LA was la glam

Back from our 24hr. trip to LA. I ate more than my body weight in room service! I had some 45.00 vegan ravioli and it was insane. Yes, 30.00 might have been a bit much for a chicken ceaser salad; but it was the best dang ceaser salad I've ever had the pleasure of eating.

We stayed at the Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel right on Santa Monica Blvd. It was lovely, not to mention the spa. Glorious.

Taking a break from school for a couple days, I'm so frazzled with my way-too-busy schedule that my body is going to fall into a great pile of weary bones.

Harper is fantastic, and almost all my Christmas shopping is done!....ALMOST!

my crew.

Oh, how i've missed you sew....

Thursday Dec. 3, 09

Fix-It party: my house. Invited? Billy, Aubrey, and Leslie if she's bringing her cat.

We are going to glue, stitch, bond, safety-pin; do whatever we need to to fix the things that are broken. I, personally, have a few buttons to be replaced, some headbands to glue, and a purse to make handy again. Aubrey has some talking boots, and billy has a broken bag.

Oh, and leslie wants me to fix her cat.

The last 2 months I've been in school, making friends and doing hair.

Super fun, totally my calling. No doubt!

Harper's getting so big. Such a perfect diva. She dances and smiles, and radiates pure joy.

Saw New Moon, and loved it. Duh. Hot vampires=iiressstiiibblllee.

Events Coming Soon:

-LA Trip w/ Aubrey! Tuesday - Wednesday. Cost-FREE! Seriously.

*****details post awesome trip.

-Christmas

BED! more later. my post will never become as infrequent.

Here it is; my life is different.

School starts tomorrow at 8:15 AM. I have to wake up at 6:30 to get ready and eat before school. I am so anxious; its literally like the 1st day of high school jitters. Except more intense because my life won't be the same after tomorrow. I already feel my life changing; instead of hanging out worry-free on a Sunday evening, I'm racking my brain; making sure all is in order. Its stressful, as this whole first week will be until I get into the groove of the new schedule. I've had a talk with Harper, and I don't know if she gets things are changing; she probably doesn't. Ha ha. She's 14 months. Oh well, I'm sure this will all be just perfect and I'm just being overtaken by my OCD.



Stay tuned.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

I'm going to be Richard Simmons.

I have no idea what Skyler's going to be. Hmm....I wanted to be Salt n' Pepa but he didn't really like that idea. So you can have it if you want.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

more things i need,& countdown

countdown until school: 41/2 days!
I am getting pretty excited. Nervous and stressed about the little details, like missin my babes, and the whole balancing act. Shopping and coming up with ways to get money to buy stuff always distracts me.

Speaking of, here's some more really awesome stuff I want. that i can't ever afford.
rachel leigh. bluefly.com sale:69.99 orig:120.00
rachel leigh. bluefly.com sale:82.99 orig:145.00
tufi duek. bluefly.com sale:446.99 orig.1,116.00
emily and ashley. bluefly.com sale:265.99 orig.501.00

stuff i want. that i might could afford.
natasha accessories. dillards. 38.00
kate spade. nordstrom. sale: 46.90 orig:95.00
kate spade. nordstrom. sale: 46.90 orig: 95.00
b. makowky. nordstrom. sale:75.90 orig: 128.00


Most recent read: Swimsuit; James Patterson
great suspense/murder novel
Next on my list: The Quickie; James Patterson

i die- RZ

tons of orgasmic jewelry found on eBay. all under $30.




i love.

my sis totally has something like this.
this too.
owl is my fav. love owls.
vntg.

this isn't all, but i can't handle anymore heart attacks.
-to be continued.

Plain Jane

I am a plain jane.


I am not brilliantly funny, like a friend I have.
I am not relentlessly clever, like a sister I have.
I am not flawlessly beautiful, like a girl I know.
I am not naturally toned, like some celebs I see.
I am not luckily wealthy, like the parents I have.
I am not egotistical, like a childhood friend I have.

I am thoughtful, I spend a lot of time on things.
I am humble, I may be need more self-esteem.
I am determined, I have to do something a certain way.
I am goal oriented, I have a plan.
I am hard working, I will not give up.
I am loyal, you have 100%.


I am a plain jane.

I have no outstanding personality. I have 30 pairs of designer shoes in boxes. I lack confidence. I get intimidated. I think you are better than me .

That is me. This was to convince me.


But I do have an awesome taste in husbands, and daughters, and shoes!

Where are you?

I have some family that never talks to me. I can take things more personally than probably intended sometimes, but I also think there's something off. What's the deal? Everyone is unreliable.

My birthday was really fun. Lots of unexpected people showed up which was really cool. We ate, chatted, and rode a mechanical bull. No big thangg. Skyler rocked the mechanical bull, better than I have ever seen. He must have been a cowboy. I don't have any pictures.....and I'm not really in the mood to talk about it.

updates

First off, it's my 20th birthday tomorrow! I've been celebrating for weeks, and tomorrow, my day of birth, is the perfect "grand finally"(1).

UPDATE ON SCHOOL: school starts in 18 days. I am very excited. I will be very busy, and no longer available to hang out all the time. Sorry. One thing I am very sad about however, is that Harper will have to go to daycare;I think I will collapse on that day.

You see....Harper and I have been very close the last 13 months. We have spent every day together, doing everything together, all the time. We have never been apart for more than 3 hours at a time (a total of 30 min. is spent inquiring about her), and I have never not done something important without her. So you may be able to imagine that the distance and time apart will be quite hard for me. I dread Oct.12th, for that reason, and that reason only!

Otherwise I'm super stoked to start school!!!!

WHEN SHOPPING FOR SHOES, I GOT THE BOOT.
Today I was sad because I was looking for a pair of comfy, reliable, and snazzy black boots. Who, except me, doesn't have a pair of this kind? ( I want to extend my condolences to my dear friend Lauren who just recently lost her fav pair of black boots). Everywhere I looked they were either too expensive, or out of my size!! I was sad and about to give up, when I got an idea from my Aunt Stephani. ZAPPOS! So I went to see, and I found. These Rocket Dog, Western style sheriff boots for $22 less than in the store. Ah, I have been saved.
Unfortunately, that's all I have for now. Sorry I cannot be more witty or entertaining, but to be truthful, I'm quite a boring body of a person.

(1) sign made by Jennifer Wittenburg and me, in the summer of 2002 indicating the end to our 4th of July Dance Show. The sign hung and read "Grand Finally" before our final dance.

The Zoo Trip & My Knee

Harper, Grandma, and I went to the PHX Zoo last Wednesday! It was super fun,especially because it was free, and those are my favorite things right now. If you insist on seeing pics of the animals let me know your name, e-mail, and the animal you would like to see a picture of and I will get back to you.

Also today, I fell and scraped up my knee. It hurt really bad, and was extremely embarrassing. My neighbor ran over and helped me up, then wiped all the dirt off my knee as a sniffled. He was a very nice neighbor.

I will be 20 on Friday.

On the monthly, not just the updates

Ello,

Went to the art museum last week, super fun. Ashamed to say the stuff they own gets boring to look at, so spent most of my time in the traveling exhibit part. Didn't get a chance to see awesome new Warhol movie, boo hoo. My company that evening was prego and very hungry, and as we had already been as the museum for 2 hours i thought it would be negligent to make her stay another 75 minutes to watch a movie she didn't care about. Nice me.
Going to the zoo tomorrow to take advantage of free Wednesday's in September. Taking my mother and Harper, but now aparently my mother is taking us, just because she's driving.

Wanting to paint, but too nervous to paint so soon after museum trip. I will admit it. I will copy things I saw and liked. Not on purpose, just because they are fresh in my mind and i really like it. Often we paint what we like, and like what we paint. Same is true for books and writing ( i think, at least for me personally).

So anyway, I haven't done or seen anything really exciting other than the previously mentioned.

Trendy Frugalists'

There's a another site I wish to report for those of you wishing to be trendy, but are - can i say it?- broke.

freebootr.comt

Type in your zip code to see what free stuff is up for not sale, but reuse in your area.





Phx Zoo- Free admission for 2 with Fry's V.I.P card every wednesday in September. I know Harper and I will be going! Whoop for animals!


Last but not least: Free movie. A Walk Into Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory. Today; 4-7pm at the Phoenix Art Museum.

my treasure box

I have found a few things quite entertaining.

1) myfashionplate.com is really neat. Its free to join and its cool little place for the fashion frenzied and also for those who have the "deer in the headlights" look. You go on there and upload pictures of your clothes to create your little online wardrobe, or if you are completely decked out in designers they have pictures you can just add into your wardrobe. After you do that you are pretty much free to reign the fashion industry....okay maybe not. But you can put outfits together on your personalized avatar, or you can tell other members about your event or outing and ask for help with outfits. My fav thing about this site is you can trade/buy/sell your wardrobe items with others (how awesome!), not to mention the discount designers sites and deals you get to be a part of!!

My B-day is coming up and I wanted to go to Provo to visit my sis-n-law and have some major fun. I've never been to Utah so I was super excited by the idea. I'm trying to find a nice cheap flight, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Bummer!

Man, today I'm fuming like a chimney.
1) I need to find a nice suitable care giver to watch Harper a few odd hours when Sky and my schedule overlaps when I start school. Well, you think it'd be easy, but they're all asking for a fortune; for three measly hours a day. It's preposterous.

2) Even if we could afford to pay someone our limbs to watch out precious baby, we wouldn't have them, because my husband is off spending our arms and legs on booze and burritos! ( the booze was a lie, but most definitely burritos and such!) javascript:void(0)

3) The maintenance crew for our apartments still hasn't come to take down our kitchen light to dispose of that awful scorpion. He's just a crunchy outer shell, but the silhouette is unbearable. It makes me cringe, but I do think I can contribute my recent loss of weight from the site of it whisking away my appetite.

4) Well, that's all I can think of for now.

P.S. You haven't lived until you've checked out this Discount Christian Louboutin Website.
www.christianlouboutinboutique.com

COSMO SCHOOL LOOK OUT! LANNAN THERE'S A SCORPION LOOK OUT!!

Here I come Regency Beauty Institute!

I have always wanted to go to beauty school. Always. I used to cut all the hair off my Barbie's and line their eyes with sharpie. In the later years I experimented with cutting my own hair; and in Junior High I had a very good friend who let me use her head (Thank you Sydney).

It's official! I am enrolled and I start October 12!

I will be going part-time so I can still get my harper fix in. I couldn't be away from such a sweet girl for so long in the day. It will take me longer to graduate, but that's even more time for me to savor school and the newness. This is my dream; I'm finally making it happen!

I saw something really gross today.

That is a dead scorpion carcass in my kitchen light-thing. Ew. I was making some mac-n-cheese for my baby girl; I looked up and saw this above my head.

footnote: my apartment is very clean.
footnote2: scorpions suck.
My cute Harper with some sweet kicks.

Book Reviews & Trial Outcome

Hello followers, how are you this lovely Friday evening?

I've finished two books since I last blogged.
1) Shoe Addicts Anonymous:
This was a great book! The characters were built beautifully and I really connected with them! I completely understood the characters thoughts and really enjoyed the wit and charm the Beth Harbinson captured in this novel! I enjoyed it twice as much as her other novel, Hope In a Jar.

2) Shopaholic Ties the Knot:
This was the 3rd in series, and although I do love Rebecca Bloomwood, she was a little too air headed in this one. She is a very charismatic character I consider a close friend, but along with her fictional friends, she was getting a little too self absorbed. Story was great though, and I do admire her for always trying to do the best for everyone. Oh well, can't wait to see what else she gets into in Shopaholic and Sister.

Best Friday Night EVER! Tonight we went to Peter Piper Pizza for a little family outing. It was yummy, and FREE since we used a gift card we recieved. I was surprised it was so empty though being a friday night. Oh well, worked out nicely for Harper; she was able to run free without fear of being knocked over by older kids. Now we're at home in our lounge wear; I am of course typing away at the keyboard while Sky is being manly and yelling at the state football team. :)

Trial #4: Cleaning Charts.
I can proudly say this is my first trial I have managed to stick to and succeed at!! Yay me! It's working out wonderfully, and I have learned a lesson: there's no use in a spotless house if you don't take the time to enjoy it with your family! You can't "run around like a headless chicken cleaning all day"(Skyler) and then not pay attention to your fam!!!

A Day for Firsts

Happy 1st Birthday baby Harper!
Today is my daughters 1st birthday!!! I really cannot believe it, I've looked and pictures, gone through baby clothes, and its just amazing it has been a year. A really fun, amazing year. She has definitely grown up since her trip home from the hospital!!! My mother threw her an amazing 1st b-day party yesterday! It was cute, fun, and polka-dot themed!

Trial #2- The Library Trip

Yes. The Library trip. It didn't go well, it was hot, I locked my purse, my keys, the stroller, and my keys in the car. The librarians weren't very understanding, and the length of time we had to wait for my mother to rescue us ended up cutting into her nap. I failed. I do think it would have went well if not for locking everything in the car though!

I will be making a documentation of my first official emotional breakdown. It happened today at about 1pm. I cried for and hour and a half like, no offense Harper, a baby. Fetal position, head buried into pillow, and wailing. During my pregnancy breakdown quantity, zero. The first year of marriage, breakdown quantity also zero. First year of being a mom, again zero. I knew it was coming, and it made an appearance today. I am officially done crying, and done feeling bad for myself. I feel normal again. I never believed that a good cry can make everything better, but it did for me today. Whew, glad that's over. I think the library scenario contributed.

Trial #3- Cleaning Charts
I am going to make a cleaning chart to follow. I usually do a small amount of cleaning every day which worked well, or so I thought. I woke up this morning and realized, I must be doing too small of an amount of work; my house is disgusting. I was shocked. How could I not have noticed this before? So, I'll make a chart with daily things to do. That way, everything gets done and the house can stay clean throughout the week. NO SURPRISE DISGUSTINGS!

Materials:
paper
markers
chores
refrigerator
magnets

Friday

Deep into Shopaholic Takes Manhattan. Just as clever and funny as Confessions of a Shopaholic! Rebecca Bloomwood is such an awesome character, and Sophie Kinsella does such an amazing job at introducing her!

My husband makes fun of me when I'm talking about certain books with him. Something about the way I refer to the characters, like they are real people that I talk and visit with every day. I didn't realize how silly that sounded until I saw written in front of me, but that's how I feel. There's a few other characters I feel a personal connection with , but I'll spare the details. This series is absolutely recommended to women who love to shop, or just need a good friend who makes you laugh.

As we all know, my loving attempt to bake cookies yesterday went terribly wrong. I followed the directions perfectly, and although they didn't turn out one bit, I am relieved I settled for a box mix and didn't try to tackle a recipe from scratch.

Housewife Trial #2: Taking Harper on an Outing!
We do get out of the house, but it's mostly for errands, like picking up dry cleaning, or running to get dinner. As awful as it sounds, I've never taken her anywhere just for her pleasure! So I want her to have fun, and be able to move around and do something instead of just being held in the store or in the stroller at the mall. Harper and I will be going to the library!

Travel time: 6 minutes
Materials: vehicle, car seat, library card
Objective: one-on-one learning & bonding time with mom

Cross your fingers!

Finding the Time

While dealing with my trials of motherhood, wife-hood, and cleaning-hood??, these are the books I'm going to try to jump into this next week or two. I'd love to discuss as I go if there is anyone...is there anyone out there?

The Cutting Room, Louise Welsh
A Push and A Shove, Christopher Kelly
Brother Odd, Dean Koontz
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (2nd in series), Sophie Kinsella

By the way, friend Christine got a boob job. Jealous.

I put the dough balls too close on the pan, now we have a oatmeal chocolate chip cookie .....cake-ish thing.

ugh.

Spaghetti and canned Ragu for dinner, followed by a trip to the gym, and the bakery.

The Introduction

My name is Lannan Gardner, my last name isn't really Gardner, technically I still have my maiden name. We'll use Gardner on here. I am 19 and I have a husband; Skyler. Together we have a daughter, Harper Finn, she will be one on Sunday. I am a stay-at-home mom, and Skyler wins bread.

I'm a young mom and wife, struggling to be the picture perfect housewife, pearls and all. Being a mom to my almost one year old is a lot of work, not to mention dressing up and vacuuming in heels. I'm working on it, and this is my documentation on my progress while also trying to have a life of my own!

Trial #1: baking cookies

I thought the perfect opening trial would be to bake cookies for my husbands co-workers. I am going to attempt to bake 2 dozen Betty Crocker box mix oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Required Ingredients: 1 stick butter; 1 egg
Directions: pre-heat, mix, ball dough, and bake for 10 minutes.