So This is What 32 Looks Like...

And trust me... it took a lot of time in the chair and a lot of work with the makeup to make it look this damn good...

All joking aside... after the pity party and breakdown I had going into my birthday... I survived my birthday with the help of some amazing friends and family. I did nothing but eat for days on end... to the point I thought I might die from consumption. Lunch and dinner out with several people on several days... let's just say now it's the weekend and I'm hungry but can't even stand the idea of putting another bite of anything in my mouth!

Speaking of the weekend... My mom and I ran over to Idaho this weekend to get our hair done and do some light shopping. I ran into Cal-Ranch for some pet supplies and came out sans anything for the kiddos, but with a pair of kick ass boots I'd decided a couple of weeks ago I needed. I hadn't planned on finding them and hadn't really looked around to see which designs and colors I might like and be interested in but when we walked down the boot aisle and these babies caught my eye I knew I'd found the pair that were going home with me!



I know, I know... you're thinking, but Tara Ann didn't you just buy a new pair of boots last spring???? Sadly, you are right if you remember that. My justification... those are riding boots! And trust me, if you've ever tried to walk around much in riding boots you would be looking for a second pair of "fun" boots too! Plus these have pink on them... how could you expect me to pass by pink boots and not take them??? Did I mention they were on sale?! We're at the start of mud season here... I can't wait to wear them to the office this week!

Go... Shop... NOW!

A P.S.A of sorts...

Old Navy is donating 5% of in-store sales from their Camp line to the Boys & Girls Clubs... if I lived closer to civilization I'd be in the store right now shopping. The Boys & Girls Clubs were a great service to Jim's kids while he was on the road. They spent many, many, many afternoons there.




ETA: Okay, for whatever reason it's not showing the whole banner... but the bottom right side of it is where Old Navy says it will donate 5% to B&G for all IN STORE sales... so those who live where there's an ON - Head on in! If you click on this banner it will take you to an ON site that will allow you to click around on that page and find a "hidden" coupon for xxxx amount off of your purchase... an added incentive!

Seriously Considering...

Considering one of the objects mentioned here. And while other commentary on the page thought it a silly idea, I for one wouldn't mind a good arm around me while I sleep... and if I can't have Jim's I really don't want anyone else's... so it seems like it would be a good fit for my current predicament.

... don't worry... I need to buy some staples like shampoo and hairspray first... so this is only a fleeting thought... because I'd probably be better served with one of these... that is if I could ever get rid of our other set... which isn't likely because I searched high and low and went through many, many, many sets until I found a brand that would make our bed feel like we were staying at a luxury hotel... and I love, love, love them... and they're built to last! Trust me, for the price... they better be :)

All kidding aside, I really do miss Jim's arm around me... loving me... guiding me... reminding me that everything is going to be alright... comforting me when I don't know where else to turn... if ever there was a night I really had a need it's tonight.

Strange Things Are Happening...

around here today...

For starters... a mysterious and copious amount of sunflower seeds, candies, and full size candy bars found there way to my secret 'squirrel' stash in what I thought was my super secret candy drawer in my office... I needed to clear the stash out to make room for more files (yippie!) when I stumbled upon this lovely(?) treat... and since I so rarely actually hit the secret stash I have no clue how long it has all been in there... of course when everyone in the office was grilled about it nobody fessed up to it... so it looks like Not Me resides here in our leased spaces as well... I put all the junk out on the counter for everyone else to eat... heaven's knows I don't need it! I'm stressing enough about the weight gain from going back on my bc... but that's a whole different post.

Then I reached into my coat pocket to pull out my car keys and came out with a $10 bill. Not bad... but it gets better... I take a quick walk to the bank and reach in the other pocket to pull out the deposit... and I pull out $11... for a grand total of $21 I was unaware I owned...

The gals at the office have asked to borrow my magic money coat :) For those who aren't lucky enough to live close by... you can order one here.

And lucky you, they're ON SALE! No, seriously, lucky you because I bought one in black and one in white last year and they were not on sale then... of course I'm the Queen of finding a good deal so I didn't necessarily pay full price either (thank you retailmenot.com!) If I didn't have so much going out right now I'd seriously consider purchasing one in cocoa (that color wasn't available last year)... because hell, let's face it, at this rate the coat will start to pay for itself in a couple of winters ;)

Bonus: Jim LOVED this jacket on me... it's not as bulky in person as it looks in the picture... he probably liked it so much because it looked very similar to the one I purchased for him at Cherry Creek Mall (I think that was the name of the mall... it was in Denver somewhere)... so yeah... we were that nerdy couple with nearly matching jackets...

Quick Announcement

I was reading through my RSS feeds today and one of the blogs I like to frequent had a link and notice to the coolest freebie... Apparently while the rest of us were working and slaving away Oprah told all those lucky women who get to stay home about an offer she was having with Snapfish for one day and one day only... a FREE custom cover 8 x 11 20 page photobook from Snapfish...

GO QUICK!! FOLLOW THIS LINK!!! You have to sign up by today and finish your order by Saturday, November 22nd. These books usually cost $29.99. Snapfish has a great turn around time and I've yet to be disasatisfied by any of their products (as an avid picture taker my family gets custom photo stuff for birthdays, Christmas, whatever...). Christmas... these make a great gift for grandparents... just saying... it's a quick and easy gift...

WHY ARE YOU STILL READING MY BLOG??? Go register now...

Welcoming a New Addition

Friday, December 28, 2007

10:25 AM - Welcoming a New Addition
Current mood: bouncy
Category: Life

I am soooooooooooooo excited!!!! I can hardly stand the wait....

I just ordered my very first prime lens! It's the perfect portrait lens.

So if anyone is looking to get new pictures for the new year let me know. I'll discount my first two (2) sittings with the new lens... significantly...

Two Birds with One Stone

Monday, December 03, 2007

6:07 PM - Two Birds with One Stone
Current mood: chipper
Category: Romance and Relationships


Wow... that was quick... so I walked into The Bootlegger and not only did I find a classic pair of Merrell's for His Highness a/k/a Jim, but they were on sale... 30% off - SCORE!

Wait! It gets better...

I've been drooling over a gorgeous pair of Danskos I kicked myself for not purchasing at the end of the summer when I came across them... I had even tried ordering them online only to find out that two different sites had sold out of my size... I thought I'd have to wait until a style similar to them came out... when... low and behold there they were on a sales table... piles and piles of them! I had to get a 42 which is about a half a size too big... but they're gorgeous! And the best part... they were an additional 20% off of the lowest ticket price... which officially made them about 60% off of the original retail price...

So for those in the know... that means I basically walked out the door with two pairs of shoes for what would've been the price of one pair of Jim's shoes...

Now who is spoiled??? ;)

Christmas Shopping

Sunday, November 04, 2007

6:30 PM - Christmas Shopping
Current mood: listless


I'm almost officially done :D Thank goodness!

But I thought I'd pass along a helpful tip for those who like to shop online...

Don't forget to make your hotel reward programs and/or frequent flier miles work for you! You can get extra points by more than flying or staying at the Holiday Inn. Most of the point programs offer "partner" shopping sites where you can shop (usually you have to go through a link from the hotel or airline's page) and earn anywhere from 1 point/mile to 10 points/miles for every dollar you spend.

Last year I earned a free night's stay at a hotel simply by making sure I logged in there first before I shopped places like Overstock.com, snapfish.com, oldnavy.com, qvc.com (you get the point, there's plenty of name brand stores available!).

I just wish I would've remembered my own tip when I purchased my boss' laptop through Dell... that would've been a free night with just one purchase!