Want a good laugh...scroll down to 1989!

I was going through my computer trying to get files cleaned up & came across this picture. I'm not sure anyone looks too great in this photo, but it had me cracking up. I think this is from 1989, but it looks like maybe Shelley was the only one married (maybe Suzanne??). I don't know, but I think everyone but Suzanne, Earnie & Liz are in the photo. For those who don't recognize all these great people from about 20 years ago, this is my Skinner family. All of you who are in this photo - we look quite amazing, or not... I was only 9 or 10 in this photo, so I am blaming my look solely on my mother. Could my bow be any bigger??? Or my hair for that matter! For those of you that can't tell I am 5th from the left on the very back row. If when you count that out you get to a boy that looks like Daniel, that means you missed little Bethany who is hidden behind Shelley! :-)

67 days....

So I went to the midnight showing of Twilight a couple weeks ago with thousands of others. It's always crazy to me how many people come to the theater on a weeknight at midnight, but it's a fun experience. Well as the light went down & the movie started I have to admit I was the first person to have an audible (and possiblly a little loud) gasp! No this wasn't for when Edward first came on the screen the first time or when the movie started, but was for when I saw for the first time the trailer for my favorite book. I had seen the trailer on YouTube & so recognized it immediately, but it's just different on that big screen! I'm sure I am way to excited at this point that the movie won't even be able to live up to what I want, but I just can't help it. If you haven't read the books, I highly recommend them. Super cute, easy & quick reads. What more could you want??? :-) Since I've already posted the trailer on here, I won't bore anyone with that again. Here's just a few pictures to get everyone as excited as me or at least interested! Sadly I don't think this movie will be showing at midnight, so I might just have to take a couple hours off work that day to see it's first showing! I'm not sure I can even wait until February! So the countdown starts...67 days....

Look how great Britney looks!

I hope she has finally got it together. She's probably the only person who could endure 2 psych hospital visits & all the other crazy stuff she's done in the last year & still have people love her! There's something just likable about her.

San Francisco here I come!

I am so excited about the exhibition & can't wait to see it. Hopefully I'll be able to get there in January sometime. I was able to see the Chanel one in NY a few years back & it was so much fun! I'd go to museums way more often if they have more fasion exhibits! Thank goodness for a friend as crazy as me to travel to SF just to see an Yves Saint Laurent exhibit!

http://www.ysldeyoung.org/

I loved Boston!

Boston was not at all what I expected and I loved it even more than I would have thought. It had a kind of small town feel to it. By the end of my trip I was ready to move there, especially since we had amazing weather and the fall colors were just gorgeous. Thanks to Tyler & Nicole for having me and my friends over for dinner Sunday! It was fun to get to see them and their apartment. We walked all over Boston & Cambridge & took a very rough ferry ride out to Salem. Unfortunately Salem was so crowded (it was the Saturday before Halloween) that we didn't get to do a lot of the things we wanted to there, but we still have a fun time walking around and shopping for witch decorations! I can't wait to get to go back to visit again sometime. Now if AZ would just get a little chilly I can wear my new (very cute!) Harvard hoodie! :-)

I did a mass upload of the photos & so now have no idea which photo anything is to put any captions. The glass structure is their Holocaust Memorial that was amazing & so moving to walk through & read various quotes from survivors & see 11 million numbers etched into glass. We also went to Fenway Park & got to see the Green Monster & Yawkey Way! It was really fun, even for this Yankee fan!

Chicago!!!! It's not NYC, but it was still great!

I had a great time in Chicago! Sadly, I ended up being sick for part of my time there, so that slowed us down a little, but overall it was a lot of fun. Weirdly enough I actually like the 8am-9pm all day meetings & eatings! I was headed back to Chicago for work and went a little early with a co-worker so we'd have some time to see the city. The two days of our convention went from 8am-9pm with basically no breaks - just little 15 minute ones between sessions. There's always so much great info and so many of the people crack me up, it's makes for some very fun meetings, not to mention yummy food!

Sunrise out our hotel window. We were able to see the fireworks from Navy Pier on Friday too. Great view of Michigan Ave!

This was in Millenium Park. It was the coolest art piece. I loved it! I wish there hadn't been all the other people around, but they loved it too I guess!





Fun with the crazy mirrors at Navy Pier!



This is the John Hancock Observatory. Unfortunately it was so cloudy when we went we couldn't see anything out the windows. Kind of a waste of $15! Oh well.

Magnificent Mile here I come!!!!

These are many of the reasons I am so excited for my trip to Chicago! While I am excited to see many of the other sites I am most excited for Magnificent Mile! Store after store after store. What could be more fun for a shopaholic like me??? With stores like these I think I will be doing more window shopping then actual shopping, but that's still fun!

Isn't she the cutest girl you've ever seen???

I saw this picture on Daniel & Marie's blog last night and think it might be the cutest picture of her! In the past she hasn't been the most cooperative at posing for pictures, but this one seems just perfect! It'll be fun to have her and Marie back in AZ this week. I've missed all of them. I've loved having them live in Arizona! I'll be bummed when they move away. :-( It's amazing how quickly Madison has grown. I remember so well when she was born and can't believe that was 18 months ago! She's old enough for nursery now. Hard to believe! And in no time she's going to be a big sister. It's crazy how quickly time just flies!

We only have to wait until Spring 2009!

So anyone who has ever visited an H&M knows how incredible this store is! Sadly, they do not have a store in AZ and so I've only been able to visit when in NYC. My last visit to NY included traveleing all over Manhattan visiting at least 5 H&Ms as they all had a little different merchandise. Well, yesterday while I was checking on H&M locations for my upcoming trips to Chicago & Boston I noticed that Arizona has finally made the list for getting a future H&M! Scottsdale should house one in Spring 09! If you've never been to this store it has great clothes (and lots of them) at Target prices!!! The countdown has begun...

I cannot wait!

This is probably my favorite book ever (I can't count the number of times I've read it!) and I am so excited for this movie! They are changing a lot from the books, but it still looks really good. Here's the first trailer released. Unfortunately we still have to wait until February!

Reflections

This last weekend my family was up in Cedar City for my sister-in-laws' Dad's and brother's memorial service. They were killed in a plane crash just over a week ago. What a horrible tragedy. The funeral and thoughts of what had happened have been incredibly sad, but there has also been great spiritual growth. It was a reminder that none of us know what the next day holds or how long we will be here and how important it is we live our life obediently so we will be ready for the next. Marie's dad and brother were both amazing people and living as they should and as I listened to stories at the funeral and remembered ones Marie had shared in the past realized what an example they were to me and everyone around them. Her dad served so many people in more ways than I'd ever know, but just in the ones I do, he was a great example of someone who was busy, but still found time to do more for others. So many of the stories I had heard about Dallin always somehow involved what a straight arrow he was and what an example that is to me that we must always do what we know is right, even if it is different from those around us or isn't easy. It also helped to remind me how important it is that I put in the time each and every day to make sure I am doing all that I should. It's too easy to get caught up in every day life and let some of the more important things slide. How important it is to be consistent and dedicated to doing all we need to. Hearing Marie tell some of the things they've experienced just reinforced more that Heavenly Father is aware of all of us and knows what we are doing and blesses us with so many tender mercies if we will just look for and notice them. He loves us and never leaves us alone. What a blessing that is. I'm so grateful for the knowledge of the Plan and what great strength that brings in situations like this. What a blessing the gospel brings to my life and I am so grateful for it.

I want! I want! I want!

I absolutely love this picture from Pottery Barn, too bad it's $800!!!! Seriously, how can they charge that much? I'm hoping to figure out a way I can try and make it. I'd love to hang this in my house! Isn't it just amazing???

So it's been a pretty quiet week at work (when does that ever happen???) and I've been able to finally get to all those things that are on your to do list, but you don't ever actually think you will get to them. I don't think since I started working I've ever had an empty inbox, but here it is! I'm sure this won't last long, but I'm enjoying it while I can!

The ESPYs!!!!!!

If you missed these you missed out - they were hilarious! Justin Timberlake did a great job hosting. Here's a couple videos of his opening and then the song he did. Now if he could just get busy making a new CD I'd be happy!

Sorry for the lack of posts. I haven't had much to post about and was out of town for a week, but tonight I am headed to see Glenn Beck Unelectable at the movie theater! :) I listen to his radio program everyday at work and he cracks me up, so I'm so excited to see his comedy show!

High School Musical!

So my aunt had extra tickets she ended up not needing so my mom, Steph & I went. I wasn’t expecting it to be that great as the movies were just so, so for me, but I love plays and so figured it could be fun. I ended up loving it! I think part of it was the audience, because these kids were excited! I felt like I was back at an NSYNC concert hearing all the teeny boppers scream, except these weren’t teeny boppers, they were little kids. The kids (and some parents) were dancing in their seats, singing along, totally laughing and just having a great time! It ended up being so much fun and was a really cute show, so if you ever have a chance to see it I totally recommend it and take your kids, they’ll love it!

I've decided to take the plunge

And commit to this in writing! I have decided to do a triathlon. Now before you start thinking there is now way she (that'd be me) can do a triathlon (which would be correct), the one I'm doing isn't until next May. It's also not one of those crazy long ones. A friend's sister did it this last year and it didn't sound impossible and so I told her we needed to do it next year. Marathons have always intrigued me, especially reading about people's experience and made me think about trying one of those, but then I think of what on earth do you do for that many hours while you just run. I'd be bored out of my mind, not to mention all the physical pain. Part of me still wants to become a runner and do the NYC marathon as running through NYC would be awesome, but I dont know that I am ever going to actually be able to convince myself that's a good idea, so for now I am starting small and just going to do a triathlon. To follow suit to Heidi I am blogging about it and so now am committed! I've started a little training for it so far and it's gone fairly well, although my first swim involved a little encounter with a dead frog (eww!) and then last night since it was so late I rode my bike around a small square in my neighborhood about 30 times. I'm hoping that in addition to getting in shape I will also get a nice tan this summer! Wish me luck!

PS - Do you know I have to pay $ to do this??? Seems like you should get paid to put your body through that kind of pain.

A dream come true!

For shoe addicts everywhere there is one brand, or should I say one sole that you dream of owning. Because these shoes generally cost about 3 rent payments then I've never really looked that much into owning a pair, but just dreamt of the day I might get lucky enough to finally get a pair. Well that day has come! Thanks to a steal I just couldn't pass up I finally own a pair of Christian Louboutin (the red sole shoes!) and I absolutely love them! Can you see the joy in my face??? (I also happen to be almost 5'10" in these shoes! :-) )

Now here's a flashback (not of me though!)

I thought I had pics of the LeBaron side of the family on my computer, but I can't find them. I'll try those another day. These are my Grandma & Grandpa Skinner back in the 1930s. Aren't they so cute???

She's a prodigy!

I have no idea how to turn the video and it's really short since I was trying to get a picture too.

Bob!!! I love him!

Well last night I went to Bob Harper's (trainer on the Biggest Loser) book appearance. He is so great in person & I loved getting to listen to him talk and then answer questions. He was so friendly and funny! He's even cuter in person! He's just like you'd imagine and I had a great time! Here are a couple pics from last night. It was really hard to get one of him when he was talking as he kept moving around. Bette Sue from this season also showed up and we got a pic with her.

I am officially having the Best Week Ever!!!! (love that show)

Now the above picture might not be exciting to most (or maybe anyone else other than me), but that makeup in the maroon case in the middle of the pic makes me so happy! I happened to be on Kevyn Aucoin's website today and found out a store in AZ finally carries his line. I can't tell you how excited that makes me (but not my bank account). No more only getting to get his makeup in Vegas or New York. I love his makeup and a few of his things I just can't live without. So anyone who likes makeup make sure to visit Glam Lounge in Old Scottsdale and try out his line. I'm already planning my field trip! Finding this made me decide to post some of my favorite makeup products - the things right now I just can't go without. Enjoy!

Mac Prep & Prime. I absolutely love this and can see a total difference in my makeup.

Mac's Paint Pot. I hadn't tried this until just a couple weeks ago when a makeup artist introduced me to it and I totally love it. It's much easier to use than their paint and it still keeps my eyes makeup from creasing and I love the color (groundwork) and can't wait to get more. It's great on it's own or with regular shadows over it. I can't wait to get more of these!
This might be my favorite beauty thing that no matter the cost I totally love and wear more than probably anything else. It's great with so many different colors. This is Kevyn Aucoin's Basic Plum eyeliner. The color is just fabulous!

Mac's 227 brush. It's a fairly new brush and I actually use it to put on my concealer. It's been so great! The Mac makeup artist at Scottsdale introduced me to it. I think it's actually listed as an eye brush, but it's amazing with putting concealer on!

Why do all my favorite lip products have to be discontinued??? First it was the Mint Chocolate from Lip Smackers and now Mac's Tendertones. These were limited time only (why do they always have to do that!) and I'm almost out of my first tub and I only have two more. I hope they bring these back, they are amazing! The Shush color is my favorite. I did see on Mac today that they do have this in one new color that they are selling, sadly not Shush!

I cannot go without an eyelash curler ever and don't know how everyone does not use them, even if you have short lashes. They make a huge difference. Don't be fooled by the drugstore ones that so often end up pinching your eye (at least the ones I tried) and make a 90 degree bend in your eyelashes. I am in desparate need of a new one of these, but it's great and fits my eye perfect and I've never pinched myself once!