Get Carried Away

68 days and counting until May 30th....the release date of the Sex And The City movie! Woo hoo! I cannot wait. I saw the full length trailer before a movie this weekend and it got me all fired up. so, I visited the official Sex And The City Movie website for all the dirt and it got me even more excited. You can download an official countdown clock for your Facebook page...check, watch behind the scenes footage...check, and sign up for email updates...check! Here's the full length trailer for you all to enjoy...

Easter Weekend 2008

I spent the long Easter weekend in Dallas catching up with the fam. It was certainly "The Perry Show"....so here's a quick recap of the weekend.

I arrived late Thursday night after a quick Southwest Flight from Austin. I was oh so sad to miss our monthly Austin girl's night...Sushi and Champagne, but couldn't wait to get home and love on my little niece. I don't know if it's just being at home, the fact that my parents keep their house as cold as a meat locker, or the fabulously firm matress in my room, but I slept like a rock that first night (and the dreamy nights continued thoughout my trip.)

Friday morning, I slept in and my mom and I met Carly and Perry Girl for lunch at Patrizio's in Highland Park Village. Cute Perry was all dolled up in her pink and green. I especially loved her pink sweater that Rusty has affectionately dubbed her "Neila Hook sweater" (only you Hyer Elementary folks will get that one).


And, at lunch my mom gave Carly and I a nice little Easter surprise....a new pair of Tory Burch shoes...bright orange flats for Carls and gold wedges for me. I'll take that over a basket full of candy any day.


Friday night, my mom, dad, and I headed back to HPV for an early dinner at Mi Cocina (along with ust about every young family with children in HP). That afternoon I spent three hours in the chair at the Phillip K. Thomas salon for a little blonde touch up and a trim. After dinner, we darted over to the theater to catch the 7 o'clock showing of The Other Boleyn Girl...which I have been dying to see and it did not disappoint.

Saturday I had the luxury of sleeping in again and had a late lunch with my mom. After lunch we cruised around town to check out some of our fave shops, homes, etc. But unfortunately, late that afternoon a migraine came calling and I needed to lay down for a bit. After the drugs kicked in, I was back in the saddle though. We met up with The Little Edgars...Rusty, Carls, and Perry for yet another mexican meal. After dinner, "the kids" went home and my mom, dad, and I caught an 8pm show of Under The Same Moon....which is an incredible film. Don't be let the subtitles deter you. This is one great movie...you won't be dissapointed!


Easter Sunday greeted us with a beautiful morning. We met up with Rusty, Carly, and Perry again for the 8:30 Cornerstone church service at Highland Park Methodist Church. After lunch, we met over for a delicious Easter lunch at the Lanbein's with the whole fam (sans Sarie and Bryant - boo). After a little cat nap yesterday afternoon I caught a quick flight back to Austin and was home by dinner.


Nothing like a great holiday weekend at home with the fam! Check out all the pics of the fam (ok, mostly Perry) from the weekend.

What would Emily Post Do?

I’ve been a little all over the place today. Blame it on the oversized iced-tea I had for lunch, or whatever you choose, but try to follow my train of thought on this one and you’ll get a little glimpse of what it’s like to live inside my head. It exhausts me just thinking about it.

Today I found a great new blog to stalk….What Would Emily Post Do? (I can’t get her RSS feed to work, so I’ll make a mental note to check in on her from time to time.) Anyway, I was reading my Thursday edition of Austin Tidbits which filled me in on the new book from Anna Post, the great-great-granddaughter of the etiquette guru herself…Emily Post. I’m a book-aholic, even if I never actually read them, so I can’t wait to get my hands on the new book, Emily Post’s Wedding Parties…although the truth is, with the amount of weddings I’ve been to and been in I probably could have written a similar such book.

Back to the blog…..today’s Austin Tidbit links to Anna Post’s blog. I heart it. It’s full of great little tidbits, advice, and more. One of the past blog entries linked to a stationary store in New York called Cloud Nine. Now if there’s anything I like as much as a shoe store, it’s definitely a stationary store. Their sight is not all that impressive, but I was struck by their tag line/description….”luxe papery & accoutrements.” Accoutrements!!!! As many of you know….I heart the word accoutrements.

So, on to the point of my email….I just wanted to share with you all one of my favorite words. I am not sure I always use it correctly, but…really, when do I ever use words correctly?!?!

Accoutrement
ac·cou·ter·ment or ac·cou·tre·ment (ə-kōō'tər-mənt, -trə-) n.

1. An accessory item of equipment or dress. Often used in the plural.
2. Military equipment other than uniforms and weapons. Often used in the plural.
3. accouterments or accoutrements Outward forms of recognition; trappings: cathedral ceilings, heated swimming pools, and other accoutrements signaling great wealth.
4. Archaic The act of accoutering.

I especially like #4....the art of accoutering. Now, that's a phrase I can latch on to.

Who doesn't love a good donut?

I just love it when Jenny Lynn provides me with some fun material to blog about. If only I could have copied her work all through college....maybe I would have gotten thru in a more timely fashion. Well, I'm slowly but surely catching up on all her blogging I missed last week and low and behold I missed "Donut Day" which was evidentally last Wednesday. Who knew...of course....Jenny Lynn knew.

So after reading all about Matt the Donut guy in Charlottesville, I took the bait on her blog and took the "what kind of donut are you?" quiz. Although I am partial to chocolate glazed, it turns out my personality is a Powdered Devil's Food Donut....and as you can see it's really not too far off....ok, so maybe the "total sweetheart" thing is a bit off, but the rest of it is pretty on par...

Powdered Devil's Food Donut
A total sweetheart on the outside,
you love to fool people with your innocent image.
On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex.
You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time.
Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.

Find out what kind of donut you are by taking this quiz.

Remember Me???

Hi friends of Leigh Leigh Land! I'm sorry for the little hiatus, but things have been a little busy around here. So, since most everyone was "on spring break" last week, I'll just chalk this little Leigh Land hiatus to a little Spring Break of my own. I wish I could say I was basking in the sun on some deserted beach somewhere, but unfortunately I have been working like a dog! I'll spare you the nauseating details and move on.

Last night I returned from a whirlwind weekend for Ashley's sister's wedding....the youngest one...Brooke. Brooke, as some of you know, has had what I'll just call a little crush on me for years. No really, she has. There was a time she used to pet me and say how much she loved me. Well, our little Brookie has grown up (well sort of) and moved on (officially). Last Friday night she married a darling (not so) little boy named Mike.

Brooke and Mike...the happy couple

I was officially invited as a guest to the nuptials and all its pomp and circumstance, but my official role was really one of (not so) moral support for Ash. My weekend started early with a Thursday afternoon dash into San Antonio for a quick change of clothes and a ride out to the rehearsal spot....the Don Strange Ranch in Boerne...just outside of SA. After the rehearsal it was on to the darling Grey Moss Inn in Helotes, TX....again just a bit outside of San Antone. The rehearsal dinner was lovely and was filled with many glasses of champagne and many touching toasts for the happy couple.

Ash and I with Rex (Ashley's Dad)

Friday was the wedding day and I trekked out to Don Strange Ranch again with the 4 Amini girls (mama Jan, Ash, Erin, and Brooke) for hair, make up, and all that jazz. The day was beautiful and we knew the wedding went off in true Brooke style when she kicked off her high heels mid-ceremony. The reception was different than others I had been too, but proved to be quite fun for all us guests. There was incredible food full of a variety of wild game (the quail and the red deer were my faves), casino tables, and even a cigar roller. Loads of fun. Check out the Amini girls in action on the dance floor....

As if all of that wasn't festive enough, Brooke and Mike had 70 of their closest friends out to the Amini family ranch on Satuday for a day of fishing, skeet shooting, and fun. The day was again beautiful, although a bit hot for my taste. After the sun went down and we gathered around the smoker for an incredible BBQ dinner. The partying went well into the night that night and I'm happy to report there were only some bruised ribs, a stubbed toe, and a possible broken collarbone. Not too bad, huh?!?! Before heading to our respective homes (Dallas, LA, Montana, Austin, etc), the gang enjoyed a fresh off the grill fajita lunch.

Ash and I with Jan (Ashley's mom)

All in all a fun-filled weekend. I'm not exactly sure what it would feel like to be hit by a truck, but I imagine the way I felt this morning was somewhat par for that course.

For more pics from the weekend click here....

My Favorite Things....the beauty edition

Yesterday afternoon I spent an hour or two at the "Mother Ship" (aka Neiman Marcus). Like a moth to a flame...I started off in the shoe department, but as usual I made my rounds in the cosmetics department as well.

In Dallas, my "Bobbi Brown girl "was Aimee. I'll never forget the time I walked into Neiman's NorthPark with my dad and Aimee greeted me by name....you should have seen the look on my dad's face....he was like....are you kidding me....she knows you by name. But, I think he's eyes completely popped out of his head when she said...and I quote..."would you like me to put this on your account?" When I said yes, he quickly said...."don't you think you mean MY account?!?!" Minor techinicality there, dad. But I digress.

My new "Bobbi Brown girl" is Mistelle. She's fabulous. Mal and I met her on opening weekend on Neiman's Austin and she's been "my Bobbi Brown girl" ever since. So, yesterday I paid a visit to Mistelle to stock up. In doing so, I thought I'd share with you all a few of my beauty faves from the Mother Ship....


First, my fave eye cream....La Prairie
Now, this one is certainly an indulgence. One little mini pot of this is a bit pricey, but you only have to buy one two or three times a year. It is fabulously rich and is the perfect eye cream. I have super sensitive eyes and this one doesn't irritate them at all. I say if you are gonna splurge, splurge on the eye cream and this one will not dissapoint.


Frederick Fakkai Apple Cider Clearing Rinse

I stumbled upon this one thanks to my old "Bobbi Brown girl" in Dallas. It smells heavenly and adds shine and bounce that has been over producted (is that a word?). It contains real apple cider vinegar to get rid of unwanted residue and product buildup.

Dior Show Blackout
I'm a mascara freak. If there's a new one out...I try it. I am always on the lookout for that great new mascara that will fatten and lengthen up my lashes. I have tried them all and my everyday fave is actually Loreal Voluminous, but my new favorite falsh lash look alike is Dior Show Blackout. It's super black and makes you want to bat your eyes all night long.
Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss
I heart these little numbers. They come in every color and they are sheer enough that every looks good on just about everyone. And, Bobbi (you like how we are on a first name basis) always does a fabulous gift set of four or so for Christmas...a great gift or stcking stuffer. Thanks to Shay for teaching me that little trick.

Bobbi Brown Brush Set
I've tried lots of brushes. I've had expensive ones, cheap ones, and all the ones in between and my fave are the BB brushes. They are reasonable and there is special one for your every need. I especially love the variety of brushed for your eyes....there is one for every crevice.

So head on out to a Mother Ship near you and induldge yourself in some of these oh so fabulous beauty products!

Leave it to Texas

Sunday the state of Texas celebrated Texas Independence Day. On March 2nd, 1836 we (well you know not really me, but my people) declared independence from Mexico. While its not an official state wide holiday (maybe one day), many of us do our part to celebrate. This weekend we put on our Texas best and hit the rodeo in celebration of all things Texas...cowboy boots, bull riding, and some rocking country music.

I'm now proud to say that the Presidental Primary may also come down to the opinions and votes of this great state I call home....oh and some other state they call Ohio. So, in an interest to stick with my patriotism I urge all you Leigh Leigh Land readers in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont to get out there and vote. I take my voting right very seriously and you should too!

If you are clueless about who you'll cast your vote for check out this website found by my friend Jenny Lynn and recently posted on her blog The Virginia Monolougues...

This one is quite helpful, as it asks you questions about the issues and then tells you whose views you most closely match:
http://www.blogthings.com/whoshouldyouvoteforquiz/

And, once you've figured out who you'll vote for it's on to a little fun....click this one to see which modern president who are most like, with questions ranging from your favorite snack food to the issues you're most passionate about:
http://www.blogthings.com/whatmodernuspresidentareyoumostlikequiz/

Happy voting!

Let's Rodeo

Who: Renee, Wendy, Katie, Julie, Scott, Mike, Ash, James, and Leigh


What: a night of bull riding and the Randy Rogers concert

Where: Rodeo Austin

When: Saturday night


How: Thanks to one well packed Yukon and one heck of a great designated driver

Why: Becasue what's better than night full of bulls, beer, and boots?

I have a serious case of the Mondays...maybe due in part to my coming down after a super fun weekend. Saturday was rodeo day and if you know anything about me you know that (a) I love country music (2) love cowboy boots and (3) love cowboys. So Saturday night's evening out to to Rodeo Austin to enjoy a little bull riding and the Randy Rogers concert made me down right giddy. I recently referenced my obsession with Randy Rogers in my "Listen Up" blog post and Saturday night just put fuel on that fire. I had never seen him live in concert and Saturday night did not dissapoint. If you are not a fan, I highly suggest you fill your pod with any of his tunes. I'd also like to send a special shout out to "J" for the great parking place!!!

For more pics from our night out at the Rodeo with Randy Rogers click here.

Me and My Llama

A couple of weeks ago a few of us reminisced about some of our fave Sesame Street skits of yesteryear. Lizzie and I busted out with one of our faves....Me and My Llama. This is one of those songs that has stuck with me over the past three decades and finding it on youtube only reiterates why it is such a classic. So the next time you have to take your Llama to the vet, just think of Nikki and smile.