This weekend, I was back in Wisconsin for a big family event.

My grandpa was taking part in the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight, the Wisconsin branch of the national Honor Flight Network, which honors World War II veterans.

As part of the flight, my grandpa and hundreds of other vets from Wisconsin flew to Washington, DC for the day and visited several of the monuments. And, due to my grandpa’s age and health, my brother went as his guardian.

No kidding, those guys had a 21+ hour day Saturday, leaving Milwaukee at 4 a.m. and returning home at 9:25 p.m. for a parade through the airport for families and friends to attend. The parade is a surprise for the vets.

So Saturday night, my mom, grandma, SIL and her parents crowded at the airport (elbows out!!) and waited for the guys to return. Yes, the wait was long, my legs cramped and I may or may not have SHUSHED a child (who was annoying) but when it came time to watch my brother and grandpa walk down the parade route to us, I was a total mess.

And I caught it on video. It’s a little Blair Witch with a Cloverfield moment thrown in.

I literally start to cry every time I watch because the emotion, joy and crowd made it so special.

It was a great night and I am so glad that I got to be there. And a big thanks to my mom and brother for coordinating the application, I won’t ever forget the look of pure joy on my grandpa’s face.

How was your weekend?

But I wanted to share some pictures from the long weekend because some are too cute for words. Literally.

While I was back in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving, I stayed with my brother and SIL and got to meet my fur nephew (aka their dog), Steve. He’s a daschund and (in my opinion), the most adorable, sweet and loving fur nephew a girl could ask for. I was fully prepared to cash all the love checks he was writing.

And write them he did!

Auntie Jess and Steve

Steve sitting on my lap (LOOK AT THAT FACE! How could you NOT love him?)

Butt shot (he was camera shy)

During my three days with him, he licked my eye (right on the contact too), nose, lips, boobs, hands and fingers. Yes, it grossed me out for a minute but then I gave in to it.

The best part? Thursday morning, he scurried out of my bro/SIL’s bedroom and ran right over to my closed guest room door before going downstairs. And when I gave the okay for him to come in, he came BOUNDING in the room, beyond excited to see me. Okay, he may have been excited for anyone but I think I made an impression.

I literally cannot wait to go back for Christmas to cash some more love checks and snuggle with him. I LOVE HIM.

And after my fur nephew morning snugglefest, it was time to get ready for the meal. In the past, I’ve worn dress pants or even jeans to Thanksgiving and honestly, after that meal, I feel like those pants could pop off themselves. So, I’m all about comfort now.

Here is this year’s Thanksgiving outfit:

(Flannel top: Ralph Lauren outlet, T-shirt: Banana Republic, Leggings: Hue, Boots: Banana Republic, Necklace: Nordstrom)

It was comfy and fashionable. Win, win.

How was everyone else’s long weekend?

Anyhow, this weekend was celebrating two more things I love about fall: college football and farmer’s markets. Sure, the latter is actually more of a summer thing, but for me, it’s more about fall.

I love college football. I don’t get to watch it live or on TV nearly enough so any opportunity I get, I take it. And this weekend, I got to watch my favorite team (the Wisconsin Badgers) play Minnesota in Madison. I LOVE watching games at Camp Randall, even if it’s 80 degrees and I’m sitting in the sun most of the day sweating like a wh*re in heat. Sadly, I only make it up there once a year so I savor it as much as I can.

That includes indulging in some great, beer battered cheese curds (YUM), New Glarus Spotted Cow (awesome beer) and the farmers market around the state capitol.

I suck at going to farmer’s market in Chicago because I am not a weekend morning person. I get up early five days a week, so Saturday/Sunday, I take my time leaving the house. This is why I never make it to the local farmer’s market. But in Madison, I get up early and hit the square before the game, visiting my regular vendors, like this guy:

I love walking around the square, seeing the fresh produce, fruit, flowers and seasons decorations.

And this time, I picked up some stuff I’m wicked excited about, including:

• Homemade honey and honey shooters (yes, shots of honey)
• Wisconsin maple syrup lollipops (YES!)
• Green peppers the size of my head
• Freshly made kettle corn
• Honey crisp apples (LOVE these)
• And this cutie……

Yep, I’m going to try and grow my own basil. I have no idea if it will work but I’ll give it a try!

How was your weekend? What are your favorite things to pick up at the market?

Or as I like to call them “things I try to achieve when I’m not lazy.”

But before I go out tomorrow night, drink loads of champagne, possibly force a guy to make out with me and spend the first day of 2010 hungover on my couch, I want to highlight a few 2009 highlights (in no particular order):

• Vegas – holla bloggers!
• Boston with dad
• BlogHer 2009 – did you see this video of Katelin, Jamie and me? That’s how much fun it was
• New blog design/URL (I’m such a grown up blogger now)
• Target Bazaar party with Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr (I die!)
• Turning the big 3-0
• Received a promotion at work (WOO!)
• First ever VLOG about my then life as a twenty something

All in all, 2009 was a pretty good year, lots going on but a lot of positive things too. So as I continuously try to become a better person, let’s look at how I plan to do that starting Friday. Oh and this is separate from the yearly pledge to lose more weight.

2010 resolutions:

• Sign up for dance classes (real ones at a real dance studio)
• Run a 5k (and start the Couch to 5k program)
• Be a better friend and daughter
• Start a knitting project (other than a scarf) and FINISH it
• Make one new recipe a month
• Be more active in blogging communities in addition to my blog

Well that’s my 2009 wrap up and 2010 sneak peek for now. I hope 2010 will be as exciting and good to me as well as for all of you. I think 2010 could be the year of me!

I’ll be back this weekend with more but in the meantime, I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year! My New Years Day plans involve my couch, a pizza and lots of water and Naked Juice. Let’s party.

What was your 2009 highlight (blog or otherwise) or what’s your big 2010 resolution?

New movie review is up! You can read my full review of the musical Nine, get those jazz hands ready!

What I’m wearing: Sunday, I put up a picture of me wearing the below outfit over the holidays and then I didn’t share what stores I got everything from! I’m sorry! Details on my comfortable, “trendy” look are below.

Outfit breakout:

Shirt: Old Navy

Long vest: Banana Republic

Leggings: Hue, purchased at Nordstrom

Necklace: Banana Republic outlet

Boots: Banana Republic

Bracelets: Old Navy (black jet beaded ones) and David Yurman

As many of you know, I’m a huge Gap/Banana/Old Navy fan. Minus the Yurman bracelets, the most expensive item from this ensemble was the boots, which were $100 on super-end-of-season sale. Everything else individually was $40 or below.

Honestly, I had to write down that today is Sunday because I totally forgot. That’s what happens when you’re off for several days in a row.

Santa definitely visited my house this year and it was clear that dad told him I was a very good girl :) I’ve had some past issues of dad not following my Christmas list (which he always requests), but after a heart-to-heart about the difference between what I want/need and what he wants to give me, this year went much better.

Santa managed to fit in his sleigh for me several fun/practical things like a Wii, Wii Fit Plus, Huntress boots, yoga mat/bag, Glee seasons 1-2 CDs, JCrew/iTunes gift cards and a crock pot. Seriously, I was really excited about that crock pot. I cannot wait to bust that out!

And of course we had insane amounts of food in our house. I swear, any healthy food was replaced with M&Ms, fudge and cookies. My stepmom made a fruit salad and I devoured the entire thing because I FORGOT how good fruit tastes. Sad.

Festive ice cream cake, nummy

So all of this food meant I had to constantly wear comfortable clothing (to avoid another uncomfortable pants hissy fit) and I ended up wearing variations of this outfit anytime I went out in public. At least I was trendy.

A few other highlights of the last few days include: the first time having fondue with my work/WI buddy Lizz, seeing a few movies and not washing my hair for a few days. God, that was liberating.

Oh and I had to share a picture of my mom’s new ornament, can you guess the classic movie this appeared in? :)

How was everyone else’s holiday? What was your favorite present?

Review blog update: I’m staying strong on my no shopping pledge, but that means I’m behind in having things to review, so I’ve added movies! And my inaugural movie review is one of the best movies I’ve seen in recent memory (minus New Moon): The Young Victoria.

As you can see, this year is no exception :)

Well my lovely readers, it’s time for me to wish you all a very happy holidays and sign off for now. That’s right, I’m taking a few days off to eat, drink (a lot) and be merry with family and friends in town.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy and joyous holiday and that Santa brings you everything on your wish list.

Oh and I’m thinking of adding some movie reviews to my review blog (due to the cutbacks in shopping). So hopefully that will help me keep that updated more frequently!

Have you seen decor like this around your house? It’s so…eye catching :)

JB out.

It feels like Antarctica all the time.

I’m constantly cold with teeth chattering and trying to stay warm while wrapped in my big fuzzy robe and slippers. I don’t want to TMI on here, but having your nips constantly at full mast is super irritating. Those things could cut glass.

Basically, I hate being cold.

My Chicago apartment, where I don’t pay for heat, is a balmy, heavenly 75 degrees in the winter. I love it, especially when I come home to a warm apartment when it’s cold outside. I’m sure when the free heat days are over, I’ll be a 60-degree girl too but for now, welcome to tropical paradise!

Dad and I constantly argue about the thermostat temp. He tells me to put on (another) sweater or just dress warmer but once I get cold, I cannot warm up. Thank goodness for my heated mattress pad. I cannot live without it in winter and I never want to leave my nice warm bed.

So this time when I came home, I decided to plan ahead and bring cute, coordinated pj pants from Gap and Old Navy. If I’m going to struggle to stay warm, why not try to look cute doing it?

Yeah, it still doesn’t work and I’m still wrapped in the fetal position in my bathrobe trying to stay warm. Classy.

What about you? Do you prefer to be warm or cool in your home/apartment or when you sleep?

Bloggy birthday: Thank you everyone for the kind blog birthday wishes. My blog and I appreciate them :) I also owe a big thank you to Teena in Toronto for reminding me about the big day!

I used to be a master parallel parker. When I lived in Minnesota, I would park on the street (summer and winter) and I always parallel parked my car. I could get into any spot I knew would fit my adorable Honda Civic and I wore that pride like a badge of honor.

Fast forward to living in Chicago where I don’t have a car or drive regularly. I used to always think I would forget how to drive but fortunately that’s not the case. Unfortunately, I do forget how to parallel park.

It’s so sad to watch me do it too, fumbling around, getting frustrated and making squeaking/grunting noises when I don’t turn the wheel soon enough. Embarrassing.

Now when I park and people are in the car with me. I immediately turn and apologize to them because they’re about to witness something awful. I usually try to park it in 1-2 tries and then give up. I’ll even park further away from my location just so I can angle or straight park. Sad.

I bring this up because last weekend my co-worker/buddy Lizz and I went out for drinks and I drove. And had to park. And I was so nervous because it was the first time we’ve hung out together outside of work and she would have to witness my private shame. I didn’t think my wit and charm would save me on that one.

And the second time a parking situation came  up, I apologized again and began to try and park. FAIL. But rather than get embarrassed, she talked me through it and amazingly I got that car in perfectly. I was shocked. And then I made her hug it out.

It was beautiful.

I may never be able to do that again, but damn I did a good job (with great help).

So what part of driving do you always have trouble with? Parking? Y-turns? Or if you live in a big city do you find that you are more or less aggressive than when you drove regularly?

Cake love: Thanks everyone for the tip on getting the cake recipe! I will be calling and emailing them today to see if they will share it with me. And if so, I think there’s a cake post in my future!

This week, I’m mourning a very sad loss. The loss of the BEST CAKE EVER. That’s right, I said, EVER.

It’s sour cream chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting and it’s like taking a bite of heaven and digesting clouds of sunshine and moonbeams.

I’ve mentioned it on here a few times because I have at birthdays and well, it’s just that fabulous. And I’ve had this as my birthday cake since I was a kid. And considering I just turned 30, that is, well a long time and a lot of cakes.

So why am I mourning it’s loss? Because last weekend, my brother texted to tell me that the bakery is closing due to the economy and ownership change. And that it was closing on Thanksgiving.

No joke, I nearly started to cry.

This cake was going to be my wedding cake and be a tradition I carry on for a family I may have one day. And now, the thought of it not being there for my next birthday breaks my heart.

What? Breaks my heart? A cake?

Yes, it’s dramatic and overblown but it’s more than that. It’s the symbolism that a long-time tradition is now gone.

And last week, my mom and dad surprised me at work by emailing to say they’re getting one more cake for us to enjoy at our separate Thanksgivings as a way to say goodbye. Bittersweet.

So now, I pour some malt liquor on the sidewalk to honor that bakery and say goodbye. I even play a little Peter Gabriel, clutching a branded napkin in it’s honor.

Goodbye Shaker Baker and thank you for being there with us for so long.

So questions for the evening! Do you have a favorite cake that you can’t live without? Or what is a longstanding food tradition in your family, for holidays or birthdays?

And here’s some cake porn to take us out tonight:

I’ll miss you :(

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!

Anyhow, let’s get started!

Vampires, werewolves and shirtless action, oh my!

As you know, Friday morning at 12:45 a.m., TC and I were at the Chicago AMC theater with several hundred other Twilight fans to get our New Moon-on. We arrived at 11, thinking the line wouldn’t be too bad and were greeted with this.

Holy sh*tballs

People must have arrived for the movie at 8 or 9 p.m. That is a level of hardcore I will never achieve.

Thank goodness for relevant reading materials to pass the time.

Sadly, people didn’t dress in costume (we were easily the most casual people there), but the ladies got R-O-W-D-Y when the movie got started, clapping, cheering and gasping/screaming when Jacob and Edward were on screen. As expected, Jacob’s ab-action got the loudest response while Edward didn’t fare so well. I guess the ladies like a little meat on their men’s bones :)

And as a member of Team Jacob, I would look at that chest all day long. RAWR. I even said to TC pre-movie, “when I see Jacob without his shirt on…it’s cougar time.” I think we laughed about it for 10 minutes. Exhaustion will do that.

We got out of the movie at 3:15 a.m. and I walked into my apartment at 3:45 a.m., where I promptly went to bed and got back up at 7:30 a.m. to get ready for work. Kill me now. I fared pretty well during the day but crashed HARD Friday night. But, it was SO WORTH IT.

So what did I think of the movie? (non-spoilers below)

I loved it. It was much better than Twilight (like day and night different, aka better) and the things that really irritated me about Twilight weren’t so bad this time (minus Jasper’s unfortunate hair and Alice’s bad fashion sense.)

I also really loved the Jacob character. He was exactly what I imagined he would be and the scenes he had with Kristen Stewart had more heat and emotion than anything with Edward (sorry ladies). Maybe I like him so much because I identify with his character in a lot of ways, but he was great. And TC and I disagreed on a scene in the movie that foreshadows book four but we did agree that we’ll be back at another midnight showing for Eclipse on June 30. It’s on the calendar already!

Football with a side of soft pretzel

Lately, we’ve been really fortunate with good weather in Chicago. And by good, I mean not frickin’ freezing. And Saturday was a great day that included mild temps and sunshine. And that was the day I was up in Evanston with my parents for the Northwestern/Wisconsin game. Compared to the seats my parents and I are used to in Madison (50 yard line, 20 rows back), these seats were….not as close.

I cannot believe that guy stood up in the middle of my shot. D-bag.

Whenever I go to a game, I always treat myself to a hot dog, soda and soft pretzel. That is my go-to for stadium food. I don’t know what they put in it (and don’t want to know) but it is awesome. And as it got darker and colder outside, the fans became bigger d-bags and my team started losing, I was ready to get out of there.

Oh college football, I love it but it will break your heart sometimes.

So did anyone else do fun stuff this weekend? If you saw New Moon, what did you think? Or what is your favorite stadium food?

And sadly, college football season is coming to a close, so to celebrate the last two games of the Badger football season I hit a Badger-bar this weekend for the Michigan game and next weekend I’m headed to Evanston to see them play Northwestern.

Yes, I do love college football. That and I can’t say no to a 32 oz. beer for $7 at a bar that puts fresh duct tape on the seats before the game starts. That’s MY kind of place :)

College football has a ton of rivalries but the Michigan/Wisconsin game is a big one. Why? Because fans of each team hate each other. The only team I dislike more than Michigan is Ohio State. That’s how we roll in the Midwest.

But I do have a lot of friends from Michigan so TC, her friend Marie and I put our team alliances aside and watched the game together at a Wrigleyville bar. As you can see, it’s my kind of crowd :)

Well, minus the b*tchy looks on those girls faces

At the bar, I also learned that I can easily make guys buy shots for me and my friends, all with power of my eyes.

I wish I knew about this power earlier!

I’m not trying to be narcissistic but I do have big eyes that I try to play up  with slightly tinted contacts and lacquered-on mascara (without looking like Tammy Faye).

So a drunk guy stumbles over to our table and begins to slur/talk to us. He starts with TC and Marie and when he looks at me he stops talking.

Him: Wow your eyes are blue

Me: Yes they are

Him: They are like really blue

Me: Yes

Him: They’re beautiful

Me: Thank you, that’s very sweet

Him: They are…striking….

Me: Thank you!

Him: I’m going to buy you guys some shots

And then three shots showed up. I know what you’re thinking, he’s married, but I’ll take a compliment where I can get it.

Whatever power my eyes have over drunk guys, I need to harness it, especially when I want a makeout session or shots. I guess the eyes are more powerful than the boobs.

How was everyone else’s weekend? What is your best feature or what do you do to celebrate your favorite sports teams?

So it’s fall now. Thanks weather, I got the memo.

It’s still going to take time to really let this sink in, but I want to be positive and list the things I am looking forward to with this change of season:

• Leaves changing colors - I don’t see this a lot in the city, but whenever I go home, I go for a drive to enjoy them
• Scarves – I love them and wear them all the time when it cools down. Time to get them out!!
• Honey Crisp apples – These are like dessert in apple form. I always look forward to when they are in season
• Perfect sleeping weather – Cool weather + blankets = perfect night’s sleep
• Cotton jackets – Warmth without being too hot, perfect transition to the down jacket
• Smell of fall - It just smells crisp and cool, that’s the only way I can describe it
• Heated mattress pads/blankets - I love cuddling up in these with my slippers on and flannel jammies. So comfy!
• Working on my “winter coat” – I mean indulging in the treats and warm drinks/foods of the season. All in good balance with going to the gym :)
• College football!! – Yeah I love it. I plan to be watching the Minnesota/Wisconsin game on Saturday morning too!
• Farmer’s markets – so much goodness in one place

Yikes, this is very close to last year’s list too!

Anyhow, one of my favorite things about college football is home games in Madison. Unfortunately, I don’t go to many of them (given the lack of car thing) but the best part of the home games is at the beginning of the fourth quarter when the student section erupts in the well known “jump around,” to the House of Pain 90s hit. On a bad day, I listen to this song on my iPod and do a little “jump around” myself.

The video isn’t great but you can hear the crowd sing along and people standing start moving up and down almost in unison. It’s pretty awesome.

And speaking of farmer’s markets, I went to one near the capital in Madison this weekend and took some awesome photos. Sadly, I didn’t buy all of these items, but the food porn going on is more than enough for me :)

Peppers, caliente!

Eggplant

Kettle corn!

I was good and bought apples, but I did that moreso because I wanted one of these guys:

Red velvet whoopie pie

I love red velvet and cake and I think I just found the perfect combo! Oh and it does taste like heaven, although it took me forever to finish this one. Damn it’s filling.

What are you looking forward to this fall? Is it finally fall-like weather near you?

Review blog update: Yes, I’ve been behind on this, but now that it’s getting cooler, here’s my favorite nighttime moisturizer

And after some last minute prayers to feel better and survive the craziness, I’m pleased to say that I’m back in Chicago in one piece and feeling a lot better than I did Tuesday-Thursday last week (thank goodness!)

So let’s get started!

Football

My parents and I are huge Wisconsin Badger fans. Sure, I went to the University of Minnesota, but in our house, Badgers are #1 and getting invited to my take one or two of my parents tickets to the games is a big treat (*cough* 50 yard-line seats *cough*). And because I had to be in Madison for a wedding that same day, my dad gave me the golden ticket to the Michigan State game, where he told me beer would make me feel better (it does) and a soft pretzel (LOVE THOSE) would settle my stomach. My stepmom even smuggled in chardonnay, which we drank from a water bottle. Seriously, that woman is the QUEEN of smuggling stuff into games. Here’s the view from our seats.

Wedding

So after a great game (which we won!), I had to get ready for the wedding, which I did in my own traditionally classy way, carrying my dress, shoes and make up into a public restroom and changing in the handicapped stall. The Badger fans that walked into the bathroom and saw me struggling to reach the zipper on the back of my dress must have thought I was c-r-a-z-y.

But I pulled it together and was ready to meet up with Rebecca C and head to the ceremony.

And despite my “tough cookie” exterior and dead-inside heart, I do actually have a fluffy, nougat center (like a candy bar) and seeing two friends get married in such a personal, wonderful ceremony made me tear up, especially as the bride and groom choked up during the vows. I even had a moment, seeing them so in love and happy, where I said, “maybe this is something I want.”

Then my little group made our way over to a bar near the reception hall, but this bar had a tree inside. Yes, a HUGE faux tree. It was awesome. And drunk, male football fans were more than excited to see pretty ladies in dresses. I even discovered the joy of New Glarus’ Spotted Cow beer, which is almost as popular Miller in Wisconsin but is NOT available in Illinois. Oh the cruelty.

The reception was amazing, held at an old, vintage movie theater with the tables set at the floor of the theater with lovely accents and soft lighting. If I had gone with a date, yeah I would have been in the mood to make out :)

My weekend even ended with a French cab driver, asking me why I’m single and refusing to believe I’m 30. Yeah he got a little bigger tip than normal. Sometimes, it’s still nice to hear :)

So how was everyone else’s weekend? Do anything fun? Any other big college football fans out there?

Yard work sucks and I suck at it. Trust me.

Actually, I look like a total sissy in the yard because I don’t like to get dirty (especially my cute outfits and shoes) and I gingerly hold tools, as if they are covered with a disease that could spread to my entire body.

But along with fooling around with half the guys in my German class, I made platonic, non-make out friends too, that I’ve stayed in touch with since I left Wisconsin for Minnesota. And this weekend, two of them got married!

So I went to Madison for the wedding, in my cutest summer sundress and giving my liver a pep talk that there was going to be a SH*T TON of liquor in it that night. Oh but wait, I was driving home, so I settled for 1.5 Miller Lites, which still got me buzzed. Sad.

And while there were some up and down moments, I had a nice time. I know, my tweets from Saturday night probably painted a different picture, but it did end up okay. I was bold and went to the wedding alone and found that some of the college friends who said they were coming didn’t make it, so it was tough to talk to people I did know but haven’t seen in seven years. I’m outgoing but somehow clammed up like, well a clam. And there seating was unassigned at the reception so when I went up to several tables, I was told seats were “reserved,” causing me to sit at the “who are they” table. That was uncomfortable. No assigned seats? I’ve never had that happen and I felt like I was right back in high school.

My college nemesis was there too and I won’t lie, I think she was shocked to see me. I don’t want to be too petty and say mean things about her and stuff that was done years ago, but I will say this: time was much more kind to me :) Karma is a b*tch.

But after a faux “oh my gosh how are you” hug and air kiss at the ceremony, we really didn’t talk at all, except I saw fingers being pointed at me from across the room and people whispering. Yes, that’s comforting too.

So I did catch up with a few friends later at the reception (everyone’s married! OMG) and went home happy that at least the experience ended well. Oh and watching four hot guys sing a cappella in a boy band-like fashion while tipsy on Miller Lite was fun too. Yeah the “college me” would have hooked up with three of them, fortunately I was not tipsy enough to begin spanking. That would have been awkward.

How was everyone else’s weekend? Are you outgoing in social situations like weddings or parties where you don’t know many people? I usually am at parties but somehow, I just get very awkward at weddings!

In fact, when I started writing this post last week, I was sitting on a park bench in front of a local library where Wifi is free. Yes, it’s quite a scene.

So while I loaded up on fresh air and watched my hair disintegrate thanks to humidity (stupid curls!) I wanted to share some of my favorite things about being on vacation, outside of the no working thing.

• Sleeping late (which is still 8 a.m. for me. So sad)

• Not counting calories (yes, I will have another beer, piece of pie and/or cup of gelato)

• Looking at the stars

• Watching the sun set (beer in hand is optional)

• Visiting boutique shops (no JCrew or Banana Republic within 50 miles)

• Forgoing make up and fashion (I didn’t wear make up for a week and I LOVED it)

• Seeing local, exotic animals (including raccoons, deer and wild turkies. Not your average city animal life)

• Laying at the beach and/or pool (assuming a beached whale position on a chaise lounge chair)

• Reading on the porch (I read three books while I was gone and I show no signs of stopping!)

I have to say, reading in general is my favorite part of vacation. I loved relaxing with a good book on our screened-in porch or when lounging at the beach or pool. I just picked up another book today and have another waiting in the wings for me to get started on. My brain is just a sponge when I’m on vacation, soaking up all the good books and stories I’ve been waiting to read.

What do you love most about being on vacation, or where is your favorite place to retreat to each summer? Northern Wisconsin is definitely ours. Also, how was everyone’s weekend?

Tomorrow I’m officially back in the office, which means this happy little vacation bubble I’m still living in goes away.

F*ck.

But, I will be back to regularly blogging and commenting again :)

Giveaway update: The winners of the Gap giveaway are up now on the review blog, along with my review of the Gap Perfect Boot jeans! Thank you everyone for your great entries!

Oh yes, 21 is when I finally had my own car. That’s why I am SUCH a good co-pilot on long trips. I’m very attentive :)

But recently, I was digging through some old photos and I found a picture of my first car and with a smug Katie-Holmes-like-side-mouth-smile, I took a little trip down memory lane.

My first car wasn’t a LeSabre or Ford Taurus, it was a white Plymouth Laser (similar to the photo below). Sexy.

It was a two-door piece of freedom given to me by my dad when I transferred to the University of Minnesota because, well, he wanted to make sure I could come home whenever I wanted. And after borrowing cars for so long, I could not WAIT to do whatever I wanted in it. It was like a gift from heaven, with automatic windows and transmission and A/C.

And what made that car even better was the word “Laser” written in cursive on the trunk. I thought this was so classy, until a friend pointed out that from far away it looked like it said “Loser,” thus naming my car, “the Loser car.” Trust me, those girls stopped calling it that when they needed a ride.

Other fond memories in this car include, dreading emissions testing, whining about gas prices (when they were under around $1.25/gallon) and getting stuck in the snow because the car rode so low to the ground. I kid you not, the seats were so low and reclined that I felt like I was in a DeLorean. I was just missing the flux capacitor.

And I’ll just breeze over the front seat making out stories where you try to figure out how to move over the passenger side when your short legs get caught in the space around the gas/brake pedal. Nothing says, “I want to second base” like getting stuck in the car and then laughing. Hot.

So those are my first-car memories. And while the Laser was replaced with a Honda Civic after an unfortunate engine issue, it will always hold a special place in my heart. But man, I did really love that Civic.

What was your first car? Any fond memories of it?