Separation Anxiety

I’m in Chicago this week for work. And this is probably my favorite city so I’m very happy to be here and I’m going to make the most of it!

I plan on making many trips up Michigan Ave. to do some shopping. I’ll squeeze them in on my lunch breaks if I have to! Seriously, my hotel is connected to Nordstrom. It doesn’t get much better than that.

That’s the upside.

The downside is that I’m away from Betty all week. This is the first time that I’ve really been apart from her. I really miss her. She gave me the sad puppy eyes when I left yesterday. I think she thought she was going to come with. Anytime she sees a suitcase she gets kind of excited!

More from me later. Maybe I’ll chronicle my shopping excursions:)

Tarte Sale Alert!

One of my favorite cosmetic brands – Tarte – is having a 40% off friends & family sale through Sunday, July 27th.

This is a fantastic sale! One, however, that I won’t be participating in. (I know, it shocks me too!) But, if you like Tarte or have been looking to try it, now is the perfect time.

Here are my favorite Tarte products.

The enbrightenmint whitener and lip gloss duo that I picked up a few months ago. I never did tell you what I thought of this – but I loved it. The whitener works really well (and fast!) and the gloss is so pretty. I got the pearly pink color and I found it to be the perfect color of pink. It has some staying power too! At 40% off, this is a great deal!

Cheek stain. This formula is amazing and I’ve pretty much turned most of the women in my family onto this product as of late. I have two shades, Dollface – a pretty pink – and Blushing Bride – a neutral plumy shade.

"I may look scary and dark, but I'm just a sweet little gel push-up that makes your cheeks look natural and glowy!"

Eyeshadow duos. Tarte has the best packaging ever - and these compacts are a prime example. The shadows have a smooth, satiny texture and are fairly pigmented. I love them – my favorites are north island and kalalua trail.

Is anyone else a Tarte fan? Does cheek stain scare you?

OMG You Guys!

I know what I’m putting on my “To Do” list for my next trip to New York...

Legally Blonde: The Musical!

I admit it, I totally watched MTV’s “The Search for the Next Elle Woods.”

And I liked it! Not only do I love the movie and musicals, I’m also a big fan of reality tv. This show - pretty much a sure thing for me.

So I was pleased to see that Bailey beat out all of the other girls to win the role of Elle on Broadway. A pretty sweet gig! I for one am really excited to see the show. Plus, I think most of the other contestants play a role in the cast as well.

Bailey debuted as Elle last night at the Palace Theatre. And being the dork I am, I looked to see if there were any reviews. And I found one article that quotes a few fans saying she was excellent.

Ohmygodohmigod you guys....

Anyone else with me on this?

Tribal Tendencies

I don’t know Matthew McConaughey personally.

Obviously.

But I feel like I do, ya know?

Between his unofficial no-shirt policy and the fact he doesn’t wear deodorant, I get the sense he is a crunchy granola guy who is in touch with himself and the world around him.

Which is why I am not surprised by his recap (TMI) of his baby’s birth.

McConaughey told OK! Magazine:

“Contractions started kicking in, and we found a great rhythm. We had a 14-hour session, her and I did. I sat there with her, right between her legs. We got tribal on it. We danced to it. I was DJing this native Brazilian music.”

I haven’t had any children yet, but I’m pretty sure I don’t want the labor and delivery to go like that.

I must say though, baby Levi is cute!

Maybe I'm overreacting, but...

About a month ago we started using a dog walker mid-day for Betty. It was no longer practical for Dan and I to come home during the day and Betty is potty trained now and doesn't have accidents in her crate.

It took about a week for Betty to get used to it, but so far it has worked out great.

Our walker is socially awkward with humans, but I think that may be common among people who do this type of work. She is really good with animals and that is all that matters I suppose.

That said, I feel like she overstepped her bounds yesterday. I am going to chalk it up to her not having any social skills but I am still annoyed.

**I should note that Dan thinks I am overreacting.

Yesterday afternoon I got an email from the office assistant at the company our walker works for. She wanted to let me know that our walker had some concerns about Betty's stitches and thought it looked a bit “red.”

I replied and said that we would take a closer look when we got home but that it had been that way since we brought her home a mere two days earlier. I also said we were monitoring it for any leakage and so far, it looked fine. In fact, I thought it was healing rather well considering that she just had it done and that it is fairly invasive surgery.

I sort of got defensive because I felt that I just got reported to the dog equivalent of child services.

Then I get home and our walker left a note to me and mentioned that she took a picture of Betty's stitches and sent them to her company to inspect further.

Oh come on! This is what really bothered me. I feel she crossed the line and I don't appreciate her making me feel like a bad parent. It’s one thing to mention your concerns to me but don’t go snapping crotch shots of my dog and circulating them around town!

I should also note that we care deeply about Betty and are being extremely protective of her right now because of her stitches. And she is fine.

We’ll see what kind of note is left for me today.

My Husband Deserves a Patience Award

Last night was "Mom & Dad's" night out! Betty got spayed yesterday and spent the night at the animal hospital. So we were free to do whatever we wanted at anytime we wanted.

It was actually really strange to not have her around and we're very happy that she is home again. But we had a good time last night with our short-lived freedom.

After dinner and drinks, we went to Nordstrom to check out the Anniversary Sale. I did end up getting those shoes in red - they are so stunning in person. The heels are very high, but they have built-in cushion and the platform has a rubber sole for extra comfort.

We also stopped by the NARS counter. Ah, my husband. Such a trooper. What was meant to be a quick peek at the new Fall colors turned into me getting my makeup done for almost an hour!

The makeup artist on duty happened to be from Milwaukee and is a University of Wisconsin alumni! We got to talking and well, you know how that goes. She is a NARS Account Executive for the Mid-Atlantic region and just happened to be at this location to help out for the sale.

She created an amazing smokey eye with the new eyeshadow duo Cordura.

I kept my makeup until right before bed. I couldn't bear to take it off any earlier!

I love getting my makeup done. I always find that I learn new tricks and techniques that I end up incorporating into my daily routine. She filled in my brows - which I never do but may start now. She also taught me the proper way to put on bronzer - make a backwards '3' starting above your browbone onto your cheekbone and across your jawline.

Afterwards we went back out for a bit - I had to put my new face to good use! Dan really is a trooper. I owe him a baseball game or something now:)

Remember This?

Does everyone remember the Chandra Levy case? This happened while I was still in college, but I remember pre-9/11 that this dominated the news.

The Washington Post is doing a special 12-day series, "Who Killed Chandra Levy?" It started on Sunday and is incredibly interesting. I highly recommend reading this. They did an amazing job putting this together.

Here's the Post's description:

The Washington Post spent a year reconstructing the disappearance of Chandra Levy and the investigation into her death. Reporters interviewed police officials, investigators and suspects, many for the first time, and obtained details about dozens of previously unknown private conversations and events, including former Rep. Gary Condit's first interview with the newspaper in seven years.

The Post's examination of the case will unfold in a 12-chapter serial and epilogue in print and online. The serial will show how the sensational nature of the media coverage quickly overwhelmed the investigation. It will expose the fleeting acts that later loomed large and will reveal undisclosed clues, meaningful and false: a DNA swab in a dark parking lot, Chandra's last computer search, a conversation with a jailhouse informant who said he had the key to the case. In the end, the serial will reveal how an enormous effort by the D.C. police, the FBI and prosecutors was undercut by a chain of mistakes, a misdirected focus and missed opportunities that allowed a killer to escape justice.

Food-filled Birthday

In honor of my birthday, Dan and I both took the day off yesterday. it was a perfect summer day, and I had an amazing day.

I think I can classify this birthday as "day of food." I am still full - a good 15 hours after our dinner last night.

Dan started the day by cooking me breakfast - bacon and eggs. He even served me and did all the dishes. Good man, isn’t he? I actually didn't do any cooking or kitchen labor of any kind yesterday. We even went out for morning coffee.

For lunch, we went to Zaytinya. It is a tapas-style, Greek/Mediterranean restaurant. It was really tasty.

I ate sauce people!

For anyone who knows me – or even reads this blog – knows that I eat most things plain. But most of the dishes we ate had yogurt-based toppings, so they didn't resemble a traditional condiment. I’m so brave!



Fast forward seven hours to dinner. We went to Charlie Palmer's steakhouse. We had a gift certificate that we got from my coworkers before we got married that we still hadn't used so we figured we should finally do so! I'm sure I left the place about 5 lbs heavier.

The fun thing about Charlie Palmer's is they kept on bringing out complimentary tastings from the chef. A small crab-apple salad and a plate of truffles for dessert, but also a plate of mustard for our steaks. (it went untouched obviously!)



I'm not sure I could even be paid a large sum of money to eat what lies on this plate!

All in all, I had a really awesome (filling) birthday.

DIY Mani-Pedi

I was in a girly mood yesterday, so I decided to pamper myself and treat myself to a pedicure and manicure. Do-it-yourself style!

Now I've been known to plunk down some dollar for shoes and I love my beauty products, but I feel so darn guilty paying money to get my nails done. I really see it as a treat and hardly ever get a salon pedicure or manicure. Maybe once or twice a year? Seriously, I even saved a gift card Dan got me for a pedicure once and it actually expired. I was so mad when I finally went to use it!

So yesterday I sat down with my Ped Egg, nail clippers and file, scrubs, creams and a bright summer polish. My sister got me a pedicure kit for my birthday, and that came in handy for this. It even had toe separators!

There's something about polished nails that makes me feel so put together. I used a polish from Essie's Neon Collection called Bermuda Shorts. I love Essie polish because it is very fast drying and you only need one or two coats to achieve the bottle color. I used two coats on both my hands and feet and used a top coat to get the shine factor.

It's much brighter in person - think Barbie fuchsia

Now I have to try my best to remain chip-free all week! I've got a date on Wednesday with my husband - he's taking me out for my birthday:)

All in the Family

I think I started a family trend. My sister Tammy started a blog this week!

She blogs about life and family, but also on her love for fitness! As she calls it - obsession of the fittest.

My sister is doing a triathlon on Sunday - her second one. Actually, my non-blogging sister Tricia is doing it as well. I feel so pathetic compared to them - I'm really impressed with my sistas!


Tammy (left) and Tricia. Co-matrons of honor at my wedding. Sexy dresses, yeah?

Welcome to the internets Tammy! And good luck on Sunday - not that you need it of course:)

Bobbi Brown Does it Again

I’ve professed my love for Bobbi Brown before. I’ve also mentioned that her long-wear gel liner is a must-have in any girl’s makeup bag.

Seriously, the stuff rocks. It glides on like magic and stays on forever. I wear it on the hottest, most humid days in D.C. and it doesn’t crease or smudge.

I’ve sort of developed a tiny obsession with these liners. I also am a big fan of Clinique’s Brush-on Cream liner.

My collection. It keeps growing.

Bobbi Brown recently released her Fall 2008 Mauve Collection. It’s very pretty and – you guessed it – a new liner was released as well! Ms. Brown gave us a real treat with the new Black Mauve Shimmer. It’s a black mauve color infused with bronze and gold pearl pigments.

I say the color is a mix of brown, black, plum and bronze. I’m not sure how you define “black mauve” but I say it’s just beautiful. It has a lot of dimension and isn’t your typical matte shade.

I highly recommend this shade. It’s very versatile and can be layered with shadows or just by itself with a coat of mascara. I promise your eyes will pop!

Shoe Lust

It’s starting to happen! Fall collections are rolling out and I’m falling hard and fast.

Never mind that it is a hot summer day and only July! Sure I like sandals, wedges and fun summer shoes enough, but my true loves are boots and pumps.

A few shoes in particular are calling out to me right now.

First we have the Calvin Klein Nana.

The description is spot on!

"A unique and sassy leather pump, this shoe has a stiletto heel with strips of leather sewn together over the vamp for texture. The straps are met with black loops on the outside of the shoe creating a funky effect. The peep-toe gives this shoe a flirty feminine touch. "

I’ll stalk these for awhile – wait to find a good coupon or sale and then BAM – they’ll be mine.

Next, we have a gorgeous shoe from Michael Kors. It was love at first sight when I saw these yesterday in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale catalog I got in the mail.

The sale starts next Friday! They are available in this beautiful red or in coffee or black. I’m pretty sure I am going to make these mine next week.

What do you think – coffee or red?

Why DeAnna, Why?

I feel so deceived!

Anybody tune in to the finale of The Bachelorette last night?

This season has been so good - maybe the best - in my opinion. Last week I was devastated after she dumped Jeremy. I thought about it for days, but decided that it was okay because she would pick Jason.

Hot, sexy, sweet, romantic Jason.

Never in a million years did I think she would pick Jesse. Don't get me wrong, he seems like a nice enough guy but I didn't see the connection during the show. They just shared their first kiss practically and now they're engaged!?

That said, his proposal was heartfelt and when she was describing her feelings for him I gained new perspective.

I just didn't think she'd go for the long-haired, no-lips, no-job snowboarder. And I was mad at her for letting Jason get down on one knee. I hope he or Jeremy gets to be the next Bachelor.

Anyone watch the After the Final Rose? I went to bed after seeing Shayne and Matt (who by the way are really cute together!) What was the big surprise announcement?

Aveda Smooth Infusion

I got my haircut again when I was in Wisconsin last week. It'd been nearly three months since the big chop, and I was long overdue for a trim. But, I only get my hair done in Wisconsin so I had to wait.

I know that sounds silly since I've been living in D.C. since 2004, but it works for me. I tried to find a reasonably priced salon here that I liked, but had no luck. I'm sure one exists, but I prefer to go to my hometown Aveda salon where I can get a haircut for $25 dollars. Plus, I love the girl who cuts my hair. She's fabulous and I went to high school with her.

Besides, by paying less for a haircut I feel like I can treat myself to new product! I've been using Aveda products for many years now and just love what they do for my hair. Plus, they're an environmentally-friendly company. I'm all for that.

I picked up a bottle of Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother at this visit to the salon. This wonder-blend smooths hair and defends against humidity (for up to 12 hours) and protects your hair against damage from blow dryers and flat irons.

It’s best (and recommended) to apply this product to damp hair to maximize the benefits. If you hair is too wet, you dilute the product. I usually run the blow dryer through my hair for a few minutes so it isn’t wet, then squeeze two pumps and run through my hair. I find that it gives my hair some texture and it does work against humidity. Today is ultra-humid, about 75 percent, and my hair has held up really well!

I would say this product is a lighter, less waxier version of Aveda’s Hang Straight. I love that product as well and used it when I had longer hair. I have stick straight hair and now that it is short – I swear it is even straighter. I don’t really have any frizz issues (just limp locks!), but if you do Smooth Infusion would work wonders on your hair.

If It Happened on the Internet...

I forget how awesome You Tube is - pretty much the entire John Mayer concert from Summerfest is up there!

Back to Life, Back to Reality...

Dan and I returned from our week-long Wisconsin adventure yesterday. We're both a little sad because we had such a great time with the family, but we're also feeling pretty refreshed. It also helps that we came back on a Saturday and had all of today to just chill. Me - I've been watching Law & Order SVU for about six hours now! Mixed in with laundry and actual productive things of course..


I thought I'd let everyone in on all the excitement of the week. We're talking the official start of "birthday month" and the John Mayer concert. Big stuff!

Betty meeting her cousin Mary for the first time. Those two gals had a great week playing together!

Betty got to meet all of her Wisconsin family. She had a blast and I think she misses everyone. Seriously, she's been moping around all day and that's rare for a 5-month old pup.

We're good girls!

I did some shopping while I was home - but mainly did my "auntie" duty and spoiled my nieces and nephews. I think I bought enough Webkinz to keep the local Hallmark in business. My mom and I also went to see Wall-E with all the kids and we loved it. I think it was a little above my five- and six-year old nieces, but they loved saying "Wall-E" and "Evvaaa" all week long anyway!

Dan, my sister Tricia and her husband Tom all went to Summerfest on July 2. Tricia and I had John Mayer tickets - so we were going rain or shine. And boy, did it rain. We had a blast though. I sort of want to quit my job and follow John Mayer on his tour. No, not a good idea?

At least I have my pictures from the concert to hold me over. In a word, the concert was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. He is so talented - a great singer and guitarist - and he's really witty. He doled out these words of wisdom about 3/4 of the way through: "If it happened on the Internet, it didn't really happen." Oh, how I wish John Mayer would find my blog. My message to Mayer (as he refers to himself): I love you - but in a non-creepy way. Can we hang out?!

We finished the week and the 4th off with some tailgating at a Brewers game. And I was a lucky girl and got to open birthday presents from my sister and my parents early. My birthday is actually on July 16, but since I was home they gave me my gifts in advance.

Honestly, I'm like a child when it comes to my birthday. It only happens once a year, so I feel the need to drag it out over the course of the month. Hence, birthday month. Wahoo! Cheers to all my fellow July birthday-monthers!

How was everyone's 4th?

The Caffeine Diaries

It's currently Day Three of our summer vacation.

We're in Wisconsin hanging with my family. We brought Betty too - she's such a champ. We call her the jet-setter puppy, because she rocked that airplane ride - 90 minute delay and all!

So far it has been a great week. Except for the massive headache (and accompanying fatigue)that's been hitting me every day at about 3p.m. On Day Two I realized that it was because I hadn't consumed any caffeine in well, two days. I never realized how dependent I was on the stuff, but ohmigod, am I ever!

I went about the first two days here like I do any other day. I drink my morning coffee and I crack open a can of Diet Coke around 11. Except my parents drink decaf coffee and only have caffeine-free Diet Coke in the house.

Today I took matters into my own hands and went out for a latte at Starbucks. I even went for an extra shot of espresso.

And as I type this I'm drinking a regular Diet Coke. I think I'm back on track - or is it "off" the wagon?