I Heart

2009-07-26T16:25:00.001-05:00

I am now posting on http://wearswithheels.tumblr.com

Shite pop songs that have permanently wormed their way into my life; when/how/(why?)

2009-05-09T22:52:00.002-05:00

"Too Little Too Late," by JoJo; playing on loop for 11 hours on "Top 40" station on United Airlines flight to and from Hawaii, January 2007
"Big Girls Don't Cry," by Fergie; hated my relationship and job (and cried a lot), Summer 2007
"Umbrella" by Rhianna; no excuse, Summer 2007
"Give It To Me," by Timbaland, no excuse, Summer 2007
"No Air," by Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown, overplayed by radio stations while traveling Winter 2008
"Bleeding Love," by Leona Lewis, overplayed by radio stations while traveling Winter 2008
"One Step at a Time," by Jordin Sparks (you are EVERY.WHERE.), played every single time I turned on the radio while in Columbia, SC for work trip, Fall 2008
"Crush," by David Archuleta, played every single time I turned on the radio while home in El Paso, Fall 2008

Four "Recessionista" Dresses and One Splurge

2009-03-31T21:29:00.008-05:00

I wear dresses all the time - to work, over jeans, out to dinner, etc. - and am so glad they've been such a major fashion focus over the past few seasons. I bought several this week; four from Target.com and one from yellowcake's boutique on Etsy.com (the orange plaid strapless). All were under $30 except for the Etsy splurge, which I envision wearing to one of the various upcoming social occasions I have on my calendar.

Ask Diane

2009-03-28T19:36:00.003-05:00

I watch The City. And I watched The Hills and Laguna Beach too. And, ok, those shows have evolved so far away from "reality" that it's hard to view them any differently than any other soap.

BUT I DON'T CARE. WHITNEY GETTING LOVE ADVICE FROM DIANE VON FREAKIN FURSTENBERG HAS TO BE THE COOLEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO ANY GIRL, ANYWHERE, EVER.

Have you ever done this?

2009-03-25T20:22:00.002-05:00

So, I bought a pair of shoes recently - round-toe black patent pumps with a "ruffled" T-strap - and loved them immediately and so. much. and recognized that These Shoes were the kind of enduringly stylish shoes that I will miss in a year when I've worn them into the ground, so I went out and bought an identical pair that I can save in my closet.

Am I crazy or brilliant?

Missives

2009-03-16T18:36:00.003-05:00

Ok, so. ohmygodwork. Hot mess.

However:

I really, really dislike the new cage heels that are so popular this spring. You will not be finding them on my shopping list any time soon. Of course, that's what I said about leggings in 2006.

What is on my shopping list? I'm so glad you asked:

Dark-wash denim (two pairs; one bootcut, one skinny. Bt-dubs, I also said I'd never wear skinny jeans)
Fitted leather jacket
Petite Spring-y heels
Glam sunglasses
A "signature" necklace in gold
White layering tees (the one I bought at Target last night is not up to snuff)

What I did love at Target, however, was the Alexander McQueen capsule collection. I got these SUPER leggings with tiny zippers (while my circa 2006 self judged me from her haughty, legging-discriminate pedestal) and an cute edgy little scarf that I'll wear with jeans and tanks. And maybe LEGGINGS.

I am FAIL! at the internet

2009-02-28T17:23:00.004-06:00

So I wanted to link to these audio files where you can hear Prezzy O narrate the naughty-language bits from "Dreams From My Father" for the audio-book in which he says "Buy your own damn fries!" (and much worse) and it's hilarious because his voice is so recognizable now and it's like SO. HIM! saying those things and anyway. It's funny.

BUT. I found a wedding dress, so whatever, I don't care about that anymore. Gah.

Buy your own damn fries

2009-02-21T11:35:00.003-06:00

I love love love this. And ok, I am kind of, kind of, kind. of. starting to warm up to Barack too.

Posted using ShareThis

Reasons (totally obsessive reasons) for not shopping Hautelook

2009-02-18T14:49:00.004-06:00

Hautelook, one of the handful of sites that host "private" designer sales ahead of and exclusive from in-store sales, has this as their slogan:

"The most exclusive sales, happen in private"

Therefore I refuse to buy anything from them. Anyone with me on this?

2009-01-24T18:42:00.002-06:00

I cleaned out my closet today: put everything on a "real" (non-wire) hanger, decided to get rid of some stuff, re-discovered some "new" things and made a little shopping list of things my wardrobe is missing. Mostly it's essentials - fitted white and black long-sleeved layering tees, a new white button-down (I've worn the heck out of my Express button downs and can't expect Mer to let me borrow her DKNY forever), some slacks or jeans and perhaps a new suit.

There are also a few pieces that I love that I've never worn because I don't have the right pants/top/accessories/whatever. And I know that Stacy and Clinton say that if you haven't worn it in a year to throw it out or give it away, and generally I unquestioningly do whatever Stacy and Clinton say, but I just can't give up on the Milly silk georgette top (requires a black satin pencil skirt), the black and white plaid A-line skirt (too dressy for everyday; requires what? I don't know) the jewel-toned purple satin flounce skirt (requires the "right" ivory or white dressy sleeveless top) or the sky blue flowy top with silver thredding (requires the perfect, elusive camisole). And I'm still searching for a skinny black patent leather belt that is meant to be worn at the waist. My kingdom for that belt!

Homesick

2009-01-18T14:21:00.006-06:00

I had a strange dream last night about El Paso in which I witnessed an accident - a police car running over a student or something - and I ran around the neighborhood near Franklin High School on foot.

When I woke up I expected to be in my bed at home in El Paso and despite the strangeness of the dream, I was a little disappointed to discover that I wasn't actually at "home" but was at home, in Chicago.

My mom gets subscriptions for me to some El Paso publications (El Paso Magazine and the El Paso, Inc. newspaper) so I can keep up with the news there. Completely aghast at the increasing violence in Juarez (now dubbed one of the most dangerous places in the world; see a good summary of the issue from Newspaper Tree here) and curious about how El Paso will address the issue long-term, I do get homesick from time to time and still think ELP would be a great place to live. No thriving PR or theatre industry there tho, so doubtful we will return permanently.

It could also have something to do with the fact that it's 62 degrees there today. To clarify, that's 62 degrees ABOVE ZERO, because "above or below zero?" is a valid question these days.

2009-01-17T11:21:00.003-06:00

Alternatively, the heat of 15 degrees above zero is a little oppressive. Gawd, make up your mind, Chicago - is this winter or is this WINTER? This whole not having to calculate how many minutes away from death I am the second I step outside is frankly a little dull.

Because the only thing more exciting than going to the grocery store on the corner one block away is going to the grocery store on the corner one block away and being able to legitimately ask, "Will I die doing this?"

2009-01-13T21:45:00.002-06:00

Before I moved to a cold-weather place I thought that once the temperature fell below a certain point, it just wouldn't feel any colder. This is wrong.

Real insults I have suffered from the Wii Fit

2009-01-04T18:21:00.004-06:00

(emphasis mine)

"Well, if it isn't MEG. Too busy to work out this week, Meg?"

"It looks like balance games aren't your forte. Do you find yourself tripping when you walk?"

"You might want to wait to try this exercise again, once you're strong."

"You might want to lay off the afternoon snacks, Meg."

and then, ironically

"Have you eaten dinner yet?"

Ringing in the new year

2009-01-01T13:32:00.002-06:00

...with a giant zit.

It looks like this, I'm not even kidding.

Wine from the vine while I dine in 2009. I am a POET.

2008-12-31T13:32:00.004-06:00

Let me just say that while 2008 was better than 2007 which was better than 2006 which was pretty much terrible all-around, that 2009 is going to ROCK.

And speaking of rocks...I'll fill The Internet in soon.

My only resolution is to be more at peace with myself, and to be more self-confident. And to enjoy.

Happy New Year, mom and Jeff (my only readers, I think)!

Snowmageddon

2008-12-28T10:38:00.006-06:00

This entire blog has so far consisted of me talking about writing about fashion and style (without much actual writing about fashion and style), the weather and my cats.

Which is lame - sorry - but let me tell you something about the weather in Chicago this past week, or rather, let me make a comment: WHAT THE EFF. Seriously. Snow-dump after snow-dump, a -30 windchill last Sunday (definintively the coldest it's been since I lived here with -26 degrees taking second place), and now rain and 40 degree temperatures! It's like walking in soup out there, and not the good kind like the lobster bisque at the RL cafe. Thanks, Al Gore, for inventing Global Warming.

I really need some of those Hunter all-weather Wellington boots, even though I cannot possibly, possibly justify buying another pair of boots in this economy as I look over at the ten pairs I already own. Ten pairs of boots alone! Six brown (including my Uggs and cowboy boots) and four black. If my family and friends needed more evidence in order to commit me for shopping addiction (which they don't) - all they would need is a picture of all those boots lined up in our foyer. But listen! The Hunters I want are in forest green or burnt orange, so, I'd totally be adding an element that's missing. And they'd have utility. A purpose. Welcome to my inner-monologue.

Anyway, here they are.

Fare Fire Sale

2008-11-13T17:02:00.002-06:00

Ok, there is a flight from Chicago to Austin on sale at AA.com right now for ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN DOLLARS AND I AM NOT EVEN KIDDING.

Also from Chicago to El Paso for $167! I had to refresh the web page just to make sure I wasn't going crazy like that time JetBlue was selling fares for $.99 cents or whatever and it turned out to be a computer glitch but they didn't catch it until about a gazillion and a half people bought tickets.

Being meticulous

2008-11-09T18:28:00.005-06:00

Like anyone else, I don't necessarily look forward to Mondays. But because I like a lot of structure and sometimes feel out-of-sorts on weekends because of the lack thereof, I usually welcome the arrival of a new week with relative eagerness - or in this week's case - relief.

I need to get the past week behind me immediately. I felt uneasy and strange all week - yes, partially because of the outcome of the election - but mostly, I think, because it was my first election as a real adult and I only absorbed its enormity for the first time very recently. And to be honest, it - and my participation in it - made me uncomfortable. Icky. It left me wishing I could be oblivious, you know, bury my head in the proverbial sand and not have to acknowledge that ok, maybe we really are in the middle of a global economic crisis, a climate crisis, hold a shaky geo-political position, [insert additional gloom and doom here] and maybe I really do have to think about it, talk about it, factor it in.

And not to diminish the terrifying clusterf*ck that is cold, hard reality, but it was also the first week of Daylight Savings Time and that always, always messes with me in a bad way. I didn't make it to the gym, couldn't focus at work, and otherwise was so out-of-sorts that I wasn't able to adhere to my other little ~~obsessive compulsive disorders~~ routines. Like I said, I take a great deal of comfort in being meticulous (Virgo) and when I can't manage to maintain my little habits for whatever reason - like putting on lotion right after I get out of the shower, for instance - it feels like the wheels might just fly off my life completely. Get a grip, lady, right?

Anyway, I'm thankful for a new week. And speaking of wheels falling off, don't even ask me about my car. Gawd.

Told you so

2008-11-08T12:23:00.003-06:00

All I want out of this life is to find a skinny black belt that is meant to be worn at the waist. I didn't think finding one would be so hard.

Cosabella

2008-11-06T20:21:00.004-06:00

I am just overwhelmed with love for my little pets tonight, and their little habits that make them cats, and mine. I just watched this special on big African cats, and it made me wonder if some big cats saw little Milly and River in the wild if they would know they were the same species and leave them unharmed or if they would just eat them and ask questions later.

It seems like Milly has to remind me every time I come home that it's HER - she does this little hop as she greets me through the door every single day, like "hey, it's me!" As if I would forget the creature tearing my Cosabella thong to shreds with its tiny razor claws as I was wearing it the first night I brought the creature home as a teeny tiny kitten.

Nope. No way I'm confusing YOU for someone else, you little sh*t. But I appreciate the effort, and I completely adore you.

One and only one [anything] post

2008-11-04T19:10:00.002-06:00

It's a historic night here in Chicago. I'm at home alone - consuming media and a nice glass of wine - while most of my friends are rallying in Grant Park or at house parties.

A friend and I don't agree on everything all the time (except for the ultimate and everlasting suckage of the Blue Devils) but I've really been struggling lately for a succinct way to explain my views and my vote, and he captures them nicely after the jump.

Don't worry. I'll be back soon to posting about the stuff that really matters, like clothes.

http://www.xanga.com/SCVJefe/680050685/one-and-only-one-election-post.html

Ecoatnomics

2008-10-17T23:45:00.002-05:00

I haven't bought a coat and I haven't fixed my TV.

My conscience won't let me buy the $1,200 Burberry coat. I definetely can't afford it, and I buy things I can't afford all the time (see: every entry on this blog), but I just can't make myself walk down the street - it would be that easy; I live in Candy Land! - and lay down for it. It's just... too much. How unglamorous to have to say that.

And someone who knows nothing about plasma televisions said to me: "I've heard that plasma screens just do that sometimes, man, like the lava that's floating underneath the screen - the plasma (the magma!) - gets stuck somehow." Well, that's good enough for me! Will just ignore it til it goes away.

Can't ignore the cold though, so I'm going to have to pony up soon - somewhere between Lands End and Burberry. That sounds like a song name - "Somewhere between Lands End and Burberry."

...sung by CRAZY.

Blue Spot

2008-10-13T19:39:00.002-05:00

No, not the one on my wall. The one IN MY TELEVISION. My huge, 52-inch, flat-screen plasma television on which I watch THE FOOTBALL. The one I paid more for than I have ever paid for anything, ever, ever? Has a big blue spreading spot where underneauth - I think? - a bulb has gone out. Or bulbs or what. I don't know. Whatever it is, I know it's going to be expensive.

Hook 'em Horns!

2008-10-11T10:30:00.003-05:00

Texas Fight! That is all.

It's 4:29 p.m. and OU still sucks

2008-10-09T17:06:00.002-05:00

Just returned from a relaxing few days in La Jolla, California. I was grateful to have some unseasonably warm and sunny weather from which to tan by, some spare hours with which to read and reflect (mostly on the freakshow that's been my life since our last visit to the same resort in 2005 - I say freakshow in only a minimally negative way. Some freakshows are fun.) and the freedom to sleep in, which I did with only limited interuption from work dreams.

I was not, however, impressed by the boutiques or the general shopping climate at all. I did score a pretty cashmere cardigan and shell on sale from White House Black Market, but I have one of those next door to my office in Chi, so it wasn't the exhilarating omg gorgeous one-of-a-kind SoCal find I was hoping for. My problems, they are burdensome.

Now trying to decide whether to keep my original flight and return to Chicago on Saturday afternoon or to rebook for Sunday because apparently I was smoking crack when I booked my tickets - in the middle of the Red River Shootout! If I stay and we lose, it'll be a waste of time and money. BUT! if I leave and we win and I miss the whole thing, well, that's just a situation a Texan should never put herself in. What was I thinking?

(Not really, Mom. It's a turn of phrase)

Ready to start my summer vacation. Where is everybody?

2008-10-03T21:05:00.002-05:00

Current temperature: 53 degrees

Oh. You say it’s October? I almost didn’t notice. Really! And I’ve said before that work topics are a *No-No on this blog – I generally like to leave work at work and devote blogging to the other Highly Important Things that occupy my mind like shoes and Silver Oak Napa. BUT. I only have one explanation for the absence of blog posts, and that is that I’ve been working on a large project since mid-April and essentially McFlied the entire summer in the process. HOWEVER, THUS, AS SUCH and THE IRAQ, we made a plan and then executed that plan (hi Jeff) in South Carolina a few weeks ago and I hope to Return to Blogging! with fervor.

Ok, BUT FIRST, I really desperately need to get my sh*t together, like, I need to clean my house and organize my files and attend Junior League meetings and get back in the gym and go grocery shopping and balance my checkbook and I kind of need emotionally to do it all TODAY, like AS SOON AS I GET HOME or my brain will explode, THEN? MAYBE? I’ll feel better. Here’s hoping. Ha!

After I do that, I’ll probably have to face the fact that summer is gone. But I love the fall here (we never really had fall in Texas), so this whole coming to terms with reality is a good opportunity to return to blogging about my original intended purpose: to write about things I like. Shopping and style. So let’s talk about two big-ticket items that I need for fall and winter and see if I can’t be inspired back to blogging regularly. Or, you know, ever.

A dress coat

Every year for the past three years, I’ve bought and re-bought this basic black wool dress coat from the Victoria’s Secret catalogue. It’s warm, it looks good, but the lining rips in the pockets and the bodice every year and it’s more affordable to just replace the whole thing than to replace the lining so I end up buying the exact same coat year after year. Dumbass. This tells me that perhaps this year I should spend more money on a higher-quality winter coat that will last more than a year. So I’m considering laying down the cold cash and buying the **Granddaddy of All Winter Coats (I almost typed “Goats” – I love goats!! I love them! I really do.), a Burberry coat. I refuse to buy a North Face coat (I did it again! A North Face goat!) because I also need…

Ugg boots

I love Uggs for all the right and wrong reasons. Mostly I love the concept of sheepskin-lined boots (right reason), but since I’m a little trendy (wrong reason) I bought Uggs back in 2003. They served me incredibly well until I forgot them in a shopping bag under the table in a bar/club last year during my send-off party from my old job. The shopping bag also contained a pair of Havianas and some gym clothes, so I really lost out. At least I didn’t have a pair of Rainbows and a Nalgene in there. Or I’d have to slap myself in the face - for the same reason I can’t buy a North Face coat - I can only handle one super-trendy/everybody has one/clone-lemming item at a time. Props, however, to those who can pull it all off.

So, it may be October, but I happen to have procured two things that would make any girl happy – a vacation and a shopping list. Not bad.

*At least this guy had a good summer vacation.

**I imagine he looks something like this. I mean, right?

Pre/Post

2008-09-11T08:35:00.002-05:00

So. Today is 9/11, and I - likewise - don't have anything to say about it that hasn't been said more eloquently by others a million times.

The attacks happened three days after my 20th birthday - omg, seven years ago - serving as a poignant division in my memory between my teens and twenties... because obviously the world would never be the same, and neither should I.

At that point, I was just living college - I had not yet fathomed a life in anywhere other than Texas, not yet thrown myself into what would become a terrible relationship that would last for years, not yet decided not to go to law school, etc. But now I'm here. I don't know what that means. Seven years seems like such a long time. I can't believe that much time has passed.

On the other hand, two years ago today I started a job that, um, I ended up being not-so-crazy about. To say I was miserable by the time I quit (a year later) would be a sizable understatement. And in a lot of ways, I wish more time had passed so that bad experience could be further behind me. Two years seems like nothing at all. But now I'm here.

Anyway, this entry is all about me, and it's not the right day to think only about ones self. Readers, I hope all is warm and safe with you.

Sigh.

Observing a religious holiday

2008-08-30T19:37:00.003-05:00

You know, I don't mean to brag or anything, but I probably have the best seats at the Sun Bowl to the Texas vs. UTEP game next Saturday.

College football season is here, people, and not a moment too soon! Expect for me to talk about it to a maddening degree.

Texas Fight!

Headache

2008-08-27T20:16:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I know that I've essentially neglected this blog - at least for the time being - as I tackle a big, long-term project at work and generally try to keep my life in balance with all the traveling I've been doing.

BUT.

...OR SO.

This means that - for now - I'm just using this as a "personal" blog and not really paying any attention to the fact that I started it with the intention of writing about personal style, shopping, and other fun things that I've incidentally neglected as well during this Time of Plenty (of Billable Hours) and vowed not to write about my personal life (risking, I don't know, exposing myself to scrutinty from strangers or something).

Whatevs. My personal blog update consists of this: I can confirm a long-standing suspicion that I'm actually addicted to caffeine. For serious. For the realz. An unfortunate set of circumstances this morning (no creamer at the house; no point in making coffee at home; no time to grab a coffee at O'Hare before my flight left; no time to grab a coffee once I landed omgwtf) left my delicate and desperately addicted system without its normal and reliable caffeine drip throughout the morning hours. Meaning?

This [imaginary] device was clamped to my temples ALL DAMN DAY LONG. I think this is what they call a "withdrawal symptom," yesno?

WeHoTown?

2008-08-16T21:07:00.003-05:00

D.C. was neato. And I loved Georgetown. This sounds crazy, but Georgetown reminded me in a lot of ways of West Hollywood in Los Angeles.

Which got me to thinking about all the places I've been this year - for business and pleasure - Austin, New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., Dallas, Charlotte, and Mexico among others - and you know something? I complain about delays and nights away from home and deadlines and schedules, but my life is pretty rad.

Nevertheless, happy to be back in Chicago...

...for two days.

D.C. and me

2008-08-14T17:30:00.003-05:00

Hello from Our Nation's Capital! I've been in Cleveland and Minneapolis since we've talked last too, whee!

I gave myself an extra day here to do some exploring (the Embassies Tour and Museum of American History come highly recommended, as does *Hooters) and I may even try to browse the shops a little. It is payday tomorrow, after all.

*Depends on who you ask.

Also?

2008-08-05T22:27:00.002-05:00

I will probably live to regret this statement when it is negative 20 degrees in five months, but I really can't wait until summer is over - football and the fall are calling.

Eastern and SPECIFIC time

2008-08-05T21:28:00.004-05:00

Hello, few but cherished readers. I miss you.

My work life is a little hectic right now with a bunch of business travel and deadlines -- when did I become such an adult, seriously? -- and I haven't had time to post.

NYC was great - sorry I missed you Traci - and I'm in HELLHOT South Carolina (I've either really lost my Texas edge living in the Great White North or it's completely ridiculously hot here) this week.

But listen, after this is all over, I think we should get an apartment together.

A warm embrace for chaos; my life and this entry are no exception

2008-07-13T11:31:00.006-05:00

As I was flipping through Self magazine (not my usual cup of tea; too self-helpy) waiting for my highlight appointment yesterday (looks great; thanks for asking), I came across an article entitled "Embrace the Chaos," which discussed the mental health benefits for busy women of "just letting go" of certain things like a messy house or missed appointments or social engagements, etc.

This was an appealing suggestion to me because:

NYC July 17-21, Columbia SC August 4-6, Cleveland OH August 8-10, Minneapolis MN August 11-12, Louisville KY August ?-?, Minneapolis August ?-?, El Paso September 5-9, Columbia SC September 14-19, Dallas TX September 19-21, Cancun September 28-October 2, La Jolla CA October 12-17 + work deadlines + Junior League obligations / my poor neglected boyfriend x OCD's with apartment-cleanliness and gym attendance = omg how am I ever going to make time for Target's latest Botkier launch much less *maintain the illusion of sanity... then my brain exploded and I died. I never was good at math.

So I'm going to follow their advice: embrace the chaos, forgive myself for a **messy apartment, keep a carry-on bag packed with the essentials and pray for some Zen. Who, btw, do you pray to for Zen? Jesus? Or, like, Buddha?

(Observation: Zen is much easier to obtain at my parents house, which is surrounded by a protective bubble from my obligations a thousand miles away, after a full moon and a desert rainstorm. Unfortunately, Zen collected here will undoubtedly be washed away once I arrive at O'Hare later this evening.)

On a separate note, I bought these incredible Jeffrey Campbell tall black leather boots yesterday - so tall they almost (almost!) go over the knee. Perhaps Zen can be obtained through shopping?

*Coffee

** Obvs I will be employing a cleaning service

Speaking of Lincoln Square...

2008-07-09T13:49:00.003-05:00

...see it featured in Crain's Chicago Business

Fun fact: Alderman Schulter is the owner of Louie, the (in)famous marmalade tabby that haunts our neighborhood and courts Milly and River from the other side of the window. He is known for lounging on strangers' front porches and in their houses and otherwise making himself at home wherever he goes - he is a real Lincoln Square institution.

I heart Lincoln Square

2008-07-05T17:05:00.004-05:00

My neighborhood is absolutely gorgeous right now - the huge trees lining my street are bright green and everyone has their lawns and porches filled with flowers and potted plants. I make myself take a few minutes every day just to look at everything and contemplete how pretty it is. My mind is usually racing with work and other thoughts and if I'm not careful, I can make it to the train or run my errands and back without ever lifting my eyes off the pavement in front of me - a crime this time of year in a city that's bleak and barren and essentially uninhabitable most of the time. I don't mean to say, of course, that I don't miss Texas, but this is why I still live here.

(I live in the lesser-known "Lincoln" neighborhood of Chicago: Lincoln Square. The Square is second, of course, to Lincoln Park - the trendy, busy neighborhood immediately north of downtown and crowded with the immediately-post-college set. I used to call Lincoln Park home, actually, when I was attending DePaul and didn't know any better. Granted, there were some beautiful parts of LP, and good restaurants and shopping, but I was over the scene - way over - in about two seconds. Too bad it took me two years to figure that out!)

My little pitch for Lincoln Square and an observation: life is good.

This isn't what it looks like!

2008-07-02T21:18:00.003-05:00

Items in my shopping cart at Target:

2 liter bottle of Smirnoff
2 liter bottle of Clorox bleach
String bikini
Spanx
Deodorant

The vodka is for our 4th of July party Bloody Mary bar, the bleach is for my whites (they were sold out of smaller bottles) but I think it just looked to the cashier like I was having a really bad day.

Matters of the Heart... Burn.

2008-06-29T10:54:00.003-05:00

Want to hear about my decidedly un-glamorous problem? Of course you do. I have been experiencing icky, icky heartburn pretty consistently for the last three weeks or so. First of all, I am appalled whenever I suffer an ailment like this because I consider heartburn to be an old person's health issue and I am a young lithe 26. And second, I am very particular and am really kind of insulted when I experience certain indignities, like, I'm just too pretty to have heartburn, do math, or have to do something really icky like go to the Currency Exchange.

Obvs, it's either stress or diet-related (or both, I suppose, but I generally don't feel stressed) and tragically, the only thing I know I consume consistently on a daily basis is... coffee. And omg, I refuse to believe or accept that coffee might be the culprit. On the other hand, I've been so afraid to trigger the heartburn that instead of cutting the coffee I've stopped eating anything even remotely offensive (plain bagel with cream cheese? too risky) and have inadvertently dropped a few pounds. On the other hand, this isn't completely a bad thing because you can't be too rich or too skinny, right? On the other hand, I'm not one to ignore blatant health problems and I can't live the rest of my life popping Tums, right? How pedestrian.

Anyway, ew. Any advice?

So Happy About Blogland!

2008-06-25T19:52:00.007-05:00

I have been tagged by the lovely Kiki to make a list of favorite blogs that bring me "happiness and inspiration" and make me feel "happy about *blogland."

The rules: give the award to people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! Leave them a comment on their blog to let them know they received this award. (I may or may not have followed these instructions exactly as written.)

Gluten Free Mommy: I have been "real life" friends with this blog's author for about 12 years, since my sophomore and her freshman year in high school. After losing contact for a few years after college, I was so happy to stumble upon her blog completely randomly, while searching for gluten-free recipies for a coworker with Celiac. It's been a delight catching and keeping up as old friends in this way. What delights me the most, however, is the "essential Natalie" (her sense of humor, absolutely unmistakable sly smile and free spirit) that comes through in her writing every once in awhile. Anyone that knows Natalie knows what I mean. We have a particular greeting card exchange tradition that I think we need to rekindle. Tee hee!

Zoot: I don't know this woman, and I don't even comment on her blog, but I've been reading it for years. I'm totally impressed by the way she's able to maintain such an entertaining account of her life without compromising some of the securities the Internet can take away if you're not careful. She's never revealed her name or the names of her children to her online readers, she keeps a bona-fide "Kind Blog," by never insulting anyone, and she's got that effortlessly approachable, Every-Woman thing going on. Like Carrie from Sex and the City, only with curly red hair and a Southern accent.

Hello Darling: No one understands a Texan like another displaced Texan, and sometimes misery really loves company living in the big city. A shared affinity for Blue Bell ice cream, Shiner, sorority culture and all the other special things about the Lone Star State makes her blog an essential read for me every day. Where's a g-d Taco Cabana when you need one, right?

My tagger Kiki: Lives an enviable life! By making her home close to the ocean, turning her passion into a successful career and happily ensconced in family and friends, she makes living the good life a priority and goes after it with an energy I rarely have. While she's out having bonfire BBQ's on the beach, rest assured I'm having a grand old time reading about it in my sweatpants in the dark because I won't change my lightbulbs.

And because I'm not all sap and sugar, the "blog" of Unnecessary Quotations: just go and read it, people. It's almost as good as the neon "We Delivery" sign at the Chinese restaurant in the Gold Coast. I heart this blog, I really "do."

*Do they serve wine in blogland? What about a shoe store?

Really super

2008-06-23T22:12:00.004-05:00

So, after finally realizing that the Cold Stone right down the street is not the same establishment as the godforsaken Marble Slab where they sing and dance and act ridiculous and I get really embarrased for them - and embarassed for myself because when I want ice cream, it's usually because I've just like, given up completely and I want it quietly, like can you please just assist me in your inside voice without alerting everyone that I'm a giant fat-ass? and then I light myself on fire right there in the store - I made R accompany me there for a cup of Cake Batter ice cream, or, as I like to call it, The Shit.

Somehow we got on the topic of: you know the only thing that would make this better? A tiny little bit of really cold whiskey and then that turned into: you know when I've had a really bad day? Is when you come home and I'm blending a pint of Cake Batter ice cream with a pint of Jack Daniels, which led to: do you know why we don't have working blender? Because of that time a bunch of girlfriends and I blew the wiring on the thing with our furious margarita-making. With smoke and everything.

I'm really something.

You don't know me; you don't wear my chains

2008-06-19T18:16:00.003-05:00

Great lyrics to "Boston" by Augustana. Took a bit of creative license with them to be fitting with Texas, of course.

She said I think I'll go to (Austin)
I think I'll start a new life
I think I'll start it over; where no one knows my name
I'll get out of California; I'm tired of the weather
I think I'll get a lover and fly him out to Spain
I think I'll go to (Austin)
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town; to leave this all behind
I think I need a sunrise; I'm tired of the sunset
I hear it's nice in the Summer

(I don't really want to leave Chicago. I just like the song.)

Gap Renaissance

2008-06-15T13:55:00.002-05:00

Like every other preppy high schooler in my hometown, I lived and loved The Gap (in little old El Paso, J. Crew and Abercrombie were luxuries reserved for catalog orders and trips to cooler cities). Before the Gap opened in our nearby mall, I'd make my mom drive me to the bigger mall on the other side of town to shop, generally insuring that I'd be one of the only girls wearing Gap stuff at my school. This was key. And when the Gap opened a closer location one Saturday in ninth grade, you better believe I was waiting at the door for it to open at 10 a.m. I rememer that I bought a pair of adorable seersucker shorts that day. Clearly, I've taken shopping very seriously for a long time.

But since then? I haven't really been a huge fan of the Gap, generally favoring the consistency of J. Crew to the Gap's sometimes floundering and random attempts at reinvention.

Until yesterday. I stepped into the Gap hoping to find a few pairs of work slacks after striking out at Banana and White House, and omg people, the Gap and I are seeing each other again, reunited after years of separation based on irreconcilable style differences and friends?!? I loved everything in that place, (and almost bought everything too) most notably their "sunfade lightweight" cargo shorts in summery pastel colors (which I will wear fitted tees and heeled sandals; what else do I wear with anything?) and their super low-cut worn cotton tees which I got in five colors. I didn't manage to get away without a few pairs of "sunkissed khakis" either, in "periwinkle" and "peony," (muted purple and pink) so it suffices to say I am *ready for summer. And broke.

*can't you just hear my voice getting progressively higher with abject excitement? I am a woman possessed. Gap, I love you. Let's run away together.

Whee!

2008-06-12T21:05:00.007-05:00

Helloooo! No time for real posting because I'm packing for Indianapolis and then Dallas for a whole week, but I just thought you'd like to know that things are tops and I'm generally Winning at Life.

After I return, it's a blog clean-up and logo design and real posts about real fashion and style and nifty neato things of all pleasant varieties. Aces.

And gawd, it's finally summer in Chicago and at our house, it's always the *fourth of July baby, and we're fixin to grab it by the booboo! With 15 days of vacation left to use before the end of the year, I think I'm set to have myself a rockin' little time.

Things at the top of my list: summer sandals, a real novel, and a blender to make some fruity summer drinks.

*We have an absolutely enormous window-pane sized wooden tear-off "calendar" from the set of 1776 hanging in the office, and naturally, it says it's July 4. You know why, don't you, history lovers?

A date, ya dig?

2008-06-08T19:48:00.008-05:00

My dress:

The Event

And my most important accessory? My date, nominated for best director; musical, none other than my boyfriend, the white Usher, of course!

The Screwed Up Life of Charlie the Second

2008-06-03T20:18:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, I worked as an intern. And for approximately two days, I had a schoolgirl crush on this guy - he was cute, nice, charming, talented, supportive... and well? I quickly realized I wasn't his type.

Regardless of type, I feel compelled to tell you about his book and encourage you to check it out because his writing is awesome and varied and real and relateable... and that's just what I know from working with the guy.

Truth be told, I haven't read any of his "fiction" (insert your own PR joke here) but he told me once that his writing made someone throw up, so it has to be good, right?

Seriously, readers (reader?), check it out.

And if you think this entry is borderline crazy, you should also know that I pretend that Milly talks with a German accent

2008-05-28T16:07:00.005-05:00

Ok, so what I really want to do is continue my series of Discount Department Store blogs with entries about Nordstrom Rack and Century 21, but I can't because my cats are the only thing on my mind. So we'll just call this a crazy cat lady blog from now on and not a fashion and style blog, yesno?

My cats are top of mind right now (top of cabinet, top of HOT OVEN; please stop) and my anxiety is verreh high because of the nature of Milly's (my cat) reception of River (R's cat). Poor. It was extremely poor. With hissing and growling and spitting and hiding and removal of pieces of poo from the litter box (my displeasure; let me show you it!) and other forms of mutiny.

We've tried bribery and trickery and distraction and entertainment (R has done his best Jagger like every day for these creatures) and I cared very much about their individual and collective happiness until 11:40 p.m. on Monday night at which time I began to care very little about their leeeetle kitty feeeeeelings because shut the hell up you are not going to be able to open that closed door no matter how long (3 hours) you meow and rattle it with your paws, like OMG.

They can't have it both ways. They can't have their kitty cake and eat it too. I will prevail. I will sleep again.

I'm Ron Burgandy?

The story of my great hair, a very serious topic

2008-05-23T13:15:00.004-05:00

Ok, so while I am an admitted fashion junkie, I am not much of a beauty junkie - I generally don’t splurge on super high-end hair or skin care products, I’m a huge fan of Benefit and Chanel make-up but don’t obsess over it, and - my beauty blogger friends will probably keel over and die when they read this but, I completely skim over the beauty sections in fashion and lifestyle magazines. If it has an interesting bottle I might pay it some fleeting attention, but otherwise… I don’t know. It’s just not my thing. Clothes and shoes and bags are my thing.

BUT! For the last few years, I’ve had awesome hair. Great hair. Really effing good hair. I'm now a believer of proper haircare and maintenence. I have drunk the Kool-Aid, and it is good. This was not always the case, though, and it took a major life tragedy for me to get here. Would you like to know how I came about it, readers (reader)? I think you do.

It goes back about 12 years. I distinctly remember getting ready for a party – most likely with the drumline, because really, what else did I do? – back in high school with my friend Kyleen. Kyleen had gorgeous, thick blond hair that would do anything she wanted and stay styled all day and all night, even in the West Texas heat. I, on the other hand, was not so lucky. My baby-fine blond hair would NOT hold a style for anything, and yet I dutifully washed it with volumizing products and painstakingly styled it every day with the same disappointing results. As I was slaving away with the curling iron, Kyleen turned and said to me, “Meg, you know it’s not going to stay styled. Why even bother?”

Fast forward about five years to college when I lived in muggy, humid Austin and was still observing this same daily, soul-sucking routine. Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over expecting different results? Or something? Right. And yet. I curled, styled, sprayed, and… died a little inside every day.

Then I moved to Chicago. And for Two! More! Years! continued this madness before finally giving up on my hair ever looking the way I wanted it to. It sucked. But something was going on, something behind-the-scenes if you will, that would change this torture for me forEVAR!

It was late 2005, and I had just completed my first hellacious year of attending grad school full-time. And working full-time with a demanding internship at a financial PR firm. I was making $350 a week. Pretty stressful, but generally palatable and coming-of-age, right? I forgot one detail, though. I was supporting my alcoholic boyfriend while he was secretly seeing another woman.

Secretly, that is, until I found some emails between them and the charade was up. He never gave me the full story, but I used his sad addiction to my advantage by reading their text messages while he was passed out night after night and filled in the blanks myself.

It would be a total understatement to say I was devastated. Ruined. Changed. I stopped going out, stopped having fun. I would cry randomly in public. I couldn’t eat or sleep. I stopped washing my hair every day. I just didn’t care.

One of her messages to him read, “You make me feel young and sparkling.” Young. And Sparkling. I was enraged. I must have stopped breathing for a good two minutes. I think I actually threw up. I wanted to draft a reply, one that said, “See how young you feel after seeing an alcoholic for three years!” and sparkling? Hard for a girl to feel sparkling that hadn’t washed her hair in THREE DAYS.

But…my hair? That I hadn’t washed in three days? … looked GREAT. It was bouncy, piece-y and didn’t fall as soon as I stepped outside. You see? I was learning one of life’s most valuable lessons. The lesson I’m referring to, of course, is that a woman with fine hair should never wash her hair everyday! Fine hair needs that build-up of product and oil to maintain a style. I had lived my whole life up until that point not knowing that essential piece of information!

I never sent that vindictive reply. I pulled myself together and soldiered on with my life. I graduated with honors and landed a great job. Then I got an even better job. Eventually, my little wounded heart healed and I got an amazing boyfriend too. I took the high road (if the high road means still bitterly blogging about it two years later. Ok. We’ll call it the almost high road) and left the young and sparkling assholes in the dust.

But I think I’ll keep the hair, thanks.

Milly and River

2008-05-19T17:13:00.000-05:00

...are not friends.

Missives and News

2008-05-17T21:06:00.003-05:00

I had to delete my last post - the font was screwed up beyond repair (half single-spaced and half double-spaced wtf?!) - because I'm a weirdo perfectionist like that. The main take-away is that the Juicy dress would have been perfect if I hadn't lived in the effing Yukon or whatever where it's 40 degrees in late May. I wore it anyway and froze.

Sigh. I'll get it right someday. Chicago? Touche.

Here's the news, readers (reader?):

I am moving in with my boyfriend. Rather, he is moving in with me.This is big. I'm also getting a bonus kitty out of the arrangement.
I did not get my economic stimulus check on schedule because I paid (paid!) who pays taxes?! my taxes on April 16. BE YE NOT SO STUPID WOMG.
I am going home (to El Paso) for Memorial Day weekend and I can't wait.
I am watching Bridget Jones' Diary on Oxygen right now and they've bleeped out all of the cuss words. No. No, no, no.
I made an awesome avocado bruchetta tonight.

I heart you all.

Mee-mee tag

2008-04-30T17:35:00.004-05:00

Five random things about me:

While I love to travel, my experience abroad has been limited. I actually turned down my parents' offer to study abroad in college because I was afraid I'd miss too much fun with my sorority. My roster of international travel destinations is extremely predictable (Mexico and Canada) save for one very random locale: Moscow, Russia.
One of my favorite things to eat is completely weirdo: a peanut butter and pickle sandwich. Toast two slices of wheat bread, spread peanut butter on one side and mayo (or Miracle Whip) on the other (just. trust. me.), garnish with lettuce and sliced dill pickles. Really, really, awesome. I share this bizarre favorite with my Dad. You probably think that's gross, but you're not the boss of me are you?
I have an inch-long scar on my right hip from the time I burned myself badly while ironing in my underwear. I think I was about 15. I couldn't wear pants as a result of my injury and had to wear Soffe shorts to school everyday for about a week.
I have a history of getting really sick while traveling (perhaps divine intervention that I haven't traveled abroad much?). Countless bouts of flu, high fever, food poisoning have sent me to emergency rooms across the country. Ask me about my favorite in rural Kentucky!
As a kid, I spent a few summers at Prude Ranch Camp (the Prudes are a very prominent ranch family in West Texas; I've heard all the prude jokes so don't bother) where I learned to rope cattle.

Family Time; or a summary of my trip to Texas in two words: Diet Coke

2008-04-25T18:04:00.007-05:00

(edit) I am now writing you from the glorious DFW Hyatt, after my flight was cancelled (predictable; yet infuriating). Texas just couldn't let me go, I guess. I'm wrapped in the Hyatt robe with a glass of wine, so I guess it's not the end of the world. I'd really like to see my boyfriend and kitty, though, thanks.

I am writing you from DFW, where my flight to Chicago has been delayed from 9 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. One wonders how certain airlines can remain in business with such a terrible record of on-time departures. And/or safety. You know, whatever.

But anyway. Texas. My most recent business trip took me to Midland, where I was able to stay with my grandparents. And my mom drove in from El Paso, so it was a great week. I'll be in Waco next week, with two personal trips to Austin on the weekends before and after. I'm a lucky little Texan.

And speaking of little Texans, this trip reminded me that if there's one thing the women in my family do well, it's drink a lot (like. a LOT) of Diet Coke and spend a lot of money at Target. I found a bunch of tights on crazy clearance (no need for tights in May, Midland?). Any girl living in Chicago knows that tights are essential winter (and fall. and spring. sigh) wear. I got opaque black, brown and charcoal grey.

Other items of note: my Mee-Maw gave me some beautiful vintage jewelry (her mother's - my great grandmother's) this week. Gorgeous and very glam. I'll try to post some pictures, like, someday.

99 Problems

2008-04-24T07:38:00.002-05:00

(borrowed from Traci)

I Heart Texas

2008-04-20T11:02:00.006-05:00

Today I begin my Week of Texas (part I of II). I'm headed to Midland for work (with the added bonus of seeing my family) and will be back in Chicago on Friday. But the Texas doesn't end there, people! I'm getting my Chicago Texans (and honorary Texans; see me for an application) together to see Pat Green at Joe's on Weed Street on Saturday.

Best of all, I have that unmistakable, fluttery feeling I get every time I'm headed back home to Texas. I love that feeling. Gah.

Lone Star State, here I come!

PS - I was in Evansville, Indiana (40 miles from the "epicenter") for the Midwestern earthquake on Friday morning. What a freakshow this life is.

("I'm having a nervous breakdown and you're saying words like epicenter to me?!")

Babies are the new black

2008-04-14T20:38:00.002-05:00

Check out this little guy! Caleb Alexander Elrod. My family keeps multiplying, and he's the newest. Can't wait to buy him his first Longhorns jersey!

Discount Fashion Retailers – Online

2008-04-13T11:42:00.003-05:00

Living in a big city and in the electronic age, it’s hard to not be aware of luxury brand items and the high-end retailers of the world… and fall in love with them. It’s bad enough working on Michigan Avenue, but when it’s so easy to browse online boutiques and fashion blogs and web sites, ignorance is a kind of bliss no longer available to moi.

The truth is, you can – and I do - usually approximate super-expensive clothes at places like H&M or Forever 21 (if you can handle shopping at these stores mentally and emotionally, ye who are legitimately past 21 ((me)) and also legitimately way past waiting in a line for a dressing room ((also me))). I saw this great ballet-pink silk shirt in the March issue of Lucky magazine and found a top almost exactly like it in color and cut at Forever 21. I guess it all really depends on what you like about an item – if you like that it’s a pretty pink shirt that costs $220 the former is probably for you. Or if you just like the top, the latter.

Approximation aside, I cannot abide actual designer knock-offs. If you love a really high-end item, have coveted it for years, if you dream about it – in my case the Louis Vuitton Speedy 35 - do yourself a favor and save up for months or however long it takes and buy the real thing. You can’t wait for it to go on sale, because these items never go on sale.

But there are plenty of middle-of-the-road items like jeans and dresses and shoes that do go on sale or somehow make their way to the discount fashion retailers of the world – Filene’s, Bluefly.com, consignment shops, etc. These places are perfect if you aren’t looking for something in particular (you’re better off saving up or going the Forevs/H&M route when shopping for specific items) and have the fortitude to dig through racks of clothes or click through a zillion web pages. Being willing to fight someone is always a plus too.

Ok, so you know the stuff is out there, but how do you go about procuring it? Here’s my guide:

Online
Bluefly.com and the newly debuted sister site b*fly.com

Ok, so I have to admit that I’ve never purchased anything from Bluefly.com. Just as I am with Zappos.com, I get overwhelmed with the enormous amount of choice on Bluefly and log off before I have the chance to hemorrhage any money. But for the sake of this entry, I spent some time browsing (with a brown paper sack, repeating Whitney Port’s sage advice to “breathe…breathe”), and here’s what I like:

The cocktail dress selection is great, especially for brands like ABS and Nicole Miller. Their entire inventory is searchable by designer, size, color and various other metrics, allowing you to narrow down your search to a manageable endeavor. And occasionally, they’ll have items from an unexpected/favorite/obscure designer that you might never find anywhere, let alone at a discount (for examp, they have some ((albeit fug)) Dina Bar-El dresses up right now). But speaking of The Fug, that’s Bluefly’s biggest drawback. While most of the inventory carries in-demand names, you have to dig through a lot weirdo stuff that nobody wants before you find something good. And even then, the discount may not be discounted enough to warrant a purchase.

Side note: Bluefly just launched b*fly.com, a site that at first glance, trends a little more towards a younger set, with a focus on “hot” brands like Betsey Johnson (who, if you ask my mom, has been “hot” for 30 years. Way to be fashion-forward, Mama!) Tory Burch, and True Religion.

Bluefly.com’s hottest pick:

Before I break out in Blue-hives, I will leave you. Perhaps you’re of stronger mettle than I and have had good luck with Bluefly? Please share. Next up for review, Marshall’s and (my personal fave) Century 21.

Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?

2008-04-12T14:55:00.008-05:00

My friend Natalie over at Gluten Free Mommy is on the South Beach Diet.

I however, am on the food poisoning(?)/stomach bug diet. Which? At the risk of over-sharing, has to rank right up there with cutting off one of your limbs as one of the most unpleasant ways to lose eight pounds.

Ugh.

Two thoughts my addled mind can produce right now:

I'm in love with the Alice In Wonderland jewelry items from the Disney Couture line. Maybe its because I went as Alice for Halloween for several years as a child. Check them out on my Stylefeeder.

Milly gets this dreamy, distant look in her eyes and sometimes drools as she "kneads the biscuits" on me or various blankets/stuffed animals. I am thinking about video taping it and putting the whole thing to romantic music and posting it to YouTube. Thoughts?

I-Pod Crash Course

2008-04-07T20:33:00.004-05:00

I can spend hours creating playlists on my I-pod, carefully picking the order of songs to capture a certain mood... or to avoid one.

According to my I-Tunes tracker, these are the most frequently played songs on my I-pod, and when I listen to them it's like a crash course lesson on my life over the last few years. Isn't music a trip? Literally - a trip through your memory. Some are happy, some are sad, some are new, some are really old. I play all of them over and over again in my car. Particularly the last three minutes of the last song, driving down Lake Shore Drive with the moon roof down, feeling young. Which is worth $18 of I-Tunes in spades, if you ask me.

Here they are.

Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight - Amos Lee
Another White Dash - Butterly Boucher
Nolita Fairytale - Vanessa Carlton
Things that Scare Me - Neko Case
Half Acre - Hem
Something Pretty - Patrick Park
Quattro - Calexico
Afterglow - INXS
High and Dry - Jamie Cullum
With a Subtle Look - Now it's Overhead
Miss America - David Byrne
Ooh Child - Beth Orton
I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab for Cutie
One Great City! - The Weakerthans
Bedshaped - Keane
My Number - Tegan and Sara
Gold in the Sunset - Bob Schneider
Lovestoned/I Think She Knows (interlude version) - Justin Timberlake

Does this entry seem organized to you?

2008-04-03T19:19:00.003-05:00

I heart bullets. Not the bullets that come out of guns and *kill people, but the kind that are used in documents as an organization tool. I use them all the time; too often maybe. Not just in work e-mails either - no, no - in notes to friends and family too. I suppose as a writer I shouldn't rely on them so often to distinguish **separate ideas like

wine
sushi
shoes

but they are just too effective of a writing ~~crutch~~ device for me to resist their siren call. And did you see what I did there? I used bullets when they weren't even necessary! I am also a big fan of the sub-bullet, (to further categorize ideas!) but we can get into that another time.

Anyway for the love of gawd, the point is that I'm going to use bullets in this entry to talk about some very separate but relevant and timely items of note.

I am going to New York City this weekend to visit one of my closest girlfriends and I always have a hard time planning my outfits for trips there because it's the one place in the world where I don't feel like I'm ahead of the game fashion-wise.There's just a kind of fashion moxie going on in NYC that people don't have anywhere else. Anything goes. Needless to say, I can't wait to go shopping.
Ok, so this past Saturday night I went to the annual Junior League black-tie fundraiser and actually had fun for the first time ever. As it turns out, I had a little too much fun... but not in the way you're thinking. The silent auction was pretty dead, and I felt bad for all the poor neglected vendors, so I decided to, you know, get the ball rolling with a few bids on some pretty items - a long-strand freshwater pearl necklace and another pearl-and-stone necklace on a pretty gold chain - and you know where this is going don't you? I WON BOTH EFFING AUCTIONS. And now I am contractually obligated to buy them. Granted, they are far less than their "retail" value, but it's going to hit the pocketbook... pretty hard.
It is never getting warm again.

*Guns don't kill people. People with moustaches kill people.

**But really? When you think about it? Aren't they kind of all one idea?

One hot, tranny mess of a year. Like hot. Like celebrity. Whatever, I'm done.

2008-03-29T17:50:00.005-05:00

Realize I probably shouldn't say "b*tch" on here, even though I'm totally quoting Christian Siriano, which makes everything ok.

I can still say "hot tranny mess" though, right? Oh, whatevs.

I promise that there are real fashion posts coming soon!

Well?

2008-03-28T22:15:00.003-05:00

I did it.

Ideally I'd be drinking a Bellini, too

2008-03-27T17:54:00.004-05:00

It is thundering and lightening. And snowing, people! At the same time. IMHO definetely a sign of the apocalypse.

And while I do look cute today, I'm certainly not wearing my primo choice of apocalypse outfits. If I had known about this while getting dressed this morning, I would have worn a black Chanel shift dress, my leopard-print peep-toe heels, and red lipstick. And I would have tried a little harder with my eyeliner too.

Oh, and I'd be in a suite at the Drake with my boyfriend and the cast of "Firefly."

Personally

2008-03-21T18:24:00.004-05:00

A lot of people don't know that when I first moved to Chicago, I was hired as a personal shopper/stylist at Marshall Fields (now Macy's; pathetic). If you had asked me then, being a stylist was my dream job. I never took the position because I got a higher-paying offer at a law firm and needed to be able to pay my whopping $645/month all-utilities-included rent for my laughably tiny studio in Lincoln Park. (I thought I was straight living the dream, I really did!)

I didn't end up working in fashion, and I'm as close as it gets to working a realistic "dream job," but I still fantasize about being a stylist. But it doesn't pay well, the fashion industry is even harder to break into than the public relations industry, and I've already done that with my blood, sweat and tears, thank you. And who needs to start over when they've got a shoe addiction to furnish anyway?

Right. No illustrious stylist-to-the-stars career for me. But that doesn't mean I can't employ the services of one. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a personal shopper at J. Crew - a complementary service they offer at select stores around the country (check online for locations) - with the promise that they won't hound me too much to buy things. (We'll see.) I have been eyeing a few things from the Spring collection, and I'm going to be needing a new suit in the coming months, so I figure it's worth a try and will dutifully report back to you, reader(s), about the experience.

I know you're excited.

Endless Winter Haiku

2008-03-21T18:21:00.002-05:00

Six inches of snow
Glass of wine before dinner
Sushi Mike solves all

I Heart Jim Cramer

2008-03-17T10:12:00.003-05:00

I may not work in financial PR anymore, but my fascination with Jim Cramer still endures.

Check out this humorous post on Gawker regarding his most recent attempt to single-handedly save the United States economy: http://gawker.com/368610/investors-ignore-jim-cramer-suffer-consequences.

(edit: I hope he can save it, because GEEZ.)

Lake Geneva; or relationship "magic dust"

2008-03-16T18:57:00.006-05:00

Looks simple enough, doesn't it?

Well, leave it to me to get lost both going to and coming from Lake Geneva! Tee hee. It's a good thing I'm cute enough that was relatively difficult for my most-charming passenger to get mad about it.

Forbidden!

2008-03-12T21:15:00.003-05:00

I was just on JCrew.com making a wish lish of things I can't afford when I got the following error message:

"Forbidden (403). You have requested data that the server has decided not to provide to you. Your request was understood and denied."

Decided not to provide to me? Understood and denied? It's the "understood" part that freaks me out a little. It's like the Internet knows I shouldn't be buying absolutely gorgeous $250 jackets online, it knows!

Still discontented after five weeks

2008-03-12T19:31:00.007-05:00

Remember February 13? When I wrote about being sick? Well, readers (reader), I AM STILL SICK! At least once a week for the past five weeks, I have had recurring cold symptoms.

I don't get it. I take good care of myself. I take a daily multi-vitamin, get 7-8 hours of sleep a night (more on weekends), work out, eat my vegetables, and I refuse to believe that my body has just decided at 26 years of age that wholesale betrayal is a better option than, say, feeling human for more than 48 hours at a time.

So this morning I realize I have probably let it go too far after another fitful night of completely unsatisfying sleep as I am pressing my cell phone to my face because it feels so nice and cool. So I do the only thing left to do: administer a self-diagnosis on WebMD. It's like I'm my own doctor! Or dentist! Like Tom Hanks in Castaway when he had to take out his own tooth with an ice skate, except, you know, more dramatic than that because this is me we're talking about. And speaking of toothaches, I've had recurring toothaches for five weeks too! That's a weird coincidence. And omg! It says that "dental pain" is a telltale symptom of a sinus infection! A sinus infection that can last up to 8 weeks, with persistent cold-like symptoms and I just diagnosed myself I should have gone to medical school I am self-sufficient after all!

My doctor confirmed my suspicions and wrote a prescription and I'm feeling better already. Easy as pie! Now I can concentrate on more important things, like living life like a normal person. And, you know, the red-eyed, runny-nosed, mouth-breathing look wasn't great for me anyway.

Pretty Raccoon - Etsy shop

2008-03-07T13:08:00.006-06:00

I just received this great fitted dress from Pretty Raccoon. Visit Andrea's shop here.

(edit: except I don't look as desperately sad as the poor model when I wear it. Why so sad, model?)

"If a girl is wearing last season's Manolo Blahnik stilettos, I won't immediately rule her out a friend."

2008-03-06T10:30:00.002-06:00

IMHO, all of life's situations can be summarized by quotes from Bergdorf Blondes. Today, for example, can be summarized by the heroine's observations on maintaining a career: "Careers are funny things. If you aren't careful to pay attention to them, they go away."

So, I'm busy with work. I've neglected IHE for a week or two. But fear not! dear readers (reader?), for I have some neat posts planned for the coming weeks.

the politics of denim
"debit" merchandise
turning personal tragedy into great hair
style blogging; why I'm doing it (again)

'Til then!

And where do the politicians' husbands shop?

2008-02-27T15:09:00.005-06:00

I love the South and its occasional *charming backwardness.

I probably won't have time to check it out while I'm working in Greenville, but tell me if the ad copy for Maiale boutique in the Upstate South Carolina Travelhost doesn't make you chuckle a little:

"...you won't find the designers she carries in most stores at the mall. Ask Anne to help you put an outfit together; her fashion sense is impeccable. That's why most of the wives of local politicians shop here!"

*Sometimes it's charming. Latent sexism? Can be charming. Seeing a Klan rally on the Raleigh capitol? Notsomuch.

Might do, might do

2008-02-24T16:01:00.004-06:00

I need to go to the eye doctor, the dentist, the lady-doctor, the dermotologist and my car needs to go into the shop - all soon.

I think I will shop online instead.

Vagabondia - Knoxville, Tennessee, or my "Knoxville moment"

2008-02-21T17:51:00.009-06:00

Vagabondia
27 Market Square
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902 865.525.4842
www.vagabondiaonthesquare.com

The ad for Vagabondia would normally have dissuaded me from stopping by as it advertised “clothing in sizes for real women.” In the fashion world, that generally means size 12 and up. And seeing as how earlier that morning I had to ghetto-rig my size extra-small wrap-dress to fit tightly enough around my waist, I knew Vagabondia probably wouldn’t have anything for me. (I’m not bragging, it’s just a good intro.) (Ok, I’m sort of bragging.) But? I was wrong about that.

I wanted to explore Knoxville’s downtown Market Square, which is reminiscent in look and spirit of SoCo or North Guadalupe in Austin. There was even a café that had a sign for – no kidding – Blue Bell ice cream! I had a few hours of down-time, and to be honest, I just really liked the name, so I went in anyway.

The store itself is pleasantly cluttered with artistically displayed clothes and accessories. I was especially drawn to the handbags hung on the wall and busied myself with looking at them until I noticed the beautiful art that was everywhere. I don’t pretend to know anything about art, but these paintings were just compelling. There were impressionist-looking (?) scenes of glamorous, flapper-ish women in pretty gold and black hues. Anchored by a huge mirror in the middle of the store, these paintings were perfectly dispersed among the racks of clothes and gave the store a comfortable, shabby-glam feel. Collette, a sweet tabby cat lounging in a basket of scarves, definitely did her part to add to the cozy atmosphere.

(See Cynthia Markert’s paintings at www.cynthiamarkert.com)

The adorable owner Andie Ray immediately began chatting me up in that charming manner that Southern women have and other women just… don’t. We talked about her store, I told her what I was doing in town, and as I commented on the paintings she said if I liked them I was welcome to meet the artist who just happened to be sitting on this little sofa in the back near the dressing rooms!

The three of us exchanged cards and chatted for awhile longer when Andie’s eyes lit up. She grabbed her phone and called her friend - a local radio producer – and handed it to me. I did what any smart PR girl worth her salt would do: I immediately pitched my client.

I thanked Andie for the introduction, took a few complimentary postcard prints from Cynthia and was preparing to leave as a man and his wife entered the store – and I noticed his fleece had the logo of the local NBC affiliate. “You’re having what I call a ‘Knoxville moment!’” Andie said as I introduced myself to yet another producer. I had already booked my client on the network, but as luck would have it, this gentleman was the producer of… a style program. Tee hee! Needless to say, I told him about IHE and my head is full of ideas.

I cannot express how welcoming and gracious Ray’s little store is. It is filled with beautiful, affordable items (well, truth be told I only turned over the price tags on the handbags) and I imagine that more than one “Knoxville moment” has been had inside. If you’re ever in town you must pay her and little Collette a visit - “real women,” extra-smalls and all.

I Heart Rating: Five Hearts

Lola B - Knoxville, Tennessee

2008-02-20T13:21:00.008-06:00

Lola B
Bearden Station
6614 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919 865.909.9059
www.shoplolab.com

“tory burch robert rod adam plus eve beautiful dresses norma kamali for everlast??? generra jersey love”

That is the text message I sent myself from the Lola B boutique today after work. I didn’t trust myself to remember all my observations but I didn’t want to like, take a notebook into the shop with me or anything because, DORK, right? To the normal person, the above message is probably pretty cryptic, but to me it makes perfect sense, and that’s all that matters. Me.

If I had to guess, Lola B is the only boutique of its ilk in Knoxville. It carries generous selections of a number of hard-to-find lines, even for Chicago, where of-the-moment designers get one rack at Nordy’s or *The Store before making into the mainstream. I was excited to see multiple pieces from one my favorite new designers, Robert Rodriguez, as well as some really interesting dresses by Everlast (yes, the boxing apparel-maker Everlast!) from guest designer Norma Kamali. I have been enamored with Robert Rodriguez since I discovered the line last year – lots of structured dresses and tops in basic, flattering black or white – with a few injections of color (think “Sprite” green and yellow) in the Spring line.

True to its ad in the Jan/Feb 08 issue of the Knoxville TravelHost, Lola B carries a huge selection of Tory Burch - more than I’ve seen carried anywhere except the namesake boutique on Walton St. in Chicago. I was heartened to see that my beloved ~~Lucky Charms~~ Reva ballet flats are still in style, although I still can’t get on board with the pumps. To each their own.

While I didn’t have enough ~~money~~ time to fully investigate the scattered jewelry and accessory cases, what I did catch a glimpse of suggested my usual modus operandi for shopping stores like Lola B: if you’re going to spend, stick to buying one or two designer pieces and try to replicate the jewelry and accessories someplace like Forever 21 or Target.

Throw in some absolutely gorgeous floral dresses by Adam + Eve on the sale rack and a lone black Generra jersey dress suspiciously similar to the one pictured below in “Blue Boots Redux,” and Lola B seems to answer what I imagine is a fairly pressing need for higher-end sportswear in a town ripe with college co-eds and a growing base of yuppies.

I left empty-handed. Even the sale rack was a bit too pricey for me, but I could definitely imagine myself shopping at Lola B in five years when my salary (and my taste – I’d say the targeted shopper is age 30 here) is a bit more mature.

I Heart Rating: 3 Hearts

*Fashion lesson – “the store” is the phrase most Texas women use to refer to Neiman Marcus, likely growing out of Vogue editor Edna Woolman Chase’s review of the department store in 1957.

“I dreamed all my life of the perfect store for women. Then I saw Neiman-Marcus, and my dream came true.”

Blue boots redux

2008-02-18T14:51:00.010-06:00

Nat -

I'll probably wear them with a black jersey-knit dress similar to this one...

...perhaps with some black tights. Now what I will wear with these shoes...

...is another story. But they were just too funky and cheap ($14.99) to resist!

Style report - Knoxville, Tennessee

2008-02-17T18:44:00.005-06:00

I'm in Knoxville this week for work and so far I've been pleasantly surprised with the environs. The town is cute, with pretty old buildings, lots of green wooded areas, and the big Tennessee River right outside my hotel room window. I'm going to order a glass of Pinot Noir from room service and watch the twinkling lights across the river before I go to bed.

The drive from Nashville was longer than I wanted it to be, but there was definetely something refreshing about driving in the open country after being cooped up in the city for so long.

I'm still trying to adjust to the whole business travel thing. It's pretty lonely - especially four nights at a time - but whenever I can, I'm going to check out the local style scene in the places I visit. So tonight I'm occupying myself with studying the local lifestyle publications to narrow down some boutiques to visit during the week, and will dutifully report back to you, dear readers (reader?) about what I find.

The only thing we're missing is Tiffany's Treats

2008-02-16T15:16:00.005-06:00

Finally we get a *nice day in Chicago, and I'm celebrating it by... staying indoors, living a true day in the life of a city girl: housekeeping service, grocery delivery, laundry pick-up, a pedicure, and I might even order in sushi tonight.

You can't get that in El Paso!

*above freezing

O, then I see Nyquil hath been with you

2008-02-14T17:08:00.002-06:00

Everyone is so very kind to suggest Nyquil, except that it gives me scary hallucinations.

Tra-la-la!

2008-02-14T14:30:00.000-06:00

Sick Haiku

2008-02-13T19:26:00.001-06:00

Lying on the floor
Sinus pressure wins again
A good diet, though

Winter of my Discontent, Part Two

2008-02-13T15:55:00.000-06:00

So I’m sick. It started on Friday night with a headache, continued on Saturday with general icky-ness, and then hit me full-force on Sunday and has continued on its ferocious and unabiding course since then. At first I thought I’d get well on my own (denial; classic), then I thought I had a cold (acceptance; mature), then I thought I had the flu (exaggeration; expected), and now I’ve decided that it must have something to do with my sinuses as there is liquid nastiness seeping out of my left nostril and left eye (gross; shut up).

So the only thing left to do is talk about shoes. And recently? I made a very wise and responsible choice concerning shoes, one that would make both Suze Orman and my mother proud.

A few months ago I fell in love with a pair of shoes online. At $129, they were a little out of my price range, had several negative reviews on Zappos.com, and they didn’t have my size, but I ordered them anyway because I am estupid.

Adorable, right? Yes, adorable. Also… unwearable. Even if they had been the proper size, I don’t think I would have been able to walk on their 4½ inch heels. I stumbled around exactly one Junior League meeting in them before admitting defeat. Luckily, Zappos has an amazing 365-day, no-questions-asked return policy. So, back they go, and back goes the $129 on my credit card.

As a consolation, I’m trading them in for these boots, which are totally reasonable at $44.

What do you think? Did I do the right thing?

Winter of my Discontent

2008-02-11T12:52:00.001-06:00

It seems ironic that I should begin my very first blog entry on my brand-new blog with talking about the searing hate hate hate that I have for this godforsaken winter season when I’m supposed to be blogging about stuff I like.

But with the –20 degree wind-chill and the virtually impassable river of ice that is the city street in front of my house, winter is kind of top-of-mind right now, so whatevs. I’m going to write about it anyway.

Chicago cannot catch a break. First, the snow falls in drifts. Then the temperature eases up and the snow melts to messy slush (arguably the least tolerable situation of all). Then the temperature falls again and the nasty slush freezes into sheets of ice, upon which the next snow falls soon thereafter. And that? Is a recipe for unpleasantness.

I think fondly back to the time when the worst winter of my life consisted of the one day it was too chilly to sunbathe at the pool at Scottish Rite Dormitory after class on the first day back of Winter effing semester. Me-of-old, I laugh at your naiveté. Actually... I cry, but I’m just trying to keep up appearances here. And speaking of appearances, me-of-old, enjoy that effortless bikini body while you still can.

Gawd, life’s a tragedy.