One more reason to love Target:

this pan makes.......

one huge cupcake:

Superbowl Recipes

My Superbowl menu includes:

• Bud Light
• Dip and Chips (layer cream cheese, Hormel Chili with no beans, and shredded cheese - bake until cheese is melted)
• Apple, crackers, and french bread with this baked Kasseri cheese dip
• Salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and dressing)
• Pizza
• Valentine's Day Cupcakes
• Splenda Chocolate Chip Cookies

The perfect pair...

black and brown, strappy sandals

my new shoes should be arriving soon....

Trader Joe's

Why I love Trader Joe's:

• organic animal crackers
• frozen chicken quesadilla (and they taste like the southwestern egg rolls at Chili's)
• hot chocolate (1 weight watcher point, if you use water instead of milk)
• cheap ground beef
• cheap wine
• laughing cow cheese (for cheaper than Jewel)
• free samples
• the BEST chicken salad
• pretzel bread for 99 cents
• ready to go stir fry vegetables
• No pudge brownie mix
• chocolate covered pretzels
• Comodynes face wipes
• Desert Essence blemish touch stick (I just started using this and love it)

Yes to Carrots

I saw this body butter featured in Lucky awhile ago and decided to try it the next time I needed lotion. I am now addicted. (I guess it is better than being addicted to crack) And on black Friday, Walgreens was offering it for $1.99. (normally $12.99) I drove around my hometown like a mad woman stocking up.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday:

Here is what George has picked out for me to wear to work this week:

(I predicted this vest would be picked first)

George week summary:
It would appear that he has done a good job so far, but that is because I had to give him choices of things for me to wear. I would have to suggest wearing a dress and then he would point to the one he wanted me to wear. He picked out jewelry by saying the occasion in which the item was given. ("wear the necklace I gave you for Christmas") Being the control freak that I am, this process of letting go was hard...and girls have so many more choices of thing to wear. He got overwhelmed and then I would step in by offering a few choices. (He never put together the entire outfit - he would just pick the main garment) I guess maybe I was thinking he would magically pick outfits that flatter me like Clinton on What Not to Wear. Instead, he just reiterated what I already know... that he doesn't love me for what I wear or how I look. And this is evident in the nerdy argyle vest being his favorite piece of clothing.

Tooth fairy kit

This is sooooooo cute. (available here)

If I win the lottery...

Stella McCartney woven straw sandals

Burberry studded warrior sandals

Dries Van Noten multi-colored sandals

McQ at Target

$614.00 tux jumpsuit

Target version for $59.99

(See more of the McQueen collection here.)

The prices seem high for Target, (29.99 for leggings?) which is okay as long as the quality is better than previous Go collections.

My picks: the black leather vest and zipper leggings (I need to see these in person)

When: starting March 1st

(hint: visit the Target on Elston (in Chicago) a few days early because they put the collections out early or shop online and save 10% using a AAA discount)

Fun Dip

Remember fun dip?

This is what my 2nd period class will be eating today

as they begin working on vocabulary words for Act I of "A Raisin in the Sun."

I'm in love

with this dining room.

See more pics and info here and on Atlantis Home.

(louis ghost chairs and cellula chandelier from DWR)

Favorite food:

Laughing cow cheese

I eat it with:

• crackers
• scrambled eggs, tomatoes, and fresh basil
• turkey sandwiches
• bagels

As seen on...

Top Chef New York. You can rent the apartment in Brooklyn for $12,000.00 a month. (more info here)

bar stools from Ikea

milk carton vase from cb2

or check it out here

George Week

In the February 2009 issue of In Style magazine, there was an article in which a women let her husband pick out her clothing for an entire week. (pg. 98 "He Says, She Wears") This sounds like fun, so I will be starting this on Monday. I am a little scared/nervous/excited. I predict my husband will pick out an argyle vest from BR, black pants, and white button down on Monday...

Movies I want to see:

Rachel Getting Married

Bride Wars

He's Just Not That Into You

Confessions of a Shopaholic

(I have read all of the books in the series)

Slumdog Millionaire

(I saw an advertisement in Italy for this movie and apparently the Italian language does not have a word for "Slumdog" because the movie was just called "Millionaire"

perfect pillow

for an English teacher

and the winner is...

Desert Flower!!! (the yellow belt)

Thank you to everyone who left such kind comments! This giveaway was fun and I hope to do more in the future.

JCrew belt giveaway

I found some great belts on sale at Jcrew today and I am giving one away! You get to pick between the yellow satin with rosettes or the purple with crystals. (both are one size fits all and just need to be tied it in the back)

All you have to do is leave your name in the comments along with which belt you would like by Wednesday, January 21st. Make sure to also include an email address or a blog so I can contact you for more information. The winner will be selected at random and I will send / deliver the belt as soon as contact info is given!

Bride Wars

I have not seen the movie yet, but the top of Anne Hathaway's Vera Wang wedding dress reminds me a little of my dress.

Sottero & Midgley ASM 3040

custom Vera Wang based on her 2005 fall collection

and is very similar to this dress by Vera Wang

read more here

Condo tour

This is a great rehab story that took place in a condo on Lake Shore Drive. I stumbled on a condo for sale in this building (by Meis) and found it affordable. The problem was the $800.00 monthly assessment...

good things

Adorable umbrellas

from Target

Free makeup

On January 20th, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and other department stores will be giving away free makeup as part of a court settlement on price fixing.

more info here and here

knickers

day of the week underwear by Stella McCartney

Does this happen to you?

Every so often I encounter a picture in a magazine or catalog that makes my heart beat a little faster... because it looks and feels like something I would actually wear for the next 10 years. This happened to me when I was reading the January issue of In Style and saw this picture of Keri Russell. I immediately ripped this page out and saved it.

(image from here and page 123 of In Style)

Sweater: Jcrew - this is similar, but all one color

Shirt: Cacharel - I can't find this

Jeans: Earnest Sewn

Cami: Rebecca Taylor

Shoes: Dolce Vita Nadine oxfords - these are similar and on sale for under $40.00

(here are more ideas)

-10

This is what my car thermometer said today.

and I felt like this:

"like a tick about to pop"

Sea of shoes

I found this cape via sea of shoes.

I have been addicted to this blog and dreaming of waking up in her closet.

(and being a size 0 - so that I could fit into the clothing)

JCrew final sale

I really try not to make resolutions, unless I know I can actually achieve them.

But this year, I will not miss a Jcrew final sale. I missed the final fall sale online and I have been kicking myself over the sweater (pictured below) ever since. (no luck finding it on ebay)

Another resolution:

try and buy less clothing, but better quality

I am going to checkout the store on Michigan Ave because they offer 30% off. (online = 20%) It is a final sale meaning you can't return an item, which makes it hard to order clothing. I would have ordered more (like the stuff above) if I could return it.

Update: Since I started writing this post at 8am, many items have sold out.

Sorry Semi-hipster Homeowner - the bridesmaid purse is gone (the "satin fleur clutch" to be exact)

I do like this belt to accessorize a bridesmaid dress.

(and you can remove them)

Does anyone have this? I need a small or medium.

(cashmere martine cardigan)

Free shampoo

go here

As seen on...

Miranda in the Sex and the City Movie.

(the earrings are 14k gold and $4750.00!)

I found a cheaper version in the Dean Harris jewelry line at Target

(this pair is on clearance for $24.99 and sterling silver)

Book Review

My husband and I went to a taping of the Oprah show before Thanksgiving, but the episode just aired last week. The topic was on creating an action plan with personal finances in 2009. Suze is offering her new book for free here. (you have until midnight on January 15th to download the book) The book is quick to read because you can skip over info that doesn't apply to you.

Here are my notes:

1. I am not going to close my first credit card I opened on my own. (the longer your credit history, the more data they have for your FICO score) Now that I am married, my husband and I have 1 shared credit card, but I am still going to keep my first credit card open.

2. Take your money out of the stock market at least 10 years before you plan to retire

3. Open a Roth IRA (my husband and I started this when we got married) and invest the maximum allowed

4. Buy stocks now, if you can (and always buy low, sell high)

5. Invest 80% in stocks and 20 % in bonds (specifically high-yielding dividend-paying stocks (VYM) (DVY) and 5 year bonds, or Treasury notes) if you want to retire in more than 20 years

As seen on...

the CW's Privileged. This is turning out to be my favorite new show of the season. The clothing and decor is a mix of jcrew, anthropologie, vintage /modern / Hollywood glamour / jonathan adler. Others are noticing this too. (and here, too)

Anthro sweater

jcrew jacket and sequin sweater (below) which is no longer available

jacket on sale here

Valentine's Day

Le Creuset heart shaped casserole filled with this

a heart flask? (this is a little funny, creepy, and weird)

cute things from Target (above and below)

from here

Vintage Valentine cards

and here

Millie the dearheart bunny