Confessions of a (former?) shopaholic

When I was a newspaper reporter living at home two years ago, I didn't have to pay for anything. No rent. No car insurance. No bills. My goal was to save up my entire paycheck to buy a new car.

Unfortunately, I am a shopaholic. I know it sounds cute, but I truly think that this is a legitimate disorder. In the course of one year I spent every single penny of my paycheck. I literally spent thousands of dollars on clothes, jewelry, handbags, shoes, and food.

Now that I am unemployed and living on my own, I regret most of my decisions. My car is tick-tocking away and I have absolutely no money to buy a new one. I have no money for anything.

I screwed myself.

This post is dedicated to some of the purchases I regret making.

The brown and gold St. John suit I only wore once.

The Ralph Lauren sandals that hurt my feet.

The $200 dinner at the Argentinian restaurant I despised.

The pink Kate Spade sandals I only wore once but then they broke.

My blue and orange Kate Spade sandals I only wore twice but then they broke.

The $500 guitar I didn't need and never played.

The Etro shirts that no longer fit me.

The Pringle of Scotland jacket that no longer fits me.

The $100 dinners I spent at random restaurants.

Dresses. Dozens and dozens of dresses. No longer fit.

The Nintendo DS I only played twice before getting bored.

The Betsey Johnson handbags I haven't even used yet.

One word: wine.

And those are just a handful of my regrets. This blog isn't big enough to list them all.

I fervently wish I could go back in time and take back all those purchases.

I need a car. I need a new laptop. I need rent money.

And now I don't have anything.

But I don't want to end this blog post on a sad note.

There are a few extravagant purchases I wouldn't exchange for anything in the world.

Such as:

The Jimmy Choo heels and sandals I got on sale.

The Prada skirt that matches perfectly with my crimson cashmere sweater.

The Betsey Johnson sun dresses (buy one, get one free).

The Louis Vuitton bag I use every day.

The $100 dinners at the French and Italian restaurants I adored.

The Morrissey concert tickets.

The Chanel perfumes lining my vanity.

One word: champagne.

So my life isn't a total regret fest. Just a partial one...

I guess my only words of advice are no matter how much money you are making, don't forget to save. You never know when you'll need the money.

Some purchases just aren't worth it.

I'm going to go cry now.

I wanna be...

A few months ago, I did a post about my top five favorite television hotties.

Now, it's my turn to tell you about my top five television female crushes. Well, crush may be the wrong word. You see, I kind of want to BE these characters. They are so fabulous, I would do anything to be in their shoes. (And in a few cases, I mean that literally).

Here we go:

Brenda Walsh, Beverly Hills 90210



Shannen Doherty became the face of the 90s when "Beverly Hills, 90210" hit the small screen. Her character, Brenda, is a realistic mix of sweetness, cuteness, girl-next-door-ness, and awesomeness. I'm not gonna lie: she's a bit stuck up, takes everything a waaaay bit too seriously, and is quick to be bitchy when she's defending herself (which is, like, all the time). But hey, we all have flaws. Hers are just fabulous, that's all.
Bonus: Her boyfriend is super hottie Dylan.
Drawback: Her twin brother is super hottie Brandon. Sigh.


Gabrielle Solis, Desperate Housewives



I honestly think Eva Longoria is one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her only flaw is being too gorgeous, perhaps. The same can be said for her bitchy, helplessly snobby housewife persona, Gabrielle. Obsessed with designer clothes and always clad in stilettos, Gabrielle is everything I want to be. And more. Plus, she gets the best one-liners on primetime television. Anyone who can admit "being high maintenance is my only skill" and make it seem absolutely adorable is a hero in my book.
Bonus: She's fucking fabulous.
Drawback: She's stuck in the suburbs.


Chrissy Snow, Three's Company



Suzanne Somers made being a dumb blonde the coolest thing in the world back in the mid-1970s. With her shiny, perfect hair and fun retro outfits, Chrissy Snow is by far the cutest character in Three's Company. Even when she gets utterly confused by something so simple, or twists her sentences around in a dizzying array, she still manages to be a delight. You can't say that about too many people. Being dumb was never more fun!
Bonus: She gets to live with hottie Jack Tripper.
Drawback: Her lack of intelligence often gets her into sticky situations.


Kelly Kapowski, Saved By the Bell



Tiffani Amber Thiessen portrayed Kelly, the ultimate Teen Dream, on America's favorite Saturday morning special. When I was in elementary school, I perceived Kelly as the All-American Girl. She was beautiful, popular, head cheerleader, and had a smile that could brighten Alaska during winter. I wanted to be her. Badly.
Bonus: All the guys at Bayside High School are in love with her.
Drawback: Even with her pick of the guys, she ends up marrying gel-head Zack Morris.


Lucille Bluth, Arrested Development



She may not be the prettiest or youngest character, but this matriarch of the formerly wealthy, currently dysfunctional Orange County Bluth family can hold her own with anyone. Lucille, played by veteran actress Jessica Walter, is not afraid to tell people how much they suck and judge them with one snide look, all while polishing off a martini and a piece of toast at 9 a.m.
Bonus: Her days are spent drinking liquor and looking fabulous.
Drawback: Her family is bankrupt and her husband is in jail.

So...those are my choices. What do you think? Which television gals do YOU want to be?

Sex and the City 2

Ummmm so yeah. Kerrie and I were fabulous again. Surprised? Haha.

We saw Sex and the City 2! We absolutely adored the film. I personally thought it was better than the first, simply because I was more floored by the fabulous outfits this time and the gorgeous scenery.

Although, it kind of made me and Kerrie realize we need an exotic vacation....RIGHT NOW!

But until that happens, we'll just have to keep taking the American midwest by storm.

Before the film, we had a picnic downtown and did a little shopping.


Doesn't Kerrie look lovely in her Nanette Lepore dress?



This is one of my favorite new dresses. It's from Francesca's.



This is Kerrie's favorite newspaper.



And this is her favorite pig. Ha!



Do you like my yellow tennies? I got them at Urban Outfitters for super cheap.



A British businessman hit on Kerrie seconds before this photo was taken. She loved it.



The movie theater had Audrey Hepburn on all the bathroom stall doors. How fab is that?!



Kerrie held an intimate discussion with Liz Taylor and Marilyn Monroe while we were freshening up.



What is the paparazzi doing in the women's restroom?!?!



Kerrie and her style icon. So sweet.


Have you seen Sex and the City 2 yet? What did you think of it?

St. Louis

Last night I returned from a mini-vacation with my parents. We went to St. Louis for Memorial Day weekend.

It was actually a pretty pleasant trip, which is saying a lot since vacations with my parents are usually...frustrating.

On Saturday, we spent the afternoon touring the Anheuser-Busch beer headquarters.



At the end of the tour, everyone was given two free large beers. Since my dad doesn't particularly like beer, he let me have his two glasses. He then realized we had 20 minutes to catch our bus, so he told me I had to chug the beers down before we caught the bus. He was then confused and upset as to why I was giggly and drunk 30 minutes later. Sigh.

On Sunday, we spent the day at the St. Louis Zoo. The morning kicked off to an annoying start because it took us TWO HOURS to find parking.

But the weather was gorgeous and I was wearing my new Forever 21 dress, so I didn't complain.

This is me and my mom. Oh, and do you see my Kate Spade iphone??? Yay!

The iphone takes amazing photos and I captured shots of the animals we saw.

Here are some of my favorites:









And here is a photo of me being a dork:

Hahaha!

I hope you all had a great weekend. xoxo!

Hobo Chic Ten

Champagne.

Best friend.

Chocolate.

Railroad tracks.

Love.

The hobo chic tradition will never grow old.

It's a beautiful day

I can't believe how many of you share my dirty little secret. Your comments seriously made my day!

I hope you all had a great week. Mine was actually super fun. I earned a little extra cash helping my dad out at the hospital, I finally got a new phone (iphone! With a cute turquoise Kate Spade cover!), and got to spend a day with my bestie!



To celebrate Kerrie's official summer break, we ventured downtown for a little shopping, cherry limeades, and photo time yesterday.

We spent hours scouring scary shops for the perfect hookah. We are determined to buy one soon so we can have fabulous summer parties.

We also bought a few vintage dresses and shirts, which I will post about later.

I hope you enjoy the photos!


Kerrie chilled outside the hookah store.


I showed off a bush at the park where we sat and drank our cherry limeades. By the way: I am wearing a Free People skirt and Banana Republic shirt and Fossil sandals. The bag is Prada.


Kerrie scared the hell out of me when she climbed this massive wall.


She then tried to find a way to sneak into a 200-year-old church.


I opted to just sit pretty on the church steps.


I thought this old telephone booth was pretty cool.


...and Kerrie leaves you with this important message.

Yes, we're dorks. Haha!

Have a fun weekend!

My dirty little secret

I have a dirty little secret.

Okay, it's not really dirty. It's not even remotely that bad. But you're super curious now, right?

It's more of an...embarrassing little secret.

You see, I eat baby food. Once a day I eat a little jar of fruit puree that is meant for people who still calculate their age in months.

I got on this habit a little while ago when I had to get a cavity filled. My dentist told me not to eat lunch unless it was soup or baby food. Intrigued, I went to the grocery store and bought a jar of banana baby food. It was DELICIOUS. I was instantly hooked.

I only eat the fruit flavors (banana, apple, mixed berries, peaches, etc.). The vegetable and dinner flavors look nasty. This little snack habit of mine is actually beneficial. It's cheap (at most grocery stores you can buy two for one dollar) and they are obviously very healthy. There is no added sugar, it's basically just fruit. The calories are incredibly low. One jar of peach is only 50 calories. Plus, as I said earlier it's freaking delicious.

However, it is a habit I kept hidden from my friends and family. After all, I am not a baby. I felt like people would laugh at me. Buying baby food in the store is worse than buying tampons. I would always do it quickly, praying no one would catch me in the act. And whenever a mother, or someone else with a legitimate reason, would walk up to the section, I would laugh really loudly and say something like "oh, I definitely need to get three jars of peach for little Andy!" or say apologetically "I'm sorry for hogging the pears, my daughter just can't get enough of them."

I have no children. It was shameful.

But then a few days ago I read a couple news articles online that changed my life. It made me decide to come out of the baby food closet.

Reese Witherspoon. Jennifer Aniston. Madonna.

They eat baby food too!

Apparently it's a popular diet for Hollywood celebrities.

For an example, take a look at this a recent Marie Claire article.

A lot of these celebrities substitute their regular meals for baby food.

Personally, I have no intention of taking it that far. Enjoying a jar of peaches as a snack is one thing, but to replace all my meals with it is another. I enjoy chewing food. Adults are supposed to chew food. That's why we have teeth.

But nonetheless, it was nice to see that I'm not the only one indulging in food designed for infants.

So...do you think I'm totally lame?

...please don't make fun of me!