_High Heel Hijinx_

Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge

2010-11-18T16:43:00.005-05:00

Holidays are treacherous! Too much home cooked goodness right my finger tips and cold weather tempt me to curl up on the couch with White Christmas, a blankie and some cookies. Well not this holiday season!!!!!

I am participating in the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge!

HBBC Official Rules

1 Point per mile (run/walk/snowshoe)

1 Point per 3 miles biked

1 Point per 20 minutes of weight lifting, Pilates, yoga, stretching or abs

1 Point per 15 minutes of another form of cardio (i.e. kick boxing, aerobics elliptical)

1 Per day where you reach a minimum of 7 servings of fruits and veggies
Challenge will run from Nov 20 to Jan 7…this helps to cover you for the major holidays!

It should be fun and helpful in reaching my running goals. Friends and family you will be participating with me even if you don't know it yet. Mom, you and I are running on Black Friday instead of shopping and Brooke don't think you are out of this either. SO don't try to hide from me this holiday season because I will find you!

Carol Hannah and her swoon worthy creations

2010-04-15T11:30:00.006-04:00

I am an avid Project Runway fan. This season I am enjoying Emilio, Uli was amazing during her season but Carol Hannah has been probably my all-time favorite designer from any season. Her style is just so romantic, sweet and effortless (kinda like me, right?)

Well today while perusing my favorite blogs I see that Jessica (one of my fave bloggers, my fashion guru and fellow Hoosier) participated in her recent bridal fashion show in NYC.

Soon I found myself drooling all over Carol Hannah's Etsy's shop. But what caught my fashion heart was the Queen Street Draped Jersey Dress shown below.

I think it would be perfect for one of the summer weddings on my calendar. I will be just like the girl in the picture but there would surely be a glass of champagne in my right hand and a handsome young gentleman by my side.

National Popcorn Day

2010-01-19T21:56:00.004-05:00

Today is ironically National Popcorn Day!

(via Yum Sugar)

Why is that ironic you may ask? Well maybe it is the fact that I spent my morning in the the dentist's chair repairing a chipped tooth thanks to a popcorn kernel. I love popcorn but I am a little nervous to dive right back into the the salty, buttery goodness. This year I am not exactly celebrating this national holiday so please take an extra handful for me.

I promise next year we will be enjoying some freshly popped corn while watching a movie together.

But don't worry, I will make sure I have the dentist on speed dial!

Awesome wall art idea

2010-01-03T16:31:00.006-05:00

I'm kinda in LOVE with this idea. It's a variation on the antique plate walls I have been seeing everywhere lately. And the greatest part is that I have the perfect blank spot in my living room Now I just need to go out and cheaply find a hodge podge of both vintage and modern looking plaster ceiling rosettes. Any ideas on where to look?

{ from DIY }

Checking in on my 30 Before 30 List

2010-01-02T10:30:00.011-05:00

We are officially into the new year so I thought I would take a look at how I have been coming on my 30 Before 30 List. I started this list last year and have made a some progress so I thought I would share.

1) Travel to another country - Not yet but hopefully next year

2) Learn to sew - I got a sewing machine for Christmas so this one is in progress

3) Design & sew myself a fabulous dress - Not yet but please refer to my fabulous new sewing machine above!

4) Plant a garden - I planted flowers and herbs this past spring but everything died within a month so not a success but a good try. I will do this again next spring!

5) Learn to like running - Trying but no real progress yet

6) Run a mini-marathon - NOPE

7) By a fabulous piece of art by an up and coming local artist - Not yet but I am loving Allison's art maybe she can create something for me from a picture. I know her expertise is with animals but I would love a people version of her awesome work!

8) Create my own piece of art - Nothing yet but my creative juices have been flowing lately

9) Visit New York - YES!!! Goal achieved!

10) Visit LA - No luck yet

11) Go surfing - :(

12) Spend a holiday with the needy - I'm hoping next Thanksgiving with Mozel Sanders

13) Learn Spanish (try to retain more than I did in high school) - Nada

14) Fly first class - Yeah right... no luck there!

15) Throw an awesome dinner party - Sorry no update here, but I should do that soon!

16) Sing somewhere other than my car or in the shower (this would make my mom very happy) - Nope

17) Take a ballet class (I took 15 years of ballet growing up - hopefully I will be able to at least remember the basics and not fall on my butt) I have checked out the class schedules at Indy Dance Academy and I'm thinking about joining a class there.

18) Give being a vegetarian a try - I went Vegetarian last May after Meat Night at Fogo de Chao. I stayed with it for almost 5 months. I really enjoyed it and consider myself a quasitarian now eating mostly vegetarian but I let a little meat slip in once or twice a week.

19) Have some professional photos done (sorry - no nudie pics) - Goal achieved! My Super talented friend Kevin Conners of Kevin Conners Photography spent the day with me on the grounds of the IMA taking some lovely and fabulous pics! Thanks Kev!

20) Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity - No

21) See a big name artist at a show in Vegas (a show with sequins would be a plus!) - Not yet but I'm going to Vegas in May so hopefully I will then!

22) Work on my photography skills - I have been taking more pictures but I think I should take a class to learn more about photography for this goal.

23) Go on a wine tasting tour in California - Goal Achieved! I went to Cali this past fall and went wine tasting with mi madre.

24) Start some sort of side venture/pet project where I am showcasing my creative talents

25) Go on an exciting far away excursion with my mom - Nothing planed as of yet

26) Go to the Indy 500 with my dad - Maybe this year!

27) Go skydiving with my brother - No progress yet

28) Plan a big event/party for myself or someone else - Does planning the holiday party at work count? I'm hoping for something a little more swanky in this department to officially meet this goal.

29) Buy a forever classic amazing piece for my wardrobe that seems too expensive at the time but I will treasure forever - Nothing yet... but believe me, I have been looking!

30) Continue this blog until my 30th birthday (at minimum) - I am working on blogging more frequently thanks to my new work schedule. I have big plans to revamp the look. I will definitely continue until at least my 30th birthday!

I guess that's not a bad start; 5.5 goals met and 22 months left. I better get busy working on the rest of the list pronto!!!

Adios 2009... Hello 2010

2010-01-01T19:47:00.006-05:00

So NYE was a blast and I would love to share the one million and one awesome pics I took over the course of the evening but in true Jackie fashion, I dropped it at the end of the night and broke it again!!!!!! This is the second time in the past year that I have dropped and broken my camera. Thankfully I bought insurance last time!

The year 2010 was rang in with fabulous friends while listening to the one and only DJ Phil b, who made an appearance Talbott Street. We had so much fun.

Then we went to Blu and then ended the night with a ride in the Chicken Limo.

So all in all it was a great evening spent with great friends and hopefully a sign of great things to come in 2010 (except the camera breaking pattern... hopefully that will stop soon!)

I hope everyone had an equally excellent start to the new year and have no fears... I will be sharing my pics as soon as I can. I know you are dying to see all the fabulous and crazy events that took place.

Catching up

2009-11-20T17:14:00.011-05:00

I know I'm a little bit behind but things have been a little bit crazy during the last few weeks. So here is the photo heavy recap!

My mom and I went on a trip to California. First we visited Lake Tahoe. It was chilly but the water was beautiful. It was such a hippy, boho, granola environment...I loved it!

Then we went wine tasting. Miner Winery was fabulous. The grounds were beautiful and the wine was super yummy!

We went to San Francisco and walked across the bridge. It was really loud and windy but the view was breathtaking!

Then Aubrey and I went to Miami. The sun was shining, the weather was gorgeous and beach was exactly what I needed.

We went out to some fabulous dinners and enjoyed the Miami nightlife.

I celebrated my 28th Birthday!!!!

When we got home Brooke, Gene and I had our annual triple birthday celebration. It got a little crazy but there was no crying, puking or fighting so I would call that a success!

Oh yeah, ad I got a new job!!!!!!!!!

After 5 years I am leaving my job in television and going to work for Angie's List. I will be the assistant to the C.E.O. I am super excited about this new opportunity and a fresh start. With all of this comes a normal schedule and more free time. I am hoping that will lead to better blogging habit and (fingers crossed) a blog redesign!!!

Random Thoughts

2009-08-27T10:43:00.004-04:00

So I saw this in an email today and made me crack up. While they are not my random thoughts I can say many of them do apply to my daily life...ENJOY!

Random Thoughts of the Day:

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, whern someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

That's enough, Nickelback.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we allknow how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the hell was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say."

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart."

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind ifI do!

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Aghh!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself.

The world lost a great man today

2009-08-18T16:58:00.009-04:00

Irvin Carpenter

HUDSON – Irvin Wayne "“Irv"” Carpenter, 80, formerly ofAuburn, died Tuesday Aug. 18, 2009, in his home at the Lake-of-the-Woods, near Hudson.

Mr. Carpenter worked for Dana Corporation in Auburn for 39 years, retiring Dec. 1, 1989.

He was a PFC in the U.S. Army serving in the Korean Conflict.

He was born April 7, 1929, in Roanoke, to Fred and Lula (Vanmeter) Carpenter. They both preceded him in death.

He married Pauline Fields on Aug. 14, 1948, and she died Nov. 11, 2001. He then married Maxine Weber on April 24, 2004, and she survives.

Also surviving are one son and daughter-in-law, Michael Wayne and Susan Carpenter of Garrett; one daughter and son-in-law, Katherine Jean and David Platner of Shelby Township, Mich.; four
grandchildren, Jeffrey Platner, Amanda Tarlton, Jaclyn Carpenter and Craig Carpenter; and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Fred Carpenter, Dewey Carpenter and Charles Bragg; two half-brothers, James Slagel, and Carl Slagel; and two sisters, Ruth Bradfield and Rosa
Carpenter.

Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Feller & Clark Funeral Home, 1860 South Center St., Auburn, with the Rev. Kenny Queener officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Auburn with military graveside services conducted by the Avilla American Legion.

Calling will be 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be directed to the ALS Foundation.


**********************************************************************************

The Carpenter Boys on Father's Day 2008 (Dad, Grandpa and Craig)

Dad and Aunt Kathy with Grandpa on his 80th birthday this past April.

During my last visit with Grandpa in July I drew funny pictures on his wipe board. The drawing of him made him smile and laugh! That is how I want to remember him :)


The world lost a great man today but Heaven gained an Angel.

*I love you Grandpa!*

Ladies hit the Big Apple

2009-08-18T12:11:00.008-04:00

Once upon a time a group of four fabulous friends traveled to New York City for a whirlwind weekend.

They drank $15 cosmos in their hotel bar

They went to a live taping of The Late Show with David Letterman. Paula Abdul was a guest but she wasn't as crazy as the girls thought she might be. She must have stopped taking her pills that day.

The ladies got all dressed up, Sex and the City Style, to go out on the town. One jaded NYC "actress" said she could tell they were from out of town because New Yorkers don't get that dressed up.

They ate hot delicious dogs from a street vendor in Times Square.

Two of the ladies went on a hunt for hot chocolate on a rainy afternoon. They stopped at Hello Deli and met Rupert (a frequent guest on Letterman)

The ladies then visited CBS. They got their picture taken on the set on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. The only rule given to the girls was not to touch Katie's chair (AKA - the queen's throne)

The fabulous foursome made friends at dive bar. They danced with their new buddy, HOT CHOCOLATE, until he was kicked out of the bar.

The ladies had a great time in the big city. The vowed to come back together again, only next time they will make it a longer trip...two days in the city that never sleeps just wasn't enough.

THE END

Angi & Chad's wedding

2009-08-18T11:06:00.007-04:00

So my bestie's little sister got married in June. Krista, Heidi, mama Kathy and I put in some blood, sweat and tears to help make Chad and Angi's wedding amazing and it certainly was.

Krista and Heidi walked Angi down the aisle. The Davis girls looked beautiful! The late night sessions practicing walking in tall grass in high heels definitely helped!

Presenting.....Mr & Mrs. Schwartzkopf

There was a photo booth at the reception. Aubrey and I took advantage and went in several times. Here are a couple of my faves.

BTW, I went with the pink dress and everyone picked in the wedding wear post.

Here's most of the gang on the balcony during the reception. What a beautiful night spent with awesome friends.

The bride was gorgeous, the groom was handsome, the family shared some special moments and friends gathered creating unforgettable memories. A great time was had by all!

Congrats to the Newlyweds!

May Days

2009-08-14T11:16:00.006-04:00

Okay so the summer has been a little crazy with work and play I have neglected my blog the past few months so I will do a few month by month recaps (heavy on the photos) starting with May.

I had a housewarming party for my new place in Broad Ripple. I tried a new SANGRIA recipe that was awesome and everyone had a great time. Here are a few of the ladies and I on my new front porch.

Then there was Carb Day for the Indianapolis 500. Here is the gang on the bleachers. Such a fun day with good friends, great weather and some unforgettable people watching!

There were drivers and celebs galore. We met Helio Castroneves (3 time Indy 500 winner and Dancing with the Stars champ)

Danica Patrick even posed with Krista and I (and she smiled!)

Current Dancing with the Stars Winner Mark Ballas was kind enough to take a photo with me. I would have loved if he would have spun me around and taught me a few rumba moves!

I met my long lost brother Derek Hough (also of Dancing with the Stars fame). Don't we look like we could be related?

The Fantasy 500 Party the night before the race was a ton of fun. We even got to pose on the red carpet looking all GLAMOURY!

So that was May! What a great month! More summer recaps to come...

Wedding Wear

2009-06-23T00:47:00.006-04:00

So my bestie's little sister is getting married this weekend and I don't know what to wear. It's an outdoor evening wedding at the Village of West Clay Gazebo.

Here are 2 options. Which do you like better?

Option #1

Chic and Classy

Option # 2

Bright and Sassy

Spray Tan: Before and After

2009-05-29T00:40:00.009-04:00

I love summer...fresh fruit, pretty flowers, summer dresses, flip flops and tans. That last one I was not exactly blessed with. I am pretty pale and always have been. I tried tanning beds for while and got that beautiful bronze glow but I worried about the damage I was doing to my skin. I didn't want to end up looking like Magda one day in the future.

So last week I went out a limb and got a spray tan at Air-Tan in Broad Ripple. But before I went I needed to weigh the pros and cons...

PROS:

Back from Barbados look with spending any vacation money
No skin damage
Instant gratification color

CONS:

Unsure of how it would look (fake, orange, streaky, etc)
Standing semi nude in front of a complete stranger

Well, as you can tell there were more pros than cons so I went for it. I was sure to take before and after pics.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The after pic was taken within a half hour of leaving Air-Tan and the color grew even darker. I really looked like I had been on vacation. When I went back to work I had more than one person ask if I had gotten away for the weekend. My faux golden goddess look had fooled everyone! SUCCESS :)

Who's Bad? This PYT is bad!

2009-05-21T15:44:00.000-04:00

I have a small obsession with Michael Jackson. I know he may be strange and an outcast of sorts but he is a musical genius. His songs remind me of my childhood. They make me smile and want to dance.

So how pumped was I when a Michael Jackson tribute band called Who's Bad was scheduled to perform at the Vogue? Let me just tell you, I was one happy PYT. That's Pretty Young Thing for those of you out of the loop. It's probably one of my all time fave Michael songs.

The show was awesome. Truth be told, this was not my first time to see them. I have seen them three times now and will so see them again and again. They are amazing and pretty close to the original with costumes, dance moves and the whole she-bang!

30 Before 30

2009-05-15T16:15:00.000-04:00

So as of today I am 27 years 6 months and 23 days old. Many of my friends either already have or are turning 30 this year. This made me think of things I would like to accomplish before I turn 30. Pair that with my obsession with making lists and I present to you "Jackie's 30 Before 30 List."

1) Travel to another country

2) Learn to sew

3) Design & sew myself a fabulous dress

4) Plant a garden

5) Learn to like running

6) Run a mini-marathon

7) By a fabulous piece of art by an up and coming local artist

8) Create my own piece of art

9) Visit New York

10) Visit LA

11) Go surfing

12) Spend a holiday with the needy

13) Learn Spanish (try to retain more than I did in high school)

14) Fly first class

15) Throw an awesome dinner party

16) Sing somewhere other than my car or in the shower (this would make my mom very happy)

17) Take a ballet class (I took 15 years of ballet growing up - hopefully I will be able to at least remember the basics and not fall on my butt)

18) Give being a vegetarian a try

19) Have some professional photos done (sorry - no nudie pics)

20) Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity

21) See a big name artist at a show in Vegas (a show with sequins would be a plus!)

22) Work on my photography skills

23) Go on a wine tasting tour in California

24) Start some sort of side venture/pet project where I am showcasing my creative talents

25) Go on an exciting far away excursion with my mom

26) Go to the Indy 500 with my dad

27) Go skydiving with my brother

28) Plan a big event/party for myself or someone else

29) Buy a forever classic amazing piece for my wardrobe that seems too expensive at the time but I will treasure forever

30) Continue this blog until my 30th birthday (at minimum)

Ode to Padma

2009-05-12T23:16:00.000-04:00

I have a major girl crush on Padma Lakshmi. I know this commercial has been around for a while but everytime I see it I think I love her a little more. How ironic that she is practically making out with a burger after I give up meat...that little temptress!

A good old fashioned "Meat Night"

2009-05-12T18:45:00.000-04:00

Okay so I'll admit it, I love food. I am probably the least picky eater in the world. There is only 1 food I do not like...cherries, but I like cherry suckers and an occasional Cherry Coke Zero just not plain cherries or cherry pie. So as it turns out I'm not even that picky when it comes to my least favorite food. One thing I do love? MEAT! So Gene, Cory and I thought we would go to Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian Steakhouse for "Meat Night" last week. In a word, delicious!

I prepared for the big night by not eating much during the day saving room for the luscious hunks of meat I would be served and served and served again (it is all you can eat after all). I also made sure to wear something that could be forgiving if needed (a cute sweater dress and leggings fit the bill) So we headed downtown hungry, comfy and ready to eat.

We walked in and hit the salad bar first. It was huge with lots of veggies. We took it easy saving room for the main course. I tried the jumbo asparagus and a small salad. After all we weren't there for "Salad Night."

Then came the meat. It was a beautiful sight. There were like 15 different meats floating around the room on swords that were wielded by gauchos (actually wearing gaucho pants I might add). I tried most of the meats even if it was just a nibble. My favorite was the house special or Picanha. It was seasoned with sea salt and garlic and I could smell it from across the room.

Here is the evidence from round 1!

All in all it was a fabulous evening filled with delicious meats, great conversation, wonderful friends and did I mention the caipirinhas?

But at the end of the night I made the decision to say farewell to meat, at least for a while. With the summer months and fresh produce in abundance why not keep them as my focus. My goal is to go meat free for 6 weeks and if I can make it through that alive I may even try the whole summer.

I should probably say a proper goodbye...so here it goes:

Meat, I bid you adieu but at least we went out in style. We had a good thing and believe me, I will miss your rare and medium rare goodness but we just need to go our separate ways for a while. It's not you, it's me. Love~ Jackie

Reorganizing my closet and my life

2009-04-17T18:09:00.000-04:00

So I have been moving over the past couple of days. I really hate to move...it sucks! But I had a lot of help and got it all done pretty quickly.

I think that one of the best and worst things about the whole moving process is the closet changeover. I like my closet pretty organized. All of my sweaters are color coordinated, the shirts are all hung and separated by long sleeves, short sleeves and tanks then color coordinated as well. (BTW- this also goes for my shoes if you can't tell from the pic) I know, it may be a little bit much but I love an organized closet. I just HATE all the work that goes into it. But after every piece of clothing and every pair of black patent leather peep toes are in place it's like a work of art.

The part I was most proud of during the closet changeover fiasco was my donation pile. Let me explain something about myself...I hate to get rid of clothes. In fact I hardly ever do it, I always convince myself that I will wear it again, or the style will come back, etc. Well I donated three huge garbage bags and 3 boxes of clothes to Goodwill today. It was a spring cleaning like I have never experienced before.

Well here are the highlights of the items that I gave away:

The red floral dress that I wore to my high school graduation in May of 2000 and yes it still fit :)
All my overly slinky and semi trashy tops that I wore out during my college days
A faded jean jacket (I have no idea how long that thing has been around)
Sweaters, sweaters and more sweaters
A pair of skin tight khaki pants that zipped up the back
4 pairs of jeans
7 pairs of flip flop sandals
2 down comforters

My mom, who was here helping, thought it was embarrassing how much clothes I had left even after the Goodwill run but was proud of my progress and I was too.

So now that the closet is done, the bed has been made, and everything is starting to find it's own nook in the new surroundings I feel like I need to do a little spring cleaning in other parts of my life. I need to tie up loose ends, reconnect with friends and family and work on making my life as clean, organized and fabulous as my closet...basically I need find my chi so wish me luck.

Hello blog world, here I am. Welcome to Jackie's high heel hijinx!

2009-04-12T22:45:00.000-04:00

Okay I'll admit it...I am a blog stalker. I have been reading various blogs almost daily for over 2 years now. I check in on friend blogs, fashion blogs, design blogs, food blogs, celebrity blogs, blogs written by people I have known my whole life and blogs of people I have never met. They make me feel closer to the friends I don't get to see as often as I would like and strangely make me feel like I know the life story of a complete stranger. All of the bloggers have great stories to tell, pictures to share and are confident in putting their life out there for everyone in the blogosphere.
After reading these blogs for so long I finally decided I should join the blogforce. I have some great stories and amazing pictures to share with the world and I should be more confident in putting it out there for everyone to see. But that was over a year ago, I always stopped myself thinking who would want to read my random ramblings or read about a story I think is hilarious but no one else would even understand.
More importantly what would I call my blog? I think of myself as a pretty creative gal and a good writer this shouldn't be that hard, right? Well I was wrong, just deciding on a name for my blog took me over a week and in fact I didn't even come up with this on my own (big shout out to Genie Rod for the help) but I think "High Heel Hijinx" fits me perfectly.
So welcome, feel free to stop by anytime. I would be honored if you became one of my blog stalkers!

_________High Heel Hijinx_________