Madonna concert review and can you believe more gadgets?

I'm experiencing Madonna concert withdrawal... Went to the show in Atlantic City last week and just had an absolute blast! She was in top-form, non-stop singing and dancing for close to 2 hours and I was loving every minute. The one thing that bugged me was the lack of enthusiasm from the Atlantic City crowd. Of course, the die-hard fans and myself included were dancing, jumping, screaming, and clapping, but a good portion of the attendees were just sitting there. Worse yet, I was the only one in my section that was screaming and jumping. Made me miss the DC crowd so much, we rocked the house at Re-Invention 2 years ago at MCI Center. Madonna, please come back to D.C! I was so jazzed about the show that I had a special swarovski crystal t-shirt made enblazoned with "Confessions Tour, Madonna" on it since I didn't like any of the shirts they were selling on FanFire. Got lots of compliments on it and several woman approached me to ask where I got my shirt. :) Hey, a fashionista has to stay in form at all times!

I loved the show so much that I seriously considered booking a last minute ticket to Miami to see if I could catch it one last time before she heads to Europe. Logistically, I just couldn't make it work between my schedule, last minute airfare prices, and most importantly, I'd need to book a hotel in Miami's peak Summer season. *sigh* I've been scanning YouTube a lot to find good video clips from the show and reminescing that way until the NBC broadcast in November or when the DVD is released. Until then, I'm jealous of the Miami concert folks who get to see her tonight. :( The good news is, other than the concert ticket, everything else was pretty much free. We got a free suite at Borgata (the room was beautiful by the way), a free dinner at Bobby Flay's Steak (yum), and the hubby won $600!

My spending is just out of control this month. What happened? Why is it that all the cool gadgets have been catching my eye left and right? With my last post I talked about my new Vaio laptop and my iPod. Now, I've broken the ban and bought a new digital camera. Yup, I was really hoping to wait until January, but I'm justifying it because I've got 2 weddings to go to this summer, a trip to Europe, and potentially Cabo. I researched CNET, Consumer Reports, PC Mag, and read reviews on PopPhoto and Amazon; finally decided on the Casio Exilim Z600. It's teeny-tiny, sleek, and I love all the best shot modes. I'm really looking forward to using it.

Then, of course, the Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale started last week. It's one of my favorite sales and I ended up buying a ton of clothes, new shoes, clothes for the hubby, and -- more gadgets. This time, it's personal care related. I've been reading a lot about the Clarisonic facial cleaning brush and have largely ignored it. That's until I found out that it was created by the inventor of Sonicare toothbrushes. Those who know me know that I am obsessed with my Sonicare. I got my first one from a friend 7 years ago and became hooked. My dental visits have been a breeze and I use it religiously twice a day. It's also amazingly durable, I've only upgraded it once (bought a newer model at Costco 2 years ago). Anyway, once I found it it was by the same inventor as Sonicare, I had to buy one. Hey, if the technology has been this good for my teeth, think about the possibilities for my face? Nordies had an Anniversary special, the brush with a free cleanser, pouch, and headband. So I got it. Used it last night and loved it, my face just felt really, really "clean" and poreless.

One more gadget to write about... My hairdryer died. It was a cheap $20 one from CVS I bought 8 years ago. I've lived through it chewing my hair and everything, now it's gone, I need a new one. So... I saw the T3 Tourmaline dryer that is supposedly good for your hair, etc. etc. It's also $200. I haven't bought it yet, but I'm sure I'll break down and get it soon. Here's the recap on gadget spend this month:

- Laptop: $1379
- iPod: $100 (only paid the upgrade from the Nano I got as a gift)
- Camera: $250
- Clarisonic: $195
- T3 Dryer: $200 (I'm counting it because I know I can't resist)
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$2,074 (and that's not counting the clothes from Nordies!)

Yikes!!! I can only find comfort in knowing that I didn't go into credit card debt for any of this.

Until next time...