Mobile Post: road to Vegas Conversations

*this is an attempt at a mobile post of random Conversation tidbits as Jason and I drive to Las Vegas for Blog World Expo. Please excuse typos... Top 5 songs we would do Karaoke to while in Vegas: 1. Hole Hearted - Extreme 2. Not Unusual - Tom Jones 3. Groove is in the heart - DeeLight 4. Sweet Child o'Mine -GNR 5. Beth - Kiss ;-) What would yours be?

Shut up and put your money where your mouth is...

T minus 2 days until Jason and I hit Vegas for Blog World Expo 2010. To say we are excited would be putting it lightly - we are elated. In desperate need of a kid-free weekend, we are looking forward to networking, meeting our online friends face-to-face and some good old-fashioned VEGAS time. 

Of course, when packing for any trip, I'm going through the WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO WEAR issue. Here is the challenge: It's Vegas, it's a professional trip (casual and fun, but these are people I want to impress) and I kinda have to live up to my pseudonym...

Let's backtrack a bit...to a sunny San Diego day about 5 years ago. There was this under 30 newish mom putting together her first online journal on Blogspot. I needed a name and somehow HipMamaB was born. It's pretty tongue-in-cheek - as you know the "Hip" part is more of a desperate attempt than an actual true statement. But it's me, it's my brand, and I own it. But meeting people in real life, I often feel I should really try and live up to it and be, well, hip. 

So there is the criteria for my Vegas wardrobe: Hip, Professional and Vegas appropriate.

Do you see my conundrum?

After a few weeks of deliberation, I've come up with these 5 categories of things to bring:

1. The Skinnies

Currently waiting to be packed are 3 pairs of skinny pants - jeans, black pants and my new edition of skinny cargos. Between these three options, I think I'm pretty well covered for day and night. 

The thing I love about skinny pants is that it doesn't matter what height shoe you wear with them. They look good with flats, flip flops, heels or platforms. Unlike a boot cut jean, where the are tailored to a specific length, limiting the height of your shoe choice, skinnies are more flexible. Great for when you need to do a mid-Las Vegas Blvd shoe swap out of those painful 6 inch wedges to the mushy pair of Haviannas hiding in your bag. 

2. Speaking of shoes...

 Yes, I will pack too many shoes. It's a given. I don't even fight it even more.

All I can say is that I'm really happy we are driving so that I don't need to squeeze my shoes into every pocket of my suitcase. I can even pack them all in their OWN bag!

So multiple ballet flats, black and gold wedges, black pumps, gladiators and Haviannas. I think I'm pretty covered.

Oh wait, I forgot my boots... shoot... hmmm..

 3 & 4 To Top it off

The shrunken blazer with a tank under can go day or night... sparkly and black at night, white and navy for the day. A variety of shirts from t's to tanks. I'm also currently in love the with a Tunic shirt. I have a few at the moment in purple and blue. I love the look with the skinny pants and the blazer.

And last but not least, 

5. LBDs

It is Vegas after all.. you never know where you will end up or what you will end up doing. A Little Black Dress, or, 3, is the perfect option for dinner and drinks or a show or a club. Gold hoops and a bracelet and you can be sophisticated and still Vegas fun. Hopefully. 

There is my list and my game plan. So tell me - what am I forgetting?!

Monday Confessional: SUCK IT IN

A few months ago I told my mom her generation, with their bra burning, ruined it for our generation of women. Before those hippies took off their underwear in protest, woman wore undergarments to help shape, bend, nip, tuck, and protrude them into attractive silhouettes. Then came all that free love bullshit and women suddenly were all au natural and comfortable. Whatever.

My torso has always been my "problem" area. Throw in two kids, two c-sections and my running joke is I no longer want a nose-job, I want a "torso-job". I need that Dr. 90210 Super Woman surgery without the girly-parts part...since, as I mentioned above, I had two c-sections. I think it started when breastfeeding Lucas. I could honestly care less if I exposed a little boobage while trying to get him to latch-on, but I did care about people getting a glimpse of the hideous flaps of deflated excess skin and fat around my mid-section. Thankfully, I found the GlamourMom tank tops - the ease of the nursing bra with coverage on the underside. I was free to comfortably lift my shirt and nurse in public without the thought that some some child-free thing was gawking at my post-baby jelly rolls. I also felt that just having a little extra fabric helped bring things in a bit and cover the backside from the dreaded coin-slot caused by the then fashionable ultra-low waisted pants. 

Even after I stopped nursing, I kept on wearing tank tops under my clothes. I didn't need to worry about clothes being to sheer or too low, I felt comfortable in the layers. When Lucas was about 9 months old, I was the Matron of Honor in a friends wedding. Still not comfortable in my post-baby body, a friend suggested I try this new product called SPANX to help smooth things out under the silky brides maid dress. I was sold. And amazed by this modern day girdle.

These days I don't really leave the house with out a Yummy Tummie tank-top on under my clothes.  It's kinda become my adult "lovie". It makes me feel more comfortable in my clothes. Whether or not it actually makes a difference I have no idea, but I like to think it helps to shape me just a bit.

Last Friday I had to run to the mall with Zoe after ballet class. We were taking family pictures on Saturday and Jason and I are headed to Vegas for Blog World Expo this upcoming weekend, so I needed to make a clothing run. I grabbed Zoe a bite to eat at McDonalds and fed her in the stroller so that I could hopefully have 20 minutes of quiet shopping time. After breezing through the kids section I landed in women's lingerie and this new full body miracle suit caught my attention. Standing there reading the label, without thinking I reached down and grabbed a french fry off Zoe's tray and was about to shove it in my mouth when I realized the sight I must be. 

Girl eating french fries shopping for Spanx. 

Nice. 

My Monday Confession for 10/11/10: I love my tummy toning tank tops and I need to stop eating french fries. 

Potty Princesseseses

A few weeks ago my willful, obstinate, refusing to pottytrain almost 3 year-old daughter came across pictures of us last year at Disneyland. Since she wasn't even 2 at the time, and it was way before the "PRINCESSESESES" obsession set in, and I guess she doesn't really remember going. She flipped through the pictures over and over, her little voice getting higher and higher with each picture of her little self with Pooh, with Snow White or on a ride. Then she came to the picture of her and I standing in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

"WHAT DAT MOMMY?!" she squealed. "It's Sleeping Beauty's castle, baby..." I replied. She shrieked. Literally, she shrieked and then yelled "WE GO DERE NOW MOMMY! NOW!!!!!" Without even thinking about it, I just said "Well, they don't allow diapers at Disneyland, honey. You have to be a big girl and pee on the potty to go."

B.I.N.G.O.

That was 2 weeks ago and home-skillet has been sporting her princess branded skivvies ever since. So tomorrow is the big day. We are going with her friend CeCe (who's mom Maria also jumped on the "no diapers at Disney" bandwagon) and we are going to wear our new Belle dress, have breakfast with the princesses, and have an all-out princess extravaganza. She hasn't stopped talking about it all day. I'll be amazed if she sleeps tonight. 

The only thing left to think about is what the hell am I going to wear?

Monday Confessional: Baby's got...calves

I've loved knee-high boots for years. When they first walked their way into fashion five years ago (or so) I told myself I didn't need them and that they will be out of fashion by next season. The following year I tried to talk myself into thinking they were ugly. The year after that...oh, who knows what my excuse was. The reason I wasn't rockin' the look was this: I have big calves. 

While I'm not sure they are "fat", they are apparently disproportionately large to my foot and/or body according to the boot making industry. Out of all the areas on my body that I was worried about storing excess fat, my calves were never one of them. So why can't I squeeze these leg sausages into the leather casings they so deserve and desire?! Other women have gaps between their boot sleeves and legs, but I'm wishing they made Spanx socks that allow me to loose inches in just moments.

But you know this hasn't stopped me. I was thrilled last year when I found the Steve Madden mini-wedge boots (you know the ones, the ones that were part of the Nordstrom Anniversary sale last July and EVERY 3rd woman bought?) because they were larger in the calf. Then last January when San Diego hit a bit of a rainy season, I had a perfect excuse to a pair of Hunter rainboots. Which I could barely pull up. BUT WHATEVER. 

This week San Diego got an early rain, and while I wasn't planning on pulling out the boots for a few more months, I was excited to move my feet into fall. Until I put on my old Steve Madden lovers... and they were tighter than normal. Today was a full on rainy day and the perfect day to bust out the Hunters. Sitting on my bed I pulled and pulled and finally got them up, and promptly lost all blood flow to my feet. I wanted to cry. Did I GAIN weight in my calves this summer?

Clomping down the stairs ala Frankenstein in my green Hunters, it hit me. The stairs. New house. First time with STAIRS. While I was hoping that the 18+ stairs up to the second floor would help transform my body, I hoped it would help me to drop a quick 10 lbs - not make my calves EVEN bigger. 

So my Monday Confession for October 4th: I'm Beth and I have large calves. Sigh.