It has been a long time....BUT...here's what I'm thankful for today!

1. Automated mailing at the post office which allowed me to mail stuff this morning at 6:00 a.m. without standing in line!
2. Diet Coke
3. Peppermint Candy Oreos, or Trader Joes Peppermint Candy Cookies (the Oreos are sold out here in UT and we don't have Trader Joes...very sad)
4. Diet Coke
5. Snow tires
6. Diet Coke
7. My green pen
8. Diet Coke
9. Kate Somerville eye cream
10. Diet Coke
11. Mint chocolate milk from Target (only available during the holidays)
12. Diet Coke
13. Chocolate Chip Peppermint milkshake from Chik-fil-A
14. Diet Coke
15. Receiving Christmas cards from good friends that I haven't seen in years
16. Diet Coke
17. My bed
18. Diet Coke
19. Free shipping during the holidays for online shopping
20. Diet Coke
21. YOU

Pedicures Make it All Better...

I went to a funeral yesterday for my friend's brother. I didn't know him at all, but after I heard all of the great stories about his love for life and his great sense of humor, I wish I had. Very sad, he died too young. As I sat in the chapel and waited for the services to begin I people-watched...one of my favorite things to do and noticed all of the friends and family reconnecting with one another after, in some cases, many years. I heard things like, "I haven't seen you since Grandma so and so's funeral...," or "Wow, has it been that long, since high school...?" Why do we wait for funerals to roll around to reconnect with people we care about? Busy lives I suppose. One of the speakers mentioned that he didn't get to say goodbye to his brother...he wished he had spent more time with him. Although we hear that sentiment expressed at many funerals, do we change our actions? I haven't...at least not enough. Although I am never a fan of funerals, I always leave them with the goal of reconnecting..even if it's only through an email, a text, a short note, or a call every now and then. I hope I can actually follow through this time. Just a thought for those two or three of you who read my blog :)

After the funeral I went to lunch with some of my friends who also attended. We enjoyed hanging out in the middle of the day...feeling like we were stealing some time away from work and kids. It was fun. Then I decided that I didn't feel like going back to work...so I went for a pedicure, all by myself, in the middle of a Monday afternoon and it was wonderful. As I sat in the massage chair while a very nice lady rubbed and scrubbed my feet, I thought about how short life is, but how wonderful it is too. We have so many gifts and blessings to be grateful for. May sound cheesy, but it was the best pedicure I have had in a very long time. Maybe it was because it was in the middle of a work day, or maybe it was because it gave me some time to think about stuff...probably a little of both. Either way, here's my suggestion to you...sneak out in the middle of your day and get a pedicure, or take a walk, or take a nap, or do whatever you want to do to get some "alone" time to think about stuff...I promise, it works wonders!

I would have posted a picture of my wonderfully painted black toes, but I noticed that my feet really aren't that attractive...I have a ridiculously long second toe..they look kind of alienish. So, sorry, but no photo this time..just some random musings about life and a pedicure!

It's About Time!!!

We are finally getting a Sephora in Utah. For those who know me, you know that this discovery was like Christmas morning for me. Sephora is going in where Ann Taylor used to be at Fashion Place Mall. For those not familiar with Sephora, it is the mecca of products...makeup, hair, fragrance, skincare, nails, tools, you name it, they sell it! I have been emailing Sephora for at least 3 years asking when they would come to Utah...and they are finally coming. I also found out that the new City Creek shopping center will have a Louis Vuitton (be still my beating heart), Tiffany, Coach, and H & M. Very exciting. We are hitting the big time here in SLC...now we just need a Saks and Niemans and our shopping choices will be complete.

YUMMY

It's that time of year again....oh how I love these cookies. They are ridiculously expensive and fattening, but worth every penny! It's frightening how fast I can slam a box of these cookies.

Friday Musings

The Easter candy has hit the stores...and this is my favorite. DANGERZONE for my diet, but oh so yummy.

And, while we're talking about things I love...here's one of my new favorite products...Shu Uemura cleansing oil. It's fantastic...cleanses without stripping your skin--perfect for the winter! Best place to purchase is at Nordstrom, or online. It's not cheap, but it lasts a long time, and really...aren't you worth it?

Baby It's Cold Outside...in Texas?!?!?!

So I was in Dallas last week for business and this is what I woke up to on Thursday and Friday morning...the largest record snowfall for one day in Texas history. They got 12 inches at DFW airport. Crazy! In all the years I lived in Texas we never got snow like this. It was wet, heavy snow and it pretty much paralyzed the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It was a beautiful sight.

Red Velvet Cake

I love, love, love red velvet cake. the only good thing about my Birthday is red velvet cake. Mom used to make me a homemade red velvet cake every year and it was a chore. There was red food coloring, flour, and powdered sugar everywhere, but it was so yummy. Nowadays you can find red velvet cake just about anywhere. But nothing tastes as good as mom's red velvet cake. Thanks mom for always making my Birthdays special. These days Birthdays are more about surviving the day and forgetting the age...but when I was young they were special. Mom makes everything special. Love you mom!