Meowy Christmas!

"I sure hope Mommy has kids someday so she will stop dressing me in these stupid costumes! This is ridiculous. I'm a freakin' cat, not a clown! The dog is laughing at me. I'll never live this one down. Oh well. Meow-y Christmas everyone!"

Family Pic

Here's a great picture of my mom & cousins (well...my cousins' kids) at our family Christmas party today. So, 2 of these kids are driving now. Seriously?? How can I possibly be old enough to have cousins that have kids that old??? I should note, my cousins are MUCH older than me. Haha! But still....

Headband Woes

I got a couple of really cute headbands in my stocking this year from my sister. There is one in particular that I love - it's plaid. And I love me some plaid. In fact, my sister used to call me "The Queen of Plaid" because I used to be so into it. But I digress.... Today is a family Christmas event, and I had planned on wearing this super cute sweater that matched my super adorable new headband. But, here's the problem - it doesn't fit my head! Well, it does, but it hurts like crazy! And slides around funny. Just doesn't look good at all. This is because I have a freakishly large head. Seriously. A huge noggin. No one really comes right out and says it, but my friends know it's true. (Well, except for my friend Katie who once said, "Yeah...you do have a big melon".) I long to wear cute headbands and lust after stylish hats. Last year I got one of those scarf, hat, mitten combos, but the hat shot off my head like a rocket after about 10 seconds. I have to just resign myself to the fact that I will never be able to wear a super cute hat. If I want to wear a hat, it needs to be a baseball hat or nothing. I don't really know where I get the huge head from because no one in my family has a really big head. My sister has flat feet. I think she got the better deal.

Cutest. Baby. Ever

I am tired. Exhausted with a capital E. Spent. There is nothing left. My feet are killing me and I'm a shell of my former self. Yes, I work retail. There is nothing like dealing with the throngs of last minute shoppers to suck the Christmas spirit right out of you. This week started off well enough. Santa waved at me yesterday on my way to work. Well, it was the Santa advertising for Eastpointe Apartments on Broad St., but still....Santa waved at me. Then, I got a free Salted Carmel Hot Chocolate at Starbucks! Things were definitely looking up. I even tuned my radio to Christmas music. Then I got to work. That's where things turned ugly. A woman called me a "stupid fat bitch" because we didn't have the Nerf Vulcan that she wanted for her kid. Seriously? It's 3 days before Christmas and you have the audacity to ask me, "What am I going to tell my son on Christmas Day?" SERIOUSLY??? Now, I'll give her fat. And I admit, I can be a bit of a bitch at times (even though I was being so nice to her). But I am NOT stupid!! Unbelievable. But when I checked my BFF's blog today, she had posted pics of her new baby, Jacob. Isn't he the sweetest?? So cute it just about killed me! If that doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will!

1 White Chocolate Mocha

Okay, as you may remember, my sister has been training for months now for a marathon. Every week she runs an insane amount of miles. No one should put her body through what she goes through to run. Seriously. You should see her feet - ick. But, when I think about why she's doing this, I am SOOOOOO proud of her. Amanda is running in the Walt Disney World Marathon in January as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training. My cousin, Sarah, was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia 5 years ago at age 12, and has been fighting it all the way ever since then. I wish I could explain to you what a cool kid she is. So polite and smart and funny. What amazes me the most about Sarah is how she is just so positive about everything. She really is an incredible young lady. It's a horrible disease, but especially unfair when a child gets sick. (By the way - I can't believe she's going to be 18 in January! I am getting so old! I still remember her as a 5 year old...) Anywho, Amanda needs to raise $3000 to run in this marathon and she's only about 1/2 way there. So I'm hoping that some of my friends will losen their purse strings and give to a good cause. I know it's Christmas and everyone's spending lots of money and times are tougher.... But it doesn't have to be a lot of cash to make a big difference. 1 grande White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks costs $4.03. And you might as well go ahead and round that up to $5 because you're just going to throw the change in the ashtray of your car. So, this Christmas, give up 1 White Chocolate Mocha and help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (and my sister....and my cousin.....)!

By the way.... I can't figure out how to post a link on my blog.....so you'll have to cut and past the web address for Amanda's fund raising site:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/soh/wdw09/ahiltonpsq

Thank you!

Random Thoughts

I've been out of the loop this week. Literally. The movers came to my house on Tuesday, so I've been without cable and computer until tonight. Also without furniture (I've been sleeping on an air mattress!) So...guess what it did today on my last day in Erie??? It snowed, OF COURSE! While I was at work today, it snowed a good 5". I left Erie around 2:30pm, and the roads were so bad, it took me nearly 30 minutes to go 2 miles. Ridiculous. I drove in snow for most of the trip....it didn't really let up until I was about 70 miles from mom & dad's house. How exhausting!

The day wasn't all bad, though. I stopped in Cleveland to see my friend, Katie, who just happens to be the cutest pregnant woman ever. Seriously. She's freakin' adorable. So that was a highlight to my afternoon / evening. But I'm here at mom & dad's now. I closed on my house in Erie today. I'll be spending most of the day tomorrow unloading my car and getting caught up on stuff since I'm off. Then I start working in a new location (another temporary one) on Sunday. It's mildly annoying that I don't have my permanent assignment yet, but that's okay because I'm in Columbus!

So, as I'm driving through my neighborhood this morning, I noticed a house with 2 (life-sized) white ceramic cats sitting in the window. Hmmmm... I wonder what was going through that lady's head when she placed them there. Surely whoever put them there is a cat owner. And, based on how much Mollie likes to look out the window, I figure that the real live cats that live in that house are pretty pissed off that they can't get a good view because of those ceramic cats. It just made me wonder.....

Near Death Experience

So, I thought I could make it out of Erie okay this afternoon. Mother Nature, however, had other plans for me. I was on my way to my good friend's mom's house for her baby shower. Even though the Erie weatherman was calling for snow from 1pm on, it seemed like all was well in Cleveland, so I decided to go for it. My neighborhood streets were virtually un-drivable (is that a word??). I thought I-90 would be better, but it really wasn't. I finally decided to turn around about 3 miles from the Ohio border. This was after going through a white-out and nearly sliding off the road. But I'm warm and safe at home now...and very thankful that I made it home in one piece! But I'm so sad I'm missing Katie's shower. I had baby Reilley's gift custom made and was sooooo looking forward to seeing Katie open it. I know she understands, but it just sucks that I can't be there! I think I may take a nap to settle my nerves.....

Holiday Shopping Reminders, Part 2

Okay, I know I've blogged about this before. AND I know that those close to me who don't work retail are probably tired of me being crabby this time of year. As my dear mother said the other day, "Gee I love you during the holidays". I know it's crowded out there and the weather sucks and sometimes it's impossible to find someone in a store to help you. I'm a shopper too. Trust me, I get it. But all the same, I do have a few more holiday shopping reminders!

1) Be nice to the retail workers. If you happen upon a surly one, remember that they are probably exhausted and kill them with kindness. It may snap them out of their funk. Nice people remind us that we are there for the customers and we need to do everything we can to take care of them. Seriously. I will do so much for a nice person. Even (gasp) looking for items at a competitor and calling them with the info.
2) Remember that calling a store to see if something is in stock really does you no good at all. Most places don't hold anything this time of year, and by the time you haul your butt to the store, it may or may not be there! Plus, while the poor person is trying to help you shop over the phone, there are 20 people standing around him wondering why he isn't helping them. Plus, instead of Joe Clerk counting how many Pictionary Man games are in stock, he could be restocking the Bakugan items.....
3) I can almost understand calling a store to find out if they carry something. If you do this, be nice to the person answering the phone! You might just happen to be speaking to the store manager, who could maybe give you some inside scoop like if the Wall-E robot you want is going to be on that night's truck. But if you're a bitch, she won't tell you anything. Not. One. Single. Thing.

Seriously, I shouldn't even be posting these reminders. The people in my circle are not really the kind of people that even need these reminders! So I guess this is kinda like preachin' to the choir.... But it makes me feel better. (And I'm crabby.)

Today's Weather

Snow. More Snow. Of course. Because why would my last days in Erie be anything but snow-filled?? I've given up. Erie, you've beaten me.

More Freakin' Snow

Have I mentioned lately how much I despise Erie's weather? We got yet another 3 inches or so of snow last night. The weather forecast is calling for more snow today. Seriously? This is ridiculous. I grew up in Ohio, so I'm certainly used to snow, this is just cruel and unusual punishment. Gotta go find my snow boots....

Thundersnow!

I found out what thundersnow is. It's a thunderstorm with snow instead of rain. Oh joy. Only in Erie.... We're headed into "Snow - Round 5"! Only 8 more days left in Erie!

PS - Mom, I took this picture while stopped at a red light....not while driving.

Who Knew?

So this is what really really really clean floors look like! Clean floors without kitty hair! I love my Mollie, but man-oh-man does he have a lot of hair. And he hates to be combed. Hates it. I have to chase him every night to get him combed. I've intensified my efforts at grooming Mo lately, because we'll be living with my parents for a few weeks and "Nana Cheryl" is allergic....

New House!

I made an offer on a house in Columbus yesterday! It's in Dublin, probably closer to Hilliard than actually Dublin....and a little further away from the 'rents than I wanted to be....BUT.....I LOVE IT! It's exactly everything I was looking for. Wood floors, tile in the kitchen & bathrooms, a big fancy bathtub, & a gas fireplace. I'm really excited. I close on my house here on December 12th and will be closing on the new house sometime before December 31st! So excited! I have to give my mama props for hauling it over to the soon-to-be-mine crib so I could have a picture of it to post for you all to see! What do you think??

Black Friday Mayhem

In case you haven't heard, a worker at Wal-Mart in Long Island, NY was killed yesterday -- trampled by the mobs on Black Friday. Now, being in retail, I have been through my fair share of early morning Black Fridays.... For the most part, the customers are great. They love the thrill of the hunt for bargins and have great attitudes. But this is ridiculous! As one of the dead employee's friends said, "Someone was killed for a $5 bargain". So unbelieveably sad. If you haven't read about it, here's a link:

http://www.nydaily.news.com/ny_local/2008/11/28/2008-11-28_worker_dies_at_long_island_walmart_after.html

I read on someone's blog this morning, "I'm sure WalMart is somehow to blame".... Seriously? Okay. They probably could have done a better job at crowd control. But, if you've ever worked retail on the day after Thanksgiving, you know how those crowds can get! Now I love to bash the evil empire as much as the next person, but I know that WalMart probably reviewed crowd control measures with store management before this week in anticipation of the excessive crowds. Most companies do this every year at this time, and I'm sure WalMart is no exception. The blame is with the people who trampled that poor man, not WalMart.

Speaking of my BFF.....

And while I'm on the topic of my BFF..... It dawned on me today that we have been friends now for over 13 years! Wow! Maybe it's because it's Thanksgiving and I'm feeling overly sentimental, but I really miss her when I don't see her! I am so thankful to have her in my life. She's practically the best BFF anyone could ever have. Here are just a few reasons why:
1) She's super funny. I mean really funny. Even when she's moody & pregnant, which has been pretty much all the time over the past 6 years! (I'm talking about the pregnant part ... not the moody!) haha!
2) She loves to read, so we have that in common! She's also a pop culture junkie. We would kick butt at a team trivia show. We figure we'd be a pretty much unbeatable force.
3) She always takes my side. Always. If she doesn't agree with me, she finds a way to play the devil's advocate without me noticing it.
4) I can talk to her 5 times a day and we still can find new things to talk about each time. This, by the way, which annoys her husband at times...especially if those conversations occur when he's trying to watch tv!
5) She is one of the kindest people I know. She is always doing something for someone, whether it's taking a neighbor kid to school or baking something for someone....she's always doing for others.

I could go on and on!!!! Lori, I miss you! Happy Thanksgiving! HYMI!

The Gap? On Thanksgiving?

Okay, I was talking to my BFF, Lori, a while ago and we were discussing all of the places that were open today. Our list included:
1) KMart (as blogged about in my post from last night....)
2) WalMart! Seriously? Can't you do without a fishing pole or a bobble head Nascar driver for one day??
3) McDonalds
4) The Gap. This one just kills me. Lori told me the story about how, one Thanksgiving, she was stuck at her mom's house with nothing to do so they went to KMart and bought a game. Okay. That at least makes more sense than going to the Gap on Thanksgiving day.
5) There's a football game on TV. I don't feel too bad for the players, though, because they make an awful lot of $$ to be working on the holiday. Besides, what would men watch on tv after dinner? Also lots of hockey games. I can understand hockey a little bit more because most of the players aren't American, so it's really just another day for them.....

My whole point is this: What's wrong with not having to do anything for a day but spend it with friends and family??????????????

Happy Thanksgiving!

I tried to put Mollie's Thanksgiving hat on him last night, but he hid from me. I found him in my dark office hiding.... How cute is he? So I'm feeling a little blue today because it's Thanksgiving tomorrow and I'm away from my family. And every muscle in my body aches from working 12 hours. Seriously. I could hardly walk up the stairs tonight. I think I'll list what I'm thankful for this year:

1) My family. Seriously. I have some of the coolest relatives ever. My sister is sooooo funny and hip (even if she's a little obsessive about her puppy). My parents so do not look like senior citizens. And they send text messages! Seriously. Who has parents that text? I would guess not that many! I'm so lucky to have a grandma that's still with us...not many people my age can say that! (GASP! Did I just say "my age"???) And aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.... that rock. I don't see them often enough, but I think of them all often. Of course some of them are nuttier than fruitcake.... Disclaimer: For those relatives that may be reading this, I'm talking about the OTHER side of the family! :-)
2) I am relatively healthy. Of course I have ample junk in the trunk, but overall, I am pretty lucky in this area! Okay...I could be in a lot better shape, but this is Thanksgiving. New Year's resolution time!
3) I am thankful that I don't work for KMart! They are open tomorrow. On Thanksgiving. Seriously? I mean, come on, KMart! WTF? Let your people have one stinkin' day off! And speaking of jobs, I am thankful I have one. Even though I don't love it right now, I'm excited that I am able to move back to Columbus to be closer to my family. And I am happy that I have a pretty cool boss. That means a lot. Especially since my last one was a mean old crone. (Okay, I know that wasn't nice, but I can't be all hugs and kisses today!)
4) I have a great house. I love this house. I love it more than my last house, which I loved too! I'll be really sad to leave it..... But I'm lucky that am able to have had such a great house.
5) I am thankful for my friends. I have some really cool friends that are always there for me no matter what. I am sometimes amazed that I attract such wonderful people. The past few months (heck, the past year and half!) have been tough, but there are a few people I can always turn to.....

Okay - I feel better! Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and family! I love you!

Of Course! More Snow!

I took this picture from inside my toasty dining room last week. More snow. Last week we had "Snow - Round Two" and "Snow - Round Three". And I just heard on the tv that it's supposed to snow more tomorrow. But not much - only 5 inches or so. "Only" five inches! This place is ridiculous! I just keep thinking..."only 14 more days .... only 14 more days....."

Oh No He Didn't!

Okay....I love Kayne West. Love. him. I think he's a genius. However, he was quoted on Yahoo today slamming Justin Timberlake. Now, as much as I love Kayne, nobody messes with my JT! Here's what he said.....


"I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice," he said in an interview on Wednesday. "It's me settling into that position of just really accepting that it's one thing to say you want to do it and it's another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan."
The Grammy-winning rapper-producer said Justin Timberlake had a chance to be music's MVP, but hasn't put out enough material. (Timberlake's last album was in 2006, while West released a CD last year and is releasing his latest — "808s and Heartbreak" — on Nov. 24.)
"There were people who had the potential to do it but they went on vacation, so when Justin went on vacation I made albums," he said. "And it just came out to be that."

Hmmmm.... Not too impressed with him right now! I will cut him a little slack b/c I know he's been terribly upset since his mama died from botched plastic surgery..... This is your warning, West.

Canadians Love Them Some Target

Okay... so this is what I see when I pulled in to my Target at 11am Saturday morning. Truly the picture doesn't do it justice. I counted 13 buses from Canada in the Target parking lot! 13 BUSES!!!! SERIOUSLY? IS ERIE THAT MUCH OF A DRAW FOR CANADIANS??? Well, the answer is yes! I struck up a conversation with some perfectly cheerful Canadian ladies and they told me that the tax in Ontario is 14%. Yikes! So our zero tax on clothing and 6% on everything else in Pennsylvanis is certainly appealing. And Erie just happens to be the closest place in PA to Canada. Lucky us. Locals (Erians??? Erites???) have a love / hate relationship with Canadians. They make shopping in Erie on weekends M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E. And although I know I am prone to exaggeration, I am not kidding on this one! However, those money-spending northerners certainly help local businesses! Mom & dad are coming up this weekend to help me pack and I'm going to take them by the mall and Target so they can see for themselves. It's something you just don't believe until you see it!

Holiday Shopping Reminders

Ahhhh fall... The nip in the air, the falling leaves, and the rumble of tour buses bringing Canadians to shop Erie can only mean one thing: Christmas is right around the corner! As someone with 17 years of retail under her belt (OMG am I really that old??), I have a few shopping reminders for you:

1) Despite popular belief, retailers do NOT hide hot items in the stockroom. There is no purpose in that. They want to sell stuff and it's not selling in the stockroom.

2) On a similar note, employees do not get "all the good stuff". I've worked at three different retailers and none of them let employees hold the super-hot-toy-of-the-moment. In fact, you would be surprised to learn that employees are usually the LAST ones to get anything...if they get it at all.

3) Speaking of employees, be nice to them! It's not their fault that prices are high or there are no more Tickle Me Spidermans available. It's really, really tough dealing with crabby customers all day.

4) If your child is making a mess in the store, yank him back away from the merchandise and give him a swat on the a**!

5) If your kid is screaming in a store, take him home!

6) If your kid is screaming in a store, take him home! (Yes, I listed it twice b/c it's that important!)

7) Smile to other customers. Remember that there are many people who can't afford to buy any gifts and would love to be fighting the crowds at (fill in the name of your retailer of choice here).

Kid Gets What He Deserves

Okay. Just for a minute put aside your feelings about who you want to win this election and check out this newsreel. As a homeowner, I totally agree with what this guy did. I personally hate campaign signs of any kind! I hate them in other people's yard, I think they make the neighborhood look yucky, etc.... (The same goes for those big inflatable yard things, but I'll save that rant for another day!) However, I wouldn't go around taking them down because it is the home owner's right to display anything in their yard that they want. NOTE: The child was not actually hurt!

http://perezhilton.com/tv/index.php?ptvid=c4f0529ff4b65

Fun Size?? NOT!

Dear Snickers People,
Why do you call the teeny tiny Snickers bars "Fun Size"? Are they truly the best size to be called "Fun"? I don't think so. What's fun about opening a bunch of little candy bars in order to get a before-bed chocolate fix? They only start to become fun after I've eaten at least 8. You should rename the "King Size" bar "Fun Size". And maybe rename the "Fun Size" bars "Itty Bitty". Don't get me wrong, they're good....they're just not worthy of the title "Fun Size".
Thank you for your consideration,
Erin


PS - Calories consumed while standing up in a dark kitchen don't count, right? How many calories do you work off opening all those little itty bitty candy bars? Please advise.

Sunday Evening Musings

I was changing the sheets on my bed today, which made Mollie extremely happy. He loves to crawl up under the fitted sheet and play while I'm making the bed. So of course I had to snap some pictures. Isn't he freakin' adorable?

I'm obsessed with keeping my house clean. Seriously obsessed. I just cleaned all the doors and doorknobs upstairs. What's up with that? And I can't stop rearranging my closets. My house is usually pretty clean. But the thought of strangers roaming through my house and opening closets and cupboards gives me a panic attack. I had an open house today and my realtor said about 8 groups of people came through - great turnout. I'm sure some were neighbors, though, which makes it especially important that my closets are clean. You may be thinking, "Geez, Hilton, give it a rest". BUT, I know how judgemental I am when I look at houses! Of course I open up all the closets! Now my judgement is coming back to haunt me....I know it is. I was raking leaves tonight and some neighbors walking by and I could just tell they were talking about how I have clothes in every bedroom closet.....

Have you ever seen that show about the family that has 18 kids? The Duggers. Well, I was watching the episode where they are "only" on their 16th kid and moving into their new home. The mom, Michelle, is so organized it's amazing. They were commenting on how organized she is and the dad goes, "She didn't used to be this organized.....blah blah blah". Seriously? I wanted to punch him.

There's also a show on Oxygen called "Snapped". It's about women who just go crazy and kill their husbands. Seriously? Do we really need to give men another reason to be scared of committment? Oxygen, take this show off the air. You are not helping us.

Coldplay!

My friend, Jenna, and I saw Coldplay last night in Cleveland. We had an awesome time! I liked them before but now I LOVE THEM! They were soooooo good! If you aren't a fan, you need to immediately go buy / download their albums. Trust me, they kick ass! Of course, since we were in the "big city", we had dinner at Sushi Rock in Cleveland before the show --- yummy! It's been so long since I've had sushi! We don't really have sushi in Erie....unless you want to serve up some raw Lake Erie walleye. Duffy opened for Coldplay. Apparently, she's huge in the UK. Hmmmmm.... I liked her sound (kind of like Amy Winehouse), but her dance moves were really annoying. She pranced around the stage like a pony, twirling her mic cord the whole time. The verdict's still out on her!

I can't wait to move back to a city where I don't have to drive 2 hours to see a concert! We got back around midnight, which isn't TOO bad. I'm only up this early because I have a house showing today!

Happy Stinkin' Halloween

Aunt Mandy got Mollie this great Halloween costume. Needless to say, Mo is more than a little upset with the Hiltons right now.... Isn't he the cutest, though???

My Sista!

The marathon race commemorates the run of the soldier,Pheidippides, from a battlefield near Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C., bringing news of a Greek victory over the Persians. Pheidippides collapsed and died at the end of his run. Here's my point: God did not intend for people to run for 26 miles straight!

Amanda ran in the Columbus Marathon today. Well.....she only ran the 1/2 marathon. "Only". 13.1 miles. And she's still walking! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! She did better than half of the people that ran the same race. We were there at the 5 mile point and at the end cheering her on. I missed her at the end of the race...must have been because I got distracted by all the shirtless man candy. I got winded just watching her. Seriously. More than 1 block and I start sweating...things start chafing....it isn't pretty. She has inspired me to do a little more exercise. Maybe I'll take her dog for a walk around the block later. Hey - it's a start! Way to go, Amanda! I'm proud of you!!!

Bacon + Ice Cream = Genius

I stumbled across a great new blog today.....called Delicious Days. This wonderful man that writes the blog posted a recipe for bacon ice cream. The first step is to candy the bacon. To quote Homer (Simpson, not the other one), "Ummmmm....Bacon...."! Candied bacon. Sweet & salty yumminess! You must check this out:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/03/candied_bacon_i_1.html

Escape From Erie!

It's official. This morning, I accepted a job in Columbus. I am so excited to be moving back to Columbus after 15 years! But, I love, love, love this house! It's a great house. Great neighborhood. Great neighbors. It's now on the market, in case anyone's looking for a great summer home! Erie is gorgeous in the summer! I'll even throw in some furniture if you buy it! :-)

You can go to Howard Hanna's website to see more pics of the house, including updated pictures of the outside of the house.

http://4132trask.howardhanna.com/

Glamour for the Masses

Check out this delicious little satchel I found at Target today. It's part of Anya Hindmarch's new line for Target. BTW, she's a British designer whose purses run around the $1000 mark. http://www.anyahindmarch.com/ I couldn't figure out how much her stuff really is because her site has everything listed in British Pounds. Drat! But expensive is expensive! And she has a line available at Target. This little beauty is only $44.99. I didn't buy it....yet. Don't praise my self-control. It's only because I haven't decided if I want this one of the black & brown one. So a big shout out to Target today for bringing glamour and hipness to the masses everywhere.....even to Erie.

Gratuitous Puppy Shot

Okay, could my nephew be any cuter??? My sister's dog, Wynne was recently selected to be in his doggy day care's 2009 calendar! (Yes, she takes him to DDC. But I can't really mock her because I have Patty the Petsitter come to visit Mollie when I go away) Speaking of amazing animals, Mollie caught another mole tonight! That's his 5th one this summer! My mom may not have real, live grandbabies yet, but she has an amazing grandkitty and grandpuppy!

Fuller Figures & Downtown Erie

On our way back from the library a while ago, my friend, Jenna, snapped this picture of the sky. The sky was amazing tonight - all kinds of crazy blues and pinks. This church looks incredible against the sky. The pic didn't turn out as good as Jenna would have liked, but I thought it was pretty good! Erie's not so bad.....

Now for a rant!

While surfing the internet today, I came across an article about Eva Longoria Parker discussing her new "fuller figure". Fuller figure??? Seriously? Are you freakin' kidding me? The woman is a size zero! SINCE WHEN IS A SIZE ZERO CONSIDERED A "FULLER FIGURE"??? She gained seven pounds over the summer. SEVEN! I gain seven pounds after a good meal! Ugh! I'm so disgusted I think I'll have to calm my nerves with some mint chocolate chip ice cream!

What I Learned on Vacation

• 
  I just got back from visiting my BFF, Lori, in North Carolina. She and her hubby just had their 4th child, so I went to help her for a few days. I don't know how much "help" I was, but at least I was a diversion for the girls - Emma, Lily (shown here) and Julia. Lori is Superwoman! I always knew she was a good homemaker, but whenever I spend time with her I have more respect for her! She is absolutely amazing -- and makes it all look so easy! Here are some takeaways from my vacation:
  

1. Don't show kids pictures on your cell phone. They will want to look at them again. And again. And again.... You get the idea.

2. Newborns are very high maintenance.

3. If a 4 year old doesn't like your lipstick, she will let you know.

4. Newborns are a lot of work.

5. Kids are CRANKY when they get home from school. Really cranky! Seriously. It's kindergarten....how bad could it be??

6. It is NOT easy to get 3 children ready for bed at the same time! Baths, PJs, book reading, tooth brushing.... I'm pretty sure I skipped a step at least one of the nights!

7. You quickly realize how inappropriate your music selection is when take a 4 year old to preschool and decide not to turn on Radio Disney. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Lily doesn't decide to break out singing "In the Ayer" ("Oh hot damn...this is my jam.....")!

8. Have I mentioned that newborns are a lot of work? My interactions with baby Jacob were minimal, but he requires constant vigilance!

9. Getting woken up before 7am every day by 2 kids is not all that much fun....even if they're as adorable as Lily and Emma. It's especially great on those days when they announce, "Auntie, your hair is a hot mess".

10. I am very lucky to have such great friends in my life! Thank you, Lori & Paul, for welcoming me into your home!

Britney's New Video!!!!

Blogging 101

Okay, so I've decided to start a blog. I think it's a great way to keep my friends and family tuned into what's going on in my life. Some of my more creative friends do it...and, as it happens, I have some extra time on my hands right now, so I'm going for it! I would have started this blog earlier this summer, but I couldn't think of a title! Who knew that this would be the most difficult part? There are SO many creative blog titles out there! What could I come up with that would grab my friends' attention? Hmmmm.... it's not as easy as it sounds! Partial list:
* Hilton is the new black.
* Are you Kidding me?
* Tales from the Great White North.
That's all I came up with after 3 months of deliberation. Seriously. So, here goes my attempt at blogging. I feel so very hip and with-it! Now...if I can only figure out how to add pictures.....