She Promised I'd Look 20 Again

I'm blogging over at Love is An Exploding Cigar today on what the lady at Lancome talked me into. Most of it works (or at least I've convinced myself of that, LOL). Another adventure in Macy's ;-)

Shirley

Easily Distracted by Shiny Objects

The Romance Writers of America conference is next week, and when my husband asked if I needed any new clothes this year before I went, I said "no." I had REALLY good intentions of not buying anything. Honest, I did. And then my friend wanted to go shopping because she was going to the conference, and ended up at Macy's. In the shoe department. In the middle of a clearance sale. Need I say more?

I'm easily distracted by shiny objects, particularly ones that have high heels and a red clearance price tag ;-). I had just been in Macy's a couple days before and bought two pairs of shoes. So I KNEW I shouldn't be back. (Not to mention the two pairs I bought online at DSW just a couple weeks ago. Aren't those black heels awesome? I loved them. They're still on clearance at Macy's, FYI, both online and in the store. But I didn't tell you that, LOL.)

So I should have been smart and completely bypassed the shoe department, going straight to the Petites, where my friend needed to go.

But the shoes CALLED to me. I swear.

So I stopped. Just for a second, I told myself. Like a sugar addict passing a candy counter, just to inhale the scent of chocolate.

I found several in my size on the rack, tried them on, and told myself I was only going to buy one pair. But the other women in the store loved them all and even the sales guy drooled over one pair in particular. (though that might have been more out of a guy stiletto thing than anything else). And so I was talked into buying ALL of them.

I don't have pictures of all...um...FIVE pairs of shoes, but I got some really cute black and white ones with bows on them, these neat Anne Klein pumps, some hot Guess stilettos, and a pair of simple denim slides.

And then guess where we ended up later that night? At the mall. Which had...a DSW (if you have never been to a DSW and you love shoes, you MUST GO. It is the HUGEST SHOE STORE EVA. A positive shoe MECCA. Try the online store for great buys, too).

But you all would be proud of me. Even though I came within an inch of buying some Jessica Simpson stilettos, in the end I talked myself out of them.

Because they didn't have my size in red ;-)

(and if you want to read more about my shopping expedition, plus see a pic of the really cute denim slides Cathy and I got for $7.50, marked down from $50, go to Cathy's blog today. She has a picture of the two of us, too, before we went shopping).

Shirley

Priority: Shoes, Before RWA Conference

I blogged over on eHarlequin today about preparations to get ready for the RWA conference. Zip on over and read it if you have a chance--and while you're there, don't forget to take advantage of the FREE 16-book download Harlequin is offering to celebrate their 60th anniversary!

Shirley

The Mall to Beat all Malls

We spent our Fourth of July holiday in every woman's paradise:

The Mall of America.

I know. I had to take deep breaths just to walk in the place. And once I walked into DSW Shoe Warehouse...well, let's just say it was a good thing there was plenty of oxygen in the ventilation system ;-) I had five pairs of shoes bought in record time and would have bought more if my teenage daughter hadn't dragged me out of there.

But no worries, leaving DSW... (sorry...went looking for the DSW link and got distracted for a second here shopping their clearance sale. I don't need any more shoes. Don't need any more shoes. Don't need...)...got me over to Sephora. I've been DYING to go to Sephora, ever since I started watching What Not to Wear and saw Carmindy using all those great products.

I hit all the major stores. Spent two and a half days at the Mall. I know, isn't that heaven? Well, maybe that's hell if you're not a shopper, LOL, but for me it was heaven. I wish I'd gone back to the shoe store a dozen more times, actually. But now I have the website link and a credit card in hand...

Which means I can replicate that Mall of America experience in my pajamas ;-)

The other cool thing we did was go to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant. I had been to one before, but this one, in downtown Minneapolis, was AWESOME. Now, I wouldn't recommend walking around downtown Minneapolis late at night with your kids ;-). We kind of ate and left. We had thought, when we looked at the promo for the area, that it might be a pretty fun spot -- sort of like the same areas they have in Louisville, etc. But when we went down there on Sunday night, there were no tourists and a whole lot of people I wouldn't invite over for a barbecue. My son wanted to know why there were thirty young men all dressed exactly the same. A club of some sort, he was sure. Yeah, a club. Exactly. :-)

But the restaurant was great. The food FABULOUS. The chef hilarious. Some of the best Asian food I've had in a while. A great way to end our trip, gastronomically :-).

Shirley

What is with Some Posts?

I have a StatCounter on my website, and I check it from time to time to see what pages are most popular and which ones get the most hits. It's kind of cool to see where people come from and what pages they visit.


This past week, for instance, I had a lot of visitors from the United States--no surprise there -- but also visitors from Singapore, Seychelles, Dublin, the UK, Slovakia and Israel. I've had a wide variety of countries in the past (Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Germany), I think mainly from when my books come out in the other countries (I'm out in 20 countries now).


Or maybe these people just stumbled upon my site by accident, LOL.


But what gets me is the Blogger Posts that draw people EVERY day. There are certain posts that, no kidding, get a hit EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don't know why. My stats are pretty evenly divided between my site, my contest and my blog, meaning all get equal play and visits (which is heartening, because it means people are visiting all equally) and I'm pretty evenly visited by returning visitors and new visitors alike (also nice), but certain posts are hit on a daily basis.


My post on getting my hair cut.


And my recipe for Roast Pork Tenderloin.



LOL. I don't know why. Apparently my angst over whether or not to cut my hair short is shared by many women who Google cutting their hair, because it leads them to that Blogger post. They read it, sometimes zip through my blog or over to my website, sometimes not. Either way, it cracks me up that EVERY SINGLE DAY those two get hit.



I guess I should post about my hair and cooking pork roast more often. If only I could find a way to sell books while doing that, I'd be all set!


The picture above, BTW, is from a past Romance Writers of America conference. That's me on the left, my friend Becke, my critique partner Janet Dean (whose first book is out with Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historicals next year) and my friend Ruth on the end. I'll be at the Dallas conference in a month, and if you're in the area, stop on by!

Shirley

Upside Down Pancake Recipe & The Three Important Things: Eating, Shopping...

And Family.

Bet you thought I was going to say shoes, didn't you? I will have you know that I did resist the shoes yesterday on Black Friday even though there was this REALLY cool pair at Kohl's that I REALLY wanted but didn't buy. Sigh. Now I wish I had. Not that I needed them in the sense that I'd go barefoot all winter without them. Not that I had some dress in need of a pair of black shoes and didn't own any black shoes.

But in the the oh-my-gosh, those are really pretty and wouldn't they look totally awesome with that black skirt I wanted and also didn't buy sense. Sigh.

I did buy myself a few things BUT I did get more for my family and the people on my list. So I was good. More or less ;-) Hey, my husband really shouldn't let me out alone with a JC Penney and Kohl's card on Black Friday. It's a pretty dangerous thing ;-)

I spent the last two days cooking, eating, and shopping. And with my family. It was great. Lots of great food, good wine and great conversation. We had fun. I stayed away from the computer, so if you e-mailed me and didn't get an answer...it's because I had pecan pie in my mouth ;-)

But to make up for it, here's my Christmas morning recipe. Well, one of two. I make either this or my friend Janet's Egg Bake, depending on my mood. Both are make ahead kind of things but I'm an early riser (I'm the one dragging the kids out of bed. Honest to Pete, I am PATHETIC on Christmas -- I can NOT WAIT for everyone to get up. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas) so I'm at the stove, singing "Rudolph" (you SO don't want to be there to hear me, especially when I hit the high notes; even the cat leaves) and cooking away.

Baked Apple Pancake

3 large apples (I am a sweets person, so I use sweet ones, but my favorites are Honey Crisp--if you haven't tried this kind, which are only available during the late fall, try 'em)
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
5 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and core the apples, then slice them thin (like you're making an apple pie). In a bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, and vanilla. Add the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix just until blended.

Now, there are two methods for doing this. I prefer the pie plate method. You can either cook the apples in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, then make the pancake on top. Or if you live in my house and can never find the silly skillet because someone put it away in the wrong place (even after living in said house with you for 10 years and obviously not paying attention to where the dishes go ;-), or if the skillet has gone AWOL because it is being used as a GI Joe fort or some other equally more important task, then cook the apples in the butter, sprinkled with the cinnamon and nutmeg, in a regular old non-stick pan, until they are browned and softened but still hold their shape (about five to seven minutes).

Arrange them in a circle on either the skillet (again if you don't live in my house) or if you live in a house like mine, in a pie plate, then pour the pancake batter on top. Put the pie plate/skillet in the oven and bake 13 to 15 minutes, until the batter is cooked and puffed. Loosen the edges with a knife, then flip it onto a plate (have you seen how Martha does that trick? She puts the plate on top of the pan/pie plate and then just inverts). Sprinkle with extra confectioners' sugar and syrup.

Sounds complicated, but it's actually really easy and good.

And impressive when you have friends over for brunch!

Shirley

Haircuts and Getting Older

I went to the hairdresser yesterday to get my haircut. I think she's getting tired of hearing me make the same debate every time, about whether to go shorter. But hey, I'm getting closer to 40 and it's getting to the point where I just might not want to try pulling off long hair anymore. I mean, at some point, a girl's got to accept that she's aging, right?

So I sat in the chair, and debated cutting those long locks, and just saying, yeah, I'm getting older, let's go short, and she's saying, are you sure, and I'm looking at myself and thinking...

No.

I have a year and a half until I'm officially 40. So I can still pull this off, right? I can still fool myself into thinking I'm young enough to have this haircut. And maybe even after the big four-oh, I can have it for a little while before I should consider going above the shoulders.

So, I kept it long (pretty much the same style as you see on my website. I'm nothing if not predictable). Then I got home and watched "Dateline" and thought how cute Ann Curry looks since she cut her hair short.

Good thing I have eight weeks until my next appointment to think about it ;-)

Shirley

Fashion Sense...or Not ;-)

I've been pretty good, considering all the temptations around me. Ordered Domino's Pizza last night and ate the stuff on top only (mostly veggies), no crust and only had one and a half of those brownie bite things (here's the site that allows you to play with the Fudgem's, calorie-free). Really wanted the whole box :-). I've lost ten pounds all together so far, still a long ways from the 50 total I need to take off, but hey, I figure 1/5 of the way is better than no-fifths!

After three days off thanks to my non-cooperative, migraine-y head, I did my r-alk this morning. Went two-tenths of a mile further than the last time because I was mad at myself for the pitiful start I had this morning (taking three days off made for a mostly walking start). Moaned and groaned to the dog the whole time about how much I hate to run.

He didn't care.

We have painters here today, painting six rooms inside my house, actually fixing my mistakes in two of them (don't ask. Let's just say I should stick to my day job). I've secluded myself in my office, already took some headache medicine and have windows open as well as a fan on, praying for a no-headache day and so far I'm not winning the battle. The fumes aren't too bad at all, but the weather here is kind of iffy, so I've already got a couple strikes against me.

I promised the story about being on GMA Radio. I have XM Satellite Radio (totally love it -- couldn't live without it and my apologies to local radio, but I rarely listen anymore, not with so many choices on XM). So, the GMA Radio show does this thing on fashion week and what's coming up this fall. Dresses are going to be big this fall, and pantyhose are making a comeback.

Ugh. That just goes to show you men really are in charge of the world.

I hate pantyhose, as does the host of GMA Radio, Hilarie Barsky, and nearly every caller she polls. She asks people to call in about the pantyhose issue and whether they wear dresses or not. I, who always have an opinion, of course call in. No, I am not a fan of pantyhose. I am, however, a total What Not to Wear devotee, I tell her. I have learned my lessons from Stacy and Clinton and until those 50 pounds are all the way gone, am going to fill my closet with wrap dresses and empire waist dresses and underthings that tuck and tighten.

And shoes -- don't even get me started on shoes. I love shoes. I can't pass a shoe department without stopping to look. Just thinking about shoes has me salivating. I have promised myself I won't buy a new pair (of heels -- I do indeed need a pair of running shoes which are not the same thing and do not elicit the same excited response) until I lose another ten pounds and the wait is killing me. Maybe I should hang a Macy's ad on the toe of my Nikes.

So, anyway, I had my five seconds of fame on the GMA radio show. I told her I was an author and only got dressed up when I left the house for personal appearances and meetings in New York. She asked me what I wrote, I told her romantic comedies and was too STOOPID to mention my last name. Ah well, I'm sure everyone in the world (or the three people listening at that moment) know that "Shirley in the Midwest" is THE Shirley Jump ;-)

Uh-huh. I am SO delusional.

Ugh. Paint smells. Off to find a gas mask.

Shirley

The Beauty of an Empire Waist...

Linda commented in my Atlanta post about how I looked. I have to say, that's the beauty of an Empire waist and a black dress :-) I have gained a ton of weight after my mom died, and am not as motivated to take it off as I should be so it was there for the conference.

But I am a total addict to "What Not to Wear," as is my daughter. The day I had to go shopping for my conference I had a migraine, so after a WNTW marathon, my daughter and I headed to the mall. She was hilarious (Mom, don't get that skirt, the stripes will make you look wider. Mom, try to find flat front wide leg pants. Medium rise). Stacy and Clinton would have been proud :-)

One of the tips I took to heart was the embracing of an empire waist when your hips are a little more generous than you'd like (my weight always goes straight to the hips and thighs!). It fits regardless of what you ate for dinner, and looks good on about anyone. DD helped me decide on each day's outfit--planning for conference is like creating a war strategy. Outfits for casual times, outfits for meetings with editors, dresses for the parties, and even what to wear to the Harlequin pajama party.

There's my big tip for the day. Empire waist + black dress = looking a whole lot skinnier than you really are ;-)

Shirley