Something Old? Nope, Something New!

Hello!

It has been so long since I have written on this blog, but I have been inspired by some things recently and must write about them!

I was out and about a couple weeks ago at a mall and decided to look for some new jeans.  Jean shopping is a very frustrating experience for me since I have a small waist, but bigger booty and thighs.  I am convinced that these days jeans are only made for 6ft tall women with no butt and stick legs.  While I was shopping I found myself surrounded by several pairs of distressed and ripped jeans.  Now, I LOVE the distressed look of furniture, but I was having a very difficult time grasping that a pair of ripped jeans started at $70.  $70 for something that is already ripped up?  I just don't get it.  Sure, there are some pairs of distressed jeans that look really cute, but I just can't justify spending a lot of money on something that is already ruined.  I understand it is "fashion", but fashion that is already ripped up should not cost so much.  Can you get a refund if the holes in your new pants become huge after one wearing/washing? I saw a pair of True Religion ripped jeans that started at $160!!!  I just can't seem to wrap my head around this whole concept.  If I am going to spend money on new clothes, they are definitely going to be hole free!  Seriously, I guess I just don't get it!

Oh Say Can You See....No, because I am crying!

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you are well aware that the Olympics have started.  I have been enthralled by them this weekend.  I was watching with my mom last night as my hubby-to-be was galavanting about town celebrating his bachelor party.  I was talking with my mom about how I cannot fathom being so talented at something that you are considered one of the best in the world.  These are true athletes who don't do it for the ridiculous (often undeserved) paychecks that "other" professional athletes receive.  They do it for the love of the sport.  They dedicate their lives to practice and progress and try to achieve a spot in a moment that happens only once every 4 years.  It is truly amazing and astounding if you think about it.

Tonight they showed the medal ceremony for women's Mogul(?) skiing. I cried when they played our National Anthem.  The National Anthem always makes me emotional, but it really gets me during the Olympics.  Can you imagine the Anthem being played for you and your achievements for your country.  It gives me goosebumps as I write this!  As my emotions run high celebrating with these Olympians, I also have a bone to pick with some of the commentators.  Can someone tell me when it became BAD to achieve the silver or bronze medal in the Olympics?  I am sorry, you should be praised for just making the Olympics!!  It is a HUGE accomplishment to be considered one of the best in the world and have the opportunity to represent your country.  I get so irritated when the announcers/commentators make these athletes sound so pathetic and feel so bad for NOT getting the gold.  SHAME ON YOU commentators!!  You should commend ALL these athletes for all of the hard work and dedication to their sport and their country.  Something to think about!!  U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

xoxo
d

UGG-LY

Here is Chicago we have about a foot of snow!  It is beautiful and messy and just what we can expect this time of year.  Anyone who lives here knows that in the winter months, vanity must go out the door in order to properly brave the elements.  Thankfully in the past few years, winter gear has gone from being mearly functional to fashionable!  I LOVE my winter gear.  The coats, scarves, hats, boots.....it is all fantastic!  Now I can stay all snuggly warm while fashionably braving the elements.  However, it has been brought to my attention that not all of our winter gear is loved by the opposite sex.  After a few recent conversations I have come to the conclusion that ALL men HATE UGG boots!

This revelation was quite devastating because I LOVE my Ugg boots!  They are warm and cozy and I can wear them with everything from pants to dresses.  Men on the other hand think that Ugg boots are ugly and make our feet look really fat and large.  Men see nothing attractive about Ugg boots. Over the weekend, Jeremy and I were getting ready to brave the elements and I put on my Uggs and he said, "Can I tell you something without getting mad?"  Uh oh, that is never a good way to start the conversation!  He proceeded to tell me how ugly he thinks Ugg boots are and while he knows I love them because they are comfy, he wanted me to think about getting some cuter (while still comfy and functional) winter boots for new year.  I was not mad at all, in fact, I totally understood where he was coming from because ever since Uggs became fashionable, I have yet to meet one man that actually likes them.

I think we have it a little easier in colder climates, but men in warmer climates REALLY dislike Uggs, especially when  women wear them in warm weather with dresses.  Now, I do agree with this dislike.  Ladies, if it is warm enough to wear a dress without tights, cardigans, etc., that means it is warm and there is no need to wear furry winter boots!  Who likes it when their feet sweat?  Eww, gross! 

In this day in age where braving the elements in winter gear is not only functional, it is fashionable, I do have to agree that there is no excuse for me wearing shoes that make my feet look huge and without shape.  I will work on that for next winter.  For now, I am going to wear my Ugg boots to my little hearts content because I LOVE THEM!!

xoxo

d

Suck It Up!

Hello my friends!

Have no fear, while I may have started my fabulous new adventure of Organize Your OM http://organizeyourom.wordpress.com/ I will still need a place to share my random thoughts of wonder and astoundment with you.  While I absolutely love my new blog, it is more for professional purposes and this one is just for fun.  On that note, let the fun begin!!

I was recently at the hospital visiting a friend who is getting ready to have twins and she was drinking out of a cup with a straw.  I immediately wanted to have my own drink with a straw!  Was I thirsty?  Not really, but I realized there is something about the thought of drinking out of a straw that made me want to drink.  Anyone can drink out of glass, but think of all of the fun ways you jazz up your cup with a straw!  You can have a traditional straw, a bendy straw, crazy straws with swirls, straws that look like glasses!  Really, the possibilities are endless!

I have decided that all of my drinks should have a straw in them.  In restaurants I tend to use them for the hygiene factor, but I now plan on incorporating them into other aspects of my drinking life!  I realized that it is much more fun to drink water out of straw than the plain old cup!  Here's to being healthy and hydrated!!!  Have a I made you thirsty yet?  :o)

xoxo

d

My Favorite Things Giveaway......Minus the Giveaway!

Can you believe we are at the end of 2009? I just cannot get over how fast time goes! As we come to the end of 2009, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the items that have made my year. If I was Oprah, I would give these away.....and the audience would be uber disappointed because they are not worth thousands of dollars. But, here it is, my top 5 favorite things of 2009.

5. Reebok Easy Tone Shoes - I know I have blogged about these before, but they are so great that they made the number 5 spot on my list! These shoes are light, comfy, and actually work! I feel inspired to workout each time I lace them up!

4. Dove Pro Age Body Lotion - I am a beauty junkie! I will try just about any lotion, potion, or creme. I have very sensitive skin and have always been a bit obsessive about having soft skin. A few months ago I was on the hunt for something new because my lotion just wasn't leaving my skin as smooth as I wanted. I decided to try Dove Pro Age lotion. I am a firm believer the best way to keep your skin young and healthy is to take care of it as best as I can now. Sure, this lotion may be designed for more mature skin, but it is packed with everything needed to keep skin soft and young. I highly recommend trying it out. It has been the best body lotion I have ever found.....and it is under $10!!

3. Sonicare Electric Tooth Brush - This may have been one of my more expensive purchases of 2009, but I bought myself the Cadillac of all tooth brushes. This tooth brush is amazing! It is like going to the dentist to have a cleaning every time I brush. My teeth and gums have never felt so great. This tooth brush also comes with its own UV brush head cleaner for disinfection.

2. Flintstones Gummy Vitamins with extra vitamin C - I know, I know...what 29-year-old takes Flintstones vitamins, I DO!!! I need to thank my friend Kelly, who is a first year kindergarten teacher, for introducing them to me. They taste yummy and it is easy to remember to take something that tastes yummy every day! I swear that these vitamins are the reason I made it through my first teaching assignment without getting sick, especially during the height of the swine flu epidemic.


1. My I-Phone - I have never been much into technology and all of the latest techno trends. However, I am marrying the ultimate tech/gadget lover and I LOVE him for buying me an I-Phone for my birthday. It is amazing! I love having a phone, email, and Internet all in one. I love being able to surf the net while I am having my oil changed, look up needed ingredients for a recipe while at the store, and see what my friends are up to through Facebook (Dina, I am still waiting for you to join!!). I have gone from techy bah-humbug to techy believer!!

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season. Have a fun and safe New Year. Here's to anticipating the wonders that will be waiting for us to try in 2010!!

I Just Wanna Sing!!

This will be a short and sweet post, but for reals people, I WANNA SING!  I LOVE the show Glee.  What I love even more than the show is that the mixes sang on the show are available for download and let me just tell you that driving in the car with those mixes makes the commute much more enjoyable!  Seriously, if I could ask for a talent, it would be to sing!  If I could sing (without having to give up my dance abilities) I would head straight for New York and pursue a Broadway career!  Singing, dancing, and acting for a live audience...Ahhh!!  Would it get any better!?!?! I think not!!

Tonight the Sing Off premiered on NBC and it was amazing!  Seriously, this is raw talent! If you have no idea what I am talking about, please tune in tomorrow.  The Sing Off is a week long singing competition made up entirely  of a capella groups. You have to watch this to appreciate the incredible talent these people possess. The beginning of the show started with all of the singing groups performing David Bowie and Queen's "Under Pressure." It was absolutely incredible to hear every musical element of that performance and think that NO instruments were used! Please, check it out. After watching, you too will aspire to be a singer!

As if I didn't see enough musical performances tonight, I am now watching Straight, No Chaser on Channel 11. This is a male a capella group featuring Chicago's own Dan Ponce. For those of you who are not news junkies like I am, used to be a news reporter and NBC5, his brother, Anthony, is a reporter on ABC7, and his father is a famous face of Ch 11. Dan left his news reporter job to pursue his musical career and the group is really taking off. They actually popped up on my Pandora Christmas music channel the other day....you should check them out as well. They do all sorts of current and old school songs....They do an awesome version of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours."

Music makes me so happy!! I may not have the best voice, but that in no way stops me! Tomorrow I will for sure be rocking out in my car, I hope you do the same!

xoxo
d

The Power Suit

Today I  am going to make you think!  Uh, I know, we all do it way too much, but this will be fun to think about!  What do you own that makes you feel powerful?  Today's blog is inspired by one of the teachers I subbed for last week.  She was telling me how she had just gotten a new purse and it was bigger than any she has ever had and she just loves it!  She said it made her feel powerful.  Not only did the bigger size make her feel more powerful, but the purse was RED which is a power color in itself!  She modeled the purse for me and it was so cute to see how excited she was about her new purse.  It got me thinking about what I own that makes me feel powerful, and by powerful I mean confident, ready to rule the world, and look darn good doing it!

Right now, my indigo empire-waist winter coat is my power accessory.  I got it for Christmas a couple years ago.  For a coat, it fits perfectly and I look like a woman and not a marshmallow in it.  The color is great and they style is so chic that it looks like something from J.Crew (let's take a moment and pause for my favorite store that I am only able to shop the sale racks of...ahhh), but my coat is from Target!!  Yep, that's right, Target.  I get complimented on it all the time and I always feel put together when I have it on.  Feeling put together makes me feel powerful!!

So, what did you think of?  What do you have that makes you feel powerful?

xoxo

d