Love to look at my happy straight teeth....the new headliner photo is from ice skating at the new Dixie Igloo ice skating rink in St. George...we went ice skating for my birthday and it was FUN, can't you tell? Facebookers to see the pic you will have to visit the blog...see the website in my profile I think...

I am so so so very grateful for The Bean...our niece/roommate went on a cleaning frenzy today. It was such a pleasant surprise to come home from a very long 12 hour day at work to find the house spic and span (even the dusting is done and the shower is clean!) It made it a much more pleasant evening for me. I could just enjoy our dinner of Roberto's carne asada (Jas prefers the burrito and I prefer the Torta) for less than $10 and blog and relax and soon I will go to bed. Plus add to this already pleasant evening the hilarious birthday card I received about men wearing spandex, and the bird letting me pet her two days in a row and I am set...on my way to my bliss! WhoooSaaaaa...

Converting Your Outfit From Business Casual to Evening Wear

So I have been reading those fashion how to articles in magazines for years, not because I have truly been interested, but because I have this thing where I feel compelled to read something from the front to the back, without skipping around...I think it comes from years of formal education and a love of doing things "right"...

Naturally, inadvertently I have picked up some of the "how to"

and since I have become much more of an accessorizer of late (wearing jewelry, pink, etc.)

I will now demonstrate my knowledge of

CONVERTING YOUR OUTFIT FROM BUSINESS CASUAL TO EVENING WEAR...

below is the outfit of the day (the orange jacket is one of my favorites, can you imagine why?)

You'll notice that in the first photo I even left the sunglasses on as the headband...(pink sunglasses, none the less--thankfully the hair hides the faux pas of pink with orange).

Notice the dolphin fetish necklace, it brings the formality of the jacket down a notch to match the jeans, pay no attention to the bulge in the calf area of the jeans, I didn't even notice that until right now (would you believe exceptional biking calf muscles?)...

Below you will find the transformation pictures. It is the same outfit, metamorphosized into an outfit befitting The Opera (Phantom of the Opera to be exact, at The Venetian in Las Vegas).

In case the finer details are not immediately apparent to some of the less fashionista sorts...notice the increase of rings on the fingers....the dangley and sparkly earrings...

Surely you have spotted the extravagantly beautiful necklace and the piece de resistance (no idea how to spell the French version) the boots, now fully visible--imagine there are 3 inch spike heels at the back of those boots...

Then when you add my date for the evening in her lovely sparkly ensemble (which got compliments from a woman at the bar) and voila (is that right? I mean walla only in couture spell) you have the complete transformation!

My mom took me and I took her for our Birthdays (it is always easier to spend that kind of money for someone else) to see Phantom. It was phenomenal! I absolutely loved it, I cried at least twice. What a wonderful conclusion to my Birthday week! (To top it off Larry also bought me a sweet card and Kohls card--perfect!) Thanks Mom and Larry!

What a fantastic birthday I have had! I am so grateful for wonderful family and friends who love me so much and who I also enjoy!! I have pretty toes, smelly good stuff, beautiful flowers, a full belly (for days), and blisters from too much fun ice skating...and pretty soon I will have a new bed frame and headboard! Plus tomorrow I get to go watch Phantom of the Opera! I have wanted to see that for a very long time. Quick story- when I was in High School we went on a Drama Club trip to see Phantom of the Opera in LA, however (and I am totally going to date myself here) when we got there we were smack dab in the middle of the Rodney King riots so we didn't get to leave the hotel rooms...we got to be a part of history, and experienced DRAMA, however we missed out on the dramatic education and entertainment we had anticipated.
So, now, many years later I will get to see Phantom...a dream come true.

Thank you thank you for the cards, lunches, texts, time, love, phone calls, and fun from all of my wonderful friends (including family) for my Birthday! Love you all, more than you and more than that!

Win, Win, Win, Win

So if you would like a free sitting for you and your lover(s) and some wonderful digital pics then you need to go to our cousin's blog and enter her contest...it is in Vegas so if the trip on a weekend in February is out of the question then don't enter...otherwise you will want to follow this blog! http://lesleybarrphotography.com/blog/

I am so very grateful for a wonderful husband who is multi talented and ultra forgiving...
he asked me what I want for my birthday, I found a bed in a magazine that I like and we have never had more than our mattress (a wonderful mattress) and the standard metal frame on wheels...so he is making me the bed of my dreams. He is still making it even though I asked 12 thousand questions about it as I watched him working on it (he called me a motivation sucker, but he figured out how to get past it). I am so lucky to be married to my best friend who is also a mechanic, carpenter, Dr. Doolittle, comedian, chef, and the list goes on and on. Love you Jas!

More Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

This is Butters, he is a beautiful English Bulldog who we got to spend New Years Eve with...he is a LOVER!
See, LOVER!

Jas and Troy, fun, fun, fun

We played Bunko prior to ringing in the New Year at the Kenney's beautiful home...Darb, you don't look like you are enjoying things as much as Tim and I are...Thanks to all of our friends for making it a New Years Eve celebration to remember!! Love you all!

This is Jas opening his presents from my mom and Larry.

I got to go down to Vegas to spend some time with my mom this week for Christmas, we had a terrific time!

I think she liked the bag more than what was in it! Love you mom!