Sneakers for Sneakers and a 24 hour trip home

On Wednesday got up close and personal with a certain Sundance owner as I helped him pick out some shoes, making me the official celebrity specialist at work :) Nice guy, size 9.5, prefers Adidas running shoes. Anyways, after work I drove up to Boise for Thanksgiving. My trip was short (I had to leave Thursday night), but it was a lot of fun. The food was delicious, the house was packed with cousins and aunts and uncles and siblings, and I finally got to see my family's new house. A few snapshots from the holidays:

Cousins

Doing my best to look bitter and jealous

Daddy and me

Logan is wearing a doobie brothers hat, I am rocking a Bret Michaels bandanna. We rock.

Reunited and it feels so good...

Words fail to express the excitement of seeing this show back on television. As I googled "Project Runway" to find pictures to post, I noticed that critics are less than thrilled with the season 4 opener, but I disagree (note: I reserve the right to change my mind if consequent episodes prove to be a suck-fest. Everyone knows that a good tv show can quickly go sour. Case in point, Grey's Anatomy. Moving on...). Here are a few reasons I enjoyed tonight's hour of viewing bliss:

1. Heidi Klum. Tyra really needs to take a lesson on how to look like a model. Heidi always has flawless makeup, perfect hair, and an outfit that is cutting-edge yet not tacky. Ms. Banks has somehow managed to film 8 cycles of ANTM without mastering these concepts...
2. ...and the rest of the Judges Panel. Michael Kors is always witty and honest without being overly rude, Nina Garcia is constantly unimpressed (which I love), and Tim Gunn, though not technically a judge, is always dead on. Seriously, the man is a class act from head to toe. Plus, the guest judges are always a treat- could Monique Lhuillier be any more adorable?
3. Nutty Artsy Folk. I love 'em. Homegirl rubs her silk on the grass to "imbibe the earth" in her work, sews on herself instead of the dressform, finishes 2 hours early and takes a nap while everyone else is frantically finishing, and creates a dress with a massive train that, according to Heidi, looks like the dress is pooping fabric. She is all kinds of crazy, yet they keep her around for the same reason that damn Vincent stuck around for so long last season: pure entertainment.
4. The Work. The contestants are much more experienced than they have been in previous seasons, which is fun to watch. No more Fashion Design 101 projects (I hope).

If you haven't set a season pass for this show on your tivo, do so immediately. I have a few favorites picked out so far, but I am keeping my mouth shut until I have seen a bit more of their work. Get excited for my weekly recaps :)

My Little Pony

Not so much my little pony as Sydney's little pony...this weekend my family went to northeastern Oregon and picked up Romero, an 8.5 year old gelding from Aztec lineage (I don't have a clue what that means, I'm just quoting my mom's email). My sister is beyond thrilled, she knows more about horses than anyone I have ever met before and the new pet was a total surprise for her.First ride around the stables.

Getting to know each other.

Sydney and Logan on the ranch where Romero used to live.

I guess my Dad doesn't mind him either...

Current Obsessions

1. My New Computer
I finally made the move to a Mac, and I've never been happier. One of these days I'm really going to learn how to use it to the fullest of its capability, but for now I am perfectly satisfied with how pretty it looks on my desk. Yes I'm shallow, get over it.


2. My New Phone
Again, not entirely sure how all of the features work, but it sure looks pretty! But as much as I love my phone, I really really love the honey of a deal I was able to negotiate. No illegal methods were used, just a lot of witty banter and maybe a little eyelash batting. I also got talked into getting a little pink cover for it, which I thought was super lame until I saw the exact one on last week's Keeping Up With the Kardashians and now I'm having second thoughts. Any reader feedback would be appreciated...



3. The Holiday Season
Now that October is over (yay!), I can really get focused on the true holiday season- Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, New Years...the next two months are going to be so busy and I love that! Holiday treats are my favorite (pumpkin pie, sugar cookies, e-gg nog...I can practically feel myself getting fatter), the music is delightful, and let's be honest, I'd much rather decorate in gold and silver and red and green than orange and black ANY day. Plus the chilly weather gives me a chance to sport some of my favorite fashion finds, both old and new.


4. Guitar Hero III
Granted, I am terrible. But I am spending a considerable amount of time practicing when no one else is at home, so one of these days I am going to knock everyone's socks off with my incredible rockstar skills. Slash better watch his back...




5. Coca-Cola Cherry Zero
It's no secret that I need Diet Coke like I need air. And spare me your warnings on the dangers of aspertame/nutrasweet/caffine/carbonation, because they will fall on deaf ears. Anyways, I am a true Classic Diet Coke loyalist, but I was recently introduced to the Cherry Zero product and find it a welcome addition (note: NOT replacement) to my mini-fridge.