very married

Blogger's Block

2011-08-23T07:41:00.000-04:00

We've all experienced it. Many of us have written about it. I have it. Blogger's block.

When ya just can't think of much to write about. Or maybe you can think of a topic but for whatever reason, it's not coming out on the page.

Anyway, I'm taking a week off of blogging. Hope all is well with you guys. Be back soon!

Pip and Estella

2011-08-18T08:10:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's because I just finished Great Expectations, but I love the name of this antique/retro decor shop:

Pip and Estella has some really cute stuff! A pricier than I could afford right now but it's definitely eye candy. Check it out:

here

here

here

Very fun!

So cool! (well... cold. and hot.)

2011-08-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

at first I thought, man, I wish I had a little boy to give this faucet to. but then I thought, "no way! this is cool enough for me to buy for myself." Then, I had another thought, "Who gives faucets to little boys?"

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Now your iPad can touch Madoff's rear end!

2011-08-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

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Have you seen this? It's pretty genius if you ask me.

From Urban Daddy:

Introducing the Bernie Madoff iPad Cover, tablet holders made from the disgraced pants of one of the great scoundrels of our time.

Haha! Yes. It's an iPad cover made out of Bernie Madoff's old pants!

Also:

As you might imagine, billions of ill-gotten dollars can buy a pretty nice pair of trousers. So on top of being game-worn by Madoff, they’ve also been designed by the likes of Armani and Ralph Lauren.

but, it'll also cost you a pretty penny: $350 for this cover.

Happy Belated Bday to Me!

2011-08-15T07:39:00.000-04:00

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Yesterday was my bday and I celebrated by going shopping with a friend. My husband had to work a shift at the hospital from 11am to 11pm. When he got back though, he brought some mint chocolate chip ice cream and I opened my present. Not a typical bday, but I can't complain. Plus, I got some really cute stuff when shopping!

What did you do for your most recent birthday?

Eh. I get it but not my thing.

2011-08-12T08:29:00.000-04:00

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Let's take a look at this bookshelf. It's got built in notches for Holy books such as the Qur'an and the Bible - but the idea is that the notches make the books all one level and equal. Get it? Get it?? So, you know, you can have furniture that tells your friends, "Look at my bookshelf. I have deep thoughts."

Speaking of furniture, our couch is getting delivered today! First couch I've ever actually bought from a store (and not given to me for free by friends). Very exciting.

What are you up to today or this weekend?

Sometimes I'm Immature.

2011-08-09T08:42:00.000-04:00

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There's a street near my apartment called Schenk Avenue. And sometimes I take the bus past it to get to the train station.

Also, this street is pronounced: Skank Avenue.

That makes me want to giggle. I'm still learning how to be an adult.

Resting in Peace

2011-08-05T11:13:00.000-04:00

So, maybe this is a morbid post for the weekend but there is something very soothing about cemeteries to me. I enjoy thinking about the stories involved in each life represented by the headstones. Like this confederate soldier and his wife at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, GA.

Do you like visiting cemeteries or do they creep you out?

No, YOU Rock.

2011-08-03T07:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I was in a sour mood.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that a few weeks ago, we had to spend about $600 on new tires and then hail ravaged our car and THEN I came back from work last night to see that a headlight was out. Come on, car!
And then suddenly, my husband appeared with this ridiculous cookie cake saying, "Figured you need this."
Yes. Yes, I did.

The Hail Storm and My Car

2011-08-02T07:52:00.000-04:00

This is the hail storm:

And this is my car:

I gotta tell ya, the last month of car ownership has been rough.

A Conversation with My Dog

2011-08-01T08:54:00.000-04:00

Layla: Ooo! Is that a treat? I love treats. What's that other thing in your hand?

Me: Layla, sit. Down.

Layla: I'll do anything for a treat. Wait, why are you sitting on me? This is a very odd turn of events.

*Clip clip*

Layla: OH MY GOD!!! YOU'RE KILLING ME!

Me: Layla, it's okay.

Layla: I'M GOING TO DIE. THIS IS THE LAST DAY OF MY LIFE. HOW CAN I ESCAPE??

Me: Want a treat?

Layla: Well. Yes. Yum.

*Clip clip clip*

Layla: I shall bare my teeth to show you how incredibly distasteful I find this experience.

Me: Layla, I know for an absolute fact that you will not bite me. Sit still.

*Clip clip clip clip*

Layla: I curse the day you were born.

*clip clip*

Layla: HA! You loosened your grip and I was waiting for this moment! I SHALL ESCAPE!!!

Me: Layla, no. Stay.

*Clip clip clip clip*

Layla: Your husband is my favorite owner.

*Clip Clip*

Me: See? That wasn't so bad. Here's another treat.

Layla: I will take this treat. However, I vow to hate you forever.

Why do doggie nail clippers have to look like medieval torture devices and why do dogs have to act like they are actually getting tortured by them?

A Confession

2011-07-28T07:00:00.003-04:00

Like many other people, I'm a shoe-aholic. (add that to my list of addictions...) And, my husband has finally caught on that if I'm having a bad day, a trip to DSW really does wonders on my mood. In fact, here's a real thing he said to me, "I'm so glad I know an easy way to make you happy. But also disappointed that you're such a stereotype."

Whatevs. I'm not embarrassed.

...but here's some evidence that he's right:

They didn't even all fit in the photo! (missing: boots on the bottom tier)

Well, this particular trip to the (giant) shoe store netted me a new addition to the shoe family:

Gorgeous, no?

I will love them forever and ever.

Relaxation

2011-07-27T07:00:00.016-04:00

Daydreamin' of free time with my husband and dog.

ps. Check out two awesome posts by a couple of my fav bloggers: Sara and Katie. Loved these.

pps. Haha. Look at this funny pic.

ppps. Ballet class again tonight... Wish me luck!

Something New (!!!)

2011-07-26T07:00:00.002-04:00

Well, on this day last year I was gearing up for the most excruciating three days and biggest exam of my life. The Bar Exam.

Well, a lot has happened in a year and, at the same time, not much has happened too. It has been similar in my legal career as well. I've been working at a non-profit for the past year providing free legal assistance to those who can't afford it. I could really say a lot about this position - both good and bad - mostly good.

However, today, I'm moving on.

Today, I start a new job.

I'm so incredibly excited and a little bit nervous. It's really the perfect job for me - doing exactly what I want to do. So, fingers crossed.

Project: Paint Dresser

2011-07-25T08:38:00.000-04:00

I decided that to make the most of my new apartment which isn't nearly as nice as my old apartment (though it is bigger and we're paying $1000 less a month for it), I'm going to actually decorate.

The problem is/was that we're still on a shoestring budget and I couldn't just go out and buy tons of brand new things. So, as the title of this post indicates, I decided to take an old black dresser with multi-colored knobs from our bedroom and paint it tan and white so it fits with our new bedroom of neutral colors and natural woods.

Sadly, I forgot to take a before picture while the dresser was still assembled but this is what it looked like:

I'm going to compress this post because I have a lot of pictures...

Since this wasn't a super high quality piece, I couldn't sand it down before working on it. That meant that I had to paint over the black. And that meant I had to use a boat load of primer.

Then, I went for the brown.

See the wood filler? Well, I had to fill one of the previous holes (top left) so that I could make that drawer work w/ a handle instead of a knob.

Then, I taped off the drawers so I could paint lines on them.

Drum roll, please....

Voila! The finished product.

Challenging the Comfort Zone

2011-07-21T07:57:00.000-04:00

Well, friends. I've been talking about it for awhile and last night, I did it.

I took a ballet class.

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And I know what you're thinking. "But, aren't you a little old to be starting such things?" And I would have said, "No way! You're never too old." or "You're only as old as you feel" or something similar.

But, holy smokes! Last night stretched me physically and psychologically. In fact, I'd say that only law school rivaled how far I had to push myself mentally and emotionally to get through it. And, I know that sounds like an exaggeration - and after a night's rest, it even feels like an exaggeration - but I know I walked away from that class thinking one thing, "How do I get these crazy ideas in my head?"

First of all, I was in a class with teens. I was the oldest person in the class for sure. Second, these girls were NOT beginners. I was a beginner. These girls clearly had taken ballet before. I know this because when the instructor shouted out random french words, their bodies started moving. My body stood there trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

AND THEN, we started dancing across the room. By ourselves. That's right. I danced (ahem, "danced") across the room in front of a bunch of teens. Running, shuffling, bouncing, leaping, twirling across the room. Let's all remember that the last time I did this, I was five.

But, I'm going back! I am going to tackle this ballet monster and I will be graceful if it kills me.

Flat Tire

2011-07-19T08:04:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I had an absolutely lovely day out on the beach with one of my favorite friends. We laid out. We played in the ocean. We played in the pool. Overall, just a really fabulous day.

Then I came back to her house to get my car and go home. But, that was impossible considering I had a flat tire. Darn!

It wasn't terrible right at first because we ended up eating dinner while we waited for Triple A. And I got home alright.

There's something sad about the spare tire....

The real inconvenience was yesterday when I spent TWO HOURS waiting at the tire place. If you ask me (and you should, because I talked to my very car knowledgeable dad about this), that's far to long.

Oh, the perils of living outside of the city.

People make time for the things that are important.

2011-07-18T07:00:00.003-04:00

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Good thought for this Monday. What are you excusing yourself from doing?

Parking Rules

2011-07-14T08:48:00.001-04:00

I hear a lot from New Yorkers about how out-of-staters in New York are terrible drivers. But let me show you exhibit A in my case that it is not, in fact, the rest of the country that can't drive.

Let me explain what you're looking at. On the left is my car (with Kansas plates, btw) which I parked at the beach at 11am. On the right is a Buick (with New York plates) that I found at 1pm inexplicably touching my car. Where is the line that denotes where the Buick's space ends and my space began? Oh, you can't see it because the Buick's bumper is covering it.

Luckily there was no real damage. But who does that? and then leaves it?

Btw, here's Exhibit B in my case. You don't have to read the whole article. Just the byline and first paragraph. :)

UPDATE: So, I was asked a great question: Was this a parallel parking job? No. I was in a parking lot. Even crazier, right?

So much.

2011-07-08T12:35:00.000-04:00

So much has been going on. With the move, spending 5 days with family in Kansas City, figuring out how to live in the suburbs, etc. I've been crazy!

I'll be back by Tuesday or Wednesday next week. In the meantime, one of my besties from college and her husband are coming to visit. Her husband has never been to NYC so I'm excited to show off the sights!

What are yo up to this weekend?

xo.

A New Craze?

2011-07-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about this:

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Evidently the latest craze in China is to dye your pet like some other wild animal.

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I think this is nuts... and yet... I'm strangely drawn to those "baby pandas"...

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

I will be celebrating this weekend with a LOT of family - if my count is right, there will be 22 of us in one place. We'll be cooking out, playing golf (i'm not a golfer!) and sand volleyball, going to an amusement park, lighting fireworks, etc. VERY fun.

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Are you celebrating Independence Day? What will you be doing?

Today is the Big Day.

2011-06-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Leaving Brooklyn, my friends.

Wow.

Headboard Idea

2011-06-28T07:00:00.003-04:00

Okay, I know my posts have taken a lean towards decorating lately but since that's what I think about, that's what I write.

So, I found this photo on houzz.com today:

eclectic bedroom design

And i LOVE the shutters as a headboard. What I don't quite understand is the execution.

How are they put up there? What do you think?

Are you liking the shutters? Or would you go for something more modern in the bedroom?

Tips?

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

So, this is a quick post asking some advice.

We're moving on Thursday and hired movers to take our stuff from one place to the next. This is the first time I've ever hired movers. Do you tip movers? My husband says yes. If so, how much? Does it matter how much stuff you have?

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um, embarrassing.

2011-06-24T09:01:00.000-04:00

So, yesterday, I was coming back from a meeting. It was a formal meeting so I was in the full professional ensemble - suit, button down, heels. And, since the meeting was over, I decided to read a magazine - actually it was an interior design magazine on how to use flea market finds, very interesting.

And, I know that not all of my blog world friends live in NYC so I decided to show a photo of how this particular subway was set up and where I was standing because you kinda need to know what I'm talking about for this story to make sense.

First, there was the side pole:.

image (my edit)

And then there is the top bar:

image (edit by me)

But this subway was crowded. Crowded enough that, despite my best efforts, I was unable to get a seat for my trip into Brooklyn from Midtown.

Okay, the scene is set!

So, there I was. Holding my magazine with my left hand and holding on to the side pole with my right hand.

And the subway lurches.

It throws me off balance but, no biggie, right? I'll just grab that top pole to balance myself out.

Except... I missed. But this is a problem because I'm off balance and inertia takes my body in a place that I don't want to be.

Specifically, into the laps of people sitting in front of me.

Guh. Just guh. I'm telling you, just thinking about this story is making my face turn red again. And all I could keep saying was, "I am SO sorry. I am SO sorry." And it's not like you can walk away from the multitudes of people that just watched you fall into the laps of strangers. Guh.

Have you ever done anything like this??

What's her deal?

2011-06-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last week I was looking through Craigslist and found this awesome chair:

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I thought this chair was pretty awesome and could fit in with that black/white decor I was talking about in this post. She was asking for $50 for it but I'm not really the type to spend much of anything on used furniture. I mean, yeah, this is an awesome chair but it's used. And, it's not like Audrey Hepburn used it. A stranger on Craigslist used it. It's not new. It's used.

Anyway, the reason I emphasize this point is because as really cool as I thought this chair was, I only really thought I'd pay $25 or so for it. So, I wrote this email:

Hi,

I kind of really love this chair that you posted on Craigslit. Would you be willing to take $25 for it? I think it would look perfect in my new apartment!

Hope to hear from you soon.

Really nice, right? Actually, much nicer than I usually am when interacting on Craigslist. Usually, I just say, "Hi. Would you take $25 for this?" but this time, I decided to take a different route. And, what was her response to my unusually nice email?

Uh.. what? Like, fine if she didn't want to sell it for less than $50 but am I crazy to be a little annoyed by this one word, curt response?

Seventies Kitchen

2011-06-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

When I was at the thrift store looking for decorations for the murder mystery (which was fun, btw - hopefully I'll get some pictures up), I found this plate:

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Doesn't it remind you of your Grandma's kitchen? Didn't everyone's Grandma have these plates? Well, it got me feeling very nostalgic.

And also, it got me thinking, the kitchen that I'm moving to hasn't been updated since the seventies. And, since I'm renting, I can't update it. So, I thought, why fight the obviously outdated cabinets and stove? Why not work with the whole retro kitchen thing?

So, I dashed together this inspiration board to see if I thought it could work:

And, I think I'm diggin' it! What do you think?

images from left to right, top to bottom:
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

The Mighty Mo

2011-06-21T07:00:00.123-04:00

This post is going to be about the Missouri River. Aka: The Mighty Mo. Bear with me, it's worth some attention and I promise I'll try to make this as interesting as possible. Plus, if you like vegetables, this is going to affect you.

The reason I wanna bring your attention to this? It's flooding. And, I kinda feel like America's flood attention span has been used up on the Mississippi flood. Plus, every time that I've chatted to my Grandparents, it's all they can talk about. I'll make my case below:

Let's start out with a quick geography reminder. The Missouri river sets the state lines between Nebraska and Iowa as well as part of Kansas and Missouri. Then it cuts across Missouri and spills into the Mississippi. See below:

image Cool map, right?

This general area, btw, is where many of my life's memories are set. I moved away from it a mere five years ago.

And, since I'm biased, I'm going to focus on the area of the Missouri River where it passes by the town where my grandparents have lived for almost all of their 75+ years of life: Nebraska City, NE.

image Edited by me.

What has everyone in Nebraska City concerned? Well, Highway 2 is the lifeline of Nebraska City and Iowa officials just closed it on their side. And, since I said I would try to keep this interesting for you, here are reasons why I think this is worth paying attention to:

1. All Missouri River bridges between Plattsmouth, NE and St. Joseph Missouri are now closed. Check it out:

First image edited by me.

Now, that's about 116 miles where people on the East of the river can't head West w/o going pretty far North or South first. And, I know on that map, it doesn't seem that far. But keep in mind that the states out west are pretty darn big. So, if you need perspective about what 116 miles means: it's only about 90 miles from NYC to Philadelphia. Or, if you're in Europe, it's about 131 miles from Brussels to Amsterdam.

2. Here are a couple farms near Nebraska City:

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In this photo, you see the Missouri River on the top right. And, on the bottom left is farmland. And, like I said, if you like vegetables, this affects you. Crops just don't come back from floods like this. Just imagine what this will do to the price of corn.

3. Grandpa says he hasn't seen flooding like this since 1952. Grandpa isn't technically a scientific resource. But, still worth listening to.

4. The Cooper Nuclear Station is built right near the Missouri River. Now, I'm not an alarmist. I'm sure nothing will come of this but I find it just worth noting. And, for visual interest, here's that same plant from the flood of 1993:

image and interesting commentary on this plant

So, there it is. Keep an eye out for news about this area. And, if you feel moved to donate or otherwise help out, check out the United Way or the Red Cross.

Recent Intern Scandal

2011-06-20T07:00:00.003-04:00

Before going to law school, I really didn't have any idea that intern scandals existed. Maybe this is because I spent my college summers 1) costuming the youth theater in my hometown 2) working for a solo financial adviser and 3) in India. Not many opportunities to get myself into trouble - or watch others get themselves into trouble.

Well, in the past 4 years or so, my eyes have been opened. Throwing young twenty somethings (or even sometimes teens) into profession settings will eventually result in at least one of them not having much common sense. Heck, I'm in my late twenties and still often think to myself, "I hope what I'm doing is considered normal by civilized society."

Anyway, the whole point of saying this is because of the buzz from JP Morgan about an intern that sent out a somewhat common sense-less email. The crux of it is after the jump:

1. There's a wild party tonight.
2. The bar has relaxed fake ID standards.
3. If you don't have a fake ID, you should get one.

Did I mention that the email was sent from his work account? And evidently sent it with high importance to "All."

Check out this story on DealBreaker. They also have two follow up emails from the same intern.

It's interesting though because a lot of the people commenting express the view that this is no big deal and what's all the fuss about? And it's not like drinking (even underage) is uncommon in corporate America. To this view, is say, "Sure. It's out there. But it's not like you should advertise it in a blast email from your work address." Maybe this could be a form over function argument? Or maybe I'd just be super annoyed if one of the new interns at my office sent this email (and then two follow ups) and I had to waste time thinking about it.

What are your thoughts on this one?

Murder Mystery (again)

2011-06-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

This weekend we're hosting another Murder Mystery Party. This time it's 1950's themed.

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I'm very excited. What are your plans this weekend?

Zebra Print with Yellow

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Right now, I'm really loving zebra print with yellow accents. See some examples below:

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But maybe this is a bit bold for me. And yellow isn't really my color. Maybe fun for a bit but I don't know if I could live in it full time. However, my signature purple? That I might do.

Check out this inspiration board:

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or this real room:

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What do you think of a bit of zebra?

Saving Your Credit Card for Emergencies

2011-06-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

I was going through my old magazines in preparation for the big move and found this clip from ReadyMade Magazine:

If you can't tell, they're suggesting that you sew your credit card into a little fabric pouch. It's a new take on the putting your card on ice idea. Only, here, to get to your card, you have to physically cut the pretty fabric pouch. If you have trouble resisting the swipe, this is a great idea!

Failed Summer Reading

2011-06-14T07:27:00.000-04:00

This article talks about a librarian in my hometown who decided to create a family book club with her parents and siblings. She bought each person a $30 copy of the book and created a reading schedule.

In her own words, this is how it turned out: I mean, my family is pretty low-key, but the whole thing, it was a huge disaster. ...And finally when we got to page 800, my husband admitted to me that he thought he’d commit an act of extreme violence if he ever had to hear Tolstoy aloud ever again.

Ha! I lol-ed at that. I mean, I totally get this!

Don't we all have a book that haunts us? For me, it was another Tolstoy: Anna Karenina. I started it but just couldn't finish it. And now I can't even bring myself to pick it up again.

What's the book sitting on the book shelf of your mind? Do you think you'll ever pick it up?

Baby Animals to Take your Mind off Monday

2011-06-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Here's a distraction for the Monday Blues.

How could you not be smiling right now?

All images taken from this slideshow.

More baby animals after the jump.

(haha - in case you were wondering what this monstrosity is, it's a baby aardvark. incredibly rare, in fact)

Savage Beauty - A Met Exhibit Worth the Wait.

2011-06-10T07:00:00.004-04:00

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If you live in NYC or are planning to come here soon, you absolutely must see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

There has been a lot of buzz about this lately and I had been wanting to see it for awhile but wasn't sure it was worth the trek up to the museum or the long line once I got there.

So, when I happened to be near the Met yesterday and when a friend said he could get me past the line, I absolutely jumped at the chance.

I'm going to post some images after the jump. However, I promise you that these photos just doesn't do it justice. It's an amazing experience and you have to see these pieces of art up close.

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I love how this dress has a certain rough raggedness about it - and yet is so elegant. I urge you to check out this link to learn more.

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This photo does this dress absolutely no justice. The top is millions of little glass beads and the bottom is horse hair. It was one that really stuck out to me - while it was still artistic, it was a piece that I could see myself putting on for a cocktail party.

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There weren't any live models at the exhibit but it's amazing to see the way some of these pieces flow. They're clearly meant to be worn - not shown on mannequins.

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(Let me also put a side not that I am a little turned off by some of the headpieces that accompany a lot of his dresses. However, I actually like these antlers...)

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Click on the image link above and then zoom in on this dress. It's made of pheasant feathers. Gorgeous, right?

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I just can't urge you enough to go see these in person. So much is lost in translation when seeing these on the computer.

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There is so much about this that I like and don't like. But, whatever you think about it, it does make you think. And that by itself makes it worth sharing.

And, I leave you with this:

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Not because I love it... but because I don't. Also, because I couldn't take my eyes off it. Watch the accompanying video of the "runway" show in which it was featured. It's captivating.

A Cassette Player

2011-06-09T09:07:00.000-04:00

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Sometimes the way that modern technology moves so quickly is annoying.

I mean, I need a cassette player because I have a cassette tape that needs playing. But, I don't know a single person near me who has one! Am I going crazy or is this mode of listening to music not that old?

And not only do people not have them, but evidently, hipsters are now using them to be ironic and cool. I have no other explanation for the fact that people on craigslist are selling them for $100+ dollars.

Guh. I feel like an old lady.

Disney Scenes on Eyes

2011-06-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

I discovered the following photos from a friends facebook. She posted this link to Fashionista.

Alice in Wonderland

Aladdin

Nightmare Before Christmas

The Lion King

Snow White

I was so impressed! I can't even paint this well on paper!

Big Happenings - A Swearing In

2011-06-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm going to, again, refer back to that post where I said that a lot was going on in my "real life." Well, in addition to my husband's graduation, I was also sworn in to the New York State Bar.

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It was a long process but now, when people ask me, "What do you do?" I can safely respond, "I'm an attorney."

The Waltz (Valser) - Anders Zorn

2011-06-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

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I discovered this painting while at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.

Well, I was so taken by the painting (you simply must see it in person - this reproduction just doesn't do it justice) that I asked a nearby docent about it. It depicts a couple waltzing while at the World's Fair in Chicago, 1893. If you notice, the room in the foreground is dark while the background is lit. Well, according to the docent, this is due to a controversy that occurred leading up to the fair about who would supply the electricity for the event. General Electric (along with Thomas Edison) proposed a ridiculously high price bid and Westinghouse came in much lower. This was bad news for General Electric because this exposition was to introduce the general public to electrical lighting. Well, Westinghouse won the bid but as it turned out, needed to alternate lighting different rooms at different times. Thus, this couple waltzed into an unlit room.

I'm looking for a reproduction of it for less than $100. If you have any art reproduction hints, please share!

Quite a lovely painting, right?

Big Happenings - A Graduation

2011-06-03T14:55:00.000-04:00

Well, remember when I said I needed to take a "real life" break? Well, one of the many things that happened while I was out was that my husband graduated from medical school.

The sad fact about indoor graduations is that it is impossible to get a good picture. Do any of you have a point and shoot that takes a decent picture under far away and dark conditions?

Anyway, in addition to the official invitations that the medical school gave us to send out, I also printed up some announcements to send to family and close friends.

I'm very proud of my husband for making it through these four years relatively unscathed. Tomorrow is his birthday as well. A lot of celebrating to be done in our lives!

Long Island, New York

2011-06-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

Well, my friends. My husband and I have finally made the decision:

We're moving to the suburbs.

Shocking, right?

I mean, it makes sense because my husband will be able to commute to his new medical residency in less than 5 minutes.

But this is a pretty huge change for me. I've lived in a lot of places: small towns, big cities, China, India. But never a suburb.

So, what's a girl to do? I don't have any connections out there - social, business or otherwise. I got in contact with my college sorority's alumnae group and plan to join the county's bar association.

Any other ideas? Have you ever made a move that you were less than excited about? What did you do to make the best of it?

Update: I forgot to mention the particulars of where I'm moving - we're head to Manhasset. Specific ideas about exciting Manhasset life welcome! :)

Another Baby Shower Gift

2011-05-31T07:30:00.000-04:00

I think I've created my own new baby shower tradition: Every baby gets a decorated onesie personalized from me. Check out these two from previous showers: Link1. Link2.

Here is my most recent success.

Two quick explanations:
1) My friend is Japanese and I read that dogs are often associated with young children in Japanese culture.
2) If you can't tell, I tried to make the onesie match the baby blanket I bought from her registry.

If I may toot my own horn, I was pretty impressed with the outcome!

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T09:16:00.000-04:00

Hope you are enjoying the day off celebrating and memorializing.

My husband and I were going to brave the crowds at the beach at Coney Island.

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but I woke up to pounding rain! I'm not sure how I feel about wet beaches but it looks like it'll be clear for at least a little while today... Game time decision!

What are you up to today??

"Real" Life Break

2011-05-25T08:21:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Sorry for the lack of posts. Since coming back from the vacation, a LOT has been going on. Good things, but still, a lot. Not the least of which is that my in-laws are in town from Kansas City.

So, I'm going to stay on this hiatus until at least Monday.

xo.

A Collaborative Effort - aka: What I replied.

2011-05-19T16:18:00.000-04:00

Well, after MUCH contemplation and a conversation with my oh-so proper Grandma, I finally came up with a response to the email I mentioned in the last post:

Hi Xxxxx,

I really appreciate the invitation to K's baby shower. I was really excited about attending but I didn't expect to contribute $35-$40 to hosting. I don't think I'm going to make it on Sunday.

Wishing all the best to K and her new addition,

And then I wrote to the Mommy-to-Be this:

Hi K!

Sadly, circumstances have changed and I won't be able to go to your baby shower on Sunday. :( However, I have a gift and would love to take you out to brunch (or any other convenient meal) and give it to you. I could drive up to (your town) tomorrow if you're free. Alternatively, let me know some dates/times that work best for you!

Hope you made it back to New York safe and sound!

xoxo.

I still don't feel 100% comfortable with this whole situation but this was the best my brain could come up with. So, hopefully, the email to the hostesses is accepted with grace and the Mommy-to-be is understanding.

Situations like this make my tummy do flips!

So Tacky.

2011-05-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

(image)

A couple weeks ago I got an invitation to a friend's baby shower. We'll call this friend "K." Four of K's friends sent out the evite saying, "Come join X, X, X and X in celebrating K, the mommy-to-be." Then it gave the date and time with a notation of where K is registered.

I was legitimately excited to go. I even bought a present for this baby shower.

Tonight, I got this email from the four hosts:

Hi Everyone,
To those who haven't RSVP'd yet, please do so ASAP as K's Baby Shower will be held this upcoming Sunday. If weather permits, we will be having the shower in the garden area of H restaurant. We are doing a pre-fixe brunch and we are asking everyone to bring $35-$40 (we will know exactly how much when we get the final count) to cover K's brunch, your own brunch, and a tiny bit of the cost for the decorations & dessert. Please e-mail me at xxxxxx@gmail.com if you have any questions :)
Looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday!

I am in shock. Legit shock.

I suspected that I'd pay for my own brunch. It's not a stretch to say that I'd willingly throw in a few bucks for K's brunch. However, what crossed the line is a host asking a guest to pay for the decorations and dessert.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, it's possible to buy a brunch item for $8 at this restaurant. If I'm paying for the decorations, I want my friggin' name on the invite cuz then I'd be hosting this shindig too.

Contemplating gracefully bowing out. Any other suggestions?

What a Trip!

2011-05-16T08:45:00.000-04:00

I'm back!

I'm only a little sunburned and a LOT tired. The next couple days will be spent getting back into the groove of things. Soon I'll be back commenting on all the delightful things going on in your life too.

Have a lovely weekend.

2011-05-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Well, whether you realized it or not, the past two weeks you been reading posts that I wrote long in advance. In fact, as I write this, it is April 28. As I'm sure my lovely regular readers know, I've been on the much talked about road trip.

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I hope I've remained relevant. I hope no national event has occurred to make my frivolous little posts seem ridiculous. Most of all, I hope I kept your interest until I come back on May 16th.

Tell me your plans for the weekend. When I come back, I'll tell you what I've been up to and how the trip went!

Classic Footwear

2011-05-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

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Audrey in espadrilles.

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My new espadrilles.

(let's face it though, mine are a "look for less" buy. No way can I afford $365 for these babies.)

Monday Monday

2011-05-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

sometimes it just turns out that way...

So, even though this song is not a "happy" song it puts me in a good mood when I sing along.

Hope your Monday is fab.

Big Apple Brunch Set

2011-05-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

I really like this.

buy it here

Will you be having brunch this weekend? Want to buy this as an excuse to have brunch?

5th of May

2011-05-05T07:45:00.001-04:00

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Cinco de Mayo always makes me think of my junior high Spanish teacher. She was a little more than just a little nutty. My favorite story she told was how her father could cure headache by "thinking them away." I think she said he "thought away" an ulcer once too. She also was obsessed with chorizo. She would have it shipped in from her hometown in Mexico - and always be very certain that she told us that fact.

Anyway, hope your May 5th is a good one!

Fashion Adventures

2011-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

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How many of you are going to try a floppy hat this year?

I have mine. I kinda love it. It will definitely get a lot of use at the beach. Gotta keep my skin wrinkle free!

Happy May Day!

2011-05-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

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When I was a little girl, I used to drop off May Day baskets at my friends house. The idea was that if I could drop off the basket, ring the doorbell and run away before my friend could come out and catch me. My grandma would leave the best baskets.

Did anyone else have May Day traditions? It's a bit of an obscure holiday...

What a week!

2011-04-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

Well, this week just flew by. I have been a busy bee and leave tomorrow(!) for the trip I've been obsessively talking about.

I'm going to try to put up some preplanned posts but I can't promise they'll be everyday.

But! for today, I'm curious: How many of you got up to watch the royal wedding?

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Personally, I feel as though my independence from such things was declared about two hundred and forty years ago. However, my independence from pretty dresses will never be declared so I will be checking out the fashion...

Bikini Ready?

2011-04-27T08:54:00.000-04:00

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Well, I'll be leaving for the much talked about road trip soon. And, as you may or may not know, part of the trip will include beach time.

Meaning, I've a pretty short time to shed whatever "extra" I don't want to be part of my bikini body.

Do you guys have any last minute beach preparations/tricks? Do share!

Oo - perfect for my bedroom.

2011-04-25T08:54:00.000-04:00

I saw this in my Real Simple May 2011 issue. So, I had to tear it out and scan.

An ottoman with shoes and storage inside? A perfect addition to a cramped apartment!

A (free) garage sale find.

2011-04-21T09:25:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in my last post in tiny lettering about my latest camera acquisition.

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I got this a couple weeks ago when visiting my dad. He took me to the basement and showed me a pile of "throw away" items that he planned to put in his next garage sale. Well, I saw this Pentax and said, "Wait, I can have whatever I want?" After this was confirmed I dove for it - you know, just in case my sister happened to see it too (ultimately, she wasn't even interested).

So, then, my dad says, "Yeah, it's broken but maybe you could go have it fixed." Oh. Damn. "What's wrong with it?" I say. His response, "It doesn't flash. Otherwise, I think it's okay." It doesn't flash? First, I'm not sure that qualifies as being "broken" and Second, even if it did, I'm pretty sure that the reason it doesn't flash is because there was no flash apparatus connected!

Then. My dad continues, "Oh. I also have this." And he hands me a zoom lens. Score!

Last week I took a roll of film with it. As far as I can tell, it's fine. You saw my photo of Layla yesterday. It's my favorite of the roll. Here are some other favorites from my test role:

And maybe here's some proof that the flash I ordered will come in handy for photographing my black dog while inside...

feels like more work than a kid

2011-04-20T08:27:00.000-04:00

So, I've been jabbering non-stop about this road trip we're taking in May. And, I'm still super excited about it but the one thing that isn't settled and is driving me crazy is what to do about our dog??

On the one hand, we could take her. It'd be fun to have her along for when we're out hiking and doing outdoorsy stuff. But, for the indoor activities, we'd have to either leave her in a hotel or kennel her up. And the problem with that is 1) we were planning on camping for quite a bit of the trip ie: no hotel 2) the resort that we will stay two days at doesn't allow pets so we'd have to kennel her for sure those days and 3) I feel funny about kenneling her in random places down the East Coast sight unseen. So, I don't think taking her with us is the best idea.

But what we really want to do is ask friends to stay with her. We've been chipping away at the time needed. And really, we only have two weekends to fill at this point. But, man oh man, has it been hard finding someone! I thought people would want to stay in our fab Brooklyn apartment for a weekend but evidently I'm biased...

Have you ever run into an issue like this? What do you do with your pets when you go on long trips? And you lovely NYC readers, do you have any specific suggestions?

Doesn't she look regal? I took this photo w/ an old SLR my dad was going to put in a garage sale!

The Rucksack in Gray

2011-04-19T08:15:00.000-04:00

I'm in love.

About a week ago, Hannah at Culture Connoisseur introduced me to this:

Buy it here.

I just can't stop thinking about it. I haven't quite convinced my husband or myself that this would be a prudent purchase given our current financial situation. But, wouldn't it be perfect for our road trip? I seriously can't stop thinking about it!

Poo.

2011-04-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

My husband wrote me an email about what our dog, Layla, did the other night. It had me rolling on the floor laughing so I decided to post it. (w/ minor edits)

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You know how sometimes when certain things happen (or don't) you think to yourself "I'm going to pay for that later?" That's what I thought this morning when I walked Layla and a dog interrupted her poop. And then again when you texted saying nothing happened on your walk. I read that and though, "well, f^*k." A patient needed help soon after I got that text so I didn't think of it until I got back to the apartment. I was walking towards our door and smelled something foul. Like, "the Earth's crust just opened and demons were coming out" foul. My first thought, naturally, was that the neighbor's cat had died literally on the other side of his door. Then as I realized what I was smelling I knew this morning had caught up with me. It was bad. I mean, bad. The dying demented ICU patients are polite enough not to smell like this.

I was furious the second I stepped in the door, already shouting at Layla. As bad as it was it was outside it was roughly six billion times worse inside. And even worse once I got into our bedroom. Anyway, I was mid-riot act when I realized there was a puddle inside her cage roughly a foot in diameter. A brown puddle. That tracked from the towels she sleeps on to the paper that's on the other half of the cage, then inexplicably back to her towels. It's like she started on the towels, thought, "Oh no! I have to do this on the paper," then realized the towel-less part of the cage was too hard on her dainty Layla feet and went back to finish her sick sick business on the towels. I'm not exaggerating too much when I say it looked like a brown paint can exploded inside her cage. Just to get it out of the way now, somehow Layla herself seemed to avoid the mess entirely, proving that she is not only dainty but also diabolically evil.

I won't get into the gory details of the clean-up, suffice it to say it involved a change of clothes, two pairs of disposable gloves, a quarter roll of paper towels, plastic bags, bleach, Febreeze, two cycles of laundry, and an exorcism. Throughout it all Layla was alternately contrite and mocking, cowering in the corner then licking her butt in front of me when she decided to check on my progress. I had stopped yelling once I realized how bad her cage was. I couldn't help but feel bad that she had to sit in that for 5+ hours. The smell is a lot better now. I think it's cleared but every so often I catch a phantom whiff of the devil smell. I have a feeling it'll be a while before I clear it from my brain...

Know what the worst part is? That I knew it was going to happen. 1) she didn't poop on my walk, 2) we changed her diet, and 3) she didn't do anything on your walk. Truly the perfect storm.

So that's my story. People say dogs aren't supposed to be meant as training for children but that's bullsh*t. I feel well equipped for whatever meconium our kids feel like throwing at us. It couldn't possibly be as bad as what I just went through.

Daydreaming like a Vanderbilt

2011-04-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've been day dreaming about our East Coast Road Trip since I started actually mapping it out.

Of course, I've been asking for suggestions (and we're still open to suggestions as to where to go, stay, explore!) from friends and a good friend of mine suggested the Biltmore Estate near Asheville, NC. Now, I had hear something about this before so I decided to look it up.

The photos took my breath away.

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A Taxi Explanation

2011-04-13T08:00:00.002-04:00

Something about the Taxis in NYC seem confuse people. Even long time NYCers don't seem to "get" when a taxi is available to be hailed.

I recently rediscovered this photo and thought I'd share.

(via)

Also, don't get in the black cars. Totally sketchy.

ScoutMob

2011-04-12T07:00:00.009-04:00

So, I know you've heard of Groupon and Living Social but have you heard of ScoutMob? It's a lot like the other two but with a bigger focus on local businesses. Usually, it's 50% off at a restaurant or bar - and who doesn't like trying new places?

For instance, I tried Bonchon chicken wings with my husband:

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And I checked out Bin No 220 with Maddy:

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And my favorite part? They never require you to pay for any of your deals! You know how Groupon requires that you spend $25 to get $50 worth of stuff? Well, Scoutmob just sends you a 50% off coupon to your phone or email.

Oh, and don't forget the daily features such as "Out on a School Night" where they tell you the cool things going on during the weekdays. And "Caption This" where they find an odd photo - typically an awkward 80's photo - and ask their readers to give it their funniest caption.

ANYWAY. I'm getting to my point:

Now, ScoutMob has a new initiative called Revel. They haven't released too many details which makes sense because right now they're advertising it as a "super secret sharing club." And basically, the more you share, the more you perks you get. So, what are these perks? Secret dinner clubs, sweet schwag (their word), exclusive gatherings, etc.

Want in on it? Click here.

An East Coast Road Trip

2011-04-08T09:01:00.000-04:00

I'm calling out to my well-informed and adventurous friends!

My husband and I will be taking a two week road trip down the East Coast in May. NYC to Atlanta and back.

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So, I need your advice! Where should we go? What can't we miss? Do you know some secret treasure? Is there a website/book for USA traveling that you swear by? We are up for anything - nothing we won't try. We're also looking for inexpensive lodgings and considering a camp-out a couple nights. At the same time, we could handle a splurge for the right adventure or experience.

xoxo - happy weekend.

Heart Shaped Jewelry

2011-04-07T09:18:00.000-04:00

Pam: Okay, heart-shaped jewelry is not something that a woman buys for herself. A man definitely bought it for her recently, and it wasn't Michael.
Jim: Wait, so are you... you like heart-shaped jewelry, though, right?
Pam: No. Except for the pendant that you bought me. Which I love.

(I still love The Office. Will probably continue watching it even after Steve Carell leaves.)

I completely agree with this! Heart-shaped jewelry can go oh-so awry oh-so easily.

can you believe someone is charging 100 bucks for this??

But let me give one quick exception... i love these little studs.

(buy them for me here)

I love how small they are. I love the rough edges.

Anyone feel like buying me a present??

Quick Thoughts about Happy Meals

2011-04-06T09:26:00.000-04:00

So, the news is on right now talking about prohibiting a free toy to accompany a meal with more than 500 calories. Rationale? The toy is incentivizing kids to come into McDonald's and eat bad food.

Okay. Now. There's no question that McDonald's is not good for you. (Especially that yummy shamrock shake. Totally and deliciously bad for you.) But two thoughts:

1) Seriously? What parent is allowing their kids to make the food decisions in their family? Ultimately, if the parent is taking the child to McDonald's, that's the parent's choice. They may ask the kid what they want - but really it's the parent that takes the kid there. The blame for the bad eating habits falls squarely on the parents shoulders.

2) Have you seen the lame toys that McDonald's hands out these days?? Don't even come close to rivaling the cool stuff from my childhood.

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THAT was in my Computer?!

2011-04-05T08:57:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, my husband and I were lounging around watching Shark Tank on Hulu. I happened to look down at my laptop keyboard and thought, "Man, this is pretty dirty..."

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So, I gave it a quick blow which somehow managed to make the keyboard and surrounding area even dirtier. Well, it doesn't take much to figure out this means that there's probably a lot more stuff residing underneath the keys. So, I took a toothpick and (probably recklessly) started pulling out the years of accumulation living under the keys I touch every day.

This picture doesn't do it justice. It was an entire colony of dust bunnies! I never really thought of myself as a gross person but after finding what lurks beneath my fingers, I'm not so sure...

April 18

2011-04-04T10:46:00.000-04:00

Have you done your taxes yet? You have two weeks to get it done.

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I did ours last week. I don't use online forms or a tax guy or anything. I'm too much of a control freak to trust a form filler and don't want to pay a tax person to do something I could do myself. So, I got all of our documents together, spread out, and sticky noted all of the different forms.

I couldn't take a pic of my forms because that puts way too much info on the internet...

But! After all that work, I came out even! I mean, I know I shouldn't complain because I'm not paying anything either. But, dang, a refund would have been super nice.

How are taxes going for you? Did you get a juicy refund? Have you finished? Have you started...?

Watch out.

2011-04-01T08:55:00.000-04:00

"The dogs got out. Someone called to say that they saw them a couple blocks away but they don't know where they are now. You better come home from work and look for them."

Then:

"Someone slashed your tires last night. Maybe we should call the police."

Then:

A phone call from my 10 year old brother, "Mom was supposed to pick me up from soccer practice but she's not here. I called her phone and she's not answering. I'm all alone and I'm so scared."

Yes, my family takes their yearly April Fool's jokes pretty seriously.

Keep a clear head today and have a great weekend!

A Lifetime Supply...

2011-03-29T08:34:00.000-04:00

of Beef.

(Dear vegetarians who don't like pictures of meat - don't scroll down.)

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before but my Dad is a VP at one of America's largest beef packing companies. So, as you can imagine, I grew up eating a lot of beef. And, whenever I go home, I eat a lot of beef at his house.

But, it has always been my sister that gets to take the beef home. She lives a car ride away. I live a plane ride away.

Well, all that changed last week. Maybe you noticed a decrease in posts? and that would be because I was back visiting family. The difference about this trip was that we drove back to New York. So, we stuffed as much as we could into a cooler and threw some ice on top.

Luckily, it all fit in the freezer. But just barely...

And of course, I couldn't end this post w/o showing you the biggest piece of meat I've ever seen in my life.

Unfortunately, we couldn't keep this guy in one piece. Had to cut smaller pieces to make it fit.

We won't be in the market for beef for awhile...

March Sadness.

2011-03-28T08:45:00.000-04:00

I know that many of you don't care about college basketball. I totally get that. For those of you that don't, indulge me for a brief moment as I tell you what made me cry yesterday.

Yes, you read that right: Basketball made me cry yesterday.

I get very emotionally invested in my beloved Kansas Jayhawks and they lost. To a far inferior team. It'd be like Kelly Kapowski losing prom queen to Tori. Like, yeah, Tori had some positive attributes but it just makes sense that Kelly would win.

Similarly, KU should have won the game last night against VCU.

So, I must wait. Wait another year to see another Kansas basketball game. Wait maybe a little longer for them to build up another great team. And my lovely Layla must wait to wear her new favorite collar again to support her favorite basketball team.

Cute, huh? I made it - it says "Rock Chalk Jayhawk Go KU"

ps. if you don't support KU basketball, you hate America. Don't believe me? Ask the Atlantic.

Pre-Memorial Day?

2011-03-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

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I have this pretty amazing white blazer that a friend gave me when I visited her parents' place in Maryland. She said it didn't fit her and that it wasn't really her style anyway so did I want it?

Of course.

But now I really want to wear it. Here are the reasons I don't:

1) We're definitely not in Summer and not even clearly into Spring.
2) I live in NYC: the "all black everything" capital of the world.

So, it's time to ask my lovely bloggy friends. Would you wear my fab new blazer pre-memorial day? If so, how would you wear it? I'm not a head to toe all white kinda gal.

A Match Day Surprise

2011-03-21T07:00:00.042-04:00

Well, my goodness. Match Day was quite the day. One of the happiest of our lives. And not just because my husband got his number one choice of residencies! It was also so much fun because is was a bit of a last stand for all of the med students together - which made for a great party.

That party aside, I arranged for a little post-party surprise for my husband. Nothing big - just something to show him how excited I was for his big day.

I decided I wanted to do a customized bunting banner congratulating him. Something like this:

buy here

Unfortunately, though, I made a mistake when gluing on the letters.

And, before I had noticed what I was doing, I had glued on all the letters. So, instead of starting all over, I just embraced it and continued on. The finished project wasn't exactly what I had envisioned but still cute.

But, I also wanted to make something that was personalized to his specific residency. I thought spelling out the residency in cupcakes could be cute.

buy here
Problematically, I didn't know what residency he was headed to. Sooo, I made one for each.

When we got home at the end of the night, I made my husband walk through the apt w/ the lights off and go into the other room while I took out the decorations for the correct residency and put them in the yummy relvet cupcakes with homemade cream cheese icing I made (and hid) a couple days before...

I think the finished project worked out!

And, just to spruce up the apt, I added some flowers.

They're green... it was St. Patrick's Day, after all.

A Major Life Event

2011-03-17T07:30:00.042-04:00

Rare is the occasion that I can say that I am preparing for a major life event. Other such occasions include the following:

Wedding
Taking/Passing the Bar

So, let us add another event to that list.

Match Day

I know that a couple of my lovely readers know all about this (I'm looking at you and you) but I'd say most of the non-medical community does not understand the somewhat brutal process that leads up to and what exactly is involved with Match Day.

So. Let me inform. First let me tell you that this is the day that we find out where my husband is going for residency. And those of you who went through sorority rush will best be able to identify with this process.

It all begins when the med student applies for and goes to interviews at various hospitals. Okay. That's normal.

But, at the end of the interviewing, the med student must rank his (using masculine because my husband is a he) favorite residency programs. This took a few hours for us. I mean, there are a lot of things to think about. Specifically, factors we considered were geography, reputation of program, salary, housing options offered, length of program, hours worked per month and, of course, my husband's subjective feelings regarding the program and people in it.

Then he submits his list. This occurred on about February 23rd. At the same time, the residency programs rank their favorite med students and submit that list. And a computer algorithm compares all the lists and "matches" the med student with a residency.

On Monday, we found out that my husband did, in fact, match. Yay! (but, come on, how dumb is it that this computer did the matches 3 weeks ago and we just found out about?)

But, where? Ah. That's where Match Day comes in. Today.

Today we head to his medical school. And, by the way, so will every single fourth year medical student in the United States. (well, to their own med school). And at 12pm EST he (and the rest of them) will be handed an envelope.

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Together, all of the roughly 17,000 medical students going through Match Day will open these life changing envelopes. And together, we will all find out our fate.

So, as you can imagine, today is a major life event.

She's at it Again!

2011-03-15T08:48:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I know a lot of you might be thinking, after the Great Hair Experiment, she knows better than to try another home remedy. But, my dear friends, you'd be oh-so wrong.

This one comes from Dr. Oz. As a side note, it's rather odd that I decided to do anything based on what Dr. Oz suggests because I never even watch that show let alone use it for advice.

Anyway, this particular remedy was a Lemon Brandy Mask.

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Supposedly, this is supposed to do something about wrinkles - like a natural chemical peel. All I know is that the audience member who he tried it on said it felt fabulous. Plus, lemons seem to be in style right now.

So, I gave it a shot.

Ingredients

1 cup milk

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp brandy

Directions

Combine ingredients and apply to face. Let dry completely and rise clean.

Seemed simple enough.

Well, it did make my face feel softer right away (though, I can't say I noticed a change in appearance). And, personally, I liked the smell. Reminded me of a yummy cocktail. My husband told me that it made me smell like paint thinner. Can't please everyone, I guess.

Chloe and Reese

2011-03-14T08:30:00.045-04:00

A couple weeks ago, Audrey from Audrey Allure invited me out to a trunk show/cocktail party for the chloe and reese collection on Friday. Of course, I was thrilled to attend!

I love love loved this collection. Here are a few favorite pieces from their website:

SILK FAILL BLACK-TIE DRESS, DEEP V

SCHOOLGIRL PLEATED DRESS

STRAPLESS SHEATH

The thing that I loved best about the dresses I saw is that they would look great on anyone. Seriously! Also, my gold standard for style is whether I could imagine an updated Audrey Hepburn wearing it. If the answer is yes, I know I've got something good.

I'm really glad I had the opportunity to attend this trunk show/cocktail party. I couldn't stay long but I loooooved looking through this collection.

Shop online here.

A Happy Weekend!

2011-03-11T08:25:00.000-05:00

Something you might not know about me: I very inconsistently get my haircut. The last time I got it done was early July. I think the problem is that I don't really get split ends. And, I know you're thinking, "How is that a bad thing??" Well, even though there are no split ends, that doesn't mean my hair looks perfectly healthy and well-sculpted. Far from it. But it doesn't look bad enough that I really think about a cut.

ANYWAY. The whole point of the previous paragraph was to say: I'm getting my hair cut this morning!

And that's just the beginning of my exciting weekend. These include:

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We're going to Anything Goes - tickets bought for $10.

Eating double fried Korean chicken.

Stopping by a trunk show and in the meantime, hopefully running in to Audrey.

Taking my lovely Layla in to get her shots and a check up...

Wine tasting for wines under $12 at Brooklyn Wine Exchange.

Maybe stopping by a midnight movie - it's Monty Python this weekend.

Trying to remember to change the clocks.

And finally, I hope that you will join me in sending your thoughts, prayers, support, etc. to those hit by that tsunami and for those still in its path. Not to put a damper on a fun "Happy Weekend" post - so fingers crossed that this is not as devastating as it has the potential to be.

What are you up to this weekend? Getting that much needed haircut too? xo.

Real Life Seinfeld Moment

2011-03-10T09:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, as I was walking to the subway, I heard shouting. So, I looked down the street and saw two cars and two men. One car had it's front end in a parking spot and the other car had its back end in the same parking spot. Sound familiar?

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Yup. The Parking Space episode of Seinfeld. You know the one - where George and another guy (Mike) both enter the same parking spot at the same time. As Wiki says, "The two argue over who is entitled to the space, all the while blocking traffic. Mike argues that he entered the space first, while George argues that he saw it first and was simply positioning himself, entitling him to the space. "

Well, anyway, I saw that happen in real life. Makes you wonder if the two real guys had seen the Seinfeld episode. And if they had, did they feel a little silly?

Btw, I totally agree with George.

A Deal for the (somewhat) Bold

2011-03-08T08:20:00.000-05:00

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I've always heard that a ticket the American Museum of Natural History in NYC costs a "suggested donation." But, every time that I've gone, I've always went ahead and paid the $16 that they suggest because I was nervous.

Why was I nervous? Maybe the ticket counter would judge me? Maybe the other guests would judge me? Who knows.

But. When my husband suggested that we visit the AMNH last weekend, my stomach churned at the idea of spending a combined $32. I mean, come on, times are tough.

So, we revisited the "suggested donation" idea. The result of careful thought was that $5 per person would be what we were willing/able to pay at this point in our life. Honestly, though, I was concerned about how this would be received once at the ticket counter.

We got there and I approached the man and said, "We'd like to pay a $5 per person suggested donation." And he said, "Okay." Huh. Easy. And then as he was entering the data into his computer, he said, "Would you like to pay less than $10 total?" Now, I did think to myself, perhaps this is a sarcastic remark and he was just making fun of me. But, search as I may, I did not detect a single iota of sarcasm in his face or tone of voice. So, I responded, "No thanks, $10 is fine."

And that's that. If you have been thinking about going to the AMNH but thought the price was a little steep, give the suggested donation a try. You'll be happy you went.

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Perspective.

2011-03-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm going to leave you to the weekend with a story. It's about me - all my good stories are.

Anyway, on Wednesday, something bad happened. It's a long story but basically, it comes down to an issue with my bar admission application. It got me super frustrated so I needed to vent.

I decided to call my dad. And, as I'm talking to him, the frustration starts bubbling over and I start to cry. It's like the stars are aligning and telling me, "Don't become a lawyer."

So, my dad, like many dads I imagine, got uncomfortable with his daughter's tears and told me a joke: What has a bottom on its top?* And the joke got a giggle outta me.

With his fatherly duties dispensed, my dad starts a new topic of conversation. It went like this (names changed):

Dad: So, when was the last time we talked?
Me: Early last week, I guess.
Dad: That means you haven't heard then, right?
Me: Uhh, I guess not.
Dad: My Wife caught the house on fire and we're living in a hotel.

No joke. His house caught on fire.

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(haha, okay, it wasn't as bad as this image portrays)

So, I ask him incredulously, "Why didn't you call me???" And he says, "Well, what were you going to do about it?" Well played, sir.

And there it is. My perspective. I was complaining about a delay in my bar admission and my dad is living in a hotel due to the fact that his house caught on fire.

*your legs

Cute Shower Gift.

2011-03-03T09:12:00.000-05:00

I recently went to a baby shower where the guest of honor asked that there be no gifts. Well, I can't resist giving something super small. I also can't resist an opportunity to do something creative. So! I decorated two onesies (twosies? wah wah). The first had the baby's name on it. The second looked like this:

I was super happy with the way it turned out. Not too flashy but pretty cute. And it's washable!

The Great Hair Experiment.

2011-03-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've all heard about home remedies for great hair. I've heard them a million times. Things like, wash your hair in rain water or rub your scalp with witch hazel.

Well, I decided yesterday that, Okay. I'm going to try it. I had found the recipe below for a hair mask in Marie Claire and thought, "Well, if it's in print, it's gotta be real." (I like to think the best of my mags)

Lifeless strands got you down? in a bowl, mix one egg yolk, a half cup of honey, two tablespoons of olive oil, and two small, ripe avocados. Apply the concoction to the entire head and leave on for one to two hours, until hard. Shampoo and condition as usual. "This is a miracle cure," notes Goddard-Clark.

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So, I tried it out. I mixed together what looked like sweet and oily guacamole.

I think the hardest part about the whole thing was getting up the courage (for lack of a better word) to stick my clean fingers into this bowl and put this mess on my head.

It took me about 20 min to get my hair fully covered and then I sat with it for another hour.

Lookin' good, right?

Remember earlier when I said the hardest part was getting started? Well, I was wrong. Getting that concoction out was the hardest part. At one point, I pulled my hand away from my head while rinsing and found a snot like substance there... Note to self: when putting egg in your hair, a hot shower will result in an omelet.

Another point in the shower I looked down an saw what looked like The Incredible Hulk's vomit. Green water and green chunks floating in the green water.

All in all, I'd love to say that my hair is silky smooth and full of volume but I don't think I could look you in the eye and say that. I think I notice that it's a little softer... but maybe I just want to see that it's softer.

Have you ever done a home remedy? Did it work?

Regarding the Oscars 2011

2011-02-28T10:29:00.000-05:00

So, I wrote the below as I watched the Oscars. This can be good or bad. Good, because you're getting my opinions unfiltered by what the "experts" think. Bad, well, no - not bad. The reason that I waited to post until the morning was that I wanted to add pictures and it takes awhile to find good ones.

Red Carpet Style:

I loved the Givenchy dress that Cate Blanchett wore... from far away.

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Then it got up close, and I wasn't a huge fan.

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Didn't like the yellow beads or how the fabric over her chest looked like window curtains. But then, they'd zoom out,

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and I'd change my mind and think, "That's a really pretty dress!"

Anne Hathaway looked gorgeous and SO classic in that red Valentino dress she wore on the carpet.

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The Tiffany's jewelry was perfect. Her hair was perfect. Sadly, she didn't look all around perfect because that make-up was a little heavy.

Oh, to be Natalie Portman. She is gorgeous as a pregnant woman. She was glowing with her pink cheeks and bright demeanor.

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Her dress was so amazingly appropriate. And those earrings?? I really loved them. (Since I'm writing this as I watch, I don't know if she'll win yet - but I cannot say how impressed I was with Black Swan. I cannot believe that anyone else could possibly deserve the award more than her this year.)

Okay, now that I've seen Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Hudson (and a few others), clearly the big trend this year is a crimson dress. Also saw shades of purple. I loooove purple so you gotta imagine that I was in heaven.

Ohh, Hailee Steinfeld looks so sweet. The blush dress is so on trend.

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The silhouette is age appropriate. Not too much make-up. And, if you know me, you know i love sparkles.

Finally, how hott is Mila Kunis??

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The Award Show
This will be easier to type this not in past tense (like I tried to above) so... this is my stream of consciousness:

Okay. I'll admit I was super skeptical of Anne Hathaway and James Franco. But my husband and I both literally laughed out loud at the intro. So, at this point, I'm starting to be okay w/ this. Except maybe it seems like AH is trying too hard.

What exactly is Art Direction and Cinematography?

Kirk Douglas is 94 years old. And still skeeving on young women. Good for him.

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On the topic of Kirk Douglas, he is the second person to have my husband and I laughing. (I'm not happy that Haley Steinfeld didn't win.)

Okay, Anne Hathaway. You got me. That solo was amazing.

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And the glitter heels with the tux is actually hott.

My husband just told me that Trent Rezner, Oscar winner for original score - social network, is "The guy from Nine Inch Nails." Huh.
I'm kinda striking out on my picks this year. I really thought Inception's original score was better.

They really are making an effort to make the Academy Awards more hip. They auto-tuned the movies! Wanna watch someone else auto-tune the news? Awesome.

Oooo. Anne Hathaway now has on a fabulous blue number.

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What type of material is that??

I started out this night with blogging gusto. But then, I got tired. It's 11:36pm and I've been watching the same program since 7pm. Sooo, I also started re-reading Breakfast at Tiffany's in the commercials. Anyway, my final thoughts are that I'm very happy that Natalie Portman won.

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I'm very not surprised that The King's Speech won 3 of the other 4 last awards. I haven't seen it but I do plan to at some point.

What did you think of the night?

Maps - A School Project

2011-02-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

I got this email (names changed) about a week and a half ago:

Hope you're doing well.  Your Brother's class will be starting a map unit in Social Studies and we need your help.  Can you send a picture postcard or a picture with a letter to Your Brother at his elementary school?

I just need for you to tell his class about the place where you live on the postcard.  Do you live in a city or on a farm?  What is the land and weather like there?  What do you do for fun?  Two or three sentences would be great.

Thanks for helping Your Brother's class project out.  They start their unit on February 22nd.

And, let's face it, I was pretty darn excited to help considering the following:

1) I work only two days a week
2) I get warm fuzzies thinking of making children happy (especially ones I'm related to)
3) I get warm fuzzies doing crafts.
4) I live in a pretty cool place so I have a lot to talk about. I mean, I live on an island! Next to a river! Near the ocean!

So, I set to work and this is what I made:

It includes a map, pictures, a letter describing where I live and a letter to My Brother. And... I gotta tell you, I'm super proud. I mean, I'm no cartographer but look at that map! I made that! Maybe you should click on that to get a better look.

What do you think? Also, if you did this project, what would you be excited to say about where you live?

ps. Happy weekend!

Umm... awkward: An interview recap.

2011-02-24T09:09:00.001-05:00

Background: I applied to this position that was listed as a full-time position. When I got the email for an interview, they noted that I would be interviewing for a part-time position.

Well, the interview lasted an hour. It started with the general counsel asking me, "Why do you want to work part-time?" I told him that I had originally applied in response to an ad for a full-time position and that when I received an email requesting an interview for a part-time position, I remained interested. Then, he basically told me that he was looking for a candidate who, for some reason or another, really wants a part-time position and that it was clear that I needed a full-time job. So, then he asked if we should just end the interview or would I like to meet the VP of Operations. How awkward is that?! So, I told him that it was clear in the email that I was interviewing for a part-time position and that I wouldn't have agreed to interview if I wasn't still interested in the position so I would love to continue speaking about it. But in my mind, I'm thinking, "Has he already made up his mind? Uhh... should I go home?"

The rest of the interview with the general counsel felt slightly strained but when I met the VP, it was much better. He was a lot more accepting of me as a candidate. He did say that my resume spoke very highly of my abilities but then asked me where I saw this type of position fitting in my legal career and why I would think it would be a good move to work with them?   (Like, seriously, he said it in a way that implied that this job was going to mess up my legal career! this was such a bizarre interview - the first guy leads with "Do you want to end the interview now?" and the second guy leads with, "Do you really think you should be here?") So, I decided to be perfectly honest and responded that I'm currently volunteering part-time and that while I truly enjoy the experience I'm getting there, I'm looking for a job that pays.

At the end of the interview with him, he asked if I had any questions, so I said that going back to the beginning of the interview, he asked why I would want to take this position. I told him that it seemed he asked the question with the connotation that it wouldn't be a good step in my career and so I asked why. Luckily, he said that the answer that I gave was exactly what he was looking for because if someone like me, just getting out of law school, wanting to be a lawyer and with such high credentials said something like, "I want to work here forever" he wouldn't take them seriously and that my answer of "I'm looking for experience and need money and this is just a stepping stone" is perfect. (Note: I never said that this would just be a stepping stone - but maybe that's just obvious) He did say that my question was thoughtful and probing so at least there's that.

Anyway, he also did the typical interview questions and I don't think I messed up anywhere. I think whether I get the job will hinge on whether they want to hire someone that clearly won't be there for as long term as they are looking for. On the plus side, if I do get it, they said that they're okay with me working another part-time position as well so I guess I could keep looking for something else to supplement it.  And I have some ideas about how to supplement!

Have you been on any awkward interviews?

(speaking of awkward interviews....)

Interview today!

2011-02-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

I'm interviewing for a new job today.

Fingers crossed!

Great Weekend!

2011-02-22T08:09:00.000-05:00

The weekend w/ friends was fabulous! We did a lot of exploring of the city. We visited a few places in Harlem, checked out Brooklyn Flea, participated in a cocktail tasting class, and more!

I'm not typically a huge fan of Modern Art but we went to the MoMA on Sunday and saw their Abstract Expressionism exhibit. I actually really enjoyed it and highly recommend it!

Here's hoping that the coming week is as great as the weekend was.

What to do in NYC this weekend

2011-02-18T12:27:00.000-05:00

Heya! I'm in a good mood (even though I've spent the entire morning cleaning) because two of my best friends in the world are coming to visit this weekend!

I made this list for them but if you got somethin' good, ya gotta share it w/ the world!

xoxo.

Shopping
Barney's is having their giant warehouse sale if we needed to get any shopping in.

For a smaller scale shopping experience, this place has inexpensive vintage jewelry.

Century 21. An institution. A bargain. A place I've never been.

Two flea markets w/ bargains: One with a west african flair in Harlem (could maybe stop by the Apollo Museum while we're up there) and the other is a shorter subway ride. Of course, there's the well known Brooklyn Flea.

Bars
The bar Dive 75 have board games and free candy. I've never been but that's a winning combination in my book!.

A list of places to get free food at bars in Brooklyn.

There are, of course, all the local places that we default to - my husband and I are fond of the British pub Chip Shop and Bar Great Harry.

Sports
I don't know if you know this but ping pong is the next big thing.

Bowling in Brooklyn or Manhattan. The hip(ster?) kind of bowling.

I've never been but have heard great things about Barcade (= Arcade + Bar). I can't access the link at work though because my work internet filter classifies it as "Porn." I think that means great things!

Food
They say this is the ideal spot for vegetarians in search for comfort food.

A Latin food restaurant in Park Slope? Yes! Plus, w/ a name like "Bogota Bistro," it's gotta be good.

Does Shake Shack have vegetarian options? ...Shakes are vegetarian!

Art and Museums

David Hammons at L&M Arts. They're calling it an early pick for one of the top ten shows of the year.

Link to an extensive list of free admission times for the museums in the city. Both the Natural History and Met are suggested donations at all times.

Other
The Godfather is showing at 8pm on Friday night at the Film Forum. The New York Magazine editors recommend it!

ok, crazy lady.

2011-02-17T11:27:00.000-05:00

I think most of you know that I lived in China for a year. This means that I feel a bit of a connection with Chinese Americans celebrating Chinese holidays because I had the opportunity to celebrate them in a very authentic way. I realize that I could never feel the same way about the holiday that someone of Chinese heritage does, but I feel more than just a passing, "oh hey. neat."

Anyway, this is a lead up to a very weird Facebook experience that I had a little while ago. It started out with a Chinese American friend of mine writing as a wall post:

Happy Chinese New Year!! Everyone go eat some dumplings.

So, I commented on his post by saying:

新年快乐

Now, some of you may not have be able to see Chinese characters on your internet browsers but what I wrote was Chinese for "Happy New Year" - one of the few phrases I actually remember :) Anyway, the next few exchanges went like this:

Him: Yessss!! Well done!!!
Me: You in the city? I wanna get in on some dumplings!
Him: In Long Island tonight, Mama Chang* made some home cooked goodness.
Other Girl*: i wanna hang out!!

Wait, what? Now, Other Girl goes to Med School with my friend and my husband. And there are some very acceptable situations where interjecting "I want to hang out!!" into someone else's fb convo would be appropriate. Like, if we were all close and there was a chance that the 3 of us would go grab dumplings together. However, Other Girl and I don't really get along - no fights but just in my very limited experience with her, it's just clear we're very incompatible and it's clear to both of us. Another appropriate situation would be if Other Girl was in some way connected to the topic we were discussing. However, Other Girl is a different ethnicity has no connection to China. What the heck was her comment then??

So, I was left with this weird, like, "I feel like I'm in a very awkward social situation" feeling in my chest.

That night, I had to say something to my husband. So, I had a convo w/ him that went something like this:

Me: So... Have you been on Facebook lately?
Husband: I know exactly what you're going to say.
Me: Seriously? What am I going to say?
Husband: You're going to say something about Other Girl.
Me: YES!!!!!!
Husband: I literally laughed out loud when read her comment. She is nuts.

Thank God! Even though I still feel awkward when I think about the whole situation, at least someone out there understands how crazy it really was.

*names changed

Watson

2011-02-16T08:43:00.001-05:00

Yesterday on Jeopardy, my husband and I watched as Watson crushed the two greatest jeopardy champions.

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And... I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit.

What's so weird and unsettling about a computer beating human intelligence? They said in the 60s that a computer would never beat a grand master at chess. Now, the average processor can beat most people at chess. That doesn't bother me.

But, then the final jeopardy round came and the category was “U.S. Cities,” and the category was “Its largest airport is named for a WWII hero. Its second largest for a WWII battle.” Watson said, "Toronto?????"

I felt like the computer was taunting the humans. Did it really come ups with a Canadian city for this question? Neither of the airports there are named after WWII anythings. And let's not forget that Toronto isn't a U.S. City.

What's making me feel so uneasy?

I keep coming back to something Kirk said in a very relevant episode of Star Trek... "There are certain things men must do to remain men."

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

I get annoyed at the people who get annoyed at this day. Here's an example of a friend's fb post today:

Happy co-dependent, un-neccessarily needy, clingy, whiny, teenage holiday everyone! May all of your life`s aspirations be defined through someone else`s superficial affirmation of you as a person. Oh, I do feel all warm inside!!

To me, that makes him look insecure. Not so much because he's making a commentary on love that he may or may not have. He looks insecure because he takes something that someone else enjoys, such as a holiday, and berates them for enjoying it. If Valentine's Day is something that makes someone else feel good, who is this guy to judge?

I'm not even someone who totally adores the holiday. It is commercialized and can be completely superficial. But there are very few holidays that aren't so it's up to each of us to put whatever meaning we think is appropriate into the day regardless of what Hallmark's commercial says.* If Valentine's Day holds no meaning to you, don't celebrate it but at the same time, don't judge others that do.

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*btw, i love Hallmark. and i don't get pissed at them for telling me I'm useless if I don't buy a vday card for my honey. i also don't get pissed at Listerine for telling me i have bad breath. both are corporations doing what corporations do best - make you feel like a cretin if you don't have their product. and hey, that's what I would do if my livelihood depended on you buying something I was selling.

social networking while having a baby?

2011-02-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

I recently read this article and the idea of it fascinated me.

Basically, it makes the case for giving live updates from the delivery room via twitter, text, facebook, etc.

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The idea is that up to about 100 years ago, the mother would have the baby while surrounded by her female friends and family. Evidently, when the mother is feeling surrounded by love, she gets a "boost" of oxycotin (a hormone). That oxycotin helps speed the labor process.

I gotta tell you, I'm the girl who gets a little annoyed when I see, "I'm at 6 cm!" on facebook. And I've sworn to myself that when I have a baby, there will be no pictures of the maternity room on facebook.

But, maybe, that urge to give status updates during childbirth is natural? Maybe the mother's instincts are seeking out that boost of oxycotin to make the birthing process more efficient.

What do you think?

Winter Fair Success!

2011-02-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

As promised, I'm posting a couple pictures of our church's Winterfair. And it was a complete success!

The church underwent a complete transformation and everyone had an amazing time. Totally worth all the hard work!

The "Super" Mess Ups

2011-02-07T10:11:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't enjoy being a little snarky about things that you could/would never do? Let's do a run down of the big two:

The National Anthem
Thank goodness the sound was off. I'm not one who likes embellishments on the star spangled banner. And Christina Aguilera is all about the embellishments. ...and not all about the words.

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As the UK DailyMail said, "What she should have sung in the middle of the song was: 'Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.'

But what she sang instead, as over 100 million people watched, was 'Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming.'"

Like, I get it. Our national anthem is a hard song. It's hard to sing. It's hard to remember all the words. And add that to the pressure of doing it in front of about 100 million people? Stress! But. Come on, she's a professional and she's been doing this song since she was 7. And maybe, just maybe, if she wasn't so focused on the vocal exercises mid-song, she could focus on getting the words right.

The Halftime Show
It's obvious that the organizers brought in the Black Eyed Peas to appeal to a younger audience - after many years of atoning for the "wardrobe malfunction." Personally, I like the classic acts. So, when I found out that it'd be the BEPs, I felt kinda "meh" about it - not to mention I don't approve of sampling/stealing without crediting the artists.

Anyway, first, I kinda loved Fergie's sparkling football uniform. (Could leave the lace up boots though.) And I thought the Tron-like minions on the field were pretty cool too. Overall, awesome costumes.

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Despite the mess-up w/ the sound right at first, I enjoyed the first couple numbers. They were high energy crowd pleasers. Plus, auto-tune can mask a whole host of errors. But I thought they then took it up a notch when Slash arrived. And then Fergie took it back down when she started scream-singing Sweet Child of Mine... and then started gyrating. Not so hot.

Then they did Pump It. This is definitely my fav BEPs song - which is funny because I always forget that it's them. Anyway. Snoooooze. Only thing exciting about this number was the super cool trumpets in the back. Oh hey there's Usher... nice dancing, Usher... are you actually singing, Usher? - Then snoozy snooze a little more - snoooooooze.

Thank goodness I took that nap because otherwise I would have had endure Will.I.Am's political message mid-super bowl.

So, once I started paying attention, I realized that it wasn't just the sound guys having difficulties. Someone forgot to plug in the "V" from LOVE.

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Watch the whole show here if you missed it.

Happy thoughts!
The party my husband and I went to was fun. And we won $50 on the Superbowl squares. Not bad!

Look for the Winterfair pics tomorrow!

Winter Fair this Weekend!

2011-02-04T09:37:00.000-05:00

So, for the past couple weeks I've been involved with my church's Winterfair planning committee. It's a HUGE fundraiser that our church puts on. The theme is "South of the Border" and we'll transform the church gym. Here's the before pic:

On Monday, I'll show you the after pics. I'm super excited!!

What are you up to this weekend? Are you excited about the Superbowl or more excited about the commercials? Or are you really just excited about the party that comes with the Superbowl?

Happy Groundhog's Day!

2011-02-02T07:43:00.000-05:00

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Okay, so it's not like I ever actually believed what a oversized rodent told me about the weather in 6 weeks. But I actually watched the ceremony this morning and, what the heck? It's totally a sham! They pull him out of his "house" and hold him up for the crowd to see. Then, they set him up on a pedestal and he just sits there for a couple minutes. Then they pick him up again and pretend like he told the announcer which, of two, scrolls should be read. Today, he read one that said Spring will come early.

Could we at least get a shot of whether there was a shadow?? That shadow is the whole point. And there's no way he's going to get scared and go back into his house because a man is holding him. Come on!

To the Movies?

2011-02-01T08:36:00.000-05:00

My husband and I are thinking about seeing The King's Speech soon.

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Have you seen it? What did you think? I wasn't terribly excited about it but all the Oscar buzz has me intrigued - plus, I've always had a thing for Colin Firth.

Nixon in China

2011-01-31T08:50:00.000-05:00

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I'm very excited to report that I won tickets to see Nixon in China - an opera at the Metropolitan. It's at 11am today - can't wait!