Not to enable, but...

My beloved Michael Kors platform pumps are on sale - 50% off!

Nordstrom slashed prices on women's shoes for its half-yearly sale awhile back, so I'm assuming this is a result. I live very close to Nordstrom and I often walk through - seriously, it's a shortcut home - and I've been pretending not to see the racks of boots on sale. It's really been torture, but I've stood strong.

Then yesterday, while coming back from some Christmas shopping, I walked by the shoe department and these caught my eye. I couldn't help but stare - there were like five different colors of them and I just fell in lust. But, I'm not a complete idiot - my feet are hibernating until at least March 31 - so I just stared. And touched. And tried them on in gunmetal. And then walked home.

But today during lunch I started to think about them again. So I indulged and started at them on Nordstrom.com for 10 minutes or so, envisioning them on my feet. Which is when I noticed on the right sidebar my favorite pair of shoes I actually do own!

Honestly, they're wonderful. While they are not a "steal" at this price,it is a decent sale and they are worth every penny. I have them in red and I wear them several times a week (including today!)

Shooties Done Right

I know the all the rage is about Twilight right now - but until recently I'd never even heard of it. And I love reading fiction - shocking, I know.

In my defense, I was late to the Harry Potter party as well. But I do love that little wizard so there's hope for me and the vampire dude.

Until then - I'm saving my excitement for Four Christmases with Vince Vaughan and Reese Witherspoon.

I love holiday movies - cheesy or not, they are a seasonal staple for me. I could watch Love Actually on the 4th of July and be a happy camper - but it feels extra special during the holiday season. And Elf - while it's not a traditional love story is one of my holiday favorites!

And can I just say how amazingly fantastic Reese Witherspoon looks at the premiere?

I think she always looks great - I really like her style. Can we just focus on the shootie/bootie action happening? That's how it's done!

And for those more interested in Twilight - can you let me in on the craze? Should I read them? Will I like them? What's so awesome about this vampire dude?

The Lipstick Index - it's For Real

Has anyone else noticed the increase in sales and promotions at various retailers? I'm practically halfway done with my Christmas shopping - and I think we've gotten some pretty good deals so far.

Like most, we're trying to be smart about our purchases and I know I've cut out unnecessary spending (really Dan, it's true, stop rolling your eyes!) - ala Starbucks, going out to lunch when I can easily just pack something from home.

But if there's one thing that I love dearly it is makeup and beauty products and throw a gift-with-purchase on top of that and I'm a happy girl! And in down economies, cosmetic sales actually jump -- known as the lipstick index. The thought is that women are more likely to plop down $20 for a lipstick than they are for an expensive handbag or other fashion item. So I guess you could say I'm doing my part to support this theory!

I find the best cosmetic deals are typically online in the form of a coupon code. Sephora's pretty good about this. But one recent example I think is particularly clever is Benefit's treasure chest.

Every day, Benefit is offering a full-sized product or other promo with a $30 purchase - which is a novel idea. And the "beauty treasures" are some of their best selling products!

Today's is Moon Beam - which regularly sells for $24. I've never tried Moon Beam but I love its sister High Beam (which I recently got a free sample of from Sephora!). It's a great highlighter - but I like to mix a bit in with either my moisturizer or foundation and it gives my skin a subtle glow.

I haven't been lured in by any of the beauty treasures yet - but I'm checking every day. If I see a box-o-powder up for promotion, I might just be sold!

While I hate that the state of the economy, I do think companies are smart to offer us a little incentive.

There's a First Time for Everything

Given that is the start of the holiday season – my personal favorite time of year – I thought I’d treat our car to a new tire. Courtesy of the flat I gave it last night.

Oh yeah, not just flat. Demolished.

Let me just state that I have a perfect driving record (knocking on wood as I type this) – I’ve never gotten a ticket, been pulled over nor have I been involved in an accident while driving. I consider myself lucky especially since DC is full of lunatic drivers.

But I do have tendency to do the occasional curb check. It just happens. Maybe my depth perception is off?

Anyway, yesterday I drove out to McLean to La Petite Chic’s Wii Fit Party.

Sidenote: Katie is giving away a Wii Console and a Wii Fit, courtesy of Nintendo, on her blog – you must go there and enter!! You have until December 5.

On the way there I clipped a curb. It was a little loud, but I really didn’t think anything of it and about four miles later I arrived at my destination and parked the car. But on my way home, I definitely noticed something was not right. I was on I-66 cruising along at about 65-70 mph when it sounded like the car was going to explode. At that moment a little voice in my head reminded me of my early curb check.

Then I freaked out. Called my husband crying. And pulled over. In that order. I probably should have just pulled over first, huh?

Luckily I pulled over before I did any damage to the car and heaven forbid, myself or anyone else.

My patient husband on the other end of the phone reminded me that we have 24 hour roadside assistance through Volkswagen. I called them immediately and got routed through about 10 different automated, press 1 for, press 2 for, etc. messages. Recommendation to VW? Change that system! People in stressful situations do not have the capacity to navigate that crap.

I eventually got through but as soon as I got a live person, flashing lights appeared in my rearview mirror. Virginia does one thing right – they have VDOT contractors patrolling the highways for people like me.

I was skeptical at first. Even though he was legit, I was still a lone, stranded woman. That’s never a good feeling, especially at night.

So I had a spare under the trunk and eventually we got the tire changed. There were some moments I wasn’t sure he would be able to do it. First we needed a special Allen wrench – his wouldn’t fit. We found it in the bag of tools that VW puts in the trunk – which I had no idea even existed.

Then he said he couldn’t remove my rims without a special lock. He kept shouting, “lock, I need a lock, do you have a lock, where’s the lock.” I was so confused. "You mean like a padlock? Or a button I press in the car?" And he couldn’t express what it was he needed exactly, just kept saying “I need the lock.” That lasted for about 7 minutes until he found the lock in the tool bag.

Seriously, I’m not helpless but this was complicated.

Finally, about an hour later I arrived home safely.

Normally something like this would kill my mood but I had an amazing time at the Wii Fit party. Not only did we have a ton of fun playing the games, we all walked away with a complimentary Wii Fit, a Wii Fit yoga mat and an adorable pair of Wii Fit yoga pants with a matching jacket. Thanks to Katie and Nintendo!

And a very special thanks to VDOT!

Another One Bites the Dust

I just read that Lipstick Jungle got the ax.

I'm so bummed! I really liked this show. I was worried when it got moved to the Friday time slot - the kiss of death - but it's such a good show!

They had one of the best season openers this year.

And it was good to see these girls together on tv! Poor Brooke Shields. She's going to have to step up those quirky Volkswagen ads now.

Anyone else going to miss this?

Candy Blast from the Past

He'd never admit to this - but I'm pretty sure one of my husband's favorite activities is going to the Rite-Aid across the street and scanning the aisles for sales.

It's comical really.

"Honey, Fig Newtons were only $.99," or "Wow, Gardettos were buy-one-get-one free."

If it's on sale and it's snack food - it's usually coming home with him.

This afternoon he went there to pick up some Yuengling ($8.79 for a 12-pack, you can't beat it!) and of course came home with something completely random.

Yes, he bought a deluxe box of Fun Dip.


He came home with a smile and said, "This whole box was only $1.99 - for 50 of them!"

He's currently on the couch eating a pack right now - and I think he would say this is the highlight of his weekend!

Shootie Alert

When I was in Tallahassee last weekend, my sister-in-law showed me some shoes she'd recently bought at Kohl's.

We went there on Sunday with my nephews and lo and behold - they still had a pair left in my size.

Love them!

They are ridiculously cute and only $35! (Well they were $35 when I bought them in store - online they're $42 now!)

You know how I'm loving the shootie trend!

I Couldn't Help Noticing...

What a great looking duo!

Maybe it's just me...but Rahm Emanuel is very handsome!

Photo courtesy of AP

It's a Miracle - Samy Dry Shampoo

This weekend I was in Tallahassee visiting my brother and sister-in-law Crystal and my nephews. It was a fun trip – but a little too short.

On Sunday, Crystal and I planned a little shopping/mani-pedi excursion. We lounged around in the morning some and then it came time to get ready and I’d mentioned that I wanted to wash my hair because it felt a little oily.

That whole getting ready bit can be a bit time consuming though so Crystal asked me if I’d ever tried dry shampoo.

I’ve dabbled a bit with some hair powders and eyed up some pricier bottles at Sephora but hadn’t found anything I found did the trick. So naturally when she mentioned I should try what she used I was a bit skeptical.

But she insisted it was awesome and let me tell you, it is!

And the best part? It’s not expensive and it is the best dry shampoo I’ve ever tried. It’s by Samy and it’s available at Walgreens (and other drugstores I’m sure) for $7.99.

I have stick straight, semi-thin hair and I’ve never been able to pull off not washing my hair every day without it looking like I didn’t. Plus, I always get oil buildup on my scalp and around my forehead.

But this took it all away, adding volume and texture. I lifted my hair into sections and sprayed near my roots, fluffed my hands through it and took a brush to it. I like to run a flat iron through it real quick too – but that’s only because I wake up with my hair flipped up in odd directions.

I actually prefer my dirty hair now!

Seriously, try this!

Feeling Proud

What a whirlwind! Last night was exhilarating and exciting. I am so proud of this country. What a statement!

I have so much hope and belief in President Elect Obama. I thought his speech last night was amazing - humble and true in so many ways. I think McCain's concession speech was also great and showed that he has a lot of character and is a good man. I wish we would have saw more of that McCain during the campaign.

But I'm not trying to be political here - I just wanted to express how truly proud I am. I have only voted in three presidential elections, but this is the first one where I felt inspired. I know that some have fears about Obama's plans for the country but I honestly believe he will work to blur party lines and do what is best for this country.

Only time will tell, but I can't wait to get started on 1-20-09!

You knew it was coming...

Well, another ABC couple bites the dust. The latest Bachelorette DeAnna has called off her engagement with snowboarder Jessie.

Apparently it was all her - he still wants to make it work.

Darn! While I much preferred Jason (who ironically is the next Bachelor!), I had hope that they were meant to be together.

Man, why can't these television produced romances stick? If they actually worked, I would get much less flack for watching every season.

I Did, Did You?

Election day is one of my favorite days of the year - especially in a presidential year. Really, it should be a national holiday. I'm going to be glued to the tv and internet tonight - obsessively tracking the results.

As Obama would say, I'm ready to go and fired up! Ready to go, fired up!

This year is different though - I'm not at home. I'm in Florida for work all week so I will be watching the results in my hotel room. I'm slightly sad about it because I really like to spend this day with Dan, but I'm in good company here too.

I voted by mail about three weeks ago, so I exercised my right to vote. I strongly hope everyone else does the same!
Unless you're voting for McCain - then I'll let it slide:)

I hope by the end of the night, I'll be in a blue state!!!