i love short hair

I am reminded anew why I like short hair...it takes about 2 1/2 minutes to dry. Gotta love that.

It's a week late and most people that read this blog have already seen my new hair, but I said I'd post a photo of myself, so here it is:


I think this is the first time I've used the self-timer on my camera, which is probably why Margot looks so surprised in the shot...I kept grabbing her very quickly to get situated before it went off.

This is definitely the most hair I've cut off at one time. I was sort of jealous of Amber for getting to grab my ponytail and just cut right through it. I almost stopped her in the middle and asked her if I could finish because it seemed like so much fun.

day one in vegas

Consecutive hours awake: 22

Steps taken: 3,827

Shoes purchased: 0

Trips to the bathroom: 3 (can we say dehydration?)

Meals consumed by 11pm: 1 (really half of one...John and I split a cheeseburger and fries at 10:30am as a snack because we were so hungry and ended up not eating again for 12 hours)

Needless to say, the pregnant lady was extremely grumpy when told the wait for dinner was going to be 45 minutes...and then was ferociously grumpy when it ended up being over an hour.

We've already returned from our four-day buying trip to Las Vegas, but I'm just now getting around to posting anything because I had zero energy to blog, check my email, or pretty much do anything else during our time there.

Shopping for shoes for four days straight may sound glamorous, but let me tell you, it's not. Don't get me wrong, it's fun to pick out shoes (and apparel and accessories), but the pace we keep at trade shows is exhausting. I can tell myself all I want beforehand that we're going to stop for meals at normal times, we're going to take breaks to sit and relax and take in the surroundings, we're going to drink water, but everytime (or at least the two times we've been) we've gotten caught up in the pace that everyone else keeps (well, not everyone...many of the reps we know stay out and party until the wee hours of the morning, which we have neither the desire or the energy to do).

[Side note -- The two standard questions EVERY rep asked us:
1) Where are you staying?
2) What did you do last night?

"The Hilton Garden Inn" (because my aunt gets us an amazing deal) and "went to bed" aren't exactly answers that launch you into some interesting conversation. Add that to the initial question that new reps ask us, "Where are you from?" and they think we're the most boring people on Earth. Seriously, when people find out we're from Kansas City, their demeanor changes instantly. You can tell their thinking, "Kansas City? Do people out there even care about fashion? Doesn't everyone dress the same in the Midwest?" It's enough to make you want to flip them the bird and walk right out of their booth.]

When John and I return from trade shows everyone asks us if we had fun. Fun is not the word I would use to describe those trips. "Was the trip productive?" might be a better choice. Yes, it is fun to see fashion trends six months ahead of time...and it is fun to purchase them for our store. But, it's also stressful: Are we choosing the right shoes? Did we order too many? Did we order enough? Are we going to be eating the cost of those snakeskin mid-boots or are they going to fly out the door? We like these shoes, but will folks in Kansas City like them? And more importantly will they buy them? Ultimately you have to get over that worry or you would be paralyzed and never make a decision. Making mistakes is all part of the journey.

Honestly, the shows would be a lot more fun if they weren't in Las Vegas. I can't stand the place. I want to leave before I even get there. The constant sound of slot machines. The photos of nearly-naked women EVERYWHERE. The traffic. If you've ever been to Las Vegas, you know what I mean. And if you haven't, take my advice and DON'T EVER GO. I am begging John that before our next round of shows in six months we figure out if our vendors go to shows in L.A., New York, or Chicago. Someplace that I don't feel like I need a shower every ten minutes.

So as you can tell I'm glad to be back. Mostly because I didn't think I could be away from this adorable face for another minute:



A HUGE THANK YOU to my mom and stepdad who took care of Margot for FOUR WHOLE DAYS! And also to our dear friend Sarah who slept at our house while we were gone so Margot could sleep in her own bed and we wouldn't have to go through a week of therapy like we did the last time Margot spent the night away from home.

"whatever you do in word or deed"

Who knew that interpretive juggling was a God-given talent? My friend Carey sent this to me and I couldn't keep it to myself (be sure to watch it long enough to see the music change tempo). John, here's a new item to add to your "Kind of Like Resulutions:2006."

happy heart day

This is not a belated Valentine's Day wish (I'm not really into the day), but an announcement that I'm pregnant. Yesterday we heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. Even the second time around, it's an amazing experience. Of course, John beat me to the punch getting the news out. He usually does...just call me snail blogger.

note to inattentive self

Next time you are pulling the humidifier out for the winter months, check to make sure it contains a filter. Otherwise you will spend 45 minutes scraping lime scale off the inside of the apparatus. Worse, you will spend at least another 45 minutes wondering what kind of mold allergy or horrible disease your daughter might now suffer from because of your inattention.

The mystery of why I have had to refill our humidifier every other night versus filling Margot's every two weeks has been solved.

a new "doo"

So I've been growing my hair out since Margot was born. I don't think I ever really made a conscious decision to do it...it was more just something that happened. When you have a baby to take care of, styling your hair falls way down on the priority list. I'm sure it returns for most women, it just hasn't for me. I've liked being able to pull my hair back in a pony tail anytime I feel like it (which is almost all the time). After 19 months of motherhood though, I'm tired of my hairdoo...or lack of one I should say. It's time for a change and I'm thinking a dramatic one.

My appointment with Amber is February 18 (she owns the salon next door to Habitat. It's called The Darling Room and it is just that -- darling.), so I don't have very much time to make a decision about the new style. I've been thinking about going short...not only because I'm thinking about a dramatic change, but because I love short hair. It's fun, it's easy to dry, it's easy to style and I think I just look better with short hair. The only bummer part about short hair is that ponytails are not an option. And I've gotten pretty used to my ponytail in the last year.

So, short hair...both Amber and my friend, Stephanie, mentioned Sienna Miller's new doo when I told them I was considering going short. Before Googling her name, I didn't know who Sienna Miller was. I'm not trying to look like any famous celeb, I just want a new hairstyle. Anyway, Stephanie sent me these two photos (sorry for the tinyness...I coudn't figure out how to enlarge), so I thought I'd put the decision out there in blogland for any opinions (please be nice).


I like this look. And I've had my hair this short before, so it's not like it's the unknown for me. My only concern (this is always my concern with short hair on me) is that my hair is dark brown and I feel like the only way I can prevent looking like a boy is to get highlights too to give my hair some texture. I'm not sure I have the patience (or the funds) to acquire highlights right now. And I also feel like I have to wear earrings and jewelry a lot more when I have short hair to prevent the whole boy look-alike conundrum.

So, any opinions about this doo, or other suggestions to consider?

(Here's the most recent photo I have of myself [from June] for your comparison.)

WANTED: yummy cinnamon roll recipe

For some reason I've been making a lot of chili lately. I'm sure it makes sense to many...it's winter and any kind of hot soup or stew (or chili) sounds good. Only it hasn't been that cold of a winter here (which is a little diconcerting) and chili has never been my go-to warm-up meal before. I honestly don't know if I've ever made chili before this winter (in the past I've just eaten the surplus that my mom brings me). Honestly, I think my friend, Sarah, is to blame. She's mentioned several times to me lately that she makes chili every week and I think it's just sounded good to me lately. The quandary I'm now in because of the abundant chili-making is that I am craving some gooey cinnamon rolls to eat with my chili. A craving I'm pretty sure was nurtured in the early days of my schooling when the cafeteria always seemed to have cinnamon rolls on the same day as chili.

So, I'm on the hunt for a yummy cinnamon roll recipe. Thus far I've made due with Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in the tube (or whatever that thing is called), but since each roll has like 500 calories and 15 grams of fat, I think I've actually felt my arteries clogging up as I've consumed them. My other option has been purchasing freshly made cinnamon rolls from Wild Oats, but they're over $2 a pop and I just can't keep that up or it may turn into a very expensive addiction.

I'm pretty sure my friend, Kerry, has an amazing cinnamon roll recipe, but I keep forgetting to ask her for it. Plus, I figure there are so many variations on the cinnamon roll, one recipe couldn't be enough.