This weekend I’ll be living it up in Sin City. I’ve been itching to get back there since the first time I went in December, I was really sick and didn’t get to do it up right. Come Saturday, I plan on being well and so far from sicky that I will bathe in orange juice and live in a bubble until I step foot on that airplane if need be. A weekend vacation could not be any more needed right now!

Of course this means, last minute Vegas preparations because I can’t go there looking like a hot mess. This means a haircut is in order. If you have been reading this blog long enough, you know what a big sissy I am when it comes to my hair. I HATE haircuts and will let it grow out for over 6 months before I’ll go get a trim and I wait until the very last minute to see if I can get an appointment. Hopefully today when I call, my stylist and hair guru, Mary, can fit me in on Friday. Also, since I’m bringing in boyfriend to get his haircut, I hope I get a sweet discount for referring him!

I briefly asked this on twitter yesterday but since more of you read this than my twitter I’ll pose the question here as well.

What are must do/see/eats in Vegas?

GO!

P.S. Umm…Now What? is looking for guest posters.
P.P.S. I’m talking about 5 1/2 inch heel-less boots over at Rone Break. Fashion forward or fashion flop?
P.P.P.S. This girl is in need of a new hair straightener. If you enter this contest, I hope you give it to me if you win!

Earlier this week, I found out that Chester French would be in town. They are a supporting act on the Common and N.E.R.D tour and decided to take the night off and play newish club, Angels and Kings.

Way back when, boyfriend put She Loves Everybody on a mix he made for me that’s all I needed to hear. They have a 60s pop feel to them that leaves me swooning. They put on a great set, short but sweet.

If you haven’t checked them out yet, I really suggest you do so. Trust me on this one.

Chester French

I recently started writing for a new site called Rone Break. I’ll be covering fashion! Rone Break covers everything from news, music, entertainment, gadgets, internet…EVERYTHING and it’s pretty awesome.

My first piece is up about Emmy fashion face off: Christian Siriano vs Lauren Conrad.

Do me a favor and please go check it out. Leave me some love saying how brilliant I am so I don’t feel like a big idiot for having no comments and thinking my article sucks.

Take a look around the rest of the site too! There is something for everyone. Plus you can see exactly what a rone is. I know you are intrigued so do it!

Rone Break. Do it up.

Tina Fey came back to reprise her role as an even better Sarah Palin than Sarah Palin. First, we had her meeting with Hilary and now we have her interview with Katie Couric. Here is the real interview if you missed it.

Amazing.

I’m talking about my girl, Britney’s new single. It dropped today!

It seems she is finally getting her life back together. She took the VMAs by storm racking up three awards and looking ridiculously hot while doing so. Brit is making her way back!

This song was so hyped up and was getting pushed further and further back. I just got a chance to listen to it. I love Britney as much as anyone else but I really don’t think this was anything new or special. All the talk about the production and who she is working with got me excited for her new material.

But really, this song sounds like Ooh Ooh Baby off of Blackout. Change the lyrics a bit and now you have Womanizer.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad song. It’s just not living up to the hype.

Give it a listen.

Thoughts?

So I’m still relatively new to Marie’s blog but she had her first Coffee Contest and I entered. It was to ask her questions that’s all you had to do. I mean, I was just being nosy because I was still kind of new and here I am – a winner!

Winner = Me

Yesterday I got home from a long day of poopy diapers and tantruming 3 year olds at work and found I had a package.

A BIG package!

I grabbed a pen and ripped that sucker open and found all of this amazingly perfectly Jamie goodness!

The contents included an adorable tote to carry around my stuff, a notebook with pretty shoes to write all my lovely thoughts and lists, a coffee mug with a great proverb on it and…

AND!

The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own by Nina Garcia

Now this means one of four things:

1) Marie thinks I dress bad and could use some tips
2) she’s been reading long enough to know I am obsessed with Project Runway
3) Marie is a psychic and knows I have been wanting this book for the longest
4) she just has really awesome taste!

When I opened the box and seen the book I may or may not be lying when I say I shouted out, “SHUT YOUR FACE! SARA COME LOOK AT THIS!”

Needless to say, I was ridiculously excited and this is the best contest prize ever.

Thanks so much, Marie. You are awesome!

Now everyone go stop by Marie’s Blog Cafe and tell her how cool she is.

+ Grey’s Anatomy starts today
+ The Office too!
+ Project Runway is on DVR
+ being in second place for a style award! 13 more votes needed to give me the lead
+ my sister comes home for a visit today
+ cupcake dates with Erin soon
+ I will be getting drunk courtesy of this blog this weekend
+new projects and opportunities
+ I have up a post at Umm…Now What? about fielding uncomfortable questions from family and friends.
+ and another at Who’s Your Dachshund? about ball-balls
+ free handbag contests. yes please!

- my new shampoo makes my hair feel greasy the next day and everyone knows the next day is the best hair day
- Rhianna annoys the shit out of me lately. She should stop making pop music and go be any angry goth already
- needing another job because one just isn’t cutting it
- not having jalapeno cheese fries right this second because I have been thinking about them ever since some waitress rubbed her boob all over Ben’s elbow
- the fact that Edie and my dad’s dog, Buttercup cannot be in the same room without trying to murder one another. Leader of the pack issues.
- refraining from spending tons of money on adorable fall stuff on etsy

Anything you need to add? What are your +/-’s?

As I said earlier this week, my blog turns one year old today!

Because it’s my blog birthday, you lurkers should come out of hiding! Come say hi, introduce yourself, tell me your favorite color, whatever your little heart desires. We don’t bite!

In celebration, I’m giving away a ton of really awesome, retro inspired prints on my other blog from etsy seller, Kerry Beary. Seriously, there are like $200 worth of prints and there will be 7 winners! You should go enter!

Kerry Beary giveaway

Lastly, I need your votes. I mentioned this before but Brandy nominated Oh How Lovely Shops for a style award and I’d LOVE to win. If I do win, I’d be donating about half of the $250 to charity so please vote, it will take all of a minute.

I only have 27 votes and the person in the lead has 73. I know I have more readers than that. If you are entering my giveaway and vote me, leave me a comment in the giveaway entry with what number vote you were and you’ll get an extra entry!

And don’t say it’s the signing up thing because you guys all signed up to vote for the Blogger’s Choice Awards in hopes for Crissy n00dz!

Vote. Pretty please?

It was the summer before eighth grade. I remember the morning well. It was early, about 8AM and I was just about ready to get into the shower and was walking into the bathroom. Out of nowhere I hear my dad screaming from the basement to get out of the house. He yelled that it was on fire and we needed to get out now.

I grabbed my little dog, rounded together my brother and sister and rushed out front. I ran to my best friend’s two houses down and pounded on the their screen door for them to call 911. This was back in the days of dial-up and my best friend had been on the internet so her mom was screaming at her to get off the damn computer so she can make the call. My dad had brought my other dog, Leo, from the backyard to go into theirs with their dog, Toto. He was a corgi now that I think about it, I haven’t thought about that dog in ages.

The few hours after that were kind of a blur. I remember two fire engines showing up. My uncle on one of them. Later I seen him on my roof, cutting holes into it so the smoke would come out. Everyone was gathered around like it was some kind of spectacle, eyes wide staring at us because we were crying or in shock waiting to see how we would react. My mother’s boss drove her home from work as soon as she heard the new and she ran out of the car in disbelief. It was our home.

Now it was gone.

Once the house was declared stable, we were able to go in and see if anything was salvageable. I remember walking into my room, my posters of my latest boy crush from the pages of Teen Beat or BOP were just remnants and ashes. My vanity given to me by my cousin was now smashed to pieces. My Tigger backpack that was the coolest thing in school was toast. I’d no longer match with my best friends. Stuffed animals were strewn across the room. I rescued all my old Sesame Street ones and Red the Fraggle. I still have them today in a box in my closet. The scent of smoke still lingers on them.

Earlier this weekend, I drove past a house that had a bonfire going outside. All these memories and smells and sounds came rushing back and everything replayed in my head so vividly.  I often wonder if the smell of something burning will always me anxious. If ambulances and firetrucks on my block will always make me nervous and if the sound of sirens near by will always make my heart race.

Sometimes I wish it would just go away. But after that happened, it was one of the only times I ever felt like my family was truly that.

A family.

I think I’d like to hold on to that feeling.

For a little longer at least.

Well, almost.

In two days, it will be one year since I started this blog. I’m not sure if I can’t believe it’s already been a year or if I can’t believe it has only been a year.

Never did I really think that this blog would get to where it is now. I’m not saying it’s a big, huge blog but it’s pretty amazing.

Quick year in review time:

I remember when I was excited that I got my first comment ever when I was talking about how Izzy is a home wrecking slut. One of my favorite posts was crimes against fashion and yes, I’m sorry but leggings are still not pants! Aly and I bonded over our love for Pacey and I believe this got me my first blog award. I whined and complained the whole way through NaBloPoMo but ended up kicking it’s ass leaving it crying and fearing November of 08. I confessed my fashion sins. One of my favorite things I did last year even though I spent most nights in a heap of tears because I was so sick: Vegas, baby! The 20SB Awards went down and I walked away with Most Likeable which left me shocked. Oh, and there was man candy. You’re welcome, ladies! In February, Edie pup came into my life. I still can’t believe how tiny she once was. I wrote the most honest thing I have ever written. The fiercest blogger meet up, you ever did see took place over Borders and yummy food. I couldn’t be more happy to say she is now one of my best friends. There is actually another post of things I love coming but here is the original.  There was a celebrity encounter with one that spoke Tim Gunn fluently. I visited the Land of the Mouse and had some of the most amazing guest posters ever during that time. Chicago invaded San Francisco and I met some of my favorite bloggers at BlogHer! Another puppy dog came into my life and a doggy blog launched: Who’s Your Dachshund? with some fabulous wiener dog blog owners.  Then my other baby was born: Oh How Lovely Shops bringing you the most stylish and fun items from all over etsy. Speaking of blog launches, not too long after that I was asked to be a part of Umm…Now What? with 4 other lovely and talented ladies. That brings us to today!

If that isn’t quite a year in blogging, I don’t know what is! Of course there was the occasional mean comments or posts but there is so much good in the blogging community that it completely outweighs the bad and negative.

Thank you all for being supportive, taking time out to read, comment, send emails, gchat and all that. You guys are awesome and I’m really happy I started this blog and was able to meet all of you.

Here’s to one year, Oh! How Lovely!

I promise won’t make you wear a stupid party hat.

Well, maybe a tiara…