so, i ordered these shoes online for elise's upcoming wedding. since my dress is black, i thought it would be fun to get some snazzy black satin shoes. they fit, they're psuedo comfortable and they're way cute.

the question is, does beauty outweigh comfort?

just in case you were wondering, because i know i was...

Tips For Conference Call Etiquette
A message from IT

We’ve all been on a conference call and complained about not being able to hear or someone making a noise that echoes through the call. Below are some etiquette tips to make your next conference call a success.

-Do get comfortable with the fact you will be talking in front of a group and receiving no visual cues or feedback.
-Do set the ground rules at the beginning of the meeting.
-Don’t talk over someone else
-Place yourself on Mute if you are in a noisy environment
-Don’t use the Hold button. This plays on-hold music for everyone.
-Do use an appropriate phone in a quiet, undisturbed room.
-Don’t use cell phones or phones that pick up background noise.
-Do learn to use the mute button.
-Do set up the meeting in advance and communicate the dial in number, pass-codes and other information. Please keep Time Zone information in mind for those in different Time Zones.
-Do start the meeting on time. Take a roll call at the start of the meeting, highlighting the missing attendees.
-Do treat the conference call as if it were a face-to-face meeting. Prepare and circulate the agenda in advance, take notes, watch the time.
-Do get each caller/participant to say hello and introduce themselves. Use their names as a way to engage as many participants into the discussion as possible.
-Don’t assume everyone recognizes your voice, say your name before you speak.
-Don’t allow the topic to wander, stay on agenda.
-Do learn how to use your conference technology properly, before the meeting time/date.
-Do ask for input by using a person’s name. This helps participants pay more attention.
-Don’t shuffle papers; scrape chairs, tap pencils/pens, hum or other distracting, noisy activities.
-Do close the meeting formally, thanking everybody for their time.


Conference calls are a great tool to interact with team members at other locations. Using the tips above can ensure effective communications during your conference calls so they can be as productive as possible.

do not try the raspberry mocha frapachino from starbucks. i almost vomitted when i tried it this moring.

i am totally obsessed with paolo nutini. i've been reading about his debut cd for quite sometime and finally remembered to ask jess to download it for me.

it's super good and i really don't know who to compare him to. give him a listen though, you'll probably like it too.

another weekend, another day on the couch.

i literally spent 85% of my day on saturday in front of the tv watching live earth. call me a loser but i was completely sucked in.

the performances were short and sweet and i really did appreciate so many artists are interested in helping our planet. i learned a lot from the tips that were given throughout the day and hope to make some changes, soon.

my favorite performances were jack johnson, the beastie boys, john mayer, dmb, the police, madonna, paolo nutini and alicia keys.

please tell me i am not the only one to veg out all weekend!

i think my jen lancaster infatuation was a little premature.

on page 213 of "bitter is the new black" she talks about how much she hates dave matthews and that he makes her want to kick puppies.

i cannot be friends with someone who hates someone whom i love so much or someone who would intentionally harm a puppy. have you no class whatsoever?

two weeks ago, my friend shannon gave me one of the funniest books i've ever read called "bright lights, big ass". it's a memoir written by this girl who had major success during the dot com boom and then is layed off after september 11th. she's HILARIOUS calling rachael ray "titter mchighbeams" and basically needing a xanax to go to her well woman exam. seriously - i almost died laughing while reading it.

she's almost as funny as one sharon mcclennan and i am totally obsessed with her now. i check her blog daily and am considering linking her to mine.

do you think that's a bit much?