go, cubs, go

Cubs win! Cubs win! We're celebrating at our house this weekend and are looking forward to a L-O-N-G playoff season. Welcome, October, and let the playoffs begin!!

here’s to you, mom

My mom celebrated a milestone this weekend – her 50^th birthday. We threw her a surprise party, and actually managed to surprise her, with a Hawaiian theme in honor of her upcoming trip.

During the celebration my mom mentioned that her 25^th birthday was a tougher birthday to deal with mentally than turning 50. I wonder why a quarter of a century had a much bigger impact than half a century? At the time she was pretty much a single mother who was working hard to raise 2 kids on a small salary. She’s certainly accomplished a lot in the last 25 years including what she calls her biggest success: two “good” (her word!) kids who left the nest and started lives of their own. I think the fact that she finally started to take vacations in the last 15 years has also contributed to a dramatically lower stress level. My mom can enjoy life a lot more now than at 25, and I think that’s a tremendously great thing. For her, age has brought a new acceptance of life’s obstacles, and she’s just trying to enjoy the ride. I hope I can learn that lesson from her now, 21 years sooner. Turns out she’s still teaching me more than a few life lessons.

Target-ed

Target often serves as my refuge when I need a break from work or want to wander aimlessly. Unless you are there on a Saturday or Sunday, it's a mostly peaceful place to visit and you have time to check out all the deals you miss when you run in and out for detergent.

So you can imagine my horror when two times in the recent past my Target visit has been disrupted by crazies. The first episode took place when I was leaving the store after a lovely outing where I discovered the Boots line (try the grape/avocado body butter). I was heading to my car in the crosswalk when a car came straight at me and stopped about 3 feet away. I looked up and saw a man and a woman in an SUV staring at me. I looked back at them with confusion as to why they had come so close when the man leaned out his window and shouted, "what are you, stupid?" much to my surprise. Why was this man shouting at me for apparently acting stupid when he had nearly hit me in the crosswalk of a heavily trafficked parking lot? It's not as if I darted in front of him and dared him to hit me. Apparently the 5 seconds it took for him to stop ruined his day and he made a complete ass out of himself. I can only hope the woman with him was not his wife and that she was left wondering if he treated everyone that way, how would he be treating her soon enough? Well, I didn't let it ruin my day and instead called the non-emergency police line to report a dangerous driver in the Target parking lot. While he was fuming, I was jotting his license plate down in my phone.

The second experience happened, tragically, inside the store and can't be blamed on a stupid passerby. It was a Saturday, my first mistake, and I was rushing around with a list in one hand and a shopping basket in the other. My second-to-last stop was a grab for some cling wrap and a mom and her two kids were in the same aisle. I went by and stopped for a moment to ponder my choices and one of the kids came nearby. I picked some wrap and tossed it in my basket and the boy turned around to approach his mom and ran into my basket with his head. He let out a wail and his mother scurried over. I felt bad and the first words out of my mouth were "I'm sorry"...but what was I sorry for? Shopping? Carrying a basket? The mom didn't acknowledge me or my apology so I made a fast getaway to grab my last item and headed for the check-out.
I just don't get it. It's still bugging me! Would you have apologized too? Or what would you have done?

fall fashion

The single best thing about living in the Midwest is just around the corner - fall! The crisp air, beautiful leaves and football (finally!) are just a few reasons to love the too-short season.

Fall fashion is a whole separate topic. As is Halloween. First thing's first: fashion.

I picked up the September issue of Lucky and they have a few great (and some forgettable) fashion tips to consider. A-line jackets, circle skirts and opaque tights are a few of my early favorites.

I started to shop for a few key pieces this weekend by checking out what's available within 50 miles of Bloomington-Normal, which, *sigh*, isn't much. Thank goodness for Target, where I checked out the new line from Isaac Mizrahi, and I also made my first visit to Steve & Barry's to see the Bitten line from Sarah Jessica Parker.

Both lines contain some great pieces, but a few stand-out due to their flawless design and "of the moment" cache.

Top finds:

• An adorable dress from Isaac in a light eggplant color. Includes pockets (LOVE that) and hidden shoulder snaps to hide bra straps (it's the little things like this that make the dress a quick and easy can't-miss look). The belt felt a little too matchy-matchy for me so I wore a brown suede/gold buckle belt instead. This dress will wear well into November with a blouse underneath and tights.
  
• A chunky but not bulky a-line sweater from Bitten in dark gray. This is the piece I will wear over and over again.
• A great brown suede bag from Bitten that I didn't need but couldn't pass up at $15

I'm still looking for cute flats that aren't $400 (ideas?) and, of course, I am continuing on the endless search for the perfect pants.

Trends I won't be wearing this fall: high-waist pants and animal prints
Trend I'm still not sure about: ankle boots

Let me know about your fashion finds and what you will/won't be wearing this fall!