It’s officially really fall in Chicago. Only in the Midwest does the temperature drop 20-30 degrees overnight.

But even with the change in temperatures, I had a lovely little weekend, where I finally started utilizing a few of my gift cards, you know, the things I tend to hoard? Yeah, well I started really USING them this weekend. Not all of them, but just a few.

I may be a purse girl but I love shoes too and lately, I’m in BAD need of fall shoes. And with the entrance of straight leg jeans to my wardrobe, I need a few more options to wear with them.

And because I’m behind on trends, I decided to use my Nordstrom rewards certificate to get a pair of TOMS shoes. Everyone I know that has a pair of TOMS loves them and I support the company’s mission to give a pair of shoes to someone in need.

Are they super fashionable? No. But they are seriously comfortable and look good with straight leg jeans. Yes. Win/win.

I can’t wait to wear them this week, look how cute they are!

The other new addition to my house goes back to my birthday. Yes, I know it’s over but I finally used another gift card I got for it on Friday, one that was insanely nerve wracking and thrilling at the same time: iPhone.

Not my actual iPhone

YES, it is here, in my house, sitting next to me on the couch right now. I put my big girl pants on Friday and walked into the Apple Store to get it and after a few panicked moments, my Blackberry was dead, contacts were transferred and I was the proud owner of a new baby girl iPhone.

And as with all new parents, the first few days were an adjustment, including late nights (trying to figure out how it works and downloading apps). I still don’t totally know what I’m doing, but so far so good.

So if you have any app recommendations or want to try face time with me, let me know!!! I’m dying to take advantage of both.

Yes, right now I’m a little obsessed with my phone. I cannot stop searching the app store, bus tracking for friends and I actually get giddy at text messages. I’m 16 all over again.

How was your weekend? Are you doing fall clothes shopping right now?

Movie Review: Easy A. Let’s see if it gets the grade included in the title :)

Let’s see what sick stuff I’m thinking about this week:

• Glee starts in two weeks. My level of excitement is dialed up to 11. I really hope season 2 doesn’t suck
• I didn’t get the iPhone last weekend and now am thinking about holding off until after Denver in case something goes wrong while I’m gone. Maybe I’m crazy and should just get it and stop worrying
• I’ve been craving sushi like crazy lately. I want it all the time. Maybe my body wants me to be a mermaid or fish
• Fall is definitely coming to Chicago. Time to start eating more and working on my “winter coat”
• Why do I keep getting these painful, below-the-skin blemishes on my face? Those f*ckers hurt
• I love the show Teen Mom, but I don’t love reading about them on the cover of entertainment magazines. These people are not MTV celebs. Please stop!
• Few of my friends love to hug but I know they really missed me when they voluntarily hug me after being gone for a while. It feels awesome :)
• I’m officially on a strict spending budget, minus Denver, until I get my bonus. Between paying my credit card and Nordstrom bill (damn you birthday!) and now booking Mexico for November, I’m getting a little freaked out. Why does this stuff all come together at once?
• I’ve started dancing when I’m alone in elevators again. I hope the security people aren’t jealous of my sick dance moves in the security camera*supastar!*
• I keep hearing the phrase “dry humping is not a f*cking joke” from Going the Distance in my head and laughing, I am so immature, especially when it comes to dry humping

Also, I’m going to try and get a Roomba video going this weekend, provided my teenage girl cooperates and I don’t have to pull her off the Wii Fit again. Kids.

Thank you for visiting my brain again, I promise I cleaned out all of the inappropriate things I was previously thinking (and dreaming) about. Your virgin eyes are safe!

Also, I’m taking about movies I love over at Katelin’s blog while she’s gone. You can find me here.

What’s everyone else up to this weekend? Anything fun or anything on your mind to share?

My parents are divorced so every year I have two Thanksgivings in one day. Moms in the morning and dads in the evening. And the first year we worked out this arrangement, I thought my stomach was going to explode from all the food. My dad found me passed out with a plate of turkey next to me and woke me up to go to bed.

The image of me passed out on a couch, drooling with turkey next to me is hilarious. I wish I had a photo of it.

Anyhow, tonight I’m on my way back to Wisconsin to be with my family, shop my heart out and try to get into the Christmas spirit.

But before that, it’s time to share a silly and serious list of what I’m thankful for this year.

Serious:

• Family (we’re not perfect, but they’re mine!)
• Friends (even those I’ve been estranged from lately)
• A good job
• Good health
• No credit card debt
• A good life in a great city

Silly (this is more fun):

• Jacob’s abs (cougar time!)
• Glee
• HD-TV
• A full head of hair (I would be more thankful if I didn’t have so much gray)
• iPods
• Text messaging
• John Krasinski’s hotness
• Push up bras
• Cotton leggings
• Nordstroms
• A good sense of humor
• Twitter (which will help me get through four days at home)
• Mac and cheese (or just cheese)
• Honey crisp apples
• Cupcakes

And of course, thankful for all of you :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

So what are you thankful for this year? It can be silly and serious!

I’m pleased to introduce you all to Lulu…born officially on April 5, 2008 in Milwaukee weighing 5 pounds. The first time I looked at her, I did know what to say. She looked back at me and I knew right away that she was all mine. Even the little Apple book that came with her said that we were “made for each other.” *Tear!*

After some initial trouble, primarily with merging my Windows iTunes songs onto the Mac, Lulu and I spent a lot of quality time together yesterday during the rain and I think we learned two things. 1) I’m in charge and 2) despite the bumpy beginning, we’re going to get along just fine. I’m amazed at how fast she runs, how bright the screen is and how cute she looks from far away.

As a former PC-only user, there are still a few adjustments that I need to get around, primarily not being able to right-click on the touch pad, but I know Lulu and I will work through this as we spend more time together.

I even picked up a copy of the Apple Store workshop schedule so that I can take Lulu for her first day of school and make sure the other Mac kids are nice to her. I think next weekend we’ll be checking out the iLife or Photography workshop, but I have to stop by the Genius Bar because my arrow keeps stalling or disappearing on the screen but again, Lulu and I will beat this. It’s part of the “getting-to-know-you” process.

So below are some more picture of my baby’s first big weekend in my apartment. Now it’s time to go get her some cute accessories, primarily Bose speakers and/or some nice treats from the Apple Store. We’ll see what she takes a shine to. Welcome to the family Lulu.

Images from top: Lulu in her baby blanket, breakfast, bath time and going out with mama.

First off, it took about an hour for me to decide what to wear and then when I was ready on time, my counterpart Ryan was pokey, thus making us 30 minutes late. We were the last to arrive and Liz was already halfway into her jumbo margarita with an umbrella. Ouch.

Tarascas boasts a certain charm, such as being crushed in the restaurant like sardines, sitting on cheap, plastic lawn chairs and viewing a wall-sized mural of a topless woman with six-pack abs. But with a pitcher of margaritas on the rocks between Ryan and me, it is all irrelevant.

As a note, when ordering your margarita pitcher, don’t ask for the house tequila – ours had a “gamey” taste that makes you wonder if you’re actually drinking rubbing alcohol. But after the first round, that is irrelevant too. Also, my chicken enchiladas were awesome and Liz’s birthday flan wasn’t bad either, although it did look a lot like cheesecake at first.

Once I crawled over the table to get out, rubbing my butt awkwardly against the people crushed next to us, we headed into the bitter cold to Mickey’s, who decided to “class” up their plastic tent with a $5 cover. No thanks. So after walking by a Starbucks, where the intoxicated version of me saw a woman working on a white Macbook (my baby) I yelled at the woman through the window that I loved her computer. She seemed scared, but then it was off to the Tin Lizzie.

There we were treated to another sign of spring – the first slutty summer top with tacky plastic bra straps! Three women came in for a champagne cocktail and preceded to begin gyrating their hips and swinging their arms in the air to Kayne and Justin Timberlake at the bar. They might have been confused that it’s a bar and not a dance club. Ryan and Mike were quite surprised yet hypnotized by this, but nothing tops Mike turning back to us while the girls were having a hip-swiveling seizure and saying, “wow those girls have to be so high on coke.” Love this guy.

Another night out in the city and another day of waking up with a “sock-like” tongue and a wicked headache. Unfortunately, during my margarita haze, I slipped to the group what my Macbook’s name is. So while they know, everyone else will have to wait until I see her next weekend.

Then, I got really good news from work :) That plus a good workout at the gym and news that my Apple-baby has shipped via Apple-stork. I can’t complain. There was a brief moment of worry when my iPod froze and I could not restart it, but fortunately it was fixed (in case you were worried.)

So now I’m off to enjoy some Cheerios and watch the Colbert Report. Love that show.

As of 5:40 p.m. tonight, it’s still in my hallway and I have no plans to pick it up. If I pick up that menu, Duck Walk wins. I’m tempted to post a sign on my door telling whomever is putting this under my door to not waste their time, because regardless of how many they give me, I will not eat there…ever. Don’t force your cheap restaurant on me, play hard to get!

Dreaming of a Macbook
Now that my tax return is in, I’m dreaming and drooling over a new Mac laptop to replace the POS one I’m typing on now. Because I’ve used “hand me down” laptops for the last five years, I had no idea how expensive they are! Now I really need that stimulus check. Come to me!

Recommending today….
Hit the Coach store today to check out scarves for my Carryall and the new signature lip gloss. Highly recommend the Hibiscus color, super cute. And cute packaging, which is always a plus!