What started as two awesome 20somethings twittering, turned into a a magical brainstorming phone call and from there it turned into a ridiculous meet-up of 20+ twenty-somethings taking over Las Vegas the first weekend in June.

I’m going to Vegas this weekend. I’m sure you will be seeing that a lot around blogs and twitter. You’re probably already sick of hearing about it.

Whatever, don’t ruin my fun. I’m psyched.

Besides the obvious of hookers and blow, I need some suggestions of what to hit up this time. I’ve been there twice before but there is a lot of Vegas to cover. I’ll be seeing LOVE so I have shows down so let’s talk food and other stuff! I’m so far from ballin’ right now so let’s be reasonable but I’m not above a splurge or two.

What’s your favorite spot in Vegas? Food recommendations?

P.S. If unflattering photos of me wandering around the strip or lounging by the pool looking all whaleish show up online, I will kill you.
P.P.S. I’m not kidding.
P.P.P.S. You will be dead before you can think of logging into Facebook to start tagging.

Yesterday I was at the nanny job and I’m sitting with the little girl (who will be two come July) on the couch. She has a book in one hand and her little pink blanket in the other. She asks me to cover her and I do. Then she looks up at me, puts part of the little blanket on me so I’m partly covered too and says “cover you!”. Cuddles in a little closer and says, “Love you, Jamie”.

(except it sounds more like “luh you, Shamie” because she can’t quite get those J’s right.)

I told her, “love you too, baby” and we read our book.

Except I was a little teary, I’m not going to lie. I’ve been with this family for almost three years and it’s all starting to come to an end. I was around with the little one who told me this came home from the hospital. I was there a month and a half ago when her baby brother came home from the hospital. I started when the oldest was almost a year old. I taught him new words and how to count in Spanish. I was there when he refused to say my name for the longest time (and once even called me “Jesus”). When it comes down to it, I’ve gained another family.

I know the job is frustrating at times. I worked the longest hours. I’ve lost my patience. I often felt I couldn’t stand to look at another chicken nugget if my life depended on it. And if I had to give another time out, I just might scream. As I’ve said many times before, I love the kids more than anything but it’s just time for me to move on. I just can’t do it anymore. I don’t want to. I want something more.

But then moments happen like when a two year old shares her favorite blankey and I would do it all over in a heartbeat.

I’ll miss my babies but they are family now and it’s definitely not the end of family.

I’ll be there always.

It’s just time to close the nanny chapter of my life.

Back when I was a wee Lovely, I use to rock the scrunchie. I’m not going to lie. And yeah, they may have been neon colored. I also thought floppy hats a la Blossom and side pony tails on top of my head were pretty freaking cool.

Then again, it was the late eighties and early nineties so it just went with the pog playing and knotted tee shirt territory so shut it.

But now in 2009, there is absolutely NO excuse for a 20something anyone to be wearing a god damn scrunchie. I don’t care if you’re the hippest hipster that ever lived. I mean, I know you all try to run with the whole it’s-so-ugly-and-ironic-it’s-cool type deal but dude, seriously.

Hip does not mean ugly.

But I guess if you hit 6 Corners here in Chicago, your eyes would tell you differently. And I bet you would see some of these monstrosities.

Yes, I pulled that off of American Apparel’s website. Yes, they are selling them for six bucks a pop. YES, it hurts my heart a little.

I’m a fan of AA. Most of the stuff, anyway. I could live every day of my life wearing a tri-blend deep v because they are just THAT comfortable. I enjoy their hoodies and try to steal William’s all the time. But, I think they’ve gone too far.

If you’re rocking the scrunchie, we can’t be friends.

I’m sorry.

(I’m not even going to touch the pregnant ads because dude, I doubt any pregnant woman would think this outfit is comfortable. I’m uncomfortable just looking at it.)

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Same with ohhowlovely.net/shops to jamieann.net/shops.

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My nails have been growing and looking rather nice when polished but during my most recent bout of overreacting to something silly, I bit them off. Old habits die hard, yo.

Then I decided I needed to fake it until I make it and was going to get them done. I can’t be going to interviews with yucky fingers. Totally not sexy.* So I call up the mother and am all, “I need the name of that place I use to go to for nails” and she was like “oh, I’ll go with you” and I was like “…………” and then she said that magic words: my treat.

Before she could change her mind, I yelled, “see you at seven, you better throw in a pedicure!” and peaced out of work early.

I had to take advantage of the sudden niceness while it lasted because dude, I’m all about some pampering and a free meal.

So I’m in the massage chair and I’m watching American Idol on the flat screens for like the first time ever. Almost dropped my iPhone in the foot bowl. Three times because I was distracted by dude with the sparkly outfit who was killing it and cracking me up in the process. Other than that, I’m not interested in Idol but I have to question Adam Lambert’s wingy- cage shoulder pads. What the hell was up with those?!

Whatever, pedicure! Right! Woo! This is like my second pedicure ever and the first one I had was at a Boca sponsored spa party in February. Well this time, they used this grater looking thing on me and I’m all like dude, my feet are not cheese, thank you very much.

And it tickled like crazy and I almost kicked him in the face.

Twice.

One for each foot.

But it was worth it because my feet look pretty. After I was like “was it as good for you as it was for me?” And he was like “ummm, no, wierdo”.

Getting pampered is violent awesome.

* Not like they are judging me on my sexy but hey, chewed up nails aren’t attractive.

such a sad, pathetic looking pup?

(She doesn’t have laser eyes that burn through you in real life. Pinkie promise.)

My poor Edie had a rough day. She couldn’t walk straight from the wearing anesthesia. Was terrified I’d leave her again. Wouldn’t walk with the e-collar on. As soon as she came out from the examination room, the whole packed waiting room let out a collective “awww” and giggle and said how sad she looked.

Right now, she is sleeping at the foot of my bed wearing an old tshirt of mine that I have knotted in the back. She can’t lick her stitches with it on and now she will actually move from one spot instead of standing frozen like a deer in headlights.

I’ve been told to keep her calm for 10 days. Calm means no running, jumping, playing, etc. Do they not know that is all little Corgis are made of? It should be an interesting few weeks to say the least!

Thanks for the well wishes. This nervous mama appreciated it.

Hopefully she heals up soon and puppyness is back in full effect soon. We have playdates to schedule!

Today my Edie is going to have surgery. I put off her spaying for way too long because I was nervous. I know that’s a silly reason to not do it when she turned 6 months but it’s true.

After losing Princess last summer, I’ve become terrified of something happening to Edie. I worry she will manage to slip out the front door or someone will leave the gate open and she will run away. Every time she doesn’t seem to be feeling well, I get anxious. I know Edie at a year and a half is a much different case health-wise than Princess at 13 years but I can’t help it.

I just can’t bear the thought of losing another of my puppies.

So needless to say putting my puppy under anesthesia and having them remove her uterus is freaking me out. I do know it’s better in the long run for her to get spayed. She won’t have the problems Princess did last year because she was never spayed (she got an awful horrible infection that almost killed her but in the end she died of old age).

I know she will be in good hands and I’ll get to pick her up later today but what can I say?

I’m a nervous puppy mama.

Send some good vibes Edie’s way and hope her surgery goes smoothly?

I’ve been feeling like life is a little messy lately.

The other day I overreacted to something I totally shouldn’t have. I’m losing patience with my part-time nanny job. And patience? Well it’s something you really need as a nanny. I need something more fulfilling. Something that requires more thought and that leaves me feeling challenged. The job application process is nerve wracking. Going on interview after interview and always being second best is totally frustrating. Getting hyped on possible opportunities that always manage to fall through is the worst. Needless to say, I’ve just be all around kind of down on myself.

I decided one of the ways I am going to work on changing this is by decluttering. No, I’m not just talking about decluttering my desk or something.

It’s time to declutter my life. I need some feng shui or something to get my life in order. I don’t know, whatever I need, it just means a lot less shit.

I’m hitting my closets. Yanking out all kinds of old clothes that don’t fit or are out of date. Getting ready to donate or sell. Going through my bookshelf and DVDs to do the same. Cleaning out under my bed. Only God knows what I will find under there. All the packratty stuff I’ve been holding on to for ages is getting thrown out finally. I’m clearing some stuff out of my room to put down my yoga mat and weights to be my official “I Hate Jillian Michaels’ Face” corner. Rearranging my desk and bookshelves to make me feel like I have more space.

It sounds kind of silly but maybe if everything around me is more organized, other things will start falling into place.

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Job hunting sucks. A lot. So since I’m currently looking for a new job, I decided to do some soul searching and see what I would really like to do right now. I came up with a list of jobs I think I would be awesome for:

• Official Macaroni and Cheese Taste Tester. This one is a given. Pasta. Cheese. Money. Heaven. All mac and cheese will have to go through me to get approval before everyone else can try it.
• America’s Next Top Model Judge. We all know I’m a judgey bitch when it comes to Tyra and her girls so why not get rid of Paulina? Or you know what, eff that – let’s get rid of Tyra and I’ll take over. I can smile with my eyes with the best of them.
• Etsy Shopper Extraordinaire. Duh. People will give me money and I buy everything I like from Etsy. And I keep it. What? I never said I was your personal shopper. Just a shopper. Unless you personally need help buying me something.
• Lifetime Movie Script Writer. I think I’ve already adequately covered this one.
• Expert Puppy Cuddler. I mean I have this adorable puppy who I love to cuddle. Maybe I can help other people whose pets need some cuddles. Going out of town and have to board? I’ll stop in and give them a snuggle. Or animal shelters can hire me to come it and cuddle with the puppies.
  
• Hair Product Critic. I’m a big fan of my hair. I think it’s pretty. How about a quest to the perfect hair products to acquire the most amazing head of hair possible? I think I’m up for that challenge.
  
• Professional Movie Quoter. Basically I’ll just talk in movie quotes. Who doesn’t love a little Mean Girls or Wedding Crashers thrown into every day conversation? People who fail at life, that’s who.
  
• Twitter Goddess. Goddesses are underrated. Everyone is a Princess now a days. Princess of this… Queen of that… I’m feeling Goddess-y.  Why not be a Goddess of something I love – like Twitter? I’m good at tweeting. Plus, I’m sure Britney Spears would totally want a Goddess on her social media team, right? I mean it would be stupid not to!

I know, I know. These are pretty awesome job ideas and you’re jealous you didn’t think of them first. Want to invent one of these jobs and hire me to do? Get at me.

Your turn. If you could have any job in the world what would it be?

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BlogHer ‘09 is coming up super fast. I know some of you Chicago ladies will be hitting it up for the first time this year. Or you might have missed out on getting tickets but that’s okay.

I’m helping put together a Chicago-Area BlogHer Group. It’s to help all of us connect pre-event. I know I was super intimated last year when I was headed to the conference so we are using these groups in various cities to hopefully help ease people in. This way you walk in knowing some people there and don’t feel that initial awkwardness like I did last year.

We’re attempting to put together a meet-up for June 13th. All BlogHers are welcome, whether you have a ticket or not. Come hang out and meet some amazing women.

Join our group here and throw in your two cents on date and location. Don’t forget to introduce yourself. And spread the word!

You definitely don’t want to miss out on this awesome meet-up.

Not in Chicago? Check out the Groups page to see if a BlogHer Group is launching in your city!

(P.S. I’ve moved hosts and domains with the help of Nico. Change the link in your blog roll? Feed should be the same so no need to resubscribe. But if you haven’t yet added me to your reader, do so here.)