Run Forrest Run

This summer has been so fun, ever since I succumbed to the fact that I hate winter I have fully embraced the summer months. And aside from just loving summer, I have made a point to seek out exciting summer events, such as Ladies Hat Day at Arlington Park Horse Track.

So, just a few weeks ago my dear friend Amy accompanied me on the Metra train to go out to the Arlington race park, just a mere 30 minutes from downtown Chicago—also near Sarah's Grove where our friend Ashley resides!

The three of us donned our finest hats to enjoy the races!

Since we had hats on, and we are ladies... we got in free! And so we enjoyed some bloody marries for breakfast, champagne for lunch and bets all day! As part of Ladies Hat Day the Millinery Arts Alliance held a special event in the Governor's Suite where they sold hats, had free champagne and hot pink frosted cupcakes and the prime view of the horses!
Turns out many others were just as excited about hat Day, including the CUTEST couple in the world (besides my parents) this red hat polka dot duo! Now that is love! And you can't tell from the pic, but she had some hot black fishnets on! Sexy!

There were four couture hat designers at the hat day, and the cheapest hat was probably $275. Later, on the Metra train home Amy noticed this lady had two hat boxes- a guess of a $600 dollar value! Her hubby loves her!


This woman's hat was designed by Nicole M. Le Blance. Ms. Le Blance was also the designer of the hat that I wore that day! See, you can see it here as I intently watched my horse.

A note about our betting: Amy and I first bet on the horses that had names that were interesting, this proved to be fruitful for Amy, not me. So I went my separate way. I decided to bet on the third favorite horse, figuring it was his time to shine. This worked once and I won $8 bucks! But then it stopped working and Amy too was not having luck. Finally we realized it was all about the outfit! From then on out we only bet on the horses that donned pretty attire. Amy won $12 on the horse and jockey that had a purple suit with lime green polka dots! Yay! Since fashion seems to mean a lot, I decided to enter the Ladies Hat contest...and guess what!? NO I didn't win, BUT I was a finalist!


See me there. They had us go on the, um, place where the horses walk before they race... and this woman from Chicago NBC announced the finalists on the big screen and everyone snapped our photo. Ms. Amy is my personal photographer. I'm the green blob in a cute hat! All the ladies were HOT in great hats! After we waved and looked pretty, the winner was announced and soon, the pretty NBC lady escorted us all back to the Governor's Suite for free drinks..... Photographer Amy really enjoyed that! Amy's hat designer is Nine West... My Mom knows all about this hat!

Isn't Amy so pretty!?














And this is my friend Loretta, a couture hat designer, she's so talented and fun! That hat she's donning is her own creation, it's gorgeous!


All and all it was just another lovely day at the races!

Hello 1985

Today I went to the local DSW to check out the sales... I left with a pair of jellies. I'm a 33-year-old nerd—but I'm a nerd with bright red shiny jellies! They're pretty cool, even if they make my feet sweaty.

The last time I owned a pair of jellies was in 1985; they were light pink and worn to pieces. The jelly straps turned to strings and my hot-pink polished toes stuck out. Of course those jellies made some pretty cool tracks around Minnesota before they officially died. They hit up the Bel-Air School yard where I argued the counter-points of why, sometimes, Cyndi Lauper was cooler than Madoona...but true to indecision form, those same jellies made it to Madoona's Virgin Tour concert at the St. Paul Civic Center. Now that was a trip. I was 10 and my friends and I were giddy when we overheard the older girls refer to us as 12-year-old Madonna Wanna-Bes. My mom was there too! Madonna certainly did have quite the affect on 80's fashion!

Can you imagine the little 10-year-old girls that were obsessed with Britney Spears during her hey-day? They had so many other POP singers to argue over...Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore....Turns out Christina and Mandy turned out pretty okay, but that Britney-yikes almighty! However, as weirdo as she is (I think she's the next Anna Nicole), was Madonna any less strange? I mean I went to the Virgin Tour concert where Madonna played with her Boom 'Box'. Of course I seriously didn't get any of this until my parents had to explain it all to me, which was then followed by my screams of STOP!

Ah pop-girl moments to ponder... nonetheless, the one very awesome thing about Madonna is that she certainly did create some cute wanna-bes, especially the little tart in the middle... can you see my jelly shoes!?

Baby Cutness!

Welcome little Wil! Born Saturday, 8:56am, at 7 pounds 1 ounce, 20.5 inches long.

Is it weird I think he's so cute that I just want to eat him?

Congratulations Mom and Dad Chris and Camri!

To Minneapolis with Love

Pray for my hometown... Above is my old stomping grounds and of course, below is the bridge... I took this bridge everyday for years... I always said the damn thing shook too much.