Rebel Red

I just purchased red lip gloss, because Real Simple told me to. The article said every woman regardless of skin tone should try some form of red lipstick. I usually favor nude lips and dramatic eyes, but I greatly enjoy expanding my cosmetic repertoire, so I thought, why not. One of the suggestions in the magazine was to go for gloss if you shy away from the bold effect. That seemed like the route for me, although the idea of a gloss that wasn't pretty sheer confused me. I settled on L'Oreal Paris Infallible NeverFail Lip Gloss in Rebel Red. I love it! It goes to show that it's nice to mix it up some. I love working the eye makeup, but it definitely takes effort. Putting Rebel Red on is lightening fast but shows that I'm ready to party. Bravo!

Wednesday's Pick: Grand Prospect Hall

This really appeals to all of my tri-state sensibilities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC6AzmXrNbU

What Really Grinds Wednesday's Gears: New-Fangled Social Networking Inventions

What the HELL is gmail's "buzz?"
Is buzz the new facebook? (Buzzbook)? I try to ignore that I apparently have 2 new buzzes in my buzz inbox (my buzzbox). I try to ignore the colorful little conversation bubble that draws me in. Because when I click on it, I have no idea what to do- I see that I am following people (who I've no memory of following), and some people (much fewer) are following me and I'm not sure why. I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm not a very entertaining buzzer.
I see my friend has been posting buzzes that I never knew about. What is this secret life he leads? Which status update am I supposed to believe? Are you painting your 2nd bedroom or are you "tired of hearing pants on the ground"!?
Twitter? Facebook? I can't keep up with everyone's virtual outlets-- I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Good thing I off-loaded myspace. I can't believe I survived the death of Friendster. Ohmygod remember Friendster!?

Dreamy TV Woman Pick of the Week: Nanny Fine

Oh Mr. Sheffffffield!
Lately I've been addicted to The Nanny reruns on Nick at Nite. Am I crazy? Because I feel crazy.















Look, I can't help it. I spent formative childhood years in Queens, NY where everyone looked and spoke like Nanny Fine. We shopped at Loehmann's. We screamed out our apartment windows, to the people on the sidewalk below. And we all dreamed of meeting and marrying a rich prince who lived in Manhattan.
After moving to eastern Long Island, I somehow managed to find the one 11-year-old girl who all the other kids at the beach club called, "the nanny" because of her accent. Her mother even looked just like Fran Fine.
I like that Fran Drescher co-created and executive produced the show, and that the show had millions of viewers and dozens of celebrity cameos during its run. I like the way Nanny Fine is a Lucy of the 90s. I also like Fran Drescher. Her personal story is about overcoming some tough stuff, which I really admire.

Pre-Nups.

Not sure I agree with GFriday on the discussion around pre-nups. But not sure I disagree either.

Here’s the paragraph I’m going to break down (but let me first tell you that GF and I are coming from two veeeerrry different places on this subject):

And then there's the fact that if you do have a pre-nup, you are in some sense saying 'out loud' that divorce is possible. And who wants to admit that when they are about to get married? Maybe its naive of me, but to a certain extent, I would wonder why two people were getting married if divorce was so tangible to them.

I think that you have to say out loud that divorce is possible. Just like you have to say out loud that kids might not be possible. Or if you don’t want kids, you might end up getting one accidentally. Or you might change your mind and decide at 40 that you absolutely MUST have kids. Because anything is possible. Cancer is possible. And if I, and TheFutureMr.Monday, could sign something that would plan for our future and our finances and our potential offspring if I one of us dies, then I would. And that document exists. It’s called a will. And I am sure when I get to the point where my stuff is worth more than a thousand bucks then I will do one of those. Nobody wants to admit that when they get married they might get divorced. But we’re all more likely to get divorced than to die of cancer. Or die in a car crash – or any number of scenarios that a will might cover. In my opinion, it’s not naïve of people to think that won’t happen to them, especially someone who at least thinks enough about pre-nups to have thoroughly thought through (whew!) how they feel about them. I’m just coming from a different place than GF. I have two parents who have not only divorced each other, they have each divorced someone else. And both been taken to the cleaners. I won’t go into all the specifics, but I will be financially taking care of DaddyMonday when he can longer work. But I am the first to admit, it wasn’t just a lack of a pre-nup, it was marrying someone he shouldn’t have.

I would like to get married someday. To someone who is very wonderful and who I truly don’t deserve. Not in a million years. And divorce is a very tangible thing to me. Maybe because it influenced so much of my life. Maybe because I’m afraid TheFutureMr.Monday could one day wake up and realize what a horrible mistake he’s made.

What I actually think is more naïve than thinking you, yourself, won’t get divorced, is that people sign a pre-nup because they think things may change. But what they don’t realize is that things *may actually change* and that their pre-nup won’t be so iron-clad and there will be TONS of things they haven’t thought of. Kids, changes/reversals in earnings, inheritances, jewelry, sentimental gifts, gifts in general, paying for colleges, etc. You’re probably just going to end up battling it out in the end anyway, so why stress. Just realize that you come from a family of divorce or a family of eternal happiness and be aware of the baggage you bring into a relationship (and the baggage someone else brings) and do what you feel is right at the time. Because that’s all you ever really know.


And GF, I hope that someday you and HF have a fortune!

Help! RoadId.

So I won a door price at this 10k on Saturday. It’s a $25 gift certificate to this store called Road Id. http://www.roadid.com/common/default.aspx

I’m not sure I’m so big on their products (and I run, but don’t cycle) and need some help. Anyone out there want to make a suggestion on how to spend my money? I can’t let $25 go to waste.

I’m not sure why I couldn’t have won the year’s free cookies from Sugar Momma’s. http://www.sugarmommascookies.com/

Pre-Nuptial Disagreement

Yesterday, I was watching the Seinfeld episode where George is about to send out his wedding invitations and desperately wants to stop the wedding from happening. After failed plans to tick off his fiancee by smoking and insulting her by asking her to sign a pre-nup, she dies from licking the toxic wedding invitation envelopes, which were very cheap and he insisted on buying. In the end, he's more happy that he's not getting married than sad that she's dead. That's odd within itself, but this is Seinfeld we're talking about here.

Anyway, the episode got me thinking about pre-nups. Elaine said that she wouldn't sign one. And I agree! I think most of my friends feel the same way. I've known a few people who've had the alternate argument-- it makes total cold, logic sense to arrange for one, and if you don't, you are the poor sap who is going to be screwed in the end.

I see where the opposing view is coming from, but just to a point. People keep citing the "50% of all marriages fail" stat, but first of all, that's not true. If you take out people who get married and divorced numerous times in their lives, the stat is only like 30%. The other major reason I hear for pre-nups is "no one who gets married thinks they are going to get divorced, but obviously, sh*t happens." Now, I don't think I'm going to get divorced, but I totally acknowledge that crazy things happen in life that you can't anticipate. It's not that I think it's *SO* out there for me (or my friends) to get divorced. What I think is more out there is the idea that we would want to not only split up, but that if we did, it would be so acrimonious that a pre-nup would've been necessary and helpful. But it's a slippery slope. If I can say that divorce could be possible, how can I say how messy it would be? We could really hate each other, and we could have an empire to divide. But I strongly doubt either one of those things will happen.

And then there's the fact that if you do have a pre-nup, you are in some sense saying 'out loud' that  divorce is possible. And who wants to admit that when they are about to get married? Maybe its naive of me, but to a certain extent, I would wonder why two people were getting married if divorce was so tangible to them.

But, I am not a child of divorce. And my husband and I are not heirs to fortunes. Everyone has their own circumstance- I respect that. Just giving you my thoughts. What are yours?

Late to the party

Happy New Year!

My apologies for the extended vacation; work has kicked me into the new year with brute force, to say the least. Not wanting to stay away too long, I thought I'd take a belated shot at G'Mon'y's proposed topic from last week and rattle off GirlTuesday's Top Ten 2000's. But, I also thought I'd add a little GirlFriday favorite, as well. And so- I bring you the High-Low of the decade:

2000: High: HT and I finally started dating. Good gosh I can't believe it was that long ago. Low: Losing a leader and a teammate.

2001: High: Family vacation in Maine; Low: Leaving behind a sport that had shaped my childhood.

2002: High: Gaining a sister; Low: The morning I called to get my LSAT Score.

2003: High: OSU wins the national championship; Low: Leaving behind youth, innocence, and the idyllic little place on the hill.

2004: High: A summer in Switzerland; Low: Saying goodbye to a grandfather I never really got to know.

2005: High: Gaining a best friend; Low: My first 1L year grade day.

2006: Low: Letting go of the love of my life; High: Welcoming him back in.

2007: High: Finally moving back to the same city as HT; Low: Watching OSU entire botch a national championship.

2008: High: Spending an incredible year honing my skills in legal academia; Low: Watching my big brother deploy.

2009: High: Getting Married; Low: Working my rear-end off. Over and over again.

Just because...

... I can never get over how much I love this video.

Top 10 GirlFriday moments

I really like GirlMonday's idea of a Top 10 list, although apparently none of the rest of you did- hahahahaha, I kid. I keep forgetting that a decade ended and a new one began. Even though I was little when the 80's became the 90's, it seems like it was treated as a way bigger deal. (I won't compare it to the changing millennium, because obviously that's its own deal.)

Anyway since it's a new decade I thought it fit to personally reflect on the last one. I mean, 10 years is a long time. A person really changes and goes through a lot in 10 years. So here we go, 10 GirlFriday special memories from the 10 years of the previous decade:

1. 2000
This was the year I became close friends with GirlWednesday, and I have to say it's probably my favorite thing about that year. Exploring street fairs and strange pastries in Chinatown, dealing with boy and roommate drama, doing anything to avoid homework, private dance parties-- I really loved it. This was also the year I found out that I got a job after graduation. GirlWednesday and I didn't understand what my job was, so at parties, we would tell people I was a 'banker', whatever that is.

2. 2001
In 2001 I graduated college (yay, first major achievement), got my first real job, and first real apartment. I definitely started to feel like an almost-adult at that time-- paying taxes will do that to you. And I had some personal tragedy along with the nation's tragedy, so I guess it really was a year marked with growing up.

3. 2002
The main thing about 2002 is that I was working in a job I really didn't like, for a variety of reasons. So, my favorite thing about that year, understandably, was a vacation I took to the West Coast. Also, I applied to grad school (I think I submitted my first application at like, midnight on December 31st, but it still counts!). I've always been proud that I identified that I was unhappy and took steps to change things.

4. 2003
Without a doubt the best thing about 2003 was moving to a new part of the country and the new friends I made there. My first night, I cried my eyes out. I thought, what an idiot I am for wanting to experience new things, I should've stayed home where my friends and family are, where everything is familiar. But in the end, I met GirlMonday, GirlTuesday, and a slew of other awesome people who have become friends for life. Would not give them up for anything. Oh yeah, I also met my husband that year. Ha!

5. 2004
2004 may have been one of the best years of my life because I was really happy with where I was-- physically, in terms of friendships and relationships, and what I was doing intellectually. And most importantly, I appreciated it. That time really helped me articulate what I want my life to be. A funny moment from that year is when I introduced now-HusbandFriday and his best friend to GirlWednesday for the first time. He thought she was funny and crazy, and she couldn't understand a word he was saying. But they really do love each other.

6. 2005
Okay so 2005 was the year I actually became a grown-up. I took on a very intense job and it totally showed me what I was made of. Also met some cool people, one of which got to the Hollywood round on American Idol this year! And, I was reunited with now-HusbandFriday after a brief hiatus, which was unexpected and wonderful.

7. 2006
That was the year it became somewhat obvious that I would marry HusbandFriday at some point; I felt really happy and certain about the whole thing. In my life up to that point, I always wondered about "how you know" when you are supposed to be with someone. When that moment came for me, it was obvious.

8. 2007
In 2007, I got engaged, which was great. When it happened, I was so shocked I wanted to throw up. I mean, I was really, really happy, but the shock was overwhelming. But it felt really good to have the thing be official and to feel like my personal life was sorted out once and for all. I've written about this before, the idea that "now that's taken care of" and I can explore who I really want to be. With my best buddy right there with me.

9. 2008
I got married, so that's an obvious one. I also spent the summer in a new city, in a part of the country I had never even been to before, and I really enjoyed that experience. The wedding was wonderful and the being married was even better. Also I went to Hawaii on my honeymoon, and aside from minor sicknesses and intense fatigue from the wedding activities, it was pretty dope.

10. 2009
2009 just happened so I have a lot of good memories. One that sticks out in my mind is going to Las Vegas with my hubby and my brother. They ruled at the craps table and I liked playing the slots. It was my first time in Vegas as a booze-drinker and I was amazed that they brought free drinks to you! Also stayed at the Encore, which was amazing, saw Le Reve, also amazing, and had a wonderful massage and mani/pedi at the spa.

It's crazy how different life is, how different I am, and how many things I have experienced in the last 10 years. I hope the next decade is just as crazy.

Top 10 Worst New “Words” of the 2000s.

In honor of all the jargon and buzzwords and slang that the 2000s have coined, I’m giving a shout-out to the worst. I’ve intentionally not included some of the worst offenders because they’re not actually words, but rather celebrity uni-names. So quickly, let’s all join in to hate Brangelina, Speidi, Bennifer, Bennifer II, and everyone’s favorite, TomKat. Yuk. Now, on with the show.

10. Staycation- you're either staying or you're going. Does anyone actually take days off of work, pull the kids out of school and spend all day going to museums and eating at local places they’ve never tried before? I doubt it (email me if you have, as I’m dying to meet you). So travel industry and the media, you can both stop using this word like it means something to us.

9. Misunderestimated – my favorite made-up Bush word. There are lots of others (internets – plural), but they’re all better with context. This one just stands alone. Let’s not use this again, kay. And let’s stop pronouncing Iraq as I-ROCK.

8. Bromance – I kind of understand the meaning behind this merged word (not that “bro” is a good word either), but it’s one the world can do without. There is no need to sexualize a relationship between two guy friends. They’re just friends. Got it?

7. Douche – There is some chance that this is really a late 90s word, but I’m including it on this list because it’s so terrible. There are people out there who still use this to mean someone who is lame. Please don’t, it’s actually every so slightly offensive and a little vulgar. Let’s pretend we have moved past our adolescence.

6. Synergy – This is actually my LEAST favorite business buzzword. And the list is long and the competition fierce, so you must know how much I hate it. This word means absolutely nothing and has gone from being a B-school, well-educated, trend word to being something anyone will throw around to sound cool. Listen people, you don’t sound cool, you don’t even know what synergy looks like. No one does. So stop using it.

5. Peeps – Don’t get me started on this. Please don’t say peeps. Or homies (God forbid). Just say friends. That’s what they are. You do not have a posse. You do not roll. You don’t drive an Escalade and have an entourage. You drive a Civic and communicate through Facebook. These people are not your peeps.

4. Bling – See above. And as an appendix, you do not play in the NBA, you do not have tats (number 11), and the gold-plated dollar sign necklace you’re wearing isn’t bling. It’s cheap. And tacky. And 1998. So stop.

3. ShizNit – Where in the world did this come from?? If there is anyone out there who occastionally throws out a “this is the shiznit” then please stop. Immediately.

2. Frenemy – You’re either friends. Or enemies. You can’t be both.

TIE: 1a. Snap! I hate to admit I still use this. But I’m stopping. It’s overplayed and not timeless (see Duh! circa 1997). Let’s all agree to move on to something else.

1b. Ginormous. This is repetition at it’s worst. If it’s gigantic, it’s probably enormous. I don’t really know if there’s much of a difference between the two. They’re synonyms, they both mean really big. Why on earth would we combine them to make a new word. Now we have three words that mean the same thing. If anyone can explain to me the exact size measurement difference between gigantic, enormous and ginormous, I would love to hear it.

Honorable Mentions:

Terror – Hard to fight a war on an emotion. Emotions don’t have tanks and guns, so I’m guessing we’re going to beat up on “terror” pretty quickly. Let’s use this one appropriately. K?

McMansion – I secretly “get” the reasons this word became so popular. Houses have gotten huge. But let’s give up putting Mc in front of anything. We don’t need to publicize the clown anymore than we already do.

Cougar – We are not cougars. You are not “cubs.” Do you hear me Courtney Cox??

Shallow and Stupid, or Realistic and Savvy?

So, we're at the time in our society where women are told they can be everything and anything they want to be (however technically true this is). I have goals, many things I want to accomplish, and the certainty that my female status won't hurt-- and may even help-- my chances of achieving them. I have the desire and the means to focus on what I want and to work hard to get it. [Most] women, in many countries are afforded this luxury, and I sure do appreciate it.

However, there are moments when I think, wouldn't it be nice to be married to some toilet paper heir, or something, and not have to try so hard all the time? That's not what I really want in my heart of hearts. I have no desire to marry rich and simply enjoy the spoils. I think some girls do. Especially the girls who may not think they *have* other options, like the brains or the resources or whatever. I sometimes pity 'pretty' girls on the party scene-- the ones who seem to actually care what 'kind of car' a guy drives? (I thought that was something that only existed in movies!) But you know, maybe these girls are not so stupid. I don't mean the ones who put their energy into trying to bed Tiger Woods or get half-naked on a reality show. The ones that use their sexuality, or femininity, or whatever, and focus on finding a mate to survive, or thrive, rather. They may not be dumb, but I still feel bad for them-- at least the ones that don't think they themselves are worth it-- worth the value to develop into meaningful contributors to society with unique talents and skills. That part of it makes me kind of sad.

Thoughts?

Coming Next Week...

I want to invite everyone to do a top-ten list of the decade next week (only if you want to). I'll kick it off on Monday.

My Vols

I'm embarrassed. I'm disappointed about the season and I'm not looking forward to the Kansas game next weekend. Do they have enough players left on the team?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4788521

The Land of the Pines

As many of you are aware (and some more intimately aware than others) a massive snowstorm ripped across the East Coast last weekend. Well, before it hit the Virginia, DC, NY, Rhode Island, Connecticut area, it devastated the Western North Carolina region. My part of the world sees about 2-4 inches of snow a year. We’re at about 2500 feet and many of the higher elevations around us see up to a foot over the course of the winter. The last big snow here was the “Blizzard of ‘93” which dumped 18 inches on Asheville and 25 inches on my home in East Tennessee. I was out of school for two weeks, it was fantastic. Anyway, this all leads me to say big snows are rare and as true Southerners we are completely unprepared. As it turns out I am the only one on my block with a ‘snow’ shovel (thanks Momma Monday!). As of Saturday at about noon, we had 17 inches of snow at the house. It was amazing. Until the power went off. And that was Friday about 3 pm. It didn’t come back on until last night at 7. It is impossible to enjoy 17 inches of snow when you can’t get out of the neighborhood, you have no heat/power, and every pine tree this side of Raleigh is creaking and cracking. I felt like Laura Ingles Wilder. I went to bed at 8 and got up with the sun. The only thing to do was keep myself busy outside, shoveling, sledding, and walking the dog. So here are a few pictures of my weekend! Merry Christmas to you all, please have a wonderful holiday and be safe.

How Cute Are These Boots!

Today I thought I'd share my opinion on some of the commercials of the day!

Okay, I think the GAP 'cheer' commercials are awful, with the exception of the following, which I LOVE:



I'm a sucker for a nine-year old girl with 'tude. Anyone who has met my cousin knows why. I also really like this Coco Chanel Mademoiselle ad. I'm usually not a fan of young Hollywood ingenue-types, but for some reason I don't really have a problem with Keira Knightley. Cutie pie, I say! Love the song, and I'm now realizing through my research here that it's Joss Stone singing. Well done!



I can't decide how I feel about this Amazon ad. I really like the song, but the first few times I saw the commercial, I was confused about what the product was. Then when I saw that it said 'Kindle', I kind of got it. The next time I saw it, I realized that the point is that you can download a book in 60 seconds, and books take you away to magical places. I think it's cool the way the colors and fabrics change into the different scenes, but something doesn't work for me. I think the magician get-up at the end is the most off-putting.



I believe that Target has been a real innovator when it comes to great advertising, and a lot of other companies are trying desperately to copy their look-and-feel. However, I really don't like these new "Chestnuts roasting..." Target ads, which are sort of a 'cynical' take on Christmas:



I love Christmas in an unadulterated, joyful way. I don't mind realism in holidays, but I thought the following Target commercial managed to address that in a much cuter way:



I think I just relate to that chick, being a young married myself. I also adore the ads that addressed the economic situation in a way that actually made me feel hopeful and upbeat-- who would think a TV ad could do that?



Okay, now to the commercial I truly detest over all others. I think it is complete pretentious hipster nonsense. Here is the extended version, I hope you hate it as much as me.



Thoughts?

Reprise of metro commuting rage

I'm sorry. I know one of my first rants on this blog had to do with my hatred of public transportation. Perhaps as part of my new year's resolution (in addition to eating better and exercising more), I will work on being the happy-go-lucky, perky, upbeat version of myself that doesn't stoop so low as to engage in such weekly bitchfests. But, until then, I give you my top ten most-hated things about wmata.

10. Middle-aged women who wrap their arms around the poles and read the paper so that you can't possibly hold on.
9. Anyone speaking on a blue tooth headset while riding a train. Not only will your signal cut in and out-- you look absolutely bat s#$t crazy talking to your self. Please stop.
8. Any man over the age of 25 who head bops to their i-pod.
7. The people who sit on the aisle seat even though the window seat is empty just so they a) don't have to share, and b) can get off as soon as humanly possible when the train stops.
6. People who don't give up their seats for senior citizens, or pregnant women. Have some decency. Cripes.
5. Corrolary to 6: People who act inconvenienced by the existence of a stroller, wheelchair, or motor scooter that wants to take their prized position leaning by the door. Get over yourself and get out of the way.
4. In contrast, anyone who brings a bike on the metro during the no-bike hours deserves all the mean looks they get. So do the stupid station managers who failed to stop them. Our tax dollars at work.
3. The days when I miss the express guy at the top of the escalators and have to stare at the floor to avoid awkward eye contact during my morning commute.
2. Venturing down to the platform after 8 pm and finding a wait time of more than 20 minutes. Honestly, my day has been long enough- why do you have to inflict MORE torture, metro.
And finally,
1. People who shove their way through to the door when the train hasn't even stopped yet. I still hate these people.

J. Crew

Went to the annual J Crew warehouse sale here this weekend. Freakin’ amazing. I used to buy their stuff all the time when I was younger (I mean really younger. I wore their clothes in middle school – back in the days when you could get a shirt for $15 and jeans were reasonable. This was one of the few places that catered to skinny people with no boobies. MommaMonday and I used to drive to ATL the day after Thanksgiving to shop).

Anyway, as usual, I digress.

We have a J Crew distribution center and warehouse here in town. Actually it’s only about 2 miles down from the house. Each year in December they open up the warehouse for a shopping free-for-all. There is a Friends and Family sale from 8-10 and the general public is let in about 10. I lined up last year at 8:45 and was about 30^th in line. Pickings were good but slim and I made some amateurish mistakes (no dressing rooms available, and I didn’t wear clothes that allowed for trying on in public. I ended up with a pair of capris and two tanks tops that didn’t fit). This year, I had a better plan. I got there at 8:45 again (no sense in being out of the top 50 in line. They let the first 50 in then number 51 has to wait for someone to get through. That means while you stand outside in the freezing cold there are 50 people rummaging through your stuff). When I got there a guy walking out of a side door to the warehouse handed me a Friends and Family pass and I got to go right in! wooohoo! I’ve got to figure out where to get these for next year. Anyway, it was about 10 times the size of the sale last year. There were probably 15 rows of boxes 15 deep and each one was filled to the brim with closeouts, overstocks, samples, returns, and assorted miscellaneous. When you come in you get a garbage bag and a price sheet. Price sheet goes as follows (I’ll summarize): tanktops: $5; sweaters: $10; coats: $30; wedding dresses (priced as marked: $50-$100; cashmere sweaters: $15; shirts-short sleeve: $8, long-sleeve:$10, crewcuts: $5, accessories: $1.

Wowzers. I left there with a wallet (retail $25), three cashmere sweaters, three long sleeved tshirts, two tanktops, a headband and about 47 belts. Oh and a skirt. And a work shirt. And a button down. Or two….

Amazing. I encourage you all to come visit and join me next year! I should have taken pictures. I also got shoppers elbow from frantically digging through boxes to the bottom and had to ice it Saturday night. Heh. Totally worth it.

Fishes

This is a pretty decent blog, although I would go broke trying to keep up with all their recommendations and suggestions. GW – you might like this if you don’t know of them already. It’s got a wedding background, but seems to forget that these days (which is good!).

http://twofishesartistry.blogspot.com/