Goodbye Yankee Stadium....

This is an older photo of my brother-in-law Colin with my nieces McKinley, Cassidy, and Addison at a Yankees game, but I thought I would post it in honor of the demise of Yankee Stadium.....a moment of silence please....

Okay, now for the good stuff, I am happily back home sleeping in my own bed and so excited about that! Minnie couldn't decide if she was happy that I was home or mad at me, I think she finally decided that she was happy. She did, however, give me the cold shoulder for an hour or so.

I don't have a ton of time for my post today, but wanted to mention a great book that I just finished reading. I had to read it for work, but it is relevant in all aspects of my life, including relationships with family and friends. It's called Leadership and Self Deception, by The Arbinger Institute. It's a very fast read--I read it in one night, and I highly recommend it. It's in paperback so it's not too expensive. It was very eye-opening about how I view and treat myself and others.

I also found a new fun nail polish color by OPI--part of their Fall French collection called "You Don't Know Jaques." Very fun color, kind of a brownish gray. I also discovered at the grocery store last night Caramel Apple Sugar Babies--sooooo yummy. They are just out until Halloween so get-em soon if you want them.

Okay, that's it for today. I'll post more later. Have a good one.

Welcome to the Family!

Introducing...Ethan. He was born on August 7, 2008, and is the younger brother to Tristen, Lauren, and Madison. James, the proud father is holding the handsome little cutie in this photo while Lauren looks on. I haven't met little Ethan in person yet, but can't wait to hold him. I am told that his older brother and sisters love him and are very helpful to their mom. I have no doubt that the Sooner indoctrination has already begun even at the tender age of one month. Congratulations James and Lindsey!

Here Comes Trouble...

My niece Taylor loves to play dress up. I love this picture because it is so indicative of her sassy and playful personality. Oh to be a child again and to find joys in the simple things such as colorful headbands and hair accessories.

I am still in Milwaukee for work, ready for this week to be over so that I can go home and sleep in my own bed with Minnie at my feet. Milwaukee's not a bad place, it's just not home even though Mr. Marriott tries his best to make it feel like it is.

Now for another find...I was wandering through the Wauwatosa Target last night and noticed a new limited edition line of makeup at Target by Jemma Kidd. This is very high end makeup, being offered at good prices, at least for her stuff. Usually you can only find Jemma Kidd at Neimans or Saks, so to find it at Target was quite the coup. Nothing particularly special about her makeup, although I think her pencil eyeliners stay on better than others that I have tried. She also has fun, bright colors. As I continued my jaunt through the store I saw an add announcing that Anya Hindmarch, a high end British handbag designer, has designed a bag for Target that will be sold beginning in early to mid-October. Again, her handbags usually run in the $600-$1000 range so to see that she will be selling a bag at Target for around $60 made me smile. I love Target. Seriously, the greatest store.

Well, that's it for me. Have a great day, and happy shopping!

Here we have mom and dad who started it all! This is one of my favorite pictures of my parents!

This smiley bunch belongs to my sister Michelle. From left to right we have Addison, McKinley, Wyatt, Garrett, and Cassidy. We had so much fun when they came to visit SLC this summer!

These cuties belong to my sister Lindsey. From left to right we have Lauren, Madison, and Tristen. They also have a new little brother who was born on August 7, 2008 named Ethan (photo to come).

These beautiful children belong to my sister Heather. From left to right we have Avery, Taylor, and Zachary. As for the twins Warner and Jonathan--I can't tell them apart.

Here Goes Nothin......

Okay, so here's my first attempt at blogging... We will see if this is interesting enough to warrant any readers. First I need to say that I cannot guarantee that I will blog everyday, or even every week, but I will do my best.

I think that I am supposed to write about what's on my mind and what's going on in my life. Let's get rid of the last one first...nothing is going on in my life, at least nothing exciting. I am in Milwaukee for work this week and trying to navigate around an unknown town in my tangerine- colored rental car. Needless to say, whoever invented Hertz Neverlost is my hero. Without that system I would be lost in more way than one. I did engage in some retail therapy yesterday in the Windy City. Little did I know when I set out from Waukesha, Wisconsin yesterday morning at 8:30 a.m. (it's important to get an early start when you are visiting a city with quality shopping), that Chicago was receiving record amounts of rain. As I got closer to the city I realized that this probably wasn't the smartest idea as I was driving through wheel-well deep water, but I forged ahead, resolved to complete my pilgrimage to Neimans, Saks, Sephora, and Barney's. I did in fact finally make it to Michigan Avenue--such a fun place, and slogged through the rain and wind to all of my favorite stores. I think that Chicago is one of the best kept secrets in our country. Such a fun city with the culture, restaurants, and shopping of NY, LA and San Francisco, but cleaner and with more of a midwestern feel. Definitely a must visit!

Now for what's on my mind...I am sick of politics. This election has already droned on too long for my taste except, of course, for the hilarious SNL sketch on Saturday night with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poeler as Hillary Clinton---so funny. Tina Fey had Sarah Palin spot on! As for the substantive stuff, I will most likely not discuss my political opinions on this blog because I believe that a person's political beliefs are personal. If you want to share them with others, that's your choice. I choose to keep them to myself. That's not to say that I don't have an opinion, simply that I choose not to share it. I will say this, as you read other people's blogs, emails, etc... have respect for their views and beliefs. You can be passionate about your views, but please don't judge or berate others for their opinions. Voice your opinion and then vote your choice!

The other topic on my mind is the devastation from Hurricane Ike in Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Mississippi. As I have watched the constant CNN coverage from my hotel room here in Waukesha, I am reminded of the plight of the hurricane victims. Watching the news feeds is sobering and it reminds me that we need to be prepared for whatever natural disaster might come our way. In the meantime, keep those people in your thoughts and prayers.

Now for the fun part of my blog, and the real reason that some of you might read it. Those who know me well know that I am a beauty product whore. I love reading about, sampling, and scouting out beauty products. I can't explain this phenomenon because I really don't enjoy wearing makeup and would much rather put my hair in a ponytail everyday. But I guess I have resigned myself to the reality that I have to do my hair and wear makeup, so I might as well have fun with it. So from time to time I will post one of my latest finds. My most recent find is: Le 2 de Guerlain mascara. It has mascara in both ends--two brushes, one that's very small and allows you to get the hard-to-reach lashes, and the other is a normal brush. It doesn't flake, and it goes on with relatively few clumps. You can purchase this mascara at http://www.sephora.com/, but beware, it's not cheap. One more product I am excited about is the YSL Pur Black lip gloss coming out in mid-October. I know it sounds scary, but it could be a very fun product if worn over another color. Rest assured, I will test it and let you know what I think!

So there it is, my first real post about, well, nothing really.... Enjoy. And oh yeah, congrats to the BYU Cougars for thumping UCLA 59-0 yesterday!!!