High Heels Short Skirt

Salad Spinner for my Delicates

2011-10-31T10:08:00.002-04:00

A salad spinner has been on my kitchen wish list for a few months (years) now. The item has been passed over by more necessary kitchen appliances such as garlic presses and doughnut makers. While the salad spinner is quite cool and I hate soggy salads, I have to be true to myself and admit that I don't particularly care for salad and really love garlic sauces and doughnuts a whole heck of a lot better.
Recently, I came across an invention that has the same properties as the spinner but would be way more useful to me and my life style.

THE LAUNDRY POD

If you read through the instructions you will totally see the connection. This is a salad spinner for laundry. I don't care that it costs 5x as much as the lettuce version. I want one, and I want one now...or for Christmas...but definitely soon...ish

Did you think I forgot about you? Naay

2011-10-26T09:43:00.003-04:00

Last night I killed some time at Forever 21 with a friend prior to heading over to Happy Hour. It has probably been about 10 years since the last time I stepped in a Forever 21, the store has always just rubbed me the wrong way. Between the decor and the clothes that fall apart, I just didn't get it. Now, I (kinda) do.

Everything I browsed through was under $10. Shirts, skirts, and jewelry, you name it! Bras! There, I named something else, they were $6.50.

As I walked around trying my best to stay away from temptation, I then wandered in the accessories section. Most people know I have a soft spot for owls (see Owls are so in!) but in all reality, I love most animal inspired jewelry. When I saw this horse ring, I had to snag it. The ring was only $3.80! How do you say no to that???

For just a brief second, I had buyers remorse. Who needs such a 3-dimensional horse ring? Then I remembered, I do. Even though it is a little on the big side, I am very pleased and opted to incorporate it into my look today.

Offically

2011-07-10T14:21:00.001-04:00

Going on hiatus for the summer. Things are just too busy. Hopefully, I can find time to return to HHSS in the fall.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Baskin Robbins Father's Day cake cracks me up. I love that it almost screams beer stein, but to make the cake kid friendly, it becomes root beer float.

This explains my love of chips

2011-06-14T17:34:00.003-04:00

While surfing through the internet I may have found out why I am always craving chips and french onion dip at 11 pm. As it turns out Sleep-Deprived People May Crave High-Calorie Foods and I would wager that this snack is pretty bad for me. Interestingly enough, I have been going to bed around 8:30 or 9 pm the last few nights in an attempt to get over a terrible sinus infection. At no point in time have I walked into my apartment, headed straight for the kitchen for the Heluva Good and Ruffles. Instead I have been going a more healthier route. So strange. In the end, I hope I can return to a lifestyle that consists of 6 hours of sleep and lots of fatty foods.

Commitment Bag

2011-06-12T21:11:00.001-04:00

After kickball today, I decided to stop at my favorite store, Hootenanny, to look for some funky accessories for both kickball, and life. After looking at the wall of tights and socks - I chose some black and white striped knee-high tights for weekday kickball - I wandered over to the sales section. That is where I happened upon the best bag ever:

How could I say no to this one. It was only $9.99 and now it is mine. The fabric feels water repellent and I decided it could be my library bag. Between the books and cds that I take out of the local public library, and movies from my college library, I need a designated bag to courier the items back and forth. I couldn't be happier with this splurge.

Best day of the year

2011-06-03T08:11:00.001-04:00

What a commitment! I hope my DD has the lemon filled powdered doughnut...yummo

A little history compliments of wikipedia:

National Donut Day is on the first Friday of June each year, succeeding the Donut Day event created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I.

Go Bruins!

2011-06-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

I wish I was dressed this spiffy.

No Mess Makeup

2011-05-26T09:53:00.004-04:00

I try my best to look put together on a regular basis. Every so often I will go the extra mile and throw on some eye shadow, pencil and mascara. Once in a blue moon I will go balls to the walls and even go for the foundation (let's be real, tinted moisturizer), concealer, etc to give my skin a nice even tone. In the past I have shied away from the foundation simply because I hate the mess. I would end up getting it on my fingers, even with using cotton balls or pads.

While flipping through a magazine, I saw Michelle Phan recommended using a stippling brush (or at least I think she recommended it....there were a few beauty articles) to apply foundation. Last weekend, I stopped at the MAC store in the Natick Mall and purchased one.

This morning, I felt refreshed and ready to take on the world, which meant full face of makeup. I was excited to pull the new brush out of my brush holder to see if the coverage would be even and perfect. Well let me tell you, I am in love.

The bristles are different heights which allow the brush to hold onto the foundation (or at least I think they do). You simply blot the product on your face where you want the most coverage and then start smoothing it all over. The sensation you get as the brush moves around your face is just heavenly. I honestly stood there for a minute or two painting away.

I know I splurged by going MAC, so I understand if you wouldn't want to drop the money for the brand. But I would totally encourage a makeup enthusiast to go for the purchase, or if you simply like the feeling of tiny little feathers tickling your face, either way, totally worth it

Country Kick

2011-05-24T14:14:00.000-04:00

Recently Blake Shelton released the video for his single Honey Bee which will be apart of his album that drops on July 12th. I have fallen in love with this song and have probably played it every day for the last week and half. Since I can't find a version of the music video to embed, I am going with his performance of the song at the AMC Awards, please enjoy!

Blake Shelton has intrigued me since I first saw him appear on Chelsea Lately back in March 2010. I am fairly certain that if you watch the interview, you can understand his appeal, I immediately started following his twitter account after the show finished. (@blakeshelton)

Chelsea Lately - Blake Shelton Interview by butterflykisses82

Last night, I downloaded his album Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton and had it playing all day at work. His voice is just so soothing and fun. In the interim, between now and July 12th, I think I will get the Thompson Square album to deal with my country cravings. My friend sent me the link to their song Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not and I found it rather catchy and pretty awesome. Looks like this might be a country kind of summer!

Gaga for Amazon Prime

2011-05-23T11:31:00.001-04:00

Totally woke up to an email with the subject of:

Amazon Student: $0.99 Today Only -- Lady Gaga's New Album

Let's just say that it took of all .000001 seconds for me to click the purchase button. Amazon Prime is my favorite thing in the world, and letting me get the Gaga CD on the release day for less than a dollar is amazing.

I am also digging the Amazon Cloud. Any time you download music, it will get stored on the cloud first, and then you can download it to you computer. Since I have downloaded the Amazon Mp3 app on my Android, I can now jam out to this stuff on my phone! I was able to listen to Born This Way on my commute to work, which was a God send, as it was commencement, which meant that I had to park off campus in a field...a very muddy field. Gaga helped me power through the inconvenience.

UPDATE: Apparently I had gotten a coupon code in recent months and added it to my account, as I just got my "bill" and it shows that I had a discount of .99 making my total due $0!!!

Words to Live by

2011-05-21T19:50:00.004-04:00

Since no one sees the tags, who cares where it's from
- Big girl in a skinny world, Marie Clare

This one sentence reminds me that the easiest way to participate in a trend is to go for imitation. As long as the clothes appear nice, who cares what they are necessarily made of or by. After all, most trends only last a season, so why not go for the budget friendly clothing?

Headed home for Memorial Day weekend, thinking I will hit up Kohl's and Marshall's!

Cut-Outs and Greek Key

2011-05-11T11:50:00.000-04:00

Now that we are in May we have begun to encroach upon Wedding Season!!!! This year is light for me, just one wedding and bunch of pre-wedding fun (see bacholorette parties, bridal showers, and dress shopping). Even though there is only one main event, I decided I needed a new dress for the occasion.

I popped down to LIT on Newbury and tried on what felt like 25 dresses. As much as I love the store, they are all about the short girls - most frocks barely covered my bum and the long dresses barely covered my ankles.

In the end, I bought a dress by The Addison Story. It is super comfortable but impossible to describe. After scouring the internet, I finally found some pictures. Voila!

The key holes around the neck and down the back are what really sold me on the dress. They are elements that just spark interest. Additionally, I sometimes have redness on my upper arms, so I am extremely grateful for having the coverage without having to have full on sleeves. Can't wait for June to wear this out!!

Perfect for me

2011-05-04T15:17:00.004-04:00

Club Monaco's fall collection has the dress I never knew I always wanted. For the last two summers, I have been on the look out for a whimsical white summer dress. But I never realized how delicate a dress I truly wanted/needed. I now know exactly what I am looking for:

Sadly, I have a feeling this dress will be beyond my price range. And furthermore, most of the classier events that I have in the summers are weddings. As of right now, it is still considered tacky and taboo to show up in white. Can't justify splurging a dress that is limited in functionality. Sigh.

Childhood Favorite Destroyed

2011-05-01T13:50:00.000-04:00

A month behind the entertainment news, but that doesn't mean I can't relay my horrors to the masses that make up the internet. I just found out that there is going to be a movie version of "The Lorax". This was my all-time favorite Dr. Suess book and potentially children's story of all time. My love for this story began back in kindergarten when I watched the 1st grade class of my school put on a play based on the 72 page book.

Well now Universal is making this into a movie. Oye. What is with producers turning a short, simple children's story into a 2 hour mess?? (I am purely speculating on time, but I am fairly certain it would be more in line of the Jim Carrey 104 minute Grinch than the lovely simple 26 minute animated version)

And how are the producers further twisting the dagger in my heart? They have casted Taylor Swift as one of the characters (who doesn't exist in the actual story). The only plus is that this movie is animated...ugh.

Fingers crossed the Truffula trees and Brown Bar-ba-loots look as crazy fun and adorably cute as they do in the book.

I went to there

2011-04-30T21:50:00.000-04:00

Major thanks to a dodgeball friend who swiped me a ticket to the most amazing event. Because of her I got to spend close to 3 hours eating bacon and drinking various beers while unwinding from an INTENSE Saturday. (Morning was spent presenting a major school project)

The foods were tasty. I tried as much as I could handle. By far my favorite food was actually a cupcake that had a bacon topping on the frosting. Yuummmmmm.

Fingers crossed I will be working at the Lobster Party again. I almost promise I will take pictures next time. (There is no way I am really promising, as I tend to just stuff my face at these festivals, no time for pulling out a camera!)

Vanity Sizing My Butt

2011-04-29T15:44:00.003-04:00

One Size Fits Nobody: Seeking a Steady 4 or a 10 was recently published by the New York Times. The whole article goes on about the ridiculousness that is female clothing sizes. I always find these articles fascinating. While reading the article I thought back to my sizes over the years.

When I was in middle school and shopping at the Weathervane I started with size 7 bottoms. By the time I hit high school I was capping off at 11s. Classmates were stunned, I admit I was rather gangley looking, but thighs do not lie, and they were not getting into anything in single digits by the time I hit 10th grade.

Now let's flash forward into college and the first year out in the real world. Again, I am looking at pants at 8s, 10s, and dresses at 6s. The dresses could be smaller because the top part of me is rather tiny and as long as it didn't have to hug the hips, I can get away with a dress made for a big tween.

Then came the biggest surprise of my life. I decided to splurge on a pair of jeans and go to Lucky. While looking around I asked for an 8 like always. The girl laughed at me and said I needed a 4. I told her hell no, I have never been that small (and mind you I do weigh more than I did in middle school). Low and behold, there was egg on my face because at 23 I was wearing the smallest size I could ever remember. To this day I stay around a 4-6 in pants, and every time I pick up a pair I am convinced that something is off.

I would be much happier wearing a larger numbered (size would technically be the same) garment. I know I have more mass than my middle school self, and would appreciate this reflecting in my clothing. Additionally, I have been too big for my mother's wedding dress since 9th grade. I know there is no way she was a negative number, so really, these sizes need to be realistic.

In the end, I hate vanity sizing. I would love some standard sizing. And if that made me 14 or 20 so be it. I just don't want to feel like I have a prepubescent body.

Good For All weatherI

2011-04-27T17:54:00.004-04:00

ICE-T and Coco are getting their own reality show!!!! (Please note for my blog title joke to work, let's pretend her name is Cocoa for just a second)

Honestly, how do you not smile when looking at this picture??

Months ago, I started writing about how they are my new favorite celebrity couple. I have been following them on twitter - @FinalLevel and @cocosworld - for about 8 months or so, and enjoy the majority of their tweets. The best part, is that their dog also has an account and will chime in on what is going on in their lives (@cutespartacus).

This odd little family just makes me smile. ICE appears to be a genuine person, and if you missed it back in May 2010 (I know who remembers what they did a year ago) he had a great segment on NPR.

Anywho, this is going on my list of guilty pleasure tv. Can't wait!!

Let's not go there

2011-04-26T14:42:00.003-04:00

I have to write a one page paper on emerging technology for my class. It is due this week, so of course, I am just looking for a topic. (Things have gotten a bit busy, don't judge my procrastination)

When I searched for "emerging technologies 2011" in google I came across gizmag.com. As I scrolled through, I found a really entertaining new product, the Supple. The product reminds me of the chairs used on the spacestation in Wall*E

The major difference being that these chairs don't float. Lame. Let's hope these don't catch on, like the Segway failed to do. People need to walk or else we will fulfill Pixar's prediction.

Burlesque! Steampunk! Awesome!

2011-04-25T15:32:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, there was Groupon or Living Social Deal for the Burlesque Expo in Boston. For $10 you got general admission which gives you access to the displays and drop-in classes on April 23rd and 24th. In true form, I managed to commit to a job that made it so the only time I could attend was Easter afternoon. Easter brunch was so tasty and coma-inducing, that I almost skipped the whole thing, except that a friend of mine texted me asking when we were heading out as we bought the deal together.

I can tell you I am so happy I didn't take that nap. If I had, I would not be the proud owner of a owl themed clock necklace.

This purchase makes me so happy. The metal looks like an antiqued brass color and hangs right at the smallest part of my waste, since I don't have a ruler, I would guess that the chain is about 24 inches. I can't wait to wear it to work, as sometimes my tacky green watch just doesn't go with my outfits and I am addicted to knowing the time.

Bathroom Chic

2011-04-23T20:10:00.000-04:00

One would think that being a single girl living in a one bedroom apartment, I would have enough room for all of my stuff. Well that is just not the case. Last weekend I got down and dirty and really cleaned my apartment trying once again, to get my life organized. Part of the weekend was devoted to driving over to Target/Christmas Tree Shoppe/Michael's for frames and miscellaneous organizational items.

Occasionally I dabble in make-up, but I don't always remember to wash my make-up brushes. Honestly, I think I have really deep cleaned them once...in about 2 years...yeah...

Part of my problem is leaving them out to dry, I don't want to put them back in their pouch damp because that could cause mildew or something gross. While walking through Michael's I came up with a perfect solution! For about $5 I was able to purchase two small vases and blue marble stones. Now after I apply eye shadows and what not, I can quickly spray the brushes with cleaner and leave them standing upside-down to dry.

I think it looks rather cute. They have been living in these little vases for just over a week, and I couldn't be happier!

Floating Rainbows

2011-04-22T19:56:00.002-04:00

One of the perks for working for a Catholic based institution is that you get Good Friday off. I used a good portion of the day to work on various school projects which of course means that I have crime tv marathons playing in the background. During one of the commercial breaks I saw the following ad for Crayola's new colored bubbles.

Ummm...how fun is this? I don't like that the bubbles leave stains on whatever they pop on, but at least the company is letting me know this. I went to the Crayola website and they recommend customers wear their play clothes when using the product, and explicitly say that these are a good idea for weddings. Glad they covered their bums with that, otherwise in a few months, there would be a good number of angry brides who disregarded the general message that these bubbles are made of washable dyes.

Oh YAY! for oh joy!

2011-04-21T20:52:00.004-04:00

Stumbled on a new blog full of pretty things. It is called "oh joy!" and like all pretty thing blogs each entry is a collection of objects that may or may not relate to each other, but are visually pleasing when arranged together. One of the entries gave me a preview to Kate Spade's fall line. I can't wait to get my hands on my own Owl Bag. Ok, you're right, it looks more like the bomb bird from Angry Birds. Either way, I still want one.

Overwhelming my muggle eyes

2011-04-21T13:54:00.003-04:00

From Me To You is a website with some of the most memorizing photos. I can't embed them into my blog so you see a few samples because there is movement involved!

Every photo has a part that moves such as hair in the wind, pouring batter, or flickering lamp. This is just so much fun. Photoshop can enhance a photo to perfection, getting rid of freckles, imperfections, change the hues, etc but this just brings the pictures to life!

I wish I could figure out how to do this, but I only know the basics of Photoshop and Final Cut Pro.

Bacon Roses!

2011-04-20T13:39:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. Enough with the bacon!! Where are the pictures of pretty things, like clothes and shoes and tutus. Well, I promise to make a better effort to post about that, but there has just been so much great bacon related news and products.

Earlier this week I retweeted the following:

RT @helloross This bouquet is just for you, @LoniLove.http://yfrog.com/hsttnvmhj

I got really excited. In general, I am not that into roses, I wouldn't say no to 12 long stems if a suitor was trying to woo me over, but they aren't my favorite by a long shot. Just throwing it out there universe, I love orange wild flowers. Thanks

No sooner did I retweet Ross Matthews, did my aunt send me an email with the subject of "I know you are a bacon fan..." The body was simply a link to Bacon Roses

Yes, I now know how to make my own set of bacon roses. These will be made for some future brunch, I promise you. I just need to find my electric drill...

Judy Greer Fan Club

2011-04-18T20:41:00.000-04:00

I first fell in love with Judy Greer's comedic timing when she played Kitty Sanchez on Arrested Development. The scene when GOB tries to take one for the team by seducing her in the closet has to be one of the most amazing moments of the show.

After AD ended, I finally got around to seeing 13 going on 30 on DVD. I have a soft spot for bad chick flicks, and well, how do you hate on a movie that is based on magic glitter? As much as I thoroughly enjoy the film, Judy's character was not appealing at all. I know, I know, she is the bad guy. But she just lacked the right amount sass. I'll let it pass.

Now we have Judy in recurring roles on two very different shows. The first being Archer, where she voices Cheryl (aka Carol, Cristal, etc) an sassy, yet stupid, secretary to the title character. Just a few weeks ago, we learn she is from an extremely wealthy family, and works because she feels like it, she just doesn't feel like working that hard. Archer has slowly become one of my favorite shows and her comments, such as "Will someone tell me what cancer is already?" just make me crack up. I cannot wait to see what happens to her character now that her background has been revealed.

In addition to voicing an animated secretary, Judy is one of four main characters in Mad Love. Her lines are consistently delivered perfectly. I guess I really enjoy a female character who is slightly monotone, cynical and really snarky.

In the end, Judy can do no wrong right now. If I ran into her on the streets of Boston, I don't know why she would be here - just go with it, I would totally feel the need to ask her to hang out and get a drink. I'm sure she would say yes, who says no to a cocktail?

Tiny Giraffe!

2011-03-31T07:57:00.004-04:00

I love the commercial with of that guy who is super rich and has a mini giraffe walking on a treadmill in the background, you know the commercial, right?

If you weren't sure by my vague description it is this one:

But more importantly, there is an amazing new website that lets you watch a petite giraffe hang out. During the day I have only gotten a glimpse of him wandering past the door, I assume there video gets more interesting at night when he comes in for bed. But who knows, I don't have this site bookmarked at home.

Now I am really torn, do I go for the mini pig or a petite giraffe??? Decisions, decisions....

Can't disagree

2011-03-31T07:55:00.003-04:00

Randomly came across the website Hangover Sucks which sells some sort of lozenge for hangovers. The product comes in Ginger, Lime, and Raspberry. Ginger does help soothe a upset stomach - think Gingerale - but I don't know if the bite of the other two flavors would be particularly welcoming for the slightly queasy.

I have never tried hangover cures. Part of this is simply because my hangovers tend to consist of a headache, which is cured by a series of painkillers. But who knows, maybe this stuff actually works. If I were to try something like this, I feel that Nurse Noni has won me over, simply with the name of the product...

Who doesn't love a good pig picture?

2011-03-20T21:50:00.003-04:00

This is the Photo of the Day at National Geographic. Love it.

It pays off to think ahead

2011-03-18T10:59:00.003-04:00

Halloween is months away, but I have already begun thinking about my next costume. Well, I should say other people have begun giving me suggestions. The more complicated the costume, the more time it takes to pull together without breaking the bank. At this point in time, I have been given two suggestions.

1. Poison Ivy from Batman & Robin

Who cares that this movie came out in 1997. I have wanted to do this for Halloween for years, but end up forgetting about it until it is too late to pull something together.

The downside of the outfit would be that I would have to be pantsless, but hey, I did that last year with Lady Gaga.

2. Stefon from SNL

Cross dressing for a Halloween costume can be difficult - especially with my long hair - but it can be worth it. My friends pointed out that I move like Stefon when I talk which would mean embodying the character would take no effort. It really is about finding the right t-shirt, and human suitcase.

Britney Spears with a side of Bacon

2011-03-16T20:47:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago I bought a new alarm clock that allows for me to wake up to my iPod. My previous alarm clock had a cd option that broke about 2 years ago and the radio didn't work, so I have be subject to BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP. Not my favorite way to wake up.

At this time, I have a 75 song pop song list (thanks iTunes Genius) that plays every morning, picking up where ever it left off the previous day. Thus, I have anyone from Britney to Ke$ha to Justin to Lady Gaga saying good morning.

Well like all technology, I have already found a superior alarm clock that I must get - the Wake 'n Bacon. The construction of this clock reminds me of something I would have made in wood shop back in middle school, but sometimes simple is best. After all, the iPod is a very simple looking device and we all fawn over it. So here I have a big wooden box with ears and a pig nose, just seems like a large novelty clock until you realize it wakes you up by cooking bacon!

All you have to do is put in a piece of frozen bacon when you are getting ready for bed and the timer is set to start cooking 10 minutes before you want to wake up. You are then gentley woken up with the smell and sizzle of bacon. Yum. Now I would still need some sort of noise, because I don't know if the smell of bacon alone could wake me up every day. But I would definitely pop out of bed faster if I had Beyonce AND Bacon.

Where Am I?

2011-03-15T11:38:00.002-04:00

I am slightly behind the times. This past weekend my traveling companions and I joined foursquare for the first time. The unnecessary competition is just too much fun to pass up. No matter how may times I read about Foursquare or heard about it, I just couldn't understand why you would want people to know where you were. But now, I get it.

First off, you don't have to share every time you check in. But if you do share 10 times in one day you earn a badge - and who doesn't want badges??? I was never a Girl Scout (which is fine, I didn't want to be one) so I never had the chance to earn pieces of felt to signify random craft and nature projects. Now I can happily receive a circle for visiting places I already go.

Besides the badges, you can get discount and free cookies by checking in! This girl loves a deal, and I cannot wait to find discounts and free stuff while I wander around town.

Please join and friend me, right now I only have 3 friends so the meaningless competition of scoring the most points is fairly limited. I would prefer a bigger fight!

My Booooooooof

2011-03-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went to NYC with a few friends. As we are huge fans of Cornwall's here in Boston, we decided to find a bar that offered patrons the possibility of playing board games. Through the powers that be, aka Yelp!, we found ourselves at the 675 Bar between 13th ad 14th street in the Meatpacking District.

The bar is underground and used to be home to a sex club. As soon as you descend into the venue, it becomes obvious that there were many dirty secrets kept down there. The walls are rough stone, and there are small rooms that branch off the entry way. Currently, these spaces have small tables for private game playing. Sadly, we did not arrive early enough to score a private room. Our patience won out and eventually were able to score a portion of a couch, a chair, a stool, the end of a coffee table, and most importantly - Jenga.

If you have never played Jenga in the dark - in a club - while drinking, well then, you have not yet played Jenga. Our games were intense and to the point where the structure was just one block on top another over and over again.

We continued to play on as the bar got more and more crowded, and eventually gave into the pop music and got our dance on. This place was just so much fun, and even though there are more bars that I can think of out there, I want to return to this one the next time I am there!

Owls are so in

2011-03-14T10:46:00.003-04:00

I visited Brooklyn Flea this weekend with my friends. During the winter, the flea market held indoors. The space is an old bank, which become apparent as soon as you begin your walk.

All four of us came away with a few treasures. I personally purchased a graffiti painting that featured Audrey Hepburn and an owl necklace. Owls are my favorite right now and I have been on the hunt for a piece that features them. This flea market provided me ample opportunity to fulfill my need on the cheap. After wandering through the first floor, I found my owl!

He moves around and came with a nice long chain. While normally I keep my distance from gold colored jewelry, this guy spoke to me. I opted to wear him immediately, and am currently sporting him at work.

Bacon Risotto

2011-03-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

If we are friends in real life, or were at some point and are still friends on facebook, you may recall that I recently posted the picture above. I decided I wanted to go beyond my comfort zone and cook things that real people would want to eat. (I have learned that eating a can of baked beans for dinner is a bit odd)

Bacon Risotto sounded like a good place to start. I already knew how to make risotto the lazy way (with Uncle Ben's Rice instead of Arborio), but never added anything extras - just simple risotto. So I went online and realized that most people just throw in the extras at the end, well I can do that too, gosh darn it! Out of fear that the bacon flavor wouldn't be strong enough, I opted to incorporate the grease. Additionally, to make veggie health people happy I added in some fresh tomatoes too!

I wanted to share the recipe with the world, I don't really know if the measurements are absolutely correct, since I don't measure much (accept the rice) so, I would suggest you use this as guidelines. When it comes to the wine, feel free to have fun with it - I honestly probably use at least 1/3 of a cup if not more.

Bacon Riscotto

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon, diced (totally used breakfast bacon chopped up)
5 cups of chicken stock (you may use more or less - just be mindful)
3/4 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
4 tablespoons butter (may use more like 6)
1/4 - 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
White wine - preerably Riesling
S&P
2 mid-sized tomatoes (fresh)

Directions

Cook the bacon in a large skillet (skillet should have high sides) over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and reserve some grease (yum)
Bring chicken stock to boil in a saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to low to keep the stock hot
Heat 2-4 tablespoons of butter in the same bacon pan over medium -high heat. I recommend leaving some grease in the pan for flavor.
Add onion and garlic; cook and stirl until the onion begins to turn clear, about 2 minutes
Pour in the rice and stir until the rice is coated in butter and the rice starts to toast
Bring on the wine! Splash some into the pan, listen for the sizzle. Make sure to cover the rice thoroughly. Once the wine reduces, reduce the heat.
Start stirring in the chicken stock (I ladle it in to help keep the mess under control) - I would advise putting in 1/4 - 1/3 of the broth in at a time. As the broth gets absorbed, add more until tender, yet slightly firm. Roughly 15-20 minutes.
Remove the risotto from the heat and add the remaining butter, Parmesan cheese, and the bacon.
Chop up tomatoes (best to squeeze out the seeds first) and throw them into the mix too.
Season with salt and pepper.
Dig in!

Leisure Reading C/O the Library

2011-03-08T15:58:00.004-05:00

Finding time for leisure reading is not particularly easy. Between school, work, and life, I just don't have an hour the day that I am willing to give up to chill with a novel. When I wind down, I would prefer some trashy vampire filled teen dramas than a bunch of words on paper that create a plot that requires concentration to follow.

When winter break came around, I decided to start using the library to procure new reading materials for free. After all, why would I want to read the books that I paid for months/years ago that sit on my shelf, ripe for the picking?? I figure now is as good as a time as any to provide you with simple reviews.

One Day took me all of one day to read. The story follows a couple through their lives together and apart, but all events occur on the same date, July 15th. I found their relationship intricate and was constantly wondering how things would turn out. After about the first 50 pages, I did the unthinkable.

I read the last page of the book! I never do this. I was also forever convinced the ending was going to be terrible as I did not know the context of those sentences and concluded the worst. Don't worry, I will not comment one way or the other how this wonderful love story ends, but like any book/movie that I deem amazing, I was left breathless. (and a bit damp with tears)

Room was my next pick. I read numerous reviews praising the story and style. Sadly, about half way through, I realized this book was not for me, but I wanted to see it to the end. There is nothing I hate more than not knowing the ending. On my book shelves there are books that took multiple attempts before I got to the end, but I have always found that I was just not in the right place for that particular story. (My eye is on you, Life of Pi)

This story is told from the voice of the five year old boy in the story. I enjoyed seeing life through a child's eyes. Every object had a name, even if the name was generic, the lamp was named Lamp. The child and his mother are kept in a room, she was kidnapped and we subsequently find out he was born in this very space. The room is all the boy knows and understands. I think the main reason this book did not sit well for me is that I was simply not in a space that could handle a book that revolves around kidnapped people. Honestly, there will probably never be a point where this kind of story would go over well for me, right now, I couldn't even praise the writing style without feeling guilty and morally corrupt.

If you are a science nerd, and love of the cuff personal observations and comments (see, this blog), then this book is for you! I took the book out during a very stressful point of the current semester. Renewed the book twice, and then decided to keep it and accrue fines until I finished, which I did last night. The Minuteman Library system is currently ready and awaiting my 60 cents in fines.

This book was worth those six dimes. It covers all aspects of the space experience including the physics of moving in space, the use of chimps in NASA's early days, space food, and even space sex. Mary Roach has a way with words, and footnotes. I would be interested in reading her other novels, I have a feeling she could make any topic enjoyable.

Excited for a White Summer

2011-03-04T13:59:00.005-05:00

I am not the most graceful or delicate woman out there. Every summer I day dream of owning a white summer dress and wearing it out in public without immediately tripping/falling into dirt or eating/dropping food in my lap. While I am not the most klutzy person in the world, I do tend to have problems with white.

Well, H&M is coming out with the Conscious Collection which, as luck would have it, features white spring/summer fashion. Basically this is awesome because I can now get a white dress for cheap but still look hip and happening.

Normally I am not one for full sleeves, winter or summer, but this dress is calling my name. In fact it is yelling it from across town. Dare I say, it is a little on the short side, but I feel those lacy sleeves balance the garment out nicely. I could envision myself wearing this dress, but I can't quite figure out where I am going. At the moment, I just see myself walking down the street. (but not in those shoes, I am really over that style in a major way)

The other dress that caught my eye is this one. I find that volume around my stick-frame usually ends up looking pretty great. I am a bit worried that the flow begins right at the boob line, as without any assistance with defining that curve, my bust goes buh-bye. Additionally, an A-line that starts that high has high odds that the shape of the dress will make my legs look like that they start up at the armpits. This dress is definitely the runner up, and again, not loving the shoes...

The Oscar --- Dresses

2011-03-02T13:50:00.000-05:00

The Oscars themselves were boring/bad, poor Anne and James. They were set for failure from the get go. But who really cares about the show anyway, what really matters is the fashion!

Sadly, the Red Carpet wasn't much better. Most celebrities were dressed well, but there weren't many show stoppers out there. In fact, I could barely remember any of the dresses this morning, well any of the ones I actually liked. But after reliving it online through pictures and articles, I was able to come up with a few worth mentioning.

Florence wore this Valentine Couture dress on the carpet, and then changed into an orange number for her stage performance. I get that many people didn't care for this dress. Some even refer to it as a doily gone wrong. Yeah it covers up her body from neck to wrist to foot, but I think she totally rocks this. If someone like Kate Hudson wore this, I would say it was uuuuugly. But on Florence it looks like rocker in it.

This dress doesn't really do it for me. I have been informed by the Fashion Police that the gown was amazing in person and just didn't photograph well. The real reason why she is on the list right now is because I loved the attitude she gave to Seacrest on the Red Carpet. Girl has sass.

Reese has been criticized for this dress. I, for one, find her bubbly, adorable, and gorgeous in this simple dress. Really what it comes down to is her hair-do. It reminds me of Elle Woods and the June Carter all at once

Being pregnant isn't easy, or so I have been told, and I think she was able to pull of a wonderful Oscar dress without her whole look screaming out "I would have looked way better if it weren't for the bump". It was also really impressive that Rodarte was able to supply her with a dress at the last minute given she isn't her usual tiny self. (Love love love the color on her)

I don't know who this woman is, but I didn't like this dress when Taylor Swift wore it and I don't like it now. I was highly disappointed that the Fashion Police didn't play "Bitch Stole My Look" with this, so I felt the need to blog about the copying. What made her wear this dress just about a year after a girl who is easy more than half her age? Bad idea.

Damn she looks good. I aspire to look as good as Helen Mirren as I age. The dress is a little tight, but it is so on trend and she looks divine. The puffy shoulders look amazing, most other older women would look like they were trying to hard. She instead looks like she was the inspiration for the garment.

And let's end with some crazy. HBC is one of my favorite actresses out there. I am pretty sure she said this dress was made by a costume designer, and that just makes me smile. What better way to celebrate film than to let the costumers dress you for the big event? Personally, I want that fan purse, bad. Helena, where'd you get it??

MKO was robbed!

2011-02-27T12:30:00.001-05:00

I saw an advertisement for Beastly the other day. The movie stars a High School Musical girl and some other dude. These two actors are the top billed on all the print ads I've seen and so with this in mind, I assumed that I would have no desire to see it. Then I saw the trailer on tv, and man did I swing 180 on that decision.

Mary Kate Olsen is in this movie!!! The commercial shows her for just a moment but just as she disappeared from the screen I knew it was her. Not for a second did I think that was Ashley, I just knew. How in the world is she not on the posters? I get that her adult movie role choices have not been the best, but she is still way more famous than these two. Who cares if she is a supporting cast member, she is freaking MK Olsen.

I gather she is the wicked witch, or just the witch since the guy has it coming to him (remember this is an updated version of Beauty & the Beast). From this still, I would say she is pulling off the creepy and intensity just fine. Now I need to find time hit up the theaters...something tells me I will find time to see this before I get to The Fighter or The Kings Speech.

New Graffiti

2011-02-25T17:48:00.001-05:00

(Photo from Boston Globe)

There are people who tag up walls with spray paint, and then there are others who cover telephone poles with yarn creations. Boston.com recently published an article entitled "Watch your streets - knitters are on the loose". The South End Knitters is a group of women (at least I assume they are all female) who have taken it upon themselves to create knitted graffiti.

When I first read the article I smiled and thought how funny it would be if I walked home and saw an elephant (like above) hanging off a tree trunk. Seeing random pops of color on dreary winter days would help brighten my mood, and I totally appreciate that these crafters periodically clean their pieces to keep them look like trash that got tangled in a bush.

However, I don't understand why the group chose to do all this. I mean if you have extra yarn and no current project, why not donate mittens/hats/scarfs etc to charity. The graffiti is cute, but it makes me think of littering more than anything else. I understand that no one has to be charitable but I don't know why you pick defacing property (no matter how cute it is, these creations are still vandalizing property) over helping the greater good.

Oh well. To each his own. Let's get back to shoes and fashion!

The Roof, The Roof, The Roof..

2011-02-24T22:30:00.004-05:00

of my mouth is on FIRE!

Cabot and I normally on the same page. I love their Habanero Cheese big time and occasionally splurge on a block. (It's like twice as expensive as regular cheddar, thus a special occasion kind of cheese) Well, the other day I saw they had a spreadable version, I thought AWESOME. Snagged it, paid for it, and brought it home.

I realized I was in charge of snack for my staff meeting, so it came to work with me. (Don't worry, I also brought along some crackers and some chips/salsa too,. I know how to make a good good last minute snack) The meeting ended up getting canceled. Score! I don't have to share the spread. I get home, open it up, slather some on a cracker and take a bite.

YEA-OWWWW

That shit is hot. If you are considering trying it, be sure to keep a glass of milk near by, you will need it.

--------
Dear Cabot,
If you see this, don't worry. I still love your stuff, my mouth is clearly a big wuss when it comes to heat.
Me :)

Angry Birds are taking over

2011-02-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

Angry Birds are thisclose to being yesterday's news. I mean it took the world by storm, but pretty much everyone I know has beaten the game by now (I did so in December). Needless to say, I still get excited when I see those crazy birds online or in stores.

A few weeks ago, there was the video of the peace summit - I could have sworn I posted it, but apparently that came out in my lazy poster period.

On Saturday, I stopped in Urban Outters on the way to the bowling alley to get out of the way of some bone chilling wind. There I saw plush versions of the birds and pigs. Love it. They are on my short list of silly things needing to be purchased for my office. I feel that my coworkers and I would love to zing this back and forth, as we are about to enter a super tense part of the year.

But today, I saw an article about a man who recreated the game into the form of a cake for his son's birthday! As much fun as it would be to play a real life Angry Birds, I don't think I would really want to eat cake that was flinging around the dining room. But if anyone wants to make me an Angry Birds cake to help me get through the Spring Semester, by all means get cooking. :)

Beauty in Ballet

2011-02-20T16:36:00.000-05:00

Every so often I get the urge to be "cultured". Often I consider attending a ballet, but in the end I know I can only handle so much action without a narration. In the end I will settle for watching a movie about ballet, Center Stage anyone? Watching a professional dancer is hypnotic, even in Black Swan, no matter how undernourished Natalie looked, I couldn't take my eyes off her movements.

Ballerina bodies are quite remarkable, even from afar, a viewer can make out the definition in their form. In a recent New Yorker article, we get a brief glance into a coffee table book which focuses in on ballet. The three pictures below are my favorites. The last has no dancers, but I find it to be the one I would most want framed and hung in my apartment.

Photographs are by Cade Martin

Uli!

2011-02-18T11:14:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping tabs on NY Fashion Week and saw Christian Siriano's new collection. This immediately made me wonder about some of my other favorite PR contestants. I found Uli Herzner's website. Her dresses are still amazing and fun.

I won't pretend that these dresses are in my price range, but there are some that are only $270ish, and maybe some day I can treat myself to an Uli original. The prints used and fluidity of pieces really draw me in. In my opinion, they are visual expressions of my own personality.

Normally, I don't care for one shoulder numbers, but the dress featured here really calls to me. I think it has to do with the proportions along with the tight bottom and flowing top, aka my M.O.

Booooooooof

2011-02-17T18:29:00.002-05:00

I cannot stop watching this video:

I love it when they crack up. If it were me I would have been laughing after the first few sentences. Clearly I am not going to be asked onto SNL any time soon.

UPDATE: Found the Stefon channel on hulu.com. Enjoy!

If I were to walk the Red Carpet

2011-02-16T10:48:00.008-05:00

Like many others out there, I have decided to devote a number of my Sunday nights to the major awards ceremonies. The best part of the whole pomp and circumstance is the pre-show Red Carpet coverage, obviously. Haute Couture Spring 2012 were shown a little bit ago, and I just went through and decided to pick out what I would wear, if I were invited and allowed to borrow the good stuff. :)

Versace

As this is my first awards show, I would want to make a statement. The rookie mistake is to go with the first pretty dress you see. While I adore this dress, I do understand it is probably a bit too busy for me. I just don't think I am tall enough to pull off a silhouette like this. There is a lot of design going on, very visually appealing, but I don't think I have enough practice "owning" my look to come out on the Best Dress List after getting photographed.

Valentino

The daredevil in me is drawn to this sheer number. I had no interest in Rihanna's sheer, but this, I love. I think because it is just showing the outline of the body underneath. The purple hue keeps me from wondering if the woman is wearing any underwear, and her boobs seem to be covered well enough. This photo is taken during a runway show, I do have a few concerns that it could be little bit more see through on the RC. Let's keep going

Dior

Voluminous skirts win over sheath dresses any day in my book - well maybe not on a wedding day but that is a whole other bag of chips. Dior provided me with a number of dresses to consider. I could see myself going with this if I were a pro at the RC, not for my first go.

This is getting warmer. The skirt is a little flat for me. But the colors are good for my hair/skin/eyes. Really the draw back is the sleeves. I overheat and tend to be a bit sweaty in long sleeves. No one wants pit stains ruining a good awards ni

And it is Dior for the win. Yellow is my color and tulle is my thing. The design along the neck would help give me a more womanly as it creates an illusion of a bust. I don't think I would style things the same way though. The gloves are fun but would have to go - remember I need to stay cool.

I can't wait to see the Oscar dresses, those women better bring the glam!

Grammy Favorites

2011-02-14T11:41:00.010-05:00

The Grammys aren't known for having a classy and tasteful Red Carpet. This year was no exception. Even with some of the crazy disco ball dresses - I'm looking your way JLo - there were some celebrities that simply knocked it out of the park. I tried to think of an order of addressing my favorite looks, but ended up just loading pictures at random.

Justin Beiber

I'm going to get the only male in this post done first. In general, white suits look silly on white men simply because there isn't enough contrast. Therefore, he looks ridiculous, but I would like to think this was his idea which makes me warm up to it. Think about how many boys went to prom looking exactly like this - they thought they look hot and urban, but no, just silly. It's nice to know Beiber really is like any other 15 year old boy.

Nicki Minaj

Of course Nicki would be mentioned. She rocked this. Leopard from hair to toes is no easy task and she just went for it. At first I was on the fence, was this outfit too much for me? Then I saw it came with pockets. SOLD. This girl is definitely growing on me and I can't wait to see what she wear next.

Florence (sans The Machine)

I hate shear dresses with cut-outs...normally. This I love. Best Swan Dress ever sported on the RC. Quirky but elegant. She is totally making a dress that revolves around an angry/unfriendly bird and turning it into rock-star fashion. (Seriously, probably my favorite of the night)

Kathy Griffin

This dress is cut well and compliments her frame. The detailing is amazing. But the main reason this dress is worth mentioning is the color. Kathy has been really into this mustard yellow shade for the 2011 award shows, and I applaud her for going for it. This is the exact dress I would put on my fake roommate, she also has a soft spot for this color and while she is curvier, I feel she could rock it.

Nicole Kidman

I forgot how much I love Nicole. Her addiction to Botox threw me these past few years, and I would have a hard time looking past her face. Now that she is allowing her forehead to return to it's former glory, I can appreciate her style. What draws me to this dress is that it is so earthy in its tones. No glitter, but the texture draws you in. Again, here is a case where the sheer doesn't bother me, it makes the skirt cloud-like.

Rihanna

This was the best stage dress of the night. I have no desire to post up her RC dress. A friend and I were sitting on our respective couches in our respective apartments and feeling the same way - how was this allowed to be shown on tv? The dress was tacky and all it made you wonder was, is she wearing underwear? Unlike the other dresses posted here, I would have no desire to wear that thing. Oooops, didn't focus on the gorge dress that is above. Well, it rocks.

Katy Perry

I'm ending with this tall glass of bubbles. The wings are a bit much, but given that it is the Grammys, I like that she went with them. When else could she pull it off? I think the only reason I like the dress is because she is wearing it and it fits her persona. The other reason I wanted to end with Ms. Perry is because of the interview she had with Seacrest. Loved that Granny has a bedazzled cane and didn't know Ryan's name. Also found Ryan's question so bizarre about Russel being there, only to find out Giuliana asked the exact same thing when talking to Jesse Eisenberg a few weeks earlier on the SAG RC. Clearly Ryan doesn't watch E!'s Red Carpet show, or he would have stayed away from repeating a stupid question.

Phew, that was a long post. Can't wait for the Oscars!

Cee Lo is the new Gaga?

2011-02-14T09:28:00.000-05:00

Lady Gaga showed up in an egg - so no major fashion statement on the red carpet. Boo. She had the first performance slot (beyond the opening number) and so I figured that there would be glitter and glam. She had so much time to get ready as she gave no interviews. Nope. It was like watching Madonna doing Express Yourself (yeah, everyone is saying this, I know). Double boo.

Thank you Cee Lo for bringing the crazy back to the Grammys. It looks like Muppets are very in right now. They are slotted to be guest judges on Top Chef this week, and Cookie Monster has been lobbying for a host spot on SNL.

I will say, while I love them, Gwenny should have reconsidered those heels. She can barely walk in them, let alone move. The version she did on Glee was particularly fun because she was able to spin and dance around. I was a little bummed that she wasn't able to have more fun this time, I mean who wouldn't want to dance with the puppets! Loved the pink earrings. The set was crazy fun, and it wouldn't make any sense to compete with Cee Lo's parrot outfit. But the little splash of color helped out the all black.

New York Fashion Week - Get in my closet

2011-02-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

While browsing through pictures of NYFW I found that in addition to runway looks I wish I could have (to be posted soon), there were many outfits in the audience that I would be happy to take off these celebrities hands. I mean they don't wear clothes more than once, so donate to me :)

I really have a thing for white and black dresses. Sadly, I can never find one that works for me in my size. Normally, I stay away from long sleeves (even my sweaters are 3/4) but I really think the sleeves make this dress. Tinsley, want to let me know who this is by? Ok thanks

Polka dots are not my thing. But by adding two rows of larger dots makes it look more like a tasteful pattern/embellishment, rather than fabric that should be the base of a dolldress or table cloth. I am pretty sure the salmon/pink color would flatter my complexion more than my usual taste of hot pink crazy.

Here I like the silhouette more than the actual print. Given my small bust, I find that when I wear looser tops with tighter fit bottoms I appear much more girlish. Tight tops just remind everyone that I am lanky and slightly boyish in the torso. I'll keep my eye out for similar looks.

Ok, clearly this outfit is not for me. But Mr. Hamm just looks so darn cute. I mean who wouldn't want to have him around to hang out with?

More to come about the runway shows/new spring collections, and of course the Grammy's (dropped the ball on the Globes and the SAGs).

Website Reformatting

2011-02-12T20:21:00.003-05:00

Whenever facebook.com releases updates/changes to the layout, everyone reacts with "I hate new facebook" and "bring back the old format!". Over time I have gotten used the new formats, the most current one still confuses me when I want to find photo albums. Hopefully, the site doesn't get another makeover for at least a few months so that I can get the hang of things again.

Around the time of the latest facebook upgrade, twitter decided to reformat. There was an option to revert to old twitter, which I have been using religiously up until two days ago. I accidentally hit "see new twitter" and now when I try to "return to old twitter" the site refuses to load. Guess, I don't have a choice anymore and I need to get with the times.

I accept that social networking sites will revamp every now and again. What I wasn't prepared for was Gawker, Jezebel, Lifehacker, and the like to go from familiar and easy to busy, complicated, and unfriendly. The new site was released earlier this week, maybe Tuesday, and as soon as the page loaded I immediately checked to make sure I entered the correct web address. After confirming that I didn't load jezebell.com I attempted to scroll through the posts, got overwhelmed and immediately left. I wasn't sure if I should have been scrolling through the main section or whatever that is on the right.

Today, I returned to give the site the old college try. I was able to find a post I wanted to read, but then I went to read the comments at the bottom. WTF. Could not for the life of me understand what was happening down there. Comments are my favorite part! Realistically if the article is long but the headline is catchy, I have a tendency to skip down to see what the people are talking about. Sadly, it is as if these designers hate the comment section (and their readers) - these sites are just hot messes.

Normally, I get annoyed at revamped sites purely because my habits have to change. The facebook and twitter updates don't make it harder to read/update, they just make me look in a new spot. The Gawker/Jezebel/etc sites are actually giving me a headache. Too much in too little of a space. Please designers, think about doing some revisions.

Stacy???

2011-02-10T19:04:00.000-05:00

The Black Eyed Peas really put on a train-wreck of a half-time show. Their people need to send Christina Aguilera some flowers for messing up the National Anthem, as that bit of idiocy overshadowed a major performance bomb.

While I was surfing the internet for general reactions to the Superbowl in all its glory, commercials, half-time, opening, game-play, I came across the most shocking piece of information.

Did you know that Fergie started out as Stacy on Kids Incorporated????? I used to love that show. I still remember the opening credits where the stars jump up and become a letter of "KIDS". I found a montage of Stacy Ferguson transforming from a 80s child tv star to the lady of the Black Eyed Peas.

Finally, to set the record straight, there will only ever be one "Fergie" in my heart. And she is a royal redhead whose weight was often in the spotlight.

Yay Packers! Doritos for the WIN

2011-02-08T13:01:00.000-05:00

This year I opted to root for the Packers to win the Superbowl and was pleased to see that they won. Well, I actually didn't even notice that they had won until we glanced up and saw that confetti had started to fall - oops. Even though we threw a Superbowl Party, my friends and I were more interested in the commercials and the Puppy Bowl, so we socialized during the game play. **It is important to note, we had ZERO interest in the half-time show. We are all in the target demographic and found it painful/awful**

Sadly, we were convinced that the game started around 7:30. When we switched over for some pre-game coverage, we had already missed the first few minutes of plan and probably at least one set of commercials. Grrr. As the game progressed, the general consensus was that the ads were not overly memorable, and the overall quality has been going downhill the last few years.

Even with a number of flops, Brisk/Eminem combo - wtf??, there were a few good ones. My absolute favorite was the Volkswagen Darth Vader ad. I had seen a preview online, and was a little sad they had to cut it down a little. But still super cute/charming. The entire room erupted when it finished. Volkswagen, give your design/marketing people a raise or at the very least take them out for a round of drinks!

The other ad campaign worth mentioning was done by Doritos. Over the years, I have enjoyed their commercials. We did not see the finger lick coming and reacted loudly as a group. Again, drinks all around.

I love commercials, but with my current lifestyle, rarely have the patience or time for them. I am the kind of person ad people hope to reach and, for me, the cornier the jokes, the better! Thank you Superbowl, for making commercial watching a national past-time.

Next Time it's 8 Layer Dip

2011-02-06T14:52:00.001-05:00

The Superbowl is tonight. I will be watching with some great friends. We have arranged for wings, pizza, beer, dip, pigs in a blanket, and cake. My personal responsibility is to bring a little beer and buffalo chicken dip. Nom nom nom.

I love making this dip, it is super easy, and it is super yummy. Honestly, why mess with a good thing, right? But after watching Snoops video, I would be interested in making 8 layer dip for next year.

Best Thursday Ending

2011-02-03T22:38:00.002-05:00

I used two of my gift cards this past weekend and purchased much needed snow boots. Just try to find a pair of quality size 7 snow boots right now, totally not an easy endeavor. Much to my surprise, all my stuff was waiting for me at my doorstep when I got home from class. It kind of felt like a mini Christmas. Too bad I only just took down my tree a week ago.

I happily have warm waterproof winter boots, new tasty coffee, face wash and new make-up tools. In case you have never ordered from Sephora, you should reconsider online purchases rather than store ones. You get to pick out your samples online. Yeah, most of it is perfumes, but it is still it is fun to pick things out that I really want to try out. There are also codes you can put in to get even more samples, I now have some Bare Essentials powered. Coooool. :)

Can't wait to try out my boots tomorrow. The bus stop is a good 15 minute walk away with the snow, I hope my toes stay super warm.

2011-02-02T13:57:00.000-05:00

When I started work I got such a great deal at the beach snack stand - free - that there was no cost benefit for bringing a sandwich from home. Two years later, my summer job changed and I started at an office. With no snack girls around throwing around free stuff, I realized there was a major advantage to packing a dinner (night shift 11 am - 10 pm) than buy a sandwich from D'Angelo. That advantage was $6 a day.

Nine years later, I am still bringing my lunch - a girl has got to save if she wants new snow boots! My one big beef with bringing a lunch is finding containers to put food in and then a bag durable to hold everything. For a while I tried using regular plastic bags but, since I bring along my silverware rather than plastic utensils, they were constantly getting ruined. I keep my eye out for shopping bags that are sturdy enough for the silverware but big enough to hold the containers I buy at the grocery store. (I am more of a leftovers than a sandwich kind of girl).

Well, I found what I have been dreaming of:

The Little Bento Box by Plastica

The only downside is that they are not microwave safe. So I would have to transfer food into a bowl to re-heat, but I try to do that now as I hear microwaving shortens the life of my rubbermade tupperware. I would lean towards the 3 tiered version as I now have to bring lunch and dinner most days with school and all.

Let's keep these on the "I want" list for when I have some spare change lying around.

Some Pretty to Combat the Dreary

2011-02-01T14:48:00.002-05:00

Yes, I chose to live in the Northeast.
Yes, I chose to live in the greater Boston area, in the most densely populated city.
Yes, I have a car but no off-street parking which means I depend on street-parking.

But, even with this, I am so overwhelmed by snow and cannot handle any more until some of these snow banks melt down.

The snow has already started up again, and I am just going to waive my white flag. My car is going to stay in the garage at work, and I will depend on the bus to get to work. To help me cope with the exhausting morning commute that will be my future (~80 minutes from start to finish) let's look at some color, quirk, and happiness by Mary Katrantzou

I would so wear this skirt. Alright, I would wear this outfit

This necklace is to die for

Loving the colors in this one

Ok, I can do without the arm things

Starving for Katniss

2011-01-28T21:49:00.003-05:00

Right before I left for Florida I remembered to purchase my marketing textbook on amazon. Since I was going to spend over $100 on a book for school, I figured why not up that bill up a smidge for some fun books to read before classes started.

The Hunger Games Trilogy has been everywhere lately. Many magazines and blogs have given these books rave reviews stating that Katniss was the character Stephanie Meyers wished Bella could be. The girl is strong, level-headed, and self-sufficient.

When I was surfing through Amazon, I noticed that I could buy each book in hardcover separately for less than the box set. I figured this was a safer way to handle things. If the first didn't grab me, I would have the option to send the other two back. But if I was hooked, there would be no delay in finding out what happened next.

Flash-forward six days after opening book one.

OMG those books are like crack for your imagination.

I don't want to ruin any of the adventure or images for you. Just simply trust me and start reading. The initial focus of the trilogy is the Hunger Games - which is an annual event where district children are randomly chosen to compete in an arena to the death. This mayhem is considered entertainment for the Capitol citizens (the upper echelon) to see children ages 9 - 14 kill one another. These people are unaffected by the deaths, as their children will never be selected to fight, and thus have no connection to the contestants beyond the one they bet on. Although I would estimate the first novel focuses on the "sporting event" for about 75% of the pages, I was still able to feel emotionally connected to the characters.

Don't worry, the book isn't solely focused on the killing, there is a love story intertwined in which involves Katniss and two boys, but it isn't a traditional triangle. Katniss isn't daydreaming about boys, she stays focused on family and her own abilities for the most part. She was a breath of fresh air as a female character - who is to appeal to tweens - who was determined, powerful, and not forgetting how to breath because a hottie sent her a loving gaze. I love her.

Now don't delay, go read these books so we can discuss them :)

My CC is keeping me on budget

2011-01-24T21:20:00.001-05:00

Ever since I moved out of my parents' house, money has been my biggest concern. I needed to be sure I was covering all my bills, have some left over to save for a rainy day, and then still even more for retirement. Bills were initially easy, as was saving. It took me until about year out before I really started with any retirement savings.

Then I got a little too ambitious. I decided to live by myself. This quickly cut down my ability to save. Once I returned to school, there were a few additional costs, but class and homework got in the way of part time work. This meant serious budgets!!! I need to reduce spending that does not fall under utilities, rent, gas, and food. After a unexpected trip to the garage, leaving me with a $139 bill, I was bummed that I wouldn't be able to pick up some items from Sephora I had meaning to get, or a new pair of winter pants. Boooo.

Just to be sure that I was up to budget for January, I went to check on my credit card. That is when I noticed I haven't cashed in my points for about a year. I use my credit cards for everything. All those charges allow for me to gain points, and I always use them to order $25, $50 or $100 gift cards. It allows for me to treat myself guilt free. :)

This time I am going with Amazon, J-Crew, and Sephora. This should allow me for a combination of things I need and want to get me through the next semester. Honestly, if I could charge my rent check I would be this much closer to a Banana Republic guilt-free splurge.

Never was a Dawson Creek-er

2011-01-20T14:59:00.003-05:00

But I do love me some Van Der Beek! (Whoa, that rhymes)

Earlier this month James Van Der Memes was launched with the help of a great Funny or Die video. I love that he has acknowledged that he became an internet sensation due to a small scene in Dawson's Creek.

Vandermemes from James Van Der Beek

Personally, my favorite is the Eyebrow String Dancer - sadly I don't know how to blog a gif so here's the image...

On a related note, be sure to check out his DILF Khaki ad such a hottie!

Gorgeous Calendar

2011-01-18T22:46:00.002-05:00

I was due back from FL in Boston at 7 pm on the 11th. Instead, do to one mega b*tch of a storm, my friends and I didn't touch down until 10:30 am on the 13th. While my friends were concerned about missing work, I took it as it was, and looked for the silver lining. God just gave me two more days of relaxation before Opening.

Opening consists of the first two weeks of school. Our office opens all of MLK weekend, extends hours to 8-7 Tues-Thurs the first week and 9-7 Mon-Wed the next, and we have the pleasure of working these long hours with 30 minute lunches. The plus side is that lunch is provided by management. Oh, and by the way, while all this is happening, I started my second semester of school: 3 classes this time, including a Saturday one!

I had hoped that those days would help keep the stress out, but we are at the end of Tuesday and I am already crying for a vacation day. Blogging is pretty much out of the question. I did find a series of amazing photographs. Fortunately for me, I also found a video that goes through all twelve of them, if this wasn't here you would have gotten at most three. Let's face it, I would have stopped after two. I hope you enjoy!

It was in the stars

2011-01-14T15:25:00.001-05:00

When the Social Network came out last year, I said I had no interest in going to see it. I further revised this statement and decided not only did I not want to pay for a movie ticket, but I didn't want to even watch it on HBO. In fact, the only way I would watch the flick is if I were on an airplane and it was free.

Well, thanks to Jetblue bribing me into a happier place after delaying my return flight, that exact situation fell into my lap. There I was at 7:40 am, just about to lift off and ready to spend the next few hours watching the story of facebook.

To be honest, I loved the opening scenes and the fast paced dialogue. In the end, the movie was enjoyable, but if I had to recommend my favorite movies of this past year, it wouldn't be in the top three (Inception, Despicable Me, Black Swan). If you have an afternoon to waste and have access to the film for free, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, if you haven't yet seen it, feel good knowing that your life is no less amazing than mine is now, it wasn't a life-changer or a breath-taker.

More Resolutions

2011-01-04T11:55:00.003-05:00

New Year's resolutions are silly, I know. People make a number declarations about how they will quit smoking, join a gym, and eat healthier. Others will read the classics, cut down on tv, or start hiking. A month later, old habits return and gyms make out by taking in new memberships but don't have to worry about dealing with an increase of visitors to the facilities. Wait, now that I think about it, many people make a resolution to join a gym, they don't often specify that they will ever step into it afterward, so I guess that means they went through with their plans. Just a thought.

Please don't read this as me saying that I am above making resolutions, I made two on my blog on January 1st and since then have added a few more as ways to improve my quality of life. I am a realist in the sense that I know putting join a gym on the list is a silly way for me to throw away money, but I will look into either another social sport to play, I'm looking your way broomball and touch football, or a dance class. Maybe if I find a really good deal I could find myself frequenting a pilates or yoga studio.

One of my new resolutions that I have found easy to implement and is already providing me with amazing results is cleaning for 15 minutes each day. I had read about a resolution like this before, in fact, I might mentioned this idea at least 2 other times in the blog - clearly it didn't stick. For the last few days I have gone home and done a 15 minute clean. I think I am able to get more done in that quarter of an hour than I do when I try cleaning for an hour because I knew that it would be over soon and I wanted to be productive.

If you tend to let your apartment/house/condo get messy and then feel overwhelmed at the idea of tidying up, this process is totally for you. :) I'll spare you the rest of my resolutions because A) that can be boring to read and B) in case they don't stick you won't know I failed.

Still vacation until I go to work pt. 2

2011-01-02T22:23:00.001-05:00

As if the day couldn't get better, I did eventually make it to the mall, after a brief pop into H&M to find yet another jem. I like to enter through the Weston Hotel so that I can start my shopping by gazing into the Jimmy Choo store. Just as I was about to step off the escalator and into the mall, I had the sudden urge to blink a few times just to make sure I was actually seeing a Michael Kors store straight ahead of me. Where did this magical place come from??? And for the life of me, I can't remember what used to be in that exact spot.

Of course, I had to go in and see what it was like inside. The space was very white, bright and inviting. A saleswoman saw me enter in, wearing my typical shopping uniform- which consists of old jeans, motorcycle boots, and a t-shirt - not the most fashion forward look, and welcomed me with a large smile and warm hello. (I don't always get such a warm welcome when I look so disheveled) She continued to escort me around the shop pointing out various products that were on sale.

When I asked to try on a pair of pants, she brought in a top just so I could get a feel of what a potential work outfit would look like. She did check in on me a little excessively, but found it cute that when I let her know the look wasn't for me, she continued to let me know about future stock and whatnot that was coming into the store. As she fed me this information, she interrupted herself, saying that she should probably let me change in peace but would be waiting for me to exit to give me any final information. I found this interaction charming and not at all pushy. Thanks!

In the end, she sold me on a pair of earmuffs. They are actually lighter in person than in the picture to the left. I was drawn to the stud detailing and the oh so soft fur muffs. Again, I scored myself a 50% off deal, woohoo!

Both stores left me very satisfied and extremely happy with the service provided to me. I hope to be able to return sometime when I have cash to burn through.

The one upside of returning to work tomorrow is that I will officially work on staying on a budget as cash will probably get a little tighter in the coming year. Shaky fist to you, school books. No more splurging for me. :)

Still vacation until I go to work pt. 1

2011-01-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

For the last few years, I have taken advantage of the fantastic sales at the beginning of the new year by wandering around Newbury St and the Copley Mall here in Boston. Previously, I have scored finds such as Lucky Jeans, silver pendants, and blazers from Lord & Taylor. 2011 might have been my best year yet.

For months now, I have coveted a pair of Hunter rain boots (and fleece liners) more than any pair of heels. The brand's reputation is fantastic, quality superb, and I have yet to hear of a bad review from a friend.

Normally these rain boots are priced at $120.00. Not the most expensive shoes in the world, but I do have a hard time justifying that price to a simple galosh. I have spent many hours searching the web for a sale on these boots and have yet to find a deal.

Fortunately for me, I decided to walk up Bolyston on the way to the Copley Mall today. A new branch of the Tannery has popped up near the gardens and I noticed a big 50% off sign. I figured there was no harm in taking a quick look-ee-loo. As soon as I walked in there was a pair of bright blue Hunter boots with a big ol' 50% orange dot on them. When I went to get a closer look, the sales guy let me know that he was sorry because they only had one size 7 (the ones in my hand) and some 11s. Well, that is perfect for me and my teeny feet. I quickly tried them, checked out some fleece liners and was out of the store $90 poorer by 100 times happier.

Working On A New Years Resolution

2011-01-01T21:53:00.000-05:00

At this point I have two definite resolutions. 1) Drink more Narragansett Lights over Lagers to help with my caloric intake. 2) Catch up on my magazines and keep up on them every month.

Currently I have about a foot and a half of magazines to flip through. The September issue of Vogue has been sitting next to my couch for months now and I finally dove in. Just as I was about to finish it off, I came across one of the most amazing editorials I have ever seen. "Monsters Inc" is a piece that highlights accessories with the help of Nick Cave, a performance artist. Below are most of the images in the spread, enjoy!

Try not to smile. I dare you. I particularly love the last one.

Year 3! Welcome 2011

2011-01-01T02:13:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2011 folks. I spent the time with some wonderful people in Cambridge, MA. We ate, drank, played board games, and sang along with BSB/NKOTB. Going to a bar can be fun, and I totally did that last year with a group of people, but I don't know if there could have been a more perfect way to welcome the 2o11. Hope your NYE was as enjoyable as mine.

PS - What was with Avril Lavigne performing? Who cares about her right now?

Simply Breathtaking

2010-12-28T22:37:00.001-05:00

**SPOILER ALERT** (kind of)

The only plans I made going into my Christmas vacation home was to go out to Charlie O's for my birthday and see Black Swan with my sister. The first was easily accomplished. Black Swan took some extra work as the snow kept us home-bound for a bit, and then there was Miki. How do you leave a cutie like that home alone?!?!

Well, we finally felt ready to head out for an afternoon showing. Natalie Portman's character, Nina, is emotionally complex. We are quick to see her need for perfection. Nina focuses on her form and movement, leaving the emotion behind the ballet as an afterthought. It is this exact issue that leaves the director hesitant to cast her as the lead in Swan Lake. His version has the lead woman play both white and black swan (I assume this is different from the traditional piece - let's check wikipedia - nope this has been the case since the 1800s), and from a technical perspective knows Nina is the best for the role, but is unsure if she can bring the passion for the seduction needed for the Black Swan.

Obviously she gets the part. If she didn't the movie would just end. For the sake of those who have not seen the film yet, I will skip over all of the crazy things that happen up until the end (but don't worry I am still not revealing anything you don't already know). Throughout the movie, Nina is being asked to prove that she is sexual enough for the part of the Black Swan. I have to admit, I agreed with the douchey ballet director, Nina just didn't have it in her. Her body emaciated body - from what I have read, is pretty accurate for a dancer - did not give off anything close to sexy. The movements did not draw me in.

But then it happens. The final sequence includes a very powerful Black Swan performance. Her movements have so much emotion behind them, that I began to really lose myself in the energy.

Just look at this frame. There is serious power and control being forced through the movement. Once the ballet began my heart started to race. I could feel my breathing slow down. Then after the final moment was over and there is that beat before the credits roll, I slowly took myself out of the reality that was created for me. I notice I have not breathed in and force a breath.

Over the last few years, I have noticed that I can get very invested in movies, tv and literature. Occasionally a piece moves me to the point of breathlessness. Coming out of theaters after this happens is always exhilarating and I can't wait to feel the same way again - kind of junkie behavior. I try not to go into movies expecting this, as to avoid disappointment. Seeing the previews for this movie made me think I would enjoy it, I never thought I would get so enveloped in the visuals, as it is shot completely with a hand-held camera and I tend to dislike that kind of jerky framework. Here it completely complimented the emotions Nina was experiencing, drawing me further and further into the plot.

In the end, go see this movie! I won't promise you will forget to breath, but I can't imagine you will come out disappointed.

Jerry Springer minus Jerry

2010-12-27T21:47:00.001-05:00

Due to the intense amount of snow that has been dumped onto RI, my sister, our puppy and I have opted to bunker down in the living room. We each have things to keep us occupied; studying for the GREs, chewing on a bone, and reading magazines, but we all like having some background noise. Sadly, the only thing on this morning was a Bad Girls Club marathon.

Even after hours and hours of having it play in the background, I couldn't tell you the point of the show. There are seven crazy girls who were placed in a house and each is proud to be a vile human being. Stealing, fighting, shouting, bullying, and sleeping around are all activities these individuals love to do and talk about. I assume if you have lost all sense of self-worth and enjoy harming yourself and others, you get to be a "bad girl".

Occasionally one character will mention that another girl isn't "taking advantage of being here". She will continue to claim that she is at the house "to get better". I find this part to be the most confusing aspect as there are no teaching moments, no intervention, no counseling whatsoever. How these train-wrecks are getting anything more than 15 minutes of fame - which really should be downgraded to about 1 minute as I after a day of watching I couldn't tell you any names - is beyond me.

Early on in the season, I noticed that the girls never seemed to be wearing shoes when they fight. It brought me back to the Jerry Springer Show. In one instance, one girl got out of the front see of a car (barefoot) and pulled at the girl in the back until she was forced out to fight at a gas station. The girl from the back also toppled out shoeless, which lead me to believe that this production crew knows this females are the type who have nothing above stabbing one another with a stiletto.

My theory was confirmed when a fight broke out on the street where five ganged up on one and she pulled her shoe off to use as a weapon. She ended up getting beat down to the ground and subsequently kicked, which was horrifying to watch. In the end, this show is really about watching unhinged women attack each other verbally and physically over and over again. While I admit to having the marathon play in our house, I would beg Oxygen to get rid of the series, it is just an awful awful premise.

Hair Tinsel??

2010-12-25T21:20:00.001-05:00

Who would have thought I would turn to the Real Housewives franchise for fashion ideas. In my defense, it is a tacky but awesome idea. Silvery tinsel like hair extensions. Adrienne Maloof, who is one of my favorite RHOBH, has been sporting such a do for the last few episodes.

Um, this outfit is amazing. Love it and her. The hair tinsel is just the kind of Christmas flair I need. Subtle bling at its finest. I seems to be on the right side of professional on the potentially tacky scale.

Google is God's way of letting us know where anything and everything we could possibly want is sold and for how much. Bella Via Hair Glitz sells 24" hair tinsel for $14.99 a pack (50 strands). There is a how-to dvd that can be purchased for $4.99. I'm glad there is instruction, but I am a little sad you have to pay for it. Oh well. Let's keep this on the back burner of possible awesomeness that I need to incorporate into my look.

PS - Merry Christmas!

One more THANK YOU

2010-12-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

My birthday was super fun. I completely appreciated all of the shout-outs I received via twitter, facebook, and texts. One of my best friends from home and I went out for drinks at Charlie-Os, which has become somewhat of a tradition at this point. There is honestly nothing better than getting a pint of vodka soda for $5. We were able to enjoy about 3 or so before continuing our adventures, again, a $31 tab is really hard to beat when you know it covered 3 rounds of good drinks. :) Gotta love coming home.

Just as we were finishing up round 3, we ran into some people from school who lead us to new bars and more fun. It seems that every year we run into different people from the past, I view it as fate's birthday gift to me. I can't wait for the 10 year reunion, since we missed the 5-er, it would be nice to see how everyone is doing.

At this point my birthday is finally over and it is time to focus on Jesus. Christmas Eve mass, here I come.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-12-23T13:58:00.000-05:00

The December issue of Vogue UK featured a beautiful editorial entitled "Star Signs" which was photographed by Tim Gutt. As a Capricorn, (Dec 22 - Jan 18) I figured I should feature my sign. If there is some chance you haven't seen the entire spread, please indulge yourself in some beauty.

Best tape ever

2010-12-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

The Christmas gifts I was so proud to have purchased so early into the Christmas season have been sitting in the corner of my bedroom for about 2.5 weeks. It is now my Birthday-Eve, which is Christmas Eve cubed (the 22nd for you lay people) and at this rate, I will most likely end up wrapping gifts at 11 pm on the 24th. I think part of my procrastination is that I want the wrapping to look awesome. I want to have embellishments like ribbons or bows, but don't have the goods on hand or the confidence that I will pull it off.

While surfing the web for wrapping ideas - time that could have been used for actual wrapping - I found a site for happytape! which might be the best tape ever.

At first, one might get some sticker shock for a $36 pack of ribbon tape. But just think about it. Imagine purchasing nice thick ribbon and rolls of tape, you so pay more than this. Trust me, I frequent craft stores enough to know that ribbon is not as cheap as you may wish to believe.

If I had to time to wait for the shipping, which clearly I don't, I would make the purchase - maybe another time...

30 seconds of fun

2010-12-22T09:25:00.001-05:00

I have been told that I am a prime target for most commercials. I will laugh at almost any corny joke and love pop culture references. Recently I found myself ignoring the large number of recorded movies and shows in my DVR and begun surfing live tv. I stumbled upon a few great commercials which reminded me how much I love this medium and am so happy the CLIO Awards exist. Here are a few that I found to be particularly amusing:

As much as I was over the Jersey Shore once they hit Miami and lost some of their tacky charm. I do enjoy Snooki's pistachio ad. Great use of the tanning bed, now that she has to revert to spray tans to keep that natural orange glow. I don't understand how one of the pickle companies didn't think to snatch her up for an ad campaign with them.

What is even better than a Snooki commercial? One featuring Kevin Bacon! I have probably watched this commercial 10 or so times, and will admit that the first time I saw it, it didn't register that it was actually Kevin. Yup, sometimes I am a little slow.

Finally, the last commercial worth noting comes from Healthy Choice lunches. Really the best part is the beginning when the guy just makes the woman wait because he can. Part of my job requires me to work at a counter and there are days that I get annoyed at my clientele and will make people wait just because I find them irritating. Oh the joys of customer service...

Marc Jacobs Wake Up

2010-12-21T09:59:00.001-05:00

Ok, here goes, let's get some blogging done. While fishing through all the websites, articles, and pictures I have bookmarked over the last week, I figured why not start with something super colorful and easy.

Marc Jacob's 2011 spring collection was presented recently, I like it a lot. For some reason when I watch this show, the models look to be even taller than usual. I don't know if it has to do with the proportions or what, but seriously, they look like they could be pushing 7 feet!

In case you were unaware, boobs are in this season. Shear tops have been popping up more and more this season. It's a shame these clothes are just impractical for the real world because they are breath-taking.

Love the palette and that the show didn't go full force with the neons, but had some beautiful chocolate pieces mixed in.

GAAHHHHHH

2010-12-13T17:04:00.003-05:00

Hit the "skip to :47 seconds" image in the video to get to the trailer. But I just saw the Pirates of the Caribbean 4 trailer for the first time and I am beyond excited. Penelope Cruz looks amazing, Keira who???

This past weekend was amazing, I will be posting about the Snowball Gala, SSR, betteroffbowling, and Christmas shopping later this week. Ok, probably not until Friday as I have a major amount of Economics to do by Thursday. Tootles!

Christmas Classic

2010-12-10T09:59:00.002-05:00

I remember the first time I heard this song I was dishdogging it for the catering company I worked at during the summer. We were back at the shop late at night washing up all the pots and knives. Scalding water is much more bearable if you are also listening to a rad mix-cd. Intertwined with the latest summer jams, crazy techno and classic songs was Dominick the Donkey. Honestly the hee-haws are my favorite part. Hope you enjoyed

Welcome Christmas Glee style

2010-12-09T12:50:00.004-05:00

"A Very Glee Christmas" was on this week. It was quite possibly my favorite Christmas episode that I have seen on tv. The episode touched on the classic Christmas videos with music from Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer and The How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and themes from the latter. Brittney made a fantastic Cindy Lou Who, this was the best image I could find of her.

The whole episode brought me tons of joy as they cast constantly broke out in the Christmas songs I love, starting with "The Island of Misfit Toys" and ending with my all time favorite "Welcome Christmas".

Seriously, I get goosebumps whenever I hear this play. It is also one of those things that I don't really think Christmas is coming until this song plays - similar to how I don't acknowledge that I am home in RI until I see the Brooks (or Rite Aid now) that is 2 miles from my parents house. Those Whos really know the meaning of the holiday. Just thinking about the song and my arm hair is sticking up again!

To the MOON

2010-12-07T16:14:00.000-05:00

December is my birthday month. Due to my own stubborn behavior, my birthday is just 2 days shy of Christmas (I was due on the 8th!), which means celebrating on my actual birthday is pretty much off the table. Instead, I try and go out with as many friends as possible throughout the month of December. This morning, I realized that with school, intramural, and the holidays, there weren't many days left open to do just this, so I sent out an email to my 3 closest friends to see if we could do our annual Margaritas and Me dinner.

One friend said she had another birthday that night at Howl at the Moon but she should be able to go to dinner first and then meet up with the other party after. Being the awesome friend she is, she invited me to come along with her and I figured, why not. I immediately opened up my Google Calendar to put this new event in. I just made the event the quick way, where you click on the time slot and just add the title, in this case "Howl at the Moon". After, I realized that I haven't been to Howl at the Moon and should edit the event with more details to include the address. When I opened the event I saw this:

Google Calendar tried to be so helpful by adding in an address based on the title of the event! Since there was a link to click on map I had to see if Google Earth has become Google Universe. Sadly, no. As far as Google is concerned, "the moon" is in Lexington, KY. Nice try Google, you aren't as perfect as I thought.

Stop Trying to Make a Sequel Happen

2010-12-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

I would say it is a bad sign if the trailer of a sequel starts with scenes from the original flick. Unfortunately for ABCFamily, the only way anyone would know that this was Mean Girls 2 is to do just that. The cast is completely redone (with exception of Tim Meadows) and there are new writers, which pretty much guarantees this will be horrible.

Lindsay might have turned into a train wreck, but there is no denying that Mean Girls is one of the best films around.

Tacky has no religion

2010-12-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

My mom totally has a kit to turn her car into a reindeer. I love it. It is super tacky.

I have seen the reindeer get up on a number of cars and even some Mack trucks. But prior to this morning, I have never seen a car topped with a Menorah. It was a relief to know that tacky has no religious barriers. Seeing a gigantic menorah speeding towards me made me smile this morning, which I greatly appreciated, since it is Monday.

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Repeal Day!

2010-12-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

Google Speaks My Language

2010-12-03T10:06:00.004-05:00

I use Google Chrome at work because I find the tabs and search features superior to other browsers. Often I keep my gmail going on one of the tabs. This morning I went to go check my email and instead of my ninja themed mail box I saw this:

Aw snap! The webpage was missing. I like that this folder is letting me know about the state of my webpage rather than that boring white page that says "Server not found". Way to be hip Google.

Donut mind if you got me this

2010-12-02T12:13:00.003-05:00

Sunbeam makes a Donut Maker! In minutes you can go from no donuts in the house to FIVE fresh and warm circles of love!

The ad doesn't indicate if a recipe book comes with the machine itself, but I am sure Sunbeam wouldn't leave me hanging. Either way, I would have no issue researching the best way to create delicious donuts.

While this phenomenal machine is being sold for the low low price of $39.99. Normally, I would have no problem pulling out the credit card for this purchase, but it is the Christmas season. Therefore, not a ton of discretionary income laying around to provide myself with silly do-dads.

Maybe there are some Christmas (and birthday) elves (there are totally birthday elves out there don't try and argue me on that one) and I, too, can be a proud owner of a donut making machine.

Hell has no fury like a City Scorned

2010-12-02T10:23:00.003-05:00

Tonight is the Heat/Cavs game in Cleveland. LeBron is making his return to the city he b*tch slapped on national television. I feel as if I have been reading about this game since the season began, and finally it is hear. The countdown has been almost as exciting as counting down for Christmas!

For the last hour, I have perused a number of online publications which focus on this event. (Note: at 10 am I googled LeBron James returns to Cleveland and got 4,995 news hits) I have to admit, Cleveland is as creative as it is bitter. The best video would go to the group that spoofed Lebron's recent Nike ad.

Even though I will be in my Economics class during most of the game, I will be silently chanting along with the Clevelanders(?), or is it Clevelandites (?), hh we will just go with Cavs fans. The third quarter song is quite brilliant if you ask me. I truly hope that this song happens and can be heard on tv.

I could have cared less about LeBron when he was at Cleveland, but after he made a spectacle of himself with "The Decision" I have grown to love rooting against him. Let's hear it for Cleveland!

Christmas is getting expensive

2010-12-01T15:31:00.002-05:00

The 12 Days of Christmas is by no means a favorite Christmas carol of mine. It takes about three and a half minutes to sing, which gets exhausting, and the tune doesn't make me want to dance around the tree. Imagine getting all those gifts! Personally, I don't have the space for the 50 extra people in my apartment (12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping, 9 ladies dancing and 8 maids a-milking) and my lease only allows for 1 cat, not 23 birds (partridge, 2 turtle doves, 3 french hens, 4 calling birds, 6 geese a-laying, 7 swans a-swimming).

Additionally, I would feel bad for my true love as he would have to spend $23,439.38 to purchase the final round of the song. A group of people have been tracking the cost of the gifts since 1984 and just so you know, total costs have increased 9.2% since last year. Eeeep.

I went to see if I could find an enjoyable version of the song on youtube, and well, this is amazing. There is a gem of a moment around 1:30, I hope you enjoy it!

I mean who doesn't think of Toto when they think of Christmas?

A Greater Power Doesn't Want Me to Diet

2010-11-29T22:40:00.003-05:00

After chowing down Thanksgiving weekend, I thought it might be in my best interest to go on a diet until the Santa Speedo Run. The run is on December 11th and I would rather look as fit as possible when running around Boston in a bathing suit. Last night I made a declarative statement on twitter that it would be salad and pilates for the next two weeks. I find that if I don't let a large group know about my intentions, I don't go through with them.

After tweeting, I went the Exercise TV section of my On Demand and found a 21 minute pilates workout. Did the whole thing, felt good, felt positive. My plan began to form. Salads and some pasta for lunch/dinner, maybe some oatmeal for breakfast. Maybe I should do a second workout in the morning. You know, start the day off properly, helping me get some bounce in my step.

Well, all of this has gone up in smoke. Why? Because while I was shopping around the grocery today, after picking out THREE different types of lettuce, I came across this:

You're seeing this right. Cabot is making a Smoky Bacon Cheddar Cheese. And a block of it is sitting in my fridge as we speak. I haven't cut open the packaging yet, but I can't imagine I will make it through another day. Bacon and cheddar cheese can't be good for my diet. A beach body in December is pretty unrealistic, I mean, I can barely handle one during the summer.

Five Pounds of Love

2010-11-28T22:28:00.001-05:00

Meet Miki:

He is a Morkie (Maltese and Yorkie mix), was born on July 11th, and has stole the hearts of my mum, dad, sister, and me. This little dude loves darting under our feet and pacing around the house to learn the lay of the land. He has the best fluffy hair-do which flops over his eyes in a "I will cause all the bitches (proper use of this word) in the yard to swoon".

At this point, we know very little about Miki and his interests. What we have determined is that he loves decorating his crate with small items he finds around the house (such as a travel size tissue pack, and a fake cardboard cellphone from a cellphone accessory), and has a thing for all things made of paper. Don't drop a receipt around him, he will pounce.

I can't wait for my next visit back home so I can cuddle up with the ball of fluff. Seriously, try to resist this dude.

Black Friday

2010-11-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was great. Per usual my family drove up to New York to spend time with my mom's clan. Things were a little different this year, as the main meal was held in a different relative's house. Fortunately it was just as loud and tasty as always.

Now normally, we stay Thursday -Saturday, but this year things were cut short. In and out Thursday and Friday. For a moment I thought that we were going to skip Black Friday shopping. It was quickly determined that we were going to stay up in Troy for dinner so nothing kept the women from heading to the malls.

The sales were great. I managed to get some gifts for the family, and, well, gifts for me. I need new clothes. Anyone crazy enough to pass up deals like this clearly doesn't live on a budget. As mentioned in my previous post, tights can really help stretch a wardrobe. New York & Co had a sale where everything was 60% off before noon. I got 3 pairs of new tights. Go me!

The tan tights actually are glitter tights. Sadly, couldn't capture the amazingness with my driod.

In addition to some new tights, I also managed to score some new underwear (always a plus), a dress, gifts for sister and dad, and a new Lady Gaga MAC lipstick as I have no clue where mine went. All and all, a very successful Friday.

....Oh, and this doesn't include the score I got from Ruelala.

Fancy Feet

2010-11-24T13:45:00.001-05:00

In this economy, I can't afford to purchase new clothes as often as I would like. But one way I can spice things up is get a few new accessories to make old outfits pop. What is better than an eye catching accessory? How about a functional one! Socks and stockings are the way to go. They add just a bit of pizazz; maybe a splash of color or some extra texture.

I came across Hansel from Basel and was so impressed with the patterns that the company came up with. They sell socks, tights and bags. The bags I will pass up and ignore. The tights and socks pages, however, have taken up a good chunk of my time.

The Clemence Knee Hi caught my eye immediately. It just makes me smile tons. The price, not so much, but a girl can dream. Turns out that they do occasionally cut prices, I would be more inclined to purchase the Cable Knit Pompom Tights now that they are down from $42 to $26.50. Don't worry, I said more inclined, there is still no way I am jumping at that one.

Squeeeeee! I just noticed that there is a section on the website that lists all stores that have their products in stock. Low and behold, they are in a store on Newbury Street in Boston. Score. I was hoping to stroll down downtown window shopping the first weekend in December, so I might just have to stop by Minilux. Twist my arm.

Local Bacon Treats

2010-11-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

The New England Candy Co is diving into the bacon as dessert market. Based on their website (via etsy) there is more than just the basic chocolate bar with some bacon bits. I mean there are reese's cup type treats with bacon. Oh wait, did I say bacon? I meant applewood bacon.

You know, my birthday is coming up and they have a "Bacon Lovers Gift Pack". Hint hint. It might be $45, but it is over 2 pounds of bacon and chocolate. Don't bat an eye, totally worth it.

Just as I get comfortable in skinny jeans

2010-11-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

Tom and Lorenzo let me know that wide legged pants are back. I know that fashion is always changing, but I invested in my first pair of skinny jeans only last fall. After falling in love with the way they enhance my butt, my skinny jean collection has multiplied pretty significantly. As long as I am not having a "fat day" I tend to grab one of those bad boys over their more relaxed fit friends. One of the biggest appeals is that they fit so well under my boots which keeps me a bit warmer.

I get that wide pants are fluid and comfortable but in the end, they tend to look a bit messy. When you see starlets sporting them on the red carpet it looks like a mess, the whole time I just stare trying to figure out - awkwardly long skirt, or super ginormous pants?

Oooooophhh. I think I am going to dig my heels in on this one. Especially since I can't afford a new pants wardrobe at this point in time.

Another Fast Food Conquest

2010-11-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

I can proudly say, I have eaten a McRib, and it as glorious. Ok ok ok, I ate half a McRib because it was midnight just didn't have it in me to chow down. Either way, it was pretty damn tasty. The pickles were a nice touch, but I would suggest holding the onions, they didn't add anything.

Bacon Egg and Cheese. My hero.

2010-11-16T19:18:00.000-05:00

I am not a huge breakfast person. Cereal tends to gross me out. I'm not sure why, I only assume it has something to do with the fact that I like crunch foods. In general, it takes me a while to eat breakfast and the cereal gets soggy. Uck.

Then there is the pancake, waffle, and french toast arena. Again, probably do to texture, I am not a huge fan. I rarely will use maple syrup, and if I do it is sparingly, instead I often go with jams. It might also be the sweetness. Not such a sweet person, well I'm nice and charming, but I prefer tart or salty whenever possible.

This leaves me with eggs. As much as I hate the smell of eggs, they are by far my favorite breakfast main course. All egg dishes must be accompanied by bacon (super crispy) and some sort of potato dish. Breakfast sandwiches and burritos are a personal favorite, as it allows for everything good and yummy to be within a super tasty easily portable setup. Back in college Culpeppers had the ultimate sandwiches. I miss them terribly.

Sigh.

This morning I was having a huge craving for such a sandwich. Last night I had a lot of fun with the second round of kickball playoffs. I needed that bit of grease to get the morning started off on the right foot. Realizing I had no where else to turn, I pulled up to my Dunkin Donuts and went for the Bacon/Egg/Cheese.

Scary enough, I had never purchased a breakfast sandwich from any fast food place before. Something about those premade circles of egg just freak me out. But, damn Gina, it wasn't half bad. I'm pretty sure this delicacy will become a staple in my life. Thanks Dunkins. You never fail me.

Two plus two equals whore

2010-11-14T12:35:00.000-05:00

Friday night I was put up as a lot in a date auction hosted by my kickball league. This was a last minute decision and caused all sorts of anxiety. No matter how many times my teammates promised they would bid on me I was still envisioning getting on stage and there being no reaction.

As the auction began, I continued to get nervous, the crowd didn't seem that interested. But when I went up there was some serious interest. There were a number of hands in the air bidding on me that were not my teammates, which made me feel pretty awesome. My fears melted of those crickets, and I decided to be my goofy self and dance around the stage (mind you there was NO music playing).

After the event finished, I came up with the idea that I should rent myself out on dates. I mean, people were interested. Why not make dating profitable? In about 20 seconds, I realized that dates + payment for dates = escort = whore. Oooopsie. Bad plan. Scrapping that one.

Hopefully I can think of another way to make some spare cash. It's the holiday season after all and lots of fun takes lots of disposable cash.

Endless Possibilities

2010-11-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

I've done zappos.com, aldoshoes.com and piperlime.gap.com. Shoe shopping online is an addiction and I have it bad. For every pair of shoes I keep from an order, I return at least 2. Just as I was ready to throw in the towel on aggressive online shoe purchasing, I mean how can a size 7 vary so much!, I came across endless.com.

For the last few months, I have been coveting a pair of English Riding Boots. But nothing ever seemed quite right. I scoured websites and stores for the perfect brown boot. Anything good was over $400 and anything under $100 looked cheap.

As I was looking through the endless website (which was somehow emailed to me with an online coupon...I would love to know how they got my email address. damn the man!) I saw Michael Kors riding boot. Immediately I had flashbacks to Lord&Taylor's recent shoe sale where I overheard a salesman talk about a Steve Madden knock-off of this very boot. He told this group of girls, that the Michael Kors boot was unbelievable but the Madden was a decent replicate at about $60 cheaper.

I saw that these boots fell at a price point just below $200. For knee-high leather boots, that is awesome. In general, I try to stay around $150 for boots, but I was willing to go a little more for a quality that would be above anything else I had ever own. Before I could even acknowledge this rationalization for the purchase, my fingers were clicking away and BOOM the boots were ordered.

These bad boys showed up 2 days later. I have to admit, they are a little tight in the toes and the ankles are a little stiff, but I think they just need some time to be broken in. Last year I got a pair of motorcycle boots that had the same issues and now I wear them almost every day. Everyone knows, sometimes fashion requires some suffering.

Can't wait for these to completely mold to my feet. Best guesses, these boots will be perfect in about another month. Yay!

RAWR

2010-11-12T13:48:00.000-05:00

Movies that center around women empowerment either come of patronizing or amazing. Made In Dagenham looks phenomenal. It is a film by the BBC based on real events regarding seamstresses fighting for equal pay. The cast looks perfect. Smee from Hook plays the lovable male who secretly or not so secretly supports and encourages the women to rebel.

I watched a few different clips from the film and I have to admit there were a few tears. As much as I hate history, I love history that revolves around feminist movements. Reading or watching events where women fight for equality just warms my heart so much and makes me want to find a cause to rally up behind. I know that the script is based on true events, but I really hope the dialogue at the end of the trailer real...I love me some extra sassy leaders.

Reporter 1: "What if the minister says no deal?"
Reporter 2: "Yeah, how will you cope?"
Woman: "Cope? We are women. Don't ask that stupid question"

It's called the juice aisle

2010-11-10T09:20:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon The Boston Shaker website when I decided I would rather think about Christmas shopping instead of homework. After flipping through the pages, I realize that I have been in the actual store in Davis Square. The owner was super nice, and friendly. Based on the pictures the store has really come together since I last stepped in. (They had opened up for the Midnight Madness Shopping event, they hadn't painted yet, and he was using ladders to make shelves...)

Anyway, the shop has a section containing gift baskets, and one is called "Mock"-tail Recipe Starter Set. I understand some people don't do booze, or can't - i.e. pregnant women - but let's just be honest. A mock-tail is never as good as the real thing, simply because there is no booze. There is no need to purchase a kit when a smoothie recipe book costs like $10. Oh wait, it comes with some straws. Now it's worth it...

Now I feel bad about this post since I didn't realize that the store was local until after I got ramped up to rant about how unnecessary a mock-tail kit is. Support local!

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

2010-11-07T22:12:00.002-05:00

"Library Request Pickup Notice"

I opened my gmail yesterday and saw this subject headlining an unopened email. A few months ago I put myself on the wait list for a few books through the Minuteman Library system. I received one of these emails a few weeks ago, and was unable to get to the library within the 2 day window because of classes other after work commitments. This time I was able to stop and pick up the book. Now I hope I can find time to read the 435 pages of "One Day". Considering I have about 3 months worth of magazines sitting in my living room begging to be read, the odds are not in my favor.

Hopefully I can find the time. I think I'll start right now. Green Bay is kicking butts and taking names, so there isn't anything keeping me interested in tv tonight.

Good night!

It's no Law & Order

2010-11-07T21:12:00.002-05:00

Based on the preview I saw this afternoon while watching football, CSI Miami will be killing off a set of reality show stars **cough**jersey shore**cough** that are visiting the city. I just set the DVR, I think this will be worth the 44 minutes of my life. I can't wait to see what their fake reality show cast looks like.

Panty Lines for the WIN

2010-11-05T12:19:00.003-04:00

Gretchen winning Project Runway Season 8 is soooo last week. I know. Originally I was going to keep with my plan of staying away from that whole mess after I posted up my love for Mondo. There were so many blogs ripping her apart, and as much as I didn't want her to win, I do feel a little bad at all the backlash she is receiving.

For the last few weeks, I have been searching "Mondo Guerra collection" on Google with the hope that he will finally launch a website. Nothing ever seems to materialize. Instead, I end up going into Google News and start reading all that is out there about the finale show. Today I saw something is making me give Gretchen a bit of my blog space. Sorry girl, it what I have to say isn't too great.

I believe it was high school when I first heard about the horror known as panty lines. They were considered one of the absolute worst sins against fashion. Fortunately for me, I never wore tight clothes so my granny panties never were detected. Now that I am an older and more mature individual, I feel confident with my ability to pull off tighter pants which, of course, means that I have to go with the thong. My favorite ones are by Victoria Secret, it has a number of lines that have large elastic lace waste bands. Turns out Gretchen's models also are big fans.

How do I know this? Because in Gretchen's world, panty lines are not only in but she thinks we should be able to see the whole damn thing.

Ridiculous.