessica, Hannah [insert last name] has added you as a friend on Facebook."

Sitting at my desk, blinking disbelievingly at my screen I muttered, "motherf*cker" because my other 13 year old cousin was now friending me on Facebook. Was this a conspiracy to drive me crazy?

So I check out her profile and see a picture of her weighed down my heavy eyeliner, blue eyeshadow and mascara along with several revealing outfits that are way too small for her. Let's just say this, bosoms were heaving.

And when I saw her status as "in a relationship" I thought for a minute before I wrote on her Wall. What would I say to her that wouldn't make me sound like a fuddy duddy? My goddaughter felt the wrath of my adult rage, would I make another one feel the same thing? Well, I do like my goddaughter more than this cousin, so maybe I don't have to worry.

After a few moments of thought, I wrote out quickly, "like your profile pic, just remember, don't hand out the milk for free."

And hit "send."

Has anyone else had friend requests on Facebook that make them panic or groan? Or who do you hope NEVER finds you on Facebook?

Weekend recap: Back from Boston

Woo hoo, I'm back! I'm back in Chicago and it feels so good!!

So after my adventure in Vegas, I came back to Chicago, rested my legs for a day and then jumped on another plane, this time to Boston, aka Beantown. And now, I'm finally back in the Midwest to stay. I missed everyone!

And because I'm totally exhausted, digging through 200+ e-mails from work and preparing to get back in my routine, I thought I would recap this trip in a fun bulleted format.

My Boston trip in the numbers:

• Celeb sightings: Zero (I tried to stalk Ben and Jen but no luck!)

• Photos taken: 300+ (I know, I can't believe I took that many too!)

• Times I tripped on cobblestones: 8-10 (one hurt pretty bad)
  
  
• Length of my stay: 5 days, 4 nights (turns out the Boston Craigslist Killer struck at our hotel. We didn't know that ahead of time. Still, it was nice!)

• Total miles walked: Too many to count (helped me offset the beer consumption)

• Restaurants visited: 6 (some examples below)

• Times lost in the city: 2 (not bad!)

• Beers consumed by me at Fenway: 4 (fortunately, I didn't say anything inappropriate, but it did result in the below picture)
  
  
• Arms sunburned: 2 (both of mine are toasty red. Doh!)

• Gay pride parade run-ins: 1 (it was dad's first one, he was very excited)

• Women seen touching themselves pantless and underwearless on the street: 1 (that image is burned in my brain)

• Fresh seafood dinners: 4 (the lobster roll below was amazing. Like, I died and went to heaven it was so good)
  
  
• Pair of seersucker pants with embroidered pot leaves purchased: Zero (but it makes a great picture)
  
  
• Children I told to "back off" so I could sit on the duck statue: 4 (they wouldn't share!!!)

So that is a quick little recap of my trip. Photos are in the process of being uploaded to my Flickr page too.

Thank you again to all of my great guest bloggers and everyone for coming and commenting on their posts while I was gone.

Oh and here's a nice little picture of dad and me that was taken on our Harvard tour. I was going for the "bookish-cute" look in my coat and scarf. Thank you JCrew corduroy for keeping me warm!

How was everyone else's weekend? Do anything fun? Or see any good movies?

Guest post: Childhood summers

This guest post comes from Mandy at Just A Small Town Girl. Mandy is one of my favorite bloggers who writes the some of the most thoughtful and memorable posts in my Reader. I love her style and am thrilled that she's guest blogging for me! Enjoy!

The other evening while watching my cousins softball game (one of the three teams she is on this summer) I made the mistake of asking my grandma how another cousin was spending her summer. I should have known better. My grandmother went into a diatribe about how this 12 year old was spending the summer just hanging out, not doing anything in particular. Unbeknownst to me this is a very touchy subject. Heaven forbid a child not have every moment of her day planned out for her.Heaven forbid a kid be allowed to be a kid.

This conversation made me think about my own childhood.

My friends and I ran wild for three long, completely unstructured months. The whole town was our playground. My brother and I would leave the house in the morning and often not return home until dinner time. We rode our bikes from one end of town to the other and everywhere in between. My friends and I played kickball in the middle of the street, occasionally bouncing a ball off a parked car. When we tired of that we would go to the library or to the cemetery, where we made up stories about the lives of the people whose gravestones we casually lounged around on. Lunch was eaten at whatever friends house we happened to be at the time -- usually peanut butter and jelly or bologna and cheese. Every mother in the neighborhood always had an endless supply of either with a loaf or two of bread made from the local bakery.

Our imaginations ran as wild as we did. We went on safari's trudging though overgrown grass and bushes of vacant houses. We were tightrope walkers gingerly walking along the high wall on the backside of the elementary school. Sometimes we hung out on the walkway over the state route , overlooking the football stadium watching the high school boys practice plays and whatnot for the upcoming season. Sometimes we would ride our bikes uptown to the Newstand, which didn't sell newspapers or magazines but rather had the best chocolate peanut butter ice cream around. After ambling home and hastily scarfing down dinner, we would find our friends again playing kick the can in uneven alleys until the street lights came on. After the street lights came on we usually scattered about going back to our respective homes. Sometimes a few friends and I would sit out on a deck or front porch with citronella candles that never quite kept the bugs away.

I loved having the days to do whatever I wanted. No one thought there was anything wrong with just doing as we wanted, going from here or there. We didn't have music lessons or traveling sports teams. Most parents worked and we kids survived just fine. We defined the lazy days of summer. We were just kids, and it suited us just fine.

How did you spend your summers as a child?

Weekend recap: food, shopping and manual labor

Oh Memorial Day, the "unofficial" kick off for summer. And to celebrate this long weekend, I was back in Wisconsin, where it was a balmy 50 degrees by the lake and I was left with one coat, one pair of closed-toed shoes and a plethora of short sleeved tops. FAIL. It was like my packing fail for last year's BlogHer in San Francisco.

Despite the not-very-warm weather, I dialed the "relaxation" up to 11, stopped wearing make up and did a whole lotta nothing but bonding with my parents.

In fact, we bonded over four things: food, manual labor, shopping and television.

So let's recap the bonding that occurred this magical weekend.

Television/Movies

Due to my power outage last week, I missed Fox's Glee pilot, but thanks to iTunes, I downloaded it for free and enjoyed it this weekend. And OMG I'm obsessed with this show. I cannot WAIT for it to start up in fall.

First, Jane Lynch is one of the funniest people on TV right now. Woman steals every scene she's in. And along with my serious crush on Finn, here is my favorite part of the show:

I love Journey and I love the glee club version of Journey even more. It makes me want to rock out. If you haven't see this show yet, go download it right now from iTunes and enjoy. 

I also started watching The Fashion Show on Bravo. It's my short-term Project Runway-knock off fix. Kelly Rowland is tragic, Isaac Mizrahi works but I'm really shocked by the lack of talent from most of the contestants. Half of them can't sew? WTF? But I like that they focus on sell-ability, which PR doesn't do. 

Oh we also rented Taken with Liam Neeson. Damn that movie was intense. It make me want to kick someone's a** much like Liam did. Watch the unrated version, it's heavy but good. 

Shopping

My stepmom is the DEVIL to shop with because she is the biggest enabler I know. I learn from her! 

So we went to the outlet malls on Saturday and I got a little too close to sales of at least 40 percent off and a JCrew outlet store. It wasn't pretty. But here is a picture of my favorite new item, a gold scarf, which looks awesome with my new blue shirt and of course, the Coach sunglasses.

Manual labor

Nothing says "I love you," like manual labor. And that's what I got roped into doing this weekend. After we shopped and watched TV, it was time to work! The hardest job was bringing inside this new cabinet from the car. The thing is massive and weighs as much as I do. Fortunately I don't have to bring it upstairs. That will SUCK.

Food

In our house, Memorial Day = lots of cooking out. And because I don't have a grill in Chicago, I was ready for some grilled goodness.

Join me on my Memorial Day culinary journey.....

Friday: Swiss and mushroom cheeseburger (mushroom and cheese is stuffed inside the patty) with a pretzel bun, ketchup and mustard. 

Kettle corn from the outlet mall shops. I know, sounds crazy, but it was really good. Sea salt and sugar on kettle popped popcorn. Healthier than movie theater popcorn and just as good

Sunday: Sirloin steak on the grill with cooked mushroom and au jus sauce plus Yukon Gold potatoes with light butter, salt and sour cream. Truly amazing. Num.

Dessert: Brownie mix with Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips and nuts. I must stay away from this pan.

And after all that eating and activity, I basically laid around like a beached whale on a chaise lounge, couch, bed, chair, really any surface that allowed me to spread out. Heaven.

How was everyone else's Memorial Day weekend? Do anything or fun or grill out? Or did you go see any good movies?

Randomness: fashion, movies, pop culture and food

I cannot believe it's Memorial Day. Seriously. Time is literally flying by. Eeeek!

I'm back in Wisconsin right now, indulging on a gluttonous mushroom Swiss cheeseburger on pretzel roll, washed down with beer. It's like heaven, but not.

So in honor of a much needed long weekend, I'm keeping it kind of light tonight with lots of bullets, links and pictures!

• I found a blog dedicated to Michelle Obama's fashion and I'm completely obsessed with it. I check it daily and follow it on Twitter too. I am totally in love with her fashion sense, well most of them (the below is not an example of that exception)

• Now that my office has moved to a "tastefully casual" dress code, I'm in need of new summer shoes. I went to Nordstrom Rack last weekend and bought these shoes, what do you think? Bedazzled gladiator sandals, somewhat
  
  
• I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Vogue editor Anna Wintour last weekend. She's rumored to have a $200,000 yearly clothing allowance. What would I do with that? Chanel for everyone! After some damage at JCrew

• Last week I also went to a sneak preview tour of the new Whole Foods in Lincoln Park. And it is MASSIVE. My mind was totally spinning while I walked around on my tour. It's such a great representation of Chicago's various neighborhoods. I cannot wait to go visit and eat my way around. Oh and it has a cheese/wine bar inside! Anyone in Chicago interested in joining me for a wine/cheese flight?

• The New Moon poster for Twilight saga is out. Personally, I liked New Moon and Eclipse a lot so I'm all for more Jacob, especially without that dead animal of a wig on his head. Oh and Rob said in Cannes that they will be making a movie out of Breaking Dawn. I cannot wait to see how they do that. Yeah if you've read it, you know what I mean
  
  
• I bought a necklace from the Gap (it just started carrying jewelry) and the tag made it clear it's not for kids. So I guess that means I shouldn't try to eat it and I should probably keep it away from me while intoxicated too

• I fully plan on grilling out with my dad this weekend. Fish, beef, chicken, you name it and we'll grill it. Everything tastes better on the grill!

• When I went shopping for my bedazzled gladiator sandals I caught this fashion fail at Nordstrom Rack. It's Rock & Republic, with an "e" at the front. Ouch.

Finally, I'm thinking of "sexing up" my little blog and moving from Blogger to Wordpress, but I'm a little scared. But that may mean my reader's need to update their feeds. It's not settled just yet, but if the feeds were to change, would you guys follow me? Bueller? Lie to me?

Well, I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend! Anyone have big plans or is anyone traveling? Safe travels to everyone!!

Oh and if any readers happen to live in the Southeastern Wisconsin area and will be around this weekend, let me know because I would LOVE to hang out with someone other than my parents for a little bit. Dad doesn't keep up with pop culture or fashion like me :)

Key Learnings, Easter and candy coma

Happy Easter everyone! I don't know about you all but right now I am in a near Thanksgiving-like coma from all the food today. Seriously, I need to take out my contacts stat in case I just fall asleep. 

So before that happens, let's hit the key learnings.

Key Learnings:

• I may lose my mind if it doesn't get warm in the Midwest soon. I have such cute stuff to wear!

• Getting an Easter basket as an adult is still a nice treat

• Amy Adams is good in just about any movie she is in. Give her an Oscar, please!

• Your dad is a keeper when he holds your purse in public while you take pictures

• It's okay to play tourist in your hometown

• Cupcakes make an acceptable dinner

• If struggling with a clip on a hanger, don't force it to move because it will snap at any moment and cut your finger open (guilty!)

• It's okay to skip wearing a belt to Easter brunch so there is more room for the food indulgence

• Don't walk around your parent's house half-dressed unless you know they're not home or coming upstairs any time soon

• In order to bond with your parents, you do things you normally wouldn't do, like watch hours of the Master's golf tournament or Fox News

• At Easter brunch, don't guzzle down a Bloody Mary on an empty stomach or you will be intoxicated before the meal (again)

On the Easter theme, I woke up this morning (after being rudely woken up at 6 a.m. initially) and found that the Easter bunny visited me!! YAY! I saw basket grass in our house and hoped it was for me, and it was!

Here is a picture of my Easter basket, full of Burt's Bees and chocolate goodies. Now I have more Ghirardelli squares to smuggle into the movies and my favorite lip balm and Burt's products. Thank you bunny!

After the basket reveal, we went to my stepmom's sister's house for brunch, where I binged on homemade cinnamon rolls (amazing!) and found out were were celebrating a family member's birthday, complete with...a Twilight cake! And while indulging, a 12 year old and I talked about Twilight as if we were...kids. 

Finally, I went crazy taking pictures this weekend around home. I loaded all of them on my Flickr page if you want to check them out. I went a little nuts taking photos at an indoor farmer's market and around the city. Here are some of my favorites:

Cheese in Wisconsin-familiar shapes

Rose in full bloom (yes I did take this picture)

Art Museum

So how was everyone else's Easter weekend? Did anyone else get an Easter basket or eat way too much candy? What is your favorite Easter candy?

Also, has anyone seen the Peeps contest? The Washington Post does it every year but I found pictures of the finalists on the Tribune site too. Some of them are so clever!

Reader note: Thank you everyone for the great comments on the movie quote post on Thursday. I was laughing the entire day at quotes you all left. And hello to all the new commenters too! I cannot believe I forgot Clueless or Legally Blonde or even Seinfeld. All of those have great quotes too. It was so much fun to read your comments, it made my day!

Key learnings, birthday PIMP and buzzkill

Well, it's Sunday again. Why don't my weekdays fly by this fast? Right now I'm sitting in my apartment with nail polish drying on my toes (which I can't feel because of the toe-separaters) so let's knock out some key learnings before one of my little piggies falls off.

Quick note: I've been doing a lot better at updating my Tumblr blog, which will focus on fun things I find online that I want to own or recently bought. I thought it would be  fun way to showcase some fun shopping/fashion stuff. Check it out and let me know if you have one too so I can add you to my "follow" list.

Key Learnings:

• One of the worst feelings is knowing you're going to throw up and you have to wait for it to happen

• There is no shame in walking into a store and saying quickly, "hey chicky, where is your bathroom?" It's better than taking care of your business outside the front door

• Even if the "club scene" isn't for you, it's still fun to go indulge in it once in a while

• Brunch with friends is a weekend requirement, same with naps on the couch

• When you go shopping to look for one specific item, you rarely find exactly what you're looking for (I have more luck when I'm not looking for something in particular)

• It's okay to put clothes on over your street ones to avoid the dressing rooms. But be discreet

• Champagne in a can tastes...not awful, but stick with it in bottles

• Sleeping past 8 a.m. on a weekend will likely never happen again (stupid weekday sleep schedule!)

• Trading the puffy coat for a spring fleece is a great feeling

• You always get sick at the inopportune times

• If you find an item of clothing you love and that fits well, buy it in at least one other color

Weekend Buzzkill

I've been really lucky this winter with not getting sick. I don't know if it was the flu shot but for once, I've not had any head cold, traditional cold or sinus infections. That is until a stomach bug decided to pay me a visit Thursday night through Saturday mid-day. Yes, it was glorious (I'm being sarcastic).

After about two-and-a-half days of hugging the bowl, eating mostly to toss it back up again and sleeping only a few hours a night, I'm ready for this BS to be over with. I was also hoping the bug would have been gone yesterday when my parents came in town for a visit, but alas no. Dad was forwarned about this and I really tried to rally because I didn't want to ruin their visit, but let's just say...I can't go back to Pottery Barn on North Avenue for a while. 

Here is a list of other things the stomach bug ruined for me this weekend:

• Parent visit (the car ride to North Avenue was rough)

• Brunch at Table Fifty-Two (parents wanted to go but it was rescheduled due to my stomach)

• Brunch at Nordstrom Cafe (had to settle for a few spoonfuls of soup over my favorite salad ever and dessert)

• Joy in shopping for cocktail dresses (swollen stomach = three-months preggers look)

• Saturday morning breakfast (let's just say, I saw it again)

• Excitement about friend's birthday dinner at Vermillion (I was scared my stomach wouldn't handle the food)

So while the stomach flu won the war, I was able to enjoy a cupcake at Molly's with my parents. I'll take what I can get.

And I'm pleased to say that there were no puppy kicking incidents during their visit. My stepmom was actually concerned about how I was doing, offering me water, soup and even breaks to sit and relax. Let's hope this trend continues!

Birthday P-I-M-P

After a full day with my parents, I gathered with friends to celebrate my buddy Liz's birthday. First up, dinner at Vermillion (Latin/Indian fusion) in River North. I'm open to trying new foods and I have to say, my coconut chili mussels did not disappoint. I even had the "fusion-style" ribs for dinner, and while they were good, it was a little too overseasoned/charred-looking for me. Yes, this probably isn't the best food to be feeding an unhappy stomach, but let's just say, we were seated near the bathroom in case I needed to get there.

And when it's your best friend's birthday, not even a stomach flu will keep you down.

Dinner was great and then we headed over to Hub 51, where a friend had a connection on the inside. What was supposed to be a table and drinks turned into a VIP booth at it's Sub 51 room downstairs, coat check, personal waitress and drink samplers. I won't lie, this was cool. And it got even cooler when our connection sent over a bottle of Snow Queen vodka (chilled of course) with Red Bull, tonic, soda water and cranberry juice, plus cans of Sofia's champagne in can and something called "a.m.," which I'm pretty sure could kill me if consumed in mass quantities. 

I am absolutely not a raging party girl or an active clubber, but it was cool to feel VIP for a few hours. And let me tell you, that waitress made a mean vodka cranberry and made hotpants look good again.

And let's just say, the women's bathroom was an interesting scene. I think my tweet of "Grey Goose-soaked cougar den..." says it all.

How was everyone else's weekend? I laid low today to prepare for Art Smith's Common Threads gala tomorrow night at the Museum of Contemporary Art. I'm not totally feeling my outfit for it, but it will do.

Reader shopping note:

Because so many of you asked about the dress and shoes from Thursday's post, I've included a link to each below:

• Dress: JCrew - Pique V-Neck Ruffle Dress

• Shoes: Nine West - Maytime heel (note: this is the style of shoe I'm planning to wear, but it's solid gold and not textured)

Puppy kicking

I need to clarify the title of this post because it is not about literally kicking a puppy. It's an expression for the point I want to make.

A friend and I coined the term "puppy kicking" when talking about those of us who seek approval from others. This can be approval from our friends, family or colleagues who we seek recognition or validation from, but who ultimately let us down.

Validation is not a bad thing. It helps encourage you when you're having a bad day and with the simple phrase of "nice job" or "I missed you," it can bring someone totally around. And, it's fast and easy to do. But some of us, or our parents from another generation, are not always the best at doing that.

After my dad remarried, I threw myself at my stepmother to have her recognize me as more than a stepchild. I wanted her to feel the same pride in me that my dad does and include me as part of the family. But the more I tried to win her attention, through trying to cook dinner or take an interest in things she liked, the more I felt left out or like I was trying too hard. Rather than say "you did a good job on..." it was more of what I didn't do right and I would feel defeated.

But every time I go home, I still work to earn her approval, like a wounded puppy lured back to the steal-toed boot, begging for more.

I've found the "puppy kicking" theory doesn't apply as much to work or friend situations because you can be more honest with them because, well, you're not related to them. But family is harder, those rejections and recognitions can hurt more than anything else. I would assume it's the same from a boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.

Many of my friends who claim they don't go back for a "puppy kick" anymore too, I'm sorry but they're wrong, just like I am when I say that. It's a human emotion, as long as you don't let the validation you may not receive rule your life. Look for the validation and recognition you want in the small things because there is always someone who appreciates you and what you do.

I go home again in a few weeks and I'm sure I'll be up for a puppy kick. But I don't let it wound me as much as it used to.

So I don't know if there is a question out there for everyone but I guess I can ask, do you identify with my "puppy kicking" theory? Or how do you deal with situations where you want to be recognized and aren't for one reason or another?

Key Learnings, flowers, holding an Oscar and housekeeping

I'm super excited that I get to squeeze one more day out of my weekend. Of course, this is my last "holiday" until Memorial Day, so I'll definitely make it count! 

So while I'm preparing for another day off of work, here are some key learnings.

Key Learnings:

• If someone asks you what you think of their mustache. Answer honestly, they did ask for your opinion

• Describing a dress color as "turd-like" near a salesperson is not a good idea

• Laying on the couch, watching TV and reading until noon should be a daily requirement

• It's okay to whisper, "mama loves you, come back to me" to your laptop before leaving it with the Genius Bar for minor repairs

• Shopping for wine glasses can be very confusing/time consuming. They all look alike!

• Popcorn + soda = good, but popcorn + soda + more popcorn + beer = tummy ache

• Don't remind your single friends that they're "alone" on Valentine's Day. Thanks, we got the memo

• The Oscar award is heavy, but a good bicep workout

• The weather really can go from 60 degrees to snow in one week. Thanks global warming!

• Unfortunately, little cleaning elves that will clean your apartment while you sleep and disappear in morning do not exist. Darn.

• Hearing someone say, "I like spending time with you," is always a nice warm fuzzy moment

Suck it Valentine's Day

I know it's dumb, but Valentine's Day is a buzzkill for me because it reminds me that I'm single, not that there's anything wrong with that. And for some reason, this year, I was extra down about it. But fortunately I was off Friday and avoided watching the cavalcade of flowers come in the office. Yes, that's never fun to watch either.

But this year, dad came to the rescue again, sending me a lovely card, saying how much he enjoys spending time with me and how proud he is of me. Yes, I teared up while reading it. It's always nice to hear someone say that about you. 

Then the real surprise came on Saturday when I was getting ready to go out and I got a call that there was a FLOWER DELIVERY for me. For me! I ran downstairs and found that dad sent me the most beautiful arrangement with pink tulips. He is the best.

Dad says he will recognize Valentine's Day for me until I have a nice guy who will take his place. Man does not know that he will be paying out for this holiday for the rest of his life :)

You like me, you really like me!

We are one week away from the Oscars and this week I have to finalize my picks and opt into my work Oscar pool. Feeling good about the latter. 

But before the big event, I was greeted by a traveling Oscar exhibit at Nordstrom on Saturday. For free, you could have your picture taken with a real Oscar replica (yes it's heavy) and see Clark Gable's original Oscar from 1934. 

I wanted to bask in the moment of holding an Oscar replica and thank my family, but you were quickly ushered in and out, so that was short-lived, but here are some pictures from the exhibit. My Oscar photo isn't available online yet, but I will post it soon!

Housekeeping:

Two final quick notes:

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How was everyone else's weekend? Am I the only one who has tomorrow off?

Key Learnings, sales and my Chicagoversery

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! This weekend the "other" man in my life, dad, came for a visit and between that, Friday happy hour and a birthday party, I am ready for some quiet next weekend. Oh yeah, that's a week away, but it's never too early to plan ahead.

So take a break from the commercials and let's enjoy some key learnings.

Key Learnings:

• Plaid pants are never a good idea for men or women. Ever

• Just because you can wear a fanny pack, that doesn't mean you should

• Lite beer still gives you beer gut the next day, and a wicked headache

• Cracking lobster is messy and unladylike but oh so good in butter

• If you get a good tax return, it feels like Christmas morning or your birthday

• When parent's volunteer to pay for groceries, stock up and always take them up on it

• If a dress is on sale from $190 to $18 but needs alterations, get it. You'll save money in the long run

• Women go crazy for deep discounts on a Saturday (I was nearly trampled at one store)

• Calories don't count on Super Bowl Sunday (or your birthday)

• There is never enough staff at the Apple store to help you when you have a quick question

• When a woman says your boobs look amazing and perky in a dress, you buy that dress, flattery helps making purchasing decisions easier

Sales, sales, sales!!

I know this sounds crazy, but one thing I am loving about the recession is the retail sales. Dad got super lucky at Brooks Brothers with 60 percent off regular prices and I hit the JACKPOT at Banana Republic. I love the Banana Republic winter sale, when they clearance out fall/winter merchandise up to 60 percent off, but this weekend they offered an additional 30 percent off sale price. I got two party dresses, a skirt and cashmere hoodie for $90. Each of those items individually was over $90 at ticket price.

Finally...a Chicagoversery

I cannot believe it, but Saturday was my Chicagoversery. Four years ago yesterday, my dad moved me down to Chicago to start a three month internship, neither of us knowing how it would turn out.

Before I moved here, I never wanted to live in Chicago. Dad and I would come down for the day to shop and see the lights on Michigan Avenue at Christmas, but the thought of living here never crossed my mind. But around my 25th birthday, I was in a professional limbo. I couldn't find work in Wisconsin and I was tired of temping and having unstable employment. I was also recently let go from a job I hated and wondering if my career field was right for me. I was even looking at going to law school or nursing school as a back up.

So after a talk with my dad, we decided I would give my career one more try and apply for internships in Chicago. Within two weeks my company called me for an interview and a month later we were looking for apartments in Chicago. And now...four years later, I'm still here. Three months turned into four years and I have to say, moving here was a huge chance but one that totally changed my life.

Living in the city has given me the confidence to make it as an adult, on my own, and be the independent person I knew I could be. Things haven't always been easy and there have been bumps along the way, but for now, Chicago is home and I miss it when I go away for too long.

Stay classy Chicago, I'm not ready to quit you just yet :)

Here's a picture of me about a month after I moved here. My look has definitely changed :)

How was everyone else's weekend? It was almost...warm in Chicago. Yes, it was a balmy 35 degrees.

Key Learnings, family visits, cupcakes and cold!

Whenever family comes to town, it feels like the longest day(s) ever. There is a lot of prep work in coming up with things to do and back up ideas in case the plan has be changed, mapping out where to eat, what to see, etc. That said, it's still great to have visitors :)

So while I put my apartment back into normal shape now that my brother and SIL are gone, let's check out my key learnings.

Key Learnings:

• Ice skating is a fun idea until you strap the skates on and realize you have zero idea what you're doing

• Zamboni's are still entertaining to watch as an adult

• $3 mimosa's are a great Saturday night companion

• You really love your family when you spend an entire -11 degree day outside showing them the city

• Entertaining guests all weekend is exhausting!

• It takes a lot of tolerance to watch people unknowingly dirty up your apartment and not immediately clean up after them

• Long underwear is never a fashion faux pas, especially when it's cold

• You know you're just like your brother when you both eat an entire mini-cupcake in one bite and don't judge the other person

• Dancing in restaurants near closing time is publicly acceptable

• It's okay to leave barely a 10 percent tip when your dinner in a non-busy restaurant takes 1.5 hours due to poor service

As I mentioned on Friday, my brother and sister-in-law were in town this weekend and it was fabulous. Now that he's married, I don't get to see him as much as I want to, so getting nearly two days with him was a real treat. And because he doesn't spend a lot of time in Chicago, we covered a lot of ground Saturday, full of food, drinks, sight seeing and trying to win lottery tickets to Wicked (which closed this weekend.) It's fun to be a tourist again. 

We didn't get lucky on tickets, but my brother and I did throw caution to the wind and went ice skating at Millennium Park, which did not turn out as expected. We're more "summer sports" people and both of us looked ridiculous baby stepping around the rink (while holding the bars for support) so that we wouldn't fall. After two slips and an hour in the freezing cold, we called it a day, but had plenty of laughs and one great picture.

Forgive the picture. At this point, it hurt to smile because of the wind

Andy and I also checked out a new cupcake place, Sugar Bliss Cupcakes, which is located across from Macy's downtown. What I love the most about this place is that they have full-size and mini-cupcakes, which is perfect if you want to try several kinds at once. Below is a picture of our bounty. I definitely want to go back for the full size Texas Red Velvet cupcake (yee haw!) and frosting shots. Those just sound awesome.

Clockwise: Chocolate peppermint, chocolate/vanilla, chocolate/milk chocolate

Finally, the best part of having my brother in town is that we sat and talked about anything, from movies to politics to news. We have a lot of the same interests so we never run out of things to talk about, which is probably why we were up until 1:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. Oops. And he's the only guy I would let yell "keep dancing woman" at me at dinner Saturday night, when I couldn't control my dancing groove to Rihanna's "Disturbia."

How was everyone else's weekend? Tonight is the SAG Awards so check back tomorrow for my fashion recap. The response was so great from the Golden Globes, that I'll keep it going!

Stamp of parental/friend approval

Were you more scared to introduce your boyfriend/girlfriend to your friends or parents?

I'm thinking about this because eventually, any man I date will be meeting both, but I don't know which meeting concerns me the most. Actually, concerns is a bad word, makes me nervous is a better way to describe it.

My friends aren't scary but they can be a little intimidating and because I've teased them so much about their relationships, I fear what it will be like when it comes back around.

My dad isn't scary either but he's very...reserved and when he gets that way around guys I like and it makes me very uncomfortable because I can see him scrutinizing them with his eyes. Plus, he's only met one boyfriend before and he hated him immediately so I want to make sure I'm serious about a guy before I bring one in front of him.

(This could happen, fortunately our basement isn't that big)

Maybe this opens it up to a bigger question, how important is your parents or friends approval of your boyfriend/girlfriend? 

One of my friends says she doesn't want her boyfriend to ask for her father's permission to propose, and teases that her fiance will meet her parents at the wedding. I joke about it too because I don't like confrontation and I fear that the meeting could go badly, but deep down, my dad's approval of any man I marry is important to me. And of course I want him to get along with my friends because they are a huge part of my life too.

I know this is a random topic for a Thursday, but I have three days of "matches" to review tonight and this weekend so it got me thinking. Fingers crossed Prince Charming is in there.

How does everyone else feel about this topic?

Reminder!

If you are a 20sb member, you can still vote for me for the Last Chance award! Help me continue to close out my twenties in style. You can vote for me here.

Reader note: I was pretty amazed at the Crocs comments from Tuesday's post. Holy cow. There are some real lovers and haters of it. And I know some of you hate Uggs, but I strongly endorse them too. They kept my feet and legs warm in -25 degree wind chills today. Woo! And to answer sjane's question, no I don't wear Crocs while carrying Speedy. I think the fashion gods would strike me down!

The art of keeping my mouth shut

I have a problem keeping my mouth shut and it's gotten me in trouble a few times, especially when it comes to relationships.

Over the holidays, my stepbrother brought another new girl home to meet the family. He says that she's "the one," but when he asked what I thought about her, I had an odd flashback to other, more inappropriate things I've said about friends and family's past significant others. As a disclaimer, alcohol was involved in just about every one of these below moments.

• "Well if you like a horse face, she's great!"

• "Girl looks like Blossom, whoa! No one wants to bang Blossom"

• "She's carries water weight well"

• "Her eyebrows look kind of whorey, and if the eyebrows are whorey... you know what I'm saying"

• "She's nice, but seriously, no one is that nice unless they're on pills"

• "She looks easy, is she just for tonight?"

Turns out, I don't just say this about others, I tend to have inappropriate responses to compliments or declarations of love from guys. Brandy had a similar post over summer and I thought it was also too applicable to me to pass up. 

So here are some of my responses to compliments or declarations of love from men:

• "Don't stay here for me, trust me, you'll regret it"

• "If you think I'm pretty, you don't get out a lot"

• "I sure...like you a lot...yeah...I gotta go"

• "I love you too...so are we making out?"

• "How desperate are you?"

• "No I won't go get you a beer/soda/glass of water/or pair of pants to put on"
  

• "Get back to work"

Yes, when Peter told me he loved me, I believed him and did not respond with a snarky comment, so I'm capable of hearing it, maybe it's just the context in which I hear it needs adjustment.

Maybe there is hope for me in 2009 to think before I speak, especially when wine is involved. And I need to be more supportive of my friends' and family's love interests, but I'm sure deep down  some of them were thinking the same thing, I'm just verbalizing what they're afraid of saying. Yeah that's it.

Well, I am super excited that tomorrow is Friday and it's the weekend again. This weekend I want to go see the Sean Penn movie Milk, help celebrate a colleague's birthday and have a few friends over for the Golden Globes on Sunday. I'm sure I'll have my thoughts on who won/lost and what everyone wore on Monday.

Big weekend plans from anyone else?

Reader note: Thank you everyone for sharing your candy addictions. There were some very interesting comments with some choices I didn't even think of! I'm sorry I didn't include a link to Frango, thank you to everyone who explained what they are. There is a Frango page on Wikipedia too!

Goals for 2009

Happy New Year! Woo! I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year's Eve. As per usual, mine was spent in Chicago with close friends, drinking way too much and having champagne spilled on me (again.) But there was no crying or bloody noses this year so that's a plus.

And now that we're officially in 2009, I'm thinking about resolutions. Normally, I don't make them because I rarely keep them, and this year because of my list, I'll forgo the laundry list of things I will do differently and keep it simple with two main goals.

In 2009, I want to really do two things: 

• Be happy

• Stay healthy

As a note, I'm not saying that I'm currently unhappy. Overall, I am a happy person who looks at life with a "glass half full" mentality, so to help me stay on this path in 2009, I want to challenge myself (with my list and beyond) and continue working on things in my personal and professional life. And reminding myself that I can't let the little things bother me, it will keep me grounded and focused. 

So goal #1 is to keep being me but remaining happy and content. I'm grateful for my friends, family, good health and a good job, so as long as I can focus on these things, the rest will follow.

For goal #2, well I'm leaving that one a little vague. Sure, I would love to lose 10 pounds and say that I will work out four times a week, but I'm looking at this on a bigger scale. It's eating more in moderation and watching portion control, it's keeping a better balance of healthy vs. unhealthy foods and allowing myself a treat without turning it into a candy binge. It's all about baby steps.

Looking back, 2008 was a big year with big milestones - especially during the summer months - and I'm hoping 2009 is just as good. I learned a lot and met a lot of new people, and I hope the new friendships I've forged are just as strong next year as they are now.

Did any of you make New Year's resolutions or goals? If so, feel free to share them, I would love to hear what everyone else is going to be working on this year!

My favorite holiday foods to gorge on

Despite my kitchen fails, I love food and eating, especially at the holidays. That's when I bring out the comfy pants (with elastic waist) and prepare to gorge myself for multiple days. Sometimes, I enjoy the food so much, I contemplate inducing vomiting to make room for more. Okay, yeah that's gross, I don't mean that literally.

My family isn't very adventurous with food. My dad is the perfect example of this (he's never even had sushi!) We know what we like and we eat it. We don't always go crazy and try new things, even though my stepmom and I are more outgoing than the men. 

So at the holidays, we make the same foods every year and I never get tired of it. In fact, I look forward to the traditional fare weeks before I come home. 

My holiday food favorites include:

• Fudge (My stepmom's family recipe is so good. It melts in your mouth)

• Homemade "sticky buns" (Another family recipe, full of butter and goodness)

• Taco dip (I made it this year and we use a "secret" ingredient that makes trays of this disappear quickly)

• Ham roll-ups (Simple, ham, green onion and cream cheese. I eat them like chips)

• Caramel apple dip (There is no actual caramel in here, just cream cheese and brown sugar, but it goes perfectly with Granny Smith apples)

• Tenderloin (I don't eat a ton of red meat, but tenderloin is my favorite. I don't know what my dad does to cook or season it, but I cannot get enough of it)

• Stollen - A traditional German cake with dried fruit and candy on the inside. My stepmom literally spends three days making loaves of this for family and friends. I am not a huge fan but appreciate the effort. Oh an absolutely everything is homemade, dough and all

I put some pictures of these tasty delights below for you guys to enjoy.

Fudge (yes, I know it has a poop-like shape, but it's awesome)

Stollen

Taco Dip (before I pile shredded cheese on top!)

Homemade "sticky buns"

Oh, and now that I have the desire to cook and am loaded up with new bar and kitchen stuff, guess it's time to throw a party. Anyone want to come over?

What are some of your favorite holiday foods that you look forward to? It can be made by you or your family?

Is that what you're wearing?

I absolutely hate this question because it's a dumb one. My sarcastic response to this question usually is: yes, this is what I'm wearing, I don't go naked out in public (only around the house occasionally.) 

I bring this up today because of an incident that happened last week, that I actively tweeted about because I was so upset.

Saturday night was my cousin's wedding, just outside of Madison, and I made the FATAL mistake of bringing a dress but not shoes back with me because I was in a such a rush to pack before leaving Chicago. 

I didn't think this oversight was a huge deal because I had a less formal backup outfit, which I wore for Christmas (argyle sweater, skirt, tights and flats - adorable). I know it wasn't the perfect outfit, but I thought it would be fine.

Why did I think this? Because it's a Wisconsin wedding. I don't want to sound mean, but where we were going, Packer gear, scrunchies, nylons with runs in them and Super Bowl jackets rule. I didn't see a need to get "Chicago dressed up" for this. Plus, I'm on vacation, cut me some slack.

Well, when my stepmom heard about my outfit choice, she freaked out and told me it "wasn't appropriate" and I couldn't wear it. I told her it wasn't a big deal, but she forced me to try on around 20 outfits of hers (which don't fit me) as alternatives before I found something she approved for me to wear. But of course I didn't have shoes for this ridiculousness so my dad and I had to go out and BUY some, which I have no desire to wear again, and I made him pay for because I was on the verge of tears.

I may very well have overreacted to this (because in the end I looked nice), but I think it was the way she said to me, "is that what you're wearing? No way, I don't approve." Hi, I'm 29 years old, I may not have the best fashion sense, but back off! I was forced to dress up like I was going out to a formal event in Chicago, in an ugly coat I had to borrow, and strappy heels in the rain.

In the end, I went to "dead inside" mode and let them dress me up like a life-size doll and I was one of the most overdressed person at this wedding. But the crappy house wine helped make it better. And my HUGE J-Lo-like hair was pretty bad ass.

Here is a picture of my hair and part of the dress I wore that night. I won't lie. I looked pretty good, but I still think it was a lot of unnecessary fuss.

Key learnings and holiday recap

Woo! I'm back from a few days off! I hope everyone had a great holiday and that Santa was extra good to each of you. 

I'll get to the holiday recap shortly, but let's bask in some key learnings!

Key Learnings:

• Baked Cheetos are insanely addictive. Bags on them can disappear easily

• It's okay to eat a plateful of fudge for breakfast, lunch and part of dinner

• Hiding in your bedroom at home is totally acceptable to get some alone time

• Parents need to share the television because I can only handle so much Fox News and CNBC

• Even though you have a designated room at home, you have absolutely zero privacy. Parents will still come in your room, with or without permission

• Reading the same book at Border's over the course of two days is fun, and cost-effective

• Homemade cinnamon buns are a-m-a-z-i-n-g, way better than store-bought

• Hiding disappointment at Christmas gifts is tougher to do as you get older

• Text messages from friends on Christmas can totally make your day

• After a tough day at home, nothing says "tomorrow will be better" like beer...or scotch

• At Wisconsin weddings, Packer gear, scrunchies, bad faux fur and open-toed shoes with nylons are common sights

• Despite multiple outfit/accessory options, it's okay to stop showering daily and wearing full make up while home for the holidays, no one judges

Holiday recap and gift FAIL

Overall, my holidays were good, although the crazy weather did throw a wrench into a few things. But everyone got along, there was no crying (at least on Christmas Day) and everyone was in good spirits. Even when we're strung out on stress and no sleep, all of my Christmas celebrations had laughs, which makes everything all good.

And, I don't want to sound bitchy, but Santa came to visit me this year and honestly, it was a partial FAIL. I love buying gifts for people and picking out perfect items for everyone on my list. I take great pride in this, but I know not everyone does that. For example, dad and I went to Crate & Barrel to pick out wine glasses and champagne flutes for my apartment and Christmas morning, I eagerly anticipated opening up my gifts to find them. 

Turns out, I didn't get the glasses I picked out because he thought I would like other ones better...that look nothing like the ones I picked out. I didn't like the new glasses and now have to go through the hassle of returns, while my dad takes this personally. It's not personal, I tell him, but he doesn't seem to feel that way. Sometimes, maintaining the element of surprise as an adult is very tough.

Now I have a total of four gifts to go back, with replacement items (from my list) already purchased. It's just so much work and frustration. But it's okay.

Despite a few bad apples, I did get my new kitchen knife set and back-up hard drive for Lulu, so it wasn't all bad :) And dad did surprise me with a Longchamp Le Pliage nylon tote. I have one in blue and use it all the time in summer. It's a perfect size and is perfect for the rain because it dries easily. Yay!

And based on the other gifts I got, including a nifty decanter and bar set from friends, it appears as though I need to drink more. Ironically, I also received three bottles of champagne, so, I guess I can start working at meeting this goal. 

What about everyone else? Was Santa good to you too? What was your favorite gift this year?

Snow!

When I left Chicago, we had several inches of snow, but it wasn't too awful. However, Wisconsin was NAILED with snow, at least 10 inches, and it basically shut the city down. This meant I lived in my wellies for the first few days home because we had so much snow every day. The snow even caused my mom to reschedule our Christmas Eve activities until Christmas Day. Roads were awful and it was ungodly slippery, but I was spared from shoveling duty so I can't complain too much. 

Here are some snow pictures from outside our house pre-Christmas. Overnight Friday, we lost five inches of snow from the mild temps. Crazy global warming.

Key Learnings, holiday countdown and cupcakes

Woo! It's the week of Christmas. I literally cannot believe it. And now that I'm back in Wisconsin for the holidays, it's time for quality family togetherness, with a healthy amount of "Jess-only field trips."

So let's bask in some key learnings, join me!

Key Learnings:

• When you're with family, always say "yes" when asked if you want another drink (unless you're driving)

• When you're around the most obnoxious woman you've ever met, it's okay to fantasize about punching her in the face to shut her up

• A woman who is missing her front six teeth should not stick her tongue out at your adorable Coach wellies (they are adorable)

• It's okay to tell an elderly woman that you can't walk her across the street because you're trying to hail a cab

• Snow is beautiful, unless you have to drive in it or shovel/snowblow it from your house

• Christmas shopping is fun, unless you go out in -40 degree wind chills, then you're just praying it will be over with soon

• Scrunchies are still popular in parts of the Midwest, *cough* my hometown *cough*

• Even as an adult, parents can still make you do sweat shop-style labor

• It's perfectly acceptable to change into pajamas at 6 p.m.

• Cheetos and Pepsi are not an nutritional lunch, but it is tasty (even if they are Baked Cheetos)

• Waiting two hours for an hour-and-a-half train ride s-u-c-k-s, but it's okay to find comfort in food, specifically a taco salad, and devour the entire thing like an animal

• JCrew argyle socks are awesome, especially when its marked down from $9.50 to $3.99

So I am currently back in Wisconsin for the holidays, residing as co-queen of the castle in my parent's house. And I hate to jinx it, but so far things have been going pretty well. I survived my early Christmas with one side of the family, but not without some family drama first. Apparently women in my family are magnets for a) trouble and b) drama.

Today, I also finished 99.9 percent of my Christmas shopping, although it was done in sub-zero wind chill temperatures. Tears actually froze to my face when I went in to buy my stepmom's gift. But the shopping is done, so I feel like I can now focus my energy on creatively wrapping everything...sometime. 

I even rewarded myself for going out in the cold temperatures by going to the local Public Market to get a cupcake, but not just any cupcake, a chocolate temptation cupcake that was ranked by our local magazine as the best in the city. I cannot wait to top off my Cheetos and Pepsi lunch with this as part of a healthier dinner. NUM.

Forgive the presentation, the cupcake had an accident in the container en route home

Also, thank you to everyone for their kind blog birthday wishes. I greatly appreciate it and they made my snowy Friday!

How was everyone else's weekend? Am I one of the few still working on buying Christmas gifts now that we're in the final stretch?

All I want for Christmas

Tonight we're back to my frequent blog topic, shopping. Christmas is just about a week away so I thought I would share some of the items I've put on my list this year. And trust me, I'm hoping Santa thinks I've been a good girl.

Now a few of these items are serious and a few are just something I'm salivating over and could only hope to get. I've mentioned that because of the economy, I've cut down on my list this year and asked for more practical things for my apartment. Dad was quite surprised by a few items on here, but I think he meant that in a good way :)

So what's on everyone else's Christmas list? Any one item in particular you're hoping to have in your stocking or under the tree?

The Practical gifts:

Dirty laundry should be properly sorted!

Crate & Barrel may help me unload my plastic wine glasses

And get some proper champagne flutes in my hand

I collect the Vanity Fair books for my coffee table

I need these to give my traditional pearl earrings a day off

I love Jim, I think that's self-explanatory :)

Fun but not as practical:

Check out Jan's candle site, the scent descriptions are hee-larious

I apparently need more "adult" boots (in black)

I love anything from this store, especially Glittens (glove mittens)!

Totally impractical, but would sure be nice:

How gorgeous would this be on my arm? It has it's own belt!

I love the color purple, scarves/wraps and cashmere, triple win

I wear my Tiffany beaded necklace all the time, I love this shape and size

This isn't actually available to buy, but her "horn can pierce the sky!"