I am currently chilling at the Denver airport, waiting on my flight to my final destination (at least for a few days), San Antonio, Texas. That’s right, I’m fixing to mess with Texas.

This morning, I made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t start consuming cocktails until at least 10am. That sounds reasonable—right? Well, I didn’t take time zones into consideration. So when I arrived in Denver, the time was one hour earlier than anticipated. And just to uphold my word (with myself), I’m watching others drink until the clock says it’s my turn. I’ve also not had breakfast yet—this means that a bloody mary is the sensible solution to all my problems.

My travel companion, my friend Jules who works at a big, fancy fashion magazine (you may remember her from a previous blog post), will be joining me tomorrow morning. Until several moments ago, Jules didn’t even realize that our hotel had a pool. She almost hit the floor when I told her there were real, live toucans in the lobby.

Stay updated on my travels this week on Pretty and Poor—I have a feeling there will be plenty of stories to tell! I’ll make sure to keep you updated on any purchases I make, too! And follow me on Twitter for more quick snippets of Pretty and Poor reality.

You’re probably wondering, “Where the hell have you been?” That’s a pretty legitimate question. Today I told someone that there was a definite possibility I could have a stress-related heart attack this week. That, my friends, is an understatement. But you probably just want to know what’s been going on in my life since I’ve been neglecting my blog for nearly two weeks. Here’s a brief sampling of the madness.

1) My Recurring Dream! Every night the past week I’ve dreamt that I was pregnant. For some women, this is a dream come true. For me, it’s an effing nightmare. I start my day stressed, thinking about stretch marks, labor pains and baby daddy drama. Because let’s face it, if I got preggo anytime in the near future it would be far from a sweet dream. (Part of the reason I think I may be having this dream is that my best friend is pregnant right now—happily pregnant at that! But she actually has her life figured out. For now, I’ll just stick to being a great auntie to her little bundle of joy.)

Just to be nosey, I looked this pregnancy dream up on dreammoods.com. It says, “to dream that you are pregnant symbolizes an aspect of yourself or some aspect of your personal life that is growing and developing. You may not be ready to talk about it or act on it. This may also represent the birth of a new idea, direction, project or goal.” Awesome. Just what I needed. Some new idea or goal. Can't wait. Maybe a baby would actually be easier than another one of my big ideas...

2) Moving On Up! I moved last weekend! Don’t worry, I didn’t go far—I literally scooted down the street six or seven blocks. It was a whirlwind couple of days filled with contractors, boxes and a realization that I should really get rid of some of my clothes. I’m thankful that the move is over, but not so thankful for all the accessories I have to organize.

3) Wedding Season is Here. On Friday I take off for San Antonio, Texas for my first wedding of the season. And that’s just the beginning. After that, I’m in Saint Louis for the next one. So starting Friday, Pretty and Poor will be LIVE from Texas for the beginning of the week, then coming to you straight from Saint Louis for the later part of the week. If anyone has any great shopping suggestions in Texas, email me or leave some love in the comments section! I’d be happy to take your suggestions.

So here’s to a week of travels, hilarious blog posts (I promise to be more diligent) and dreams about adorable boys, puppies and shopping. Hope you’re all doing faboo!

Tonight I enjoyed one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I went through the Culver’s drive-thru and got a chocolate malt. It had been a long day and I was in serious need of some delicious frozen creaminess. Plus, I haven’t been eating ice cream that much because the average temperature for the last six months has probably been somewhere around 10 degrees (this has a tendency to suck all the fun out of ice cream). So I figured it was time to ring in spring by making a malt run.

I pulled up to the menu board, ordered my malt and pulled around to the window, where a very fresh-faced teenage boy wearing a blue apron greeted me.

“Good evening ma’am, that’ll be $3.66,” he said as he extended his hand.

I gave him my card. He swiped it. He looked puzzled. “Ma’am, it says you have an unknown card.”

“Um…an unknown card?” I replied with a confused look on my face. “Are you sure? I mean, did you swipe it right?”

“Ma’am, it didn’t say your card was declined. Just that it was unknown, Ma’am,” the boy replied.

“Well I hope it’s not declined…we’d have a real issue if I didn’t even have three dollars in the bank,” I said. “Why don’t you just try swiping it again?”

He just stared at me for about 10 awkward seconds, then finally lifted his hand and swiped the card again. Sure enough, just like clock work, the card swiped and receipt began to print.

“Ma’am, it looks like it went through that time. Here’s your card back, Ma’am.”

Then, sonny boy reach me my chocolate malt and said, “Have a great night Ma’am.”

Call me Ma’am one more time and you’re gonna’ be wearing my malt kiddo, I thought through a big, closed-lip smile. What is it with kids these days? I mean, I might be eight years older than him, maximum. And that does not constitute a ma’am after every sentence. And last time I checked, I wasn’t wearing a big, fat rock on my left hand nor did I have car seats in the back of my ride. I’m clearly young, fabulous and free…an adorable working girl in her twenties…

And then I stopped. Because that’s when it hit me. No ring. No cute boy riding shotgun. No car seats. Just my eccentrically dressed, heavily-jeweled self accompanied by a giant tote bag with legal pads and a laptop in it. He clearly thought I was an old spinster. Probably some old hag of a lady who was married to her work and had to buy herself ice cream every night just to experience happiness. And if that’s what he was thinking, it definitely gave him grounds to call me a ma’am.

But we all know that’s not true. At all. I mean, I’m definitely not old. And I would definitely buy something a hell of a lot nicer than ice cream if I needed to create my own sense of happiness.

So I smiled and put my car into drive. “Thanks kid,” I said, and pulled off into the night.

I love when I read some fashion websites that report on trends and I see something like, “Hot Pants are a Do.” Here’s the thing. For 99% of the population, hot pants are actually a big, blatant don’t. This is for various reasons, some of which include cellulite, workplace dress codes and a little thing called dignity. So here’s three of my favorite spring and summer trends that you can incorporate into your wardrobe right now (without pretending that your underwear actually looks adorable with a belt and flats).

1. Sassy Skirts
Skirts are a big deal right now—but forget loose, flowy and long. The look of the moment is a shorter, sassier silhouette. You can achieve this trend-worthy look in a couple of different ways. First, skirts with a higher, banded waist are a real hot item right now. (Think about the sequence skirt that I posted myself wearing a couple weeks ago.) And if you’re not down with a banded skirt—because I’ll admit, sometimes they can be a tricky look to pull off—then stick to a skirt with a straighter silhouette. Embellishments are big this season. So opt for a skirt with some sass: sequins, floral prints, ruffles and patterns are the way to go.

Check out ShopBop.Com for the skirts pictured here and hundreds of other sassy options.

2. Nice Neutrals
Nudes, grays, khakis and light colors are really big right now! Douse yourself in neutrals this season to let everyone know you’re serious about style. You could combine two hot trends and get a neutral colored skirt or opt for a top or dress of a lighter hue.

The neutrals pictured above are from Banana Republic. They have a great selection of the seasons hottest hues (or lack thereof). Club Monaco also has a fantastic selection of neutrals right now!

3. Devilish Dresses
One thing that will be hot for spring and summer are dresses that are a little bit bad-girl. The bandage dress will be big, as will dresses with cut out shapes and embellishments like zippers! Make a few jaws drop.

The dresses pictured here are from Bloomingdales—they have an awesome variety of this seasons smokin’ hot frocks!

So, without telling you how you can make hot pants work for you (because they won’t), I’ve given you three great trends that you can rock right now! Get out there and shop!

Neiman Marcus is carrying Spanx for men! That's right, the secret weapon traditionally worn by women to keep things looking tight under sexy clothing is now extending to the men folk in the form of compression undershirts and tanks.

This line of Spanx for men was the subject of one of Neiman's Facebook updates this morning and it sparked quite the discussion! From people making manboob jokes to snarky comments like, "remember how men used to go to the gym," the chit-chat about Spanx for men is heated! Click here to see the whole conversation.

And if you're interested in checking out the Spanx line for men, click here.

Let me hear your thoughts in the comments section! What do you think? Are body shapers a long time coming for men? Or does this just confuse you? What would you do if the man in your life decided to go buy some Spanx?

*Photo is from the Neiman Marcus retail site.

I am just so smitten with my MAC Viva Glam Gaga lip color that I just had to show you how fierce it is! I'm loving the pink color! What do you think?

It should be no surprise to you that I recently bought Lady Gaga’s Viva Glam lip color from MAC. I mean, I reference Gaga often. I just bought tickets to her upcoming show. Six of my “Top 25 Most Played” songs on my iTunes are Lady Gaga. Oh, and there was that one time I dressed up as her for Halloween. So when I headed to MAC to buy a foundation this week, you can imagine the delight I experienced when I saw pictures of Gaga hanging everywhere—and to top it off, they were playing her songs!

So, naturally, I bought my foundation as well as the color Miss Gaga is endorsing for MAC’s current Viva Glam campaign. It’s called Viva Glam Gaga and it’s a real beauty—a light, matte pink that only someone as bold as Gaga (or me) could rock! And the best part about my purchase was that 100% of the proceeds from the Viva Glam color go to the MAC Aids fund to help find a cure for Aids. And if you buy two lip colors, it’s technically a tax write-off. I’m not saying, I’m just saying. Lipstick? Lady Gaga? Helping find a cure for Aids? Getting a tax write-off for giving back to charity?

That sounds like a win-win-win-win-win situation to me. To get your own tube (or two, or seven) click here.

I’m glad I never got into ponchos. I think they’re ugly and shapeless. They do absolutely nothing to flatter the figure—unless of course you think that looking like a tent is flattering. Yesterday, I saw someone make a sad attempt to bring back the poncho trend and I wanted to go give this woman $40.00 to buy a new shirt. It was that bad.

Fashions come and fashions go, but just because something is stylish or trendy doesn’t mean it should be embraced. Fashion designers are people, too. They make mistakes. Whoever sat around in a design studio and thought, “Hey, it would be a great idea to make stylish ponchos,” was obviously an idiot, but we’ll cut them some slack: after all, they put their pants on like everybody else.

So please, I beg you, avoid this fashion faux pas. If you have a poncho hanging in your closet throw it away. Burn it. Make it into a baby blanket. But never, ever, put it over your head and attempt to pass it as a shirt again.

I do not run a celebrity blog. There’s no late-breaking Brangelina gossip here. However, I get a little excited about the occasional run in with a movie star—notable people do fascinate me. Just a couple weeks ago I was eating lunch with my roommate at a bakery near our house when we spied Josh Hartnett at a nearby table. It was pretty cool to see the leading man from Pearl Harbor just a few chairs away, but we refrained from being those obnoxious, overbearing girls. We maintained composure and kept it classy. And on his way out of the bakery, Mr. Hartnett was accosted by a girl who practically threw herself at him. My roomie and I were glad we took the road less traveled.

But we did snap a picture of him walking out to his car (no one noticed, thanks to camera phone technology). I know, posting this picture basically puts me on the same level as the scumbag paparazzi. But this picture was essentially for proof. You know, so that people would believe us when we told them we had lunch sitting near Josh Hartnett.

And then I found out that he actually lives in my neighborhood—which is a somewhat small area. He could be my neighbor. He could be right next door. Or a few houses down. Maybe his backyard actually backs up to mine. Maybe, he’s sitting at home thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe I saw the girl from that awesome blog called Pretty and Poor in a bakery. Maybe she lives in my neighborhood. Maybe her backyard backs right up to mine.”

I mean, there’s always the possibility that next week one of my posts could read, “So, today I was at the dog park and this guy came up to me and started talking. I said, ‘So what do you do for a living?’ and he replied, ‘Ever seen Pearl Harbor?’”

Burberry has some adorable shoes out right now! Just take a look at these two pairs!

This adorable Burberry platform sandal made from natural leather is sexy and sophisticated, while still being playful, for spring and summer dresses!

This sassy, metallic platform sandal would look great paired with spring's sexy skirts! Check out all of Burberry's shoes by clicking here.

But what do you think? Would you wear them? Which one is your pick? Leave your comments in the comments section!

Every spring, the weather gets warmer and I become a little more in tune to the ways of the world. (I also have the uncontrollable urge to shop, shop, shop. But I try to hinder that as much as possible.)

Anyway, this spring is no different. As the sunshine spends a little more time in my life from day-to-day, the vitamin D seeps into my brain and infuses it with major intelligence vibes! The result? A lot of learnings. Here are some of my “Spring Awakenings” for 2010.

My next car will be a two-seater. I actually came to this conclusion months ago, but I really decided this would be a good decision of recent. Here’s the thing, I’m only one person. All I need is enough room for myself and a giant handbag. Plus, when people say, “Oh, can you drive us?” I’ll say, “Oh, remember how I actually just have a Porsche and there’s only room for one? Sorry.” Plus, having a two-seater would up my intimidation factor by about 3000%...and then maybe men would just stop approaching me altogether. Or, this plan could backfire and I could attract total d-bags who come up to me and say, “So, what kind of an engine you got in that thing?” And I would scrunch up my brown, look at them intently and say, “Engine? What’s that?”

Taylor Swift is seriously jaded. She’s adorable. And sweet. And nice. And looks great in sparkles. But this girl seriously needs to wake up! Love Story? Today Was a Fairytale? How about, “Today made me want to puke because I found out yet another guy sucked at life?” Taylor’s last album was much more realistic. I mean, what girl can’t relate to the songs, “Picture to Burn,” and “Should’ve said no?” Seriously though, I love Taylor Swift. But I haven’t been able to stomach the last couple hits!

Calories Count. No, I’m certainly not going to tell you how to eat healthy. But I recently went to Panera for lunch and was shocked upon glancing upward to the menu boards. The calories of EVERY item were listed right next them. There was my beloved broccoli cheddar, all spelled out at over 300 calories a cup. Add a bread bowl? Might as well start building my coffin. And don’t even think about having a Panini. Those were fairly high-ticket items. What I ate for lunch? A salad. 400 calories total. This made me think, “If every item on a menu had calories listed next to it, would it change my ordering behavior?” You better believe it would—especially in the company of others. This new diet trend could be coined the “Embarrassment Diet…” And if Dairy Queen ever thinks it's appropriate to follow suit, then there's the possibility I will die. Ice cream, after all, is supposed to be a treat. What kind of sick person would ruin that for the world?

So there you have it: Spring Awakenings from yours truly! Make sure to stay tuned for more great posts this week about spring fashions, new outfit ideas and more!

I am a jack-of-all-trades. I enjoy fashion. I love shopping. I live for lattes in the sun and manicures, gossip magazines and trips to the salon. But when it comes to having fun—and getting dirty—I like it just as much as the next 8-year-old boy.

The weather is warming up. And while that means I can keep my tights in the drawer and sport the occasional pair of pee-toes with no shame, it also means I can get outside and have a little fun. In fact, part of my weekend involved soaking up the sunshine in something other than a Burberry bikini.

At my parents house my inner-nerd decided to check out pond life after a kayak trip around the lake. (PS: I found snails and several interesting shrimp-like objects.)

So, happy spring! Whether you like to celebrate with bright colors, lightweight fabrics or a romp in the wilderness, get out there and have fun! Life’s too short to sit inside!