Rue de la Clef

I Heart Bethenny

2011-05-02T22:32:00.001-04:00

that's all.

Oh, and by the way, how much would I have loved to have been at the Met Gala.

Mel's Advice

2011-04-24T01:31:00.003-04:00

One of my friends once told me that some times friends come in and out of your life. It's true and it has stuck with me.

Some people can surprise you with just how understanding and supportive they are, while others surprise you with their distance.

Build Your Ultimate Closet

2011-04-13T01:35:00.000-04:00

Here is a great post from GOOP all about Spring's latest fashion trends, how to edit your own closet and how to properly store garments at the change of season. Very useful!!!

Things

2011-04-12T01:05:00.005-04:00

Over the weekend we held at Estate Sale at grandpa's house. It ran from Friday through Sunday and we did better than expected-- both from the perspective of getting rid of 50 years worth of *stuff* and from the perspective of proceeds. I had been the designated internet advertiser and I posted ads on Estatesales.net, CraigsList, NJ.Com and Yardsales.com (or something thereabouts).... through the magic of the internet webcrawlers picked up on our ads and cross listed them on some additional websites as well.

On the Thursday before the sale we had put aside the things we wanted to keep and we had priced the bulk of the stuff (or so we had thought-- turns out estate salers are very good at getting into the nooks and crannies and finding things that you didn't even know you had, let alone had the time to price).

Despite our efforts, the Mom was still feeling like we were unprepared. Hell, we had a folding table, a cash box and two hundred dollars in mixed change and coinage. I told her we were as prepared as we were going to get and that we seemed a lot more professional than some of the teams we encountered at other estate sales we visited during our research and development phase.

On Friday morning we wore our matching yellow sweatshirts (so we would be distinguishable amongst the sale goers) and when we pulled around the corner we looked to see whether we had a line or no one.... (we ended up having about only 10 or so people in line at first, but the foot traffic never ended).

I parked and Mom went inside to turn on the lights and get things set. I unlocked the shed, opened the garage and pulled out the 2003 Taurus (with 20,300 miles on it) and put it out in the driveway on display for sale. (This actually sold pretty quickly to the neighbor across the street)...

When mom was ready we opened the doors and the first guy in was a nice fellow about my age named Tek. Tek headed straight down to the basement for the lot of Lionel Trains.

Prior to the sale I had received some email traffic through Craigslist about the trains and I had told folks that they were selling for $750 (and I included some photos). My dad collects Lionel and he had merchandised the stuff very nicely for us. He told us, however, that at the end of the day while there were a few good pieces, he would only pay about $500 for what was there. Tek paid $675 and was happy to do it. (But again, I note, Tek was my age-- not necessarily someone who has been collecting these things nearly as long as my Dad has.... I think Tek kind of had the same idea about this stuff that I did-- there was an awful lot there, good, bad or indifferent-- it just *looked* like more than $500!) So, I helped Tek pack up the trains and also stood around the table warding off potential poachers while he carried the stuff out to his car (this was a bit of a throwback to my youth when I had done the same for my Dad when he would go on the occasional "train buy"). I helped Tek carry the last boxes out and he gave me a $10 tip-- to buy lunch. I thought it was a very nice gesture on his part (and I certainly wasn't about to tell him that I was a lawyer perfectly capable of buying my own lunch.) ;)

Some of our other customers? There was Chad who drove all the way from Queens. Chad was also in his thirties and he is a private teacher/tutor who freelances in Manhattan. He must have spent at least two hours scouring the house (which is approximately 900 square feet)... he walked away with just about all of my grandfather's old Budweiser uniforms, a Budweiser snow hat, Budweiser glasses, beer labels and a tray, a vintage Lacoste Golf Cardigan, a really cool chair that turns into a ladder and all other kind of wacky stuff. Chad was totally planning on rocking out the old Budweiser shirts in a very Brooklyn-y hipster sort of way. He was very excited to have an "instant collection" of stuff.

Then there was the ultra hip couple. They were the nicest dressed people I have ever seen at an estate sale or flea market or just about any shopping experience, really. The man looked just like Constantine Maroulis and his girlfriend had gorgeous black curly hair and was dressed to the nines. Constantine was wearing aviator sunglasses (indoors) and had a blazer and fancy jeans. These two looked like they had just stepped out of Studio 54. And can I just tell you, they found the *best* stuff! They got some really neat old books, the bought the "Hustle" records from the 70's and they even made vintage plaid luggage look cool. I have to say I was very pleased that these two walked away with what they did-- I knew it was the most fashionable that that plaid luggage was ever going to get.

We also had a "found materials" artist come (she bought lots of the old benches my Grandfather made) and we had two teachers come late in the day-- one of them bought more of the vintage luggage and the other bought pencil sharpeners right off of the walls they were screwed into. (She also got these neat little tool chests that she was going to put craft supplies in). Then there was the guy who looked just like Hulk Hogan. He came by on all three days, at various points bringing his wife and kids. He was super nice and bought all of our old brass fire extinguishers and all of the old vintage bakelite rotary telephones.

And let's not even discuss the Portuguese couple who had a live squirrel in the trunk of their car (they had captured it in a trap and were planning to release it in the wild far enough away from their own home so that the squirrel wouldn't be able to find its way back). They actually attended the sale on all three days and bought stuff on each day.

Al from South River came on Friday and Sunday and by the end of the day on Sunday he was showing us the tattoos he has of his basset hounds.

Now mind you, I'm not necessarily a people person. I have to say I did good for the bulk of the sale-- being cordial and patient, as I was, after all, trying to sell things. But on the last day my patience began to wear thin.

This one woman came into the house and she looked around and after a while she came by with a small brass desk lamp. The lamp was one that my grandfather had still been using and so it even had one of those newfangled ecofriendly bulbs in it. She brings it to me and asks the price. I tell her $5. She says to me: "Can you plug it in and see if it works?" Now mind you, I'm standing at the cash box, dealing with other customers and also watching Miss B. who is sitting on a chair next to me. I point out an outlet on the wall and let the woman know that she can feel free to test out the lamp.

She plugs it in and it works. Okay, now she asks me if I'll take $3 for it. Can I just say that the fricking bulb is worth more than $3?? But okay. I tell her, sure I'll take $3 for it.

Then, two minutes later she comes up next to me and turns the lamp upside down to show me that the brass lampshade has corrosion or something under it-- and she starts by saying "well, I'm going to reconsider because look at this."

All this registers to me is that this woman is now asking for a further discount on something that I already didn't really want to sell for $5, let alone $3. So I say to her that I don't really care what condition the item is in. The price is $3. If you don't want it, nobody is forcing you to take it, so just leave it. Needless to say this got her pissed off and she left the sale in a huff.

Part of the reason why this happened was that earlier in the day I had told a man (who had come back for a second day after having tried to get everything on the first day that he could for a quarter) that the vacuum attachments he wanted to buy were $2.50. When he thought I was out of earshot he says to my mother "$1 for the attachments". To which I loudly responded: $2.50! Now mind you, there were many people who bought things and then kept buying things and then when they would find yet more things to buy we would just tell them to take it. We had many people who got great package deals and then some. I was more than happy to tell the nice people to just take stuff. But the people who tried to nickel and dime? I had no patience for that.

Moral of this story? I think the first thing to take away is we all probably have way more stuff than we need. If you have something that you've been saving for some special occasion or otherwise (like the countless pairs of brand new pants my Grandfather had, or all of the prints that were never framed, or all of the nuts, bolts and screws never used) just go ahead and use that stuff. The special occasion is now. If something gets used up, buy more when it runs out. If something nice gets damaged, buy a new one then but don't just let stuff sit in a closet for thirty years when you or someone else could be enjoying it. AND, reduce, reuse and recycle. Want to go shopping? Looking for something to collect as a hobby? Looking for old books? Check out estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops and flea markets. There is a lot of interesting, neat stuff out there and why let it go to waste? I love the fact that someone is going to be using my grandparent's old luggage. It's been up in the attic since 1970-something. It still had tags on it from the last time it went through EWR, but now maybe it will get to go somewhere again. Likewise, in your own life, have a garage sale, or donate stuff to the Salvation Army or Goodwill or, sell things on Ebay. Take a look around your house and see if there is stuff sitting around that you just don't need/use/want. I can guarantee you there is someone out there who would/could use it, or love it.

Case in point, one woman bought all of my grandfather's old clown paint by number paintings(!) She told me they were going to a good home where they would be loved for their kitschy value. Better that than being thrown away and better that than being put away somewhere never to see the light of day. If you ever see a skinny guy with a shaved head walking around Queens wearing a Budweiser shirt that says "Mike" over the left pocket, tell Chad that we said hello. ;)

Duh...

2011-04-06T00:24:00.003-04:00

Okay, how did I not know there was an Edward Hopper exhibition at the Whitney for the past six months???? It's closing on Sunday! Ugh! I have nom time between now and then to see it. Double ugh!

Live Auctioneer!

2011-04-05T23:56:00.002-04:00

Has some neat auctions coming up, including English and US Pop Art and mid-century modern design! The Pop Art category is neat because I keep track of some of that stuff... One poster I'll be keeping my eye out for is a 1993 Roy Lichtenstein called "Tintin Reading" it is an image that Lichtenstein created for the cover of the book "Tintin in the New World" and it is pretty cool!

Talking Points

2011-04-02T02:48:00.002-04:00

So, my work computer has decided that it no longer wants to recharge. This is problematic given the amount of work I have to do over this weekend, which is really not that easy to do through a Citrix connection with my home computer. Ugh. It seems as though the battery will take a change but the power adapter is kind of kaput. I love that it keeps telling me that the output from the a/c adapter is too low for the computer. It's the adapter that came *with* the computer! Whatever. Another reason to be a Mac user.

What else?

Can someone tell me why Aperture 3 is $199 at the Apple Store but $79 through the App Store? I guess I should just be happy that the technogeeks at the Apple Store are the ones who told me about the price difference!

In other news, the parents are now iPhone users. How cool is that? This is quite an upgrade from the pay as you go phone my mom had been using (which was as close to an analog cell phone as you could find in 2011...)

Ah, I remember the days of the analog cell phone. I loved my Nokia Charlie's Angels phone. ;) but I think I love even more the fact that I can order and pay for my dinner at Chipotle all on my iPhone.

Speaking of Chipotle, the other night I did place an order for pick up from my phone.... Then when I get to my local Chipotle, I was a little bit early so I waited as they got my meal ready... In the middle of which the section of the shopping center where the restaurant is lost power. A little bit of panic actually ensued. There was a really long line for food, so the place had a lot of people in it and once the power cut out the vents stopped working but the (I assume gas powered) griddles remained operational so the place did start to fill up with fajita smoke. The manager quickly got his employees to open all of the doors in order to get some cross ventilation going on. They ushered everyone out and decided to close! Luckily, they gave my my stuff and since I had paid online I was free to go with my burrito bowl. A bit of adventure in North Brunswick.

In further news, I did just return from a car trip to Georgia.

Yes, a car trip to Georgia.

My Dad's driver's license had expired (back in August...!?!?) and given that it was a Commercial Driver's License he was unable to renew it online. And, to add insult to injury, he obviously couldn't board a plane to go back home to renew it... And without it he was running into problems with estate administration in his role as executor. So my mom and dad rented a minivan and we drove from NJ to Atlanta, spent two days and then drove back.

My mom was most impressed with our rented Town and Country van which included Sirius Satellite radio and automatic side doors and an automatic hatchback. I will say it was pretty cool that the doors would open by themselves at the touch of a button. And Miss B. Really enjoyed being able to open and close her door all by herself just by hitting the little button. We were also kind of mesmerized with the stow and go compartments.

The drive down was fun, but unfortunately, the drive back up was through the rain both days... And there are just way too many tractor trailer trucks on I-81 these days. And let's not even discuss the nasty roadside food options. Double ugh. On the first night of our drive we actually ate at a place called Fatz. I don't think I need to elaborate.

Not much else is new. What have you been up to?

One more thing.

2011-03-31T00:29:00.001-04:00

I think I must be completely out of touch with the etiquette of correspondence these days.

That's all I have to say.

I love

2011-03-31T00:25:00.001-04:00

the Overture from the Barber of Seville. And Carmen. And La Boheme.

Maybe I can just live at The Met.

Hanna

2011-03-25T02:27:00.001-04:00

I've seen a couple of commercials for this movie and it looks good. And, I'm also kind of hooked by the fact that The Chemical Brothers have done the score.

More Books Again

2011-03-24T05:36:00.003-04:00

So today I went to the Bryn-Mawr Wellsley Book Sale. I made the mistake of paying $20 to get in to the special first day. This was kind of a rip off since the bulk of the other buyers were there to stock their *used book stores* and the BW folks appear to put out new books each day, so you're really not necessarily getting the pick of the litter or anything.

Not to mention that they balked at me when I asked for a receipt for my "entrance fee".... really? It's a donation. I'm not getting anything for it. It's tax deductible, give me a receipt already! But, whatever.

In the end I did get a few neat books, a very cool geologic map of New Jersey, some prints and a nicely framed drawing of the Roman skyline. Of my books? I did find a first edition, fourth printing of Faulkner's Light in August (which is retailing on www.abebooks.com) for $475. Mine was $1. I also got a first edition Edith Wharton, but unfortunately it's binding is missing, though the boards are still intact. If the binding were together it would be a $90 book. I may consider actually getting this one repaired because the rest of the book really is in very nice condition. We'll see. I also got a first edition of The Razor's Edge, but it's a book club edition (from 1945) so the value is not nearly what the regular first edition would have been, but it is a lovely book.

Hmpf.

I'm thinking I may go back again on the free days or at bag/box day... but then again, I may have hit the wall. ;)

Some people

2011-03-24T05:30:00.000-04:00

can dance, some people can sing, and some people can do neither.

JSFH

2011-03-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

That's all I have to say.

Genealogy

2011-03-21T03:19:00.002-04:00

One year during middle school my gifted class did a project on family history. We each had to talk to our relatives and put together as comprehensive of a family tree as we could.

One kid managed to track down his family through the civil war. Needless to say, he got extra credit.

Me? It was like I was dropped here from outer space.

My mom knew back to her grandparents on her mother's side (they had immigrated to the US, and we just didn't know anything about who their parents were). On her dad's side? Grandpa had been an orphan, so we only knew a few sparse facts.

On my Dad's side? All we knew were my grandparents. That's it. Nobody else. Great-grandparents? No names. My dad knew the name of both of his step-grandfathers, but that was it.

Needless to say this whole family history thing always intrigued me. I couldn't quite get my head around how people could create new generations but those generations would have no real knowledge of what had come before them.

Years passed, but finally, thanks to the Internet, I was able to make some headway. Back when I was still living in NY (so sometime around 2002-2003) I first found Ancestry.com and reviewed the 1930 census data. I found my maternal grandfather at the orphanage and I was able to find my paternal grandmother living in Princeton. I found out her sister's name and the names of her half-siblings. Also her mother's first name (Caroline) and her step-father. My Great-Grandfather had died when my Grandmother was very young and her mother had remarried. While I knew that my Grandmother's maiden name was Phillips, I wasn't able to ascertain my Great-Grandmother's maiden name.

Years passed, and about last year or so I started dabbling again on Ancestry. Armed with the knowledge that my Great-Grandmother's name had been Caroline Phillips after her first marriage, and that her second marriage was to a man named George Bromm I cast a wider search net. Through reviewing local newspaper records I found a marriage announcement from Trenton between a Ms. Caroline M. Drammond and George Bromm. The announcement gave me her address in Trenton around 1920. So, I began looking in earnest for Ms. Drammond.

Little did I know at the time that the newspaper announcement was a misprint.

After some more diligent searching I was able to locate a Ms. Caroline M. Phillips in Chester, Pennsylvania, with two daughters (Marguerite and Mary, being my Grandmother and her sister, respectively). Ms. Phillips also had two men living with her. William Diamond and George Diamond. Were they boarders? Turns out these men were her father and brother.

By reviewing the next earliest census record I was able to find more of the Diamond clan, this time with Caroline listed as a Diamond instead of a Phillips. However, Phillips is a common name. I wasn't certain she was the right woman until I looked a little closer at the neighbors listed on her census page. Who was her next door neighbor in 1910? Mr. John Phillips. At the time of the 1910 census, John Phillips was married to a woman named Sadie (nee Wright) and he had two children, Merrill (a 3 year old boy) and Dorothy (a 14 month old girl). John's younger brother, Thomas, also lived with the family. (Unfortunately, though, I wasn't able to find a record for John earlier than this date which is conclusively him). With this information I was able to contact Delaware County's records department and order copies of the marriage records for John and Sadie and John and Caroline (who were married in 1914). I also obtained the probate documentation for John, who passed away in 1918.

I was pretty confident at this point that I had found my relatives. Luckily for me, the Diamond family had lived in Chester for many years. William, my Great-Great Grandfather had married a local woman named Mary Dooley (my Great-Great Grandmother). Mary's parents were Michael and Rebecca Dooley. Michael was originally from Ireland, by way of Delaware, and fought in the Civil War, being wounded at Gettysburg.

William Diamond was one of the sons of George Diamond (my Great-Great-Great Grandfather). George had come to Chester from Brooklyn. George had originally immigrated from Ireland to Brooklyn and married Annie McCullough. George also fought in the Civil War. (Extra Credit, here I come!)

Meanwhile I was also having a little bit of luck with my dad's father's side of the family. I managed to find where they had lived in Northern New Jersey, and find the family originally living in Brooklyn after having immigrated from Acri, Italy.

All of this was very exciting. Though I have to say, I was still a bit skeptical about all of it since I'm just sitting here at home trying to connect dots on a computer screen. Was I right? Who knew?

My Mom had always joked that my Dad's family weren't picture takers. And it seemed true-- compared to my mom's family (where no occasion was complete without photos) there really weren't many pictures at all of my Dad's side. So, I was rather surprised when I visited with my grandfather (my Dad's dad) back in October and he had a photo of his grandparents and their sons (including his father) from their time in Brooklyn in the early part of the 20th century. There they were: Anthony, Rose, Michael, Joseph, Peter, Angelo and Anthony (because you can never have too many Anthony's, apparently). He also confirmed that yes, his mother's name was Angelina. He also told me that my Great-Grandmother (Caroline Diamond Phillips Bromm) was buried in Princeton-- though quick research of the burial records couldn't confirm this. This was kind of a big deal because finally, I was starting to get some real information and photos.

Sadly, my Grandfather passed away earlier this month. During the process of organizing his affairs my parents and I have started to find photos and records. First I found my Grandfather's baptismal record and birth certificate. Both included his mother's full name and confirmed that our last name was originally spelled differently (as Ancestry.com had shown in the census records). In going through some family jewelry I found a gold wedding band with the inscription "CMD JHP May 12, 1914". It was my Great-Grandmother's wedding band. I also found a bracelet inscribed CMD 1912. My Dad found his Great-Grandfather's pocketwatch (the chain of which, appears to be visible in the family photo my Grandfather had shown us).

Finally, today we located my Grandmother's bible. In it she had written a short family tree on the inside pages. It included the birth and death dates for Caroline Diamond, her daughter, Mary Diamond (my Great-Aunt) and also in it was a mass card for Dorothy Bentivolgio (nee Phillips), my Grandmother's half-sister, daughter of John and Sadie Phillips. The bible also includes grave locations in Princeton for both Caroline and Mary and it included information that John Phillips (and his younger brother Thomas) had spent time in the St. Vincent's Orphanage for Catholic and German children in Philadelphia (which may explain why I have been unable to locate earlier records for John).

I have found two photos-- one which I think may be Caroline and one which may be John, but there is no information written on the back of either. I don't think at this point that I'll ever be sure. I'm happy that I have confirmation that the research I've done so far is accurate. I'm also glad that I already feel like I know these people, even if I don't have the stories that went with their lives.

My search is continuing for information about my maternal grandfather. Searches in Trenton at the New Jersey State Archives couldn't locate his birth certificate. The Orphanage records have been destroyed and the Catholic Diocese which managed the Orphanage does not seem to have any records relating to his time there. I hired a genealogist to help solve some of the mystery and she was able to obtain a copy of my Grandparent's marriage certificate. This provided my Great-Grandmother's name, but so far searches under her name have not been fruitful. I do know that my Grandfather was born in Passaic, so at least that is a start.

What have I learned? Pass on your stories while you can. Though doing the detective work and research on Ancestry has been a fun challenge, I would have much rather had a foundation directly from family members. If you have a story, tell it. Write it down for your children or grandchildren and don't put it on a shelf for thirty years. Pass it down.

Movie Time

2011-03-09T00:20:00.001-05:00

So far today we've watched The Next Three Days and Morning Glory (let's not forget that my rental for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is almost up and I'll probably have to watch that later tonight too...)

Reviews?? The Next Three Days was really long and boring.

Morning Glory? It's actually cute.

Some People...

2011-03-08T01:16:00.003-05:00

I was on the phone today dealing with a doctor. I was trying to make arrangements for an evaluation and this guy was really just being very arrogant. At one point he says to me, very self-importantly, "well, I charge THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS per hour."

It was nice to be able to respond by saying: "well. I charge SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS per hour."

Thank you, Mom, Dad, Cornell University and my law firm for giving me the ammunition to knock the wind out of that jackhole's sails. ;)

One More Random Thing

2011-03-05T01:18:00.001-05:00

I really like the movie The Red Violin... But I adore the soundtrack. Joshua Bell rocks.

How do You Know Your Child Lives in New Jersey?

2011-03-05T01:15:00.000-05:00

They say to their stuffed dog: "So are you going to bark, or what?"

In Praise of Magda

2011-03-05T01:11:00.003-05:00

Magda is one of the seamstresses at my local dry cleaners'. A few months ago I brought in to her a Giambattista Valli dress I had gotten that needed to be shortened (as is the case with most of my clothing....) and she did a beautiful job. Today I picked up my Prada gold lame skirt (that I found at the Falka Boutique in the East Village with Ms. Thisbe back in December) which she had to make about two sizes smaller than it was originally... Looks terrific and I can't wait to wear it.

I'm considering my next challenge: altering a wool Max Mara suit jacket which I acquired as part of a skirt suit at a really great thrift store for all of $12.00. Jackets can be tricky, but I think she'll be up for it.

Books Books Books

2011-03-03T22:12:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I know I always blather on about the books I find at book sales. But. Today was different. Today I really managed to find some cool stuff. I'm not going to say I found anything amazing by great literature standards, but still.... Mostly it was all movie books.... Read on...

I did find a first edition, hard cover Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud (upon which the Kate Winslet movie was based) and a first British edition of P.D. James' The Children of Men (upon which the Clive Owen movie was based....)

Then I found a first edition, first printing DaVinci Code. Do you have any idea how many DaVinci Codes there are out there floating around in space? I managed to find one of the first. It even has a publisher's uncorrected spelling error!

I also found a first edition Family of Man.

And, a first edition (early printing) of Where the Sidewalk Ends (this one has the poem "The Gypsies are Coming" which in later printings was changed to "The Goonies are Coming").

And... One of the books I always look for is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Well, I didn't find a first edition, but I did find a copy autographed by the author (and it was even purchased at a book store in Savannah!) how cool is that?

Rounding out the rest? First edition Prayer for Owen Meany, first edition English Patient (British edition) and First edition, 12th printing Dr. Zhivago (with dust jacket.... also British edition)-- I already have two other Zhivagos, but this is my first with a jacket and my lowest printing number to date.

Lastly, I found a first printing hardcover copy of David Macaulay's Cathedral.

It Does Pay to Be Nice to Salespeople

2011-03-03T10:27:00.002-05:00

(or alternatively.... People will buy anything...). Okay, so people won't buy *anything* but darn near close to it. When I was at the outlets (see post below) as a parting gift in connection with my little clothing try on incident the sales person gave me two very nice, glossy "Look Books" for the designer's Spring 2011 collection.

Since I was a kid my dad has been collecting various promotional materials (specifically I remember that Chevrolet used to make scale models of their Corvettes back in the day...) so I had a sense that these little goodies might be of interest to someone out there.

Last night, I listed my brochures on eBay and this morning I found out that while I slept some fashionable person bought them overnight for $9.99 plus shipping.

Score!

Mary Poppins!

2011-03-03T00:19:00.002-05:00

Today, Miss B. and I went to NYC to see Mary Poppins on Broadway! I had been planning to go to TKTS in the morning to get either tickets for Wicked or Mary Poppins but thanks to BroadwayBox, I was able to score 4th row center stage tickets for half price (no waiting on the TKTS line needed!)

If you're looking for a family friendly show I highly recommend it. The sets were fantastic, there was a very large and energetic cast, the songs were classic and they also had great special effects. Miss B. especially loved when Mary "flew" off the stage, up over the audience and up into the balcony. The children actors were terrific and the whole production was just very high quality and entertaining (not to mention that the New Amsterdam Theater is beautiful-- be sure to check out the New Amsterdam lounge down in the lower level if you visit).

Afterwards, as we were walking down 42nd Street to get back to the Mini, Hawkeye B managed to spot the Sanrio store (aka Hello Kitty Central) and thus we made a quick detour to all things Kitty. When I was a kid I used to go to the Sanrio store at the Broward Mall so this was very reminiscent (though I have to say I think the prices have certainly increased for inflation... but where else can you find so many small erasers, notepads and decorative scented pens than at a Hello Kitty shop?)

2011-03-03T00:07:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I decided to take a trek up to Woodbury Commons. It was a sunny day and I had grand plans to take the daughter and the dog to Storm King, followed by a short jaunt to the Commons... but turns out Storm King doesn't reopen until March 31st.... so a trip that was to be somewhat artsy and shoppy, became just plain shoppy.

While I'm there, I go into a rather Chichi boutique and am looking around. The sales staff tells me that everything in the store is either 30% off or 25% off and everything is an additional 10% off on top of that. Terrific! So, I start looking around and soon the sales girl has a dressing room set aside for me. During my browsing I had found a super cute little yellow sweater. It was marked a 4, but it looked a little small so I asked her if they had it in any other sizes. She told me it was the last one.

So, when I go into the fitting room, I start trying on my selections. I start with the yellow sweater. It was crew neck with short sleeves and a bit of an a-line design. It looked like it would be perfect under a suit or with a slim pair of pants. I put it on and have to say, it was a little hard to get over my head. But I got it on. The sleeves were a teensy bit tight, but the rest of it was just so darn cute! The only real problem was that it was part angora and angora always makes me itch. When I finish in the dressing room I'm deciding between the sweater and another top. When I go to check out I ask the sales girl for her opinion-- should I go with the sweater or the other top?

That's when she tells me that the yellow sweater is a size 4 CHILDRENS. It isn't actually a woman's sweater but a child's DRESS! To add insult to injury this is when she then tells me that she had thought I was bringing it into the fitting room for my daughter to try on!

As for me? Yes, I had forced over my head a child's a-line dress and was attempting to wear it as a top. I guess my first clue should have been to notice that everything else in the store was marked in European sizing. The girl did admit though that everybody had been trying on that "sweater". ;)

Needless to say that's a pretty quick way to burst someone's "I'm so fashionable" bubble.

Marni

2011-03-01T00:05:00.002-05:00

So I've been lucky to pick up a few Marni pieces recently. The clothing is really neat. Well made, kind of architectural and.... Always with pockets! Here is an interesting little article about the brand from the Wall Street Journal.

E!

2011-02-28T00:47:00.001-05:00

Who are these idiots that E! has at th "Oscar After Party"? they're not funny and I think I would rather just watch a live feed of people standing in line at the Vanity Fair party's valet line.

Things We Love

2011-02-26T01:09:00.004-05:00

Jen Bekman's art website 20x200. It truly is Art for Everyone. She really has a great eye for fun, modern style art and photography. Who doesn't love Wegman's Weimeraners??

That, if you look closely, certain items in the CB2 catalogue are true rip offs of much more expensive items at Design within Reach. I'm thinking the marble topped circular coffee table, the tripod lamp... Check it out. And, why the hell is it called Design within Reach anyway if the stuff is so damn expensive!?!

That the Oscars are this weekend.

That Laura from the ShoreHouse is back! :)

That there is a book entitled "How to Knit a Dog" (and yes, we sent one to Thisbe).

Nantucket Nectars half and half.

The new MacBook. The soon to be delivered spiffy purple candy shell case for said MacBook.

The two pair of thrift store cords that I bought which totally need to be hemmed before it becomes Spring.

That I have to worry that it's almost Spring. ;)

My friend's new blog I Try Stuff On (So You Don't Have To).

The eBay Shop linda*s***stuff. This woman is my eBay hero. She is a former lawyer and mom who started an eBay consignment business out of her house in Pennsylvania that has now grown to a store with like 65,000 things listed. Linda has some good stuff.

That the Internet can make London seem not that far away and can help me turn used shoes into cash.

It's

2011-02-24T01:43:00.000-05:00

1:43 am and I'm hungry.

iPodding...

2011-02-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

I'm in the middle of putting my entire CD library onto my iPod. This is taking a lot longer than one would have hoped!

Mini-Lohan

2011-02-20T22:40:00.002-05:00

Today Miss B. and I went to a Baby Shower. B. was the oldest tot there (there were three other little boys, ages 1-2.)

Things started out fine and then all of a sudden it was like going to a club with Lindsay Lohan.

At first, she was her usual well behaved self. Right up until she got a few cupcakes, madeleines and a couple of lemon cookies in her. Once that happened, all hell broke loose.

She started running around the house, as if we were playing hide and seek, in order to avoid going to the bathroom. She found a ray gun and kept running around trying to "shrink" anything she could get her hands on. She tried to wrestle a toy cell phone away from one of the other kids. Then, she started to get all wobbly (as kids tend to, once the sugar wears off).

At one point she took off her shoes, put a pillow pet behind her head and attempted to take a nap right in the middle of the living room sofa.

Next thing you know, she's spilling a drink.

I'm just glad she didn't take my credit card and try to order up bottle service.

MacBook Revolution!

2011-02-18T01:35:00.002-05:00

I am typing this post on my new, bright and shiny, MacBook. How cool is that? When I was in third grade, the first computer that I had access to was an Apple in the gifted classroom of my elementary school... it has the same keyboard. Ever so slightly different from that of a PC, and in that classic Mac font.

Also, can I just say, how cool is it that thanks to the concept of "HomeSharing" my MacBook is currently importing my entire music library from my old computer.... WIRELESSLY. Open iTunes on one computer, open iTunes on the other computer and POOF! Magically, through the air, my music files are finding their way onto my new laptop.

All those hours of downloading music from the infamous CD collection have all come down to this moment of technology. Pretty darn cool.

Citizen Stock!

2011-02-13T01:20:00.003-05:00

On Thursday, Miss B. and I went to Citizen Stock, a stock photo agency in Manhattan for a photo shoot. I had read about it in Backstage magazine and signed us up for an appointment.

We got to the studio (on Lafayette St. and East 4th) at just after 1:30 and we were there for three hours! It was a really neat photography studio, with both Sherrie Nickol and David Kazenstein taking photos of multiple models. During our three hours at the studio there were nine different models (including us). People of all ages-- a couple of young women, a young man who looked like Ray Liotta, a cuban man in his '60s or '70s, a woman doctor in her fifties from Horsham, PA. and a man and woman couple who appeared to be native american.

We all had brought different outfits with us and Sherrie would look through the clothes and work with us to pick out what she thought would be best and each model would do shoots with three different outfits.

Our photos are supposed to be up on the website in about 6 months and will be ready at that time for potential use by advertisers and pr folks, etc. We get a percentage of the licensing fees associated with our photos. How cool is that?

Here's an article from Crain's Business Daily about the project.

Pig Nose!

2011-02-11T22:54:00.002-05:00

Poor Jason Statham... He does the voice of Tybalt in Gnomeo & Juliette. Not only is this probably the closest he will come to Shakespeare, but they gave the poor guy a pig nose! I would have complained to the animators. Nothing is worse than a pig nose, except I guess a pig nose and a big chin. At least he had on a gnome hat so you couldn't tell whether he was bald too boot.

OMG!

2011-02-10T23:57:00.002-05:00

The Nicholas Cage Tax Evasion Film Marathon continues.... I just saw a commercial for "Drive Angry" (shot in 3D). Well, at least he's working.... Whatever you do, Nic, don't let them reposess the castle!

Half a World Away

2011-02-10T01:25:00.003-05:00

Listening to an acoustic version of this song by REM... Haven't heard it in forever. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away REM was my favorite band. I think it has something to do with going to high school in Georgia in the '90's. Even got to meet Michael Stipe in '92 at a Clinton Gore rally.

Ah, Shuffle.

Quick update. After hearing the song (and noticing the lack of early REM in my cd collection, see below) it made me realize that my good REM was all on cassette. So, I made a quick trip to iTunes to rectify this situation.

Love Kate Pierson's back up vocals on Me In Honey.

Broadway Bound

2011-02-09T22:58:00.003-05:00

So there's a new crop of shows on Broadway...

John Leguizamo is back this time with a new one man show... Ghetto Klown. What do you think? Is it the next Spic-o-Rama or Sexaholix?

Dane Cook (?) yes, Dane Cook is making his Broadway debut in Fat Pig with Julia Stiles and Josh Charles.

Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones are still going strong in Driving Miss Daisy.

Colin Quinn has moved his Jerry Seinfeld directed one man show Long Story Short to Broadway.

Olympia Dukakis is in the revival of Tennesse Williams' The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore.

But I think what is really going to be interesting is The Motherf**ker with the Hat with Chris Rock.

CD Collection...

2011-02-09T03:26:00.006-05:00

I got my first cd when I was in high school (prior to that I had been a big devotee of the cassette). My dad bought it for me- it was the Rolling Stones Hot Rocks two cd set (quickly followed by Madonna's Immaculate Collection). While in college I began to amass a large cd collection thanks to multiple memberships in BMG and Columbia House. Oh, what you could get for a penny!

Many years later, I have a rather large collection of jewel cases cluttering up my family room storage cabinets and I no longer own a proper CD player. Thanks to that nifty little device called an iPod, I really don't need all of these anymore... so I'm planning to whittle the collection down to its most basic. Keep all the stuff that's really great, download everything else and see what I can get for it. What do you think?

#
The 3 Tenors Paris
10,000 Maniacs Our Time in Eden
10,000 Maniacs Unplugged

A
ABBA Gold
Aerosmith Big Ones
After Eight Nightcap
Alanis Morrisette Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morrisette Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
All You Need is Love (Starbucks Single)
All Saints
Amber Amber
Annie Lennox Medusa
Annie Lennox Songs of Mass Destruction
Astrud Gilberto Finest Hour

B
Backstreet Boys
Barbra Streisand A Collection Greatest Hits
Barbra Streisand Duets
Barbra Streisand The Movie Album
Barenaked Ladies Gordon
Barenaked Ladies Shoebox EP (promotional)
Barenaked Ladies Stunt
The Beatles Anthology Volume 2
The Beatles Rubber Soul
The Beatles The White Album
The Beautiful South The Best of
Benny Goodman Orchestra
Beyonce Dangerously in Love
Billboard Top Hits 1979
Billboard Top Dance Hits 1979
Billie Holiday Billie’s Best
Billy Joel Greatest Hits
Billy Joel Greatest Hits Volume III
Billy Joel The Russian Album
Billy Joel Storm Front
Bjork Post
The Black Eyed Peas The Beginning
Blind Melon
Blondie Greatest Hits
Blu Cantrell So Blu
Blues Traveler Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler Four
Blues Traveler Straight on Till Morning
Bob Marley Legend The Best of Bob Marley
Bonnie Raitt Luck of the Draw
Bonnie Raitt The Bonnie Raitt Collection
Bon Jovi Crossroads
Boy George At worst the best of Boy George
Brandy and Monica The Boy is Mine Single

C
Celine Dion Falling Into You
Celine Dion Let’s Talk About Love
Charlotte Church Prelude The Best of Charlotte Church
Cher If I could Turn Back Time Greatest Hits
Chris Isaak Baja Sessions
Chris Isaak Best of Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak Christmas
Chris Isaak Forever Blue
Chris Isaak Heart Shaped World
Chris Isaak San Francisco Days
Christina Aguillera Stripped
Citizen King Better Days (single)
Club Mix ‘97
Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head
Coldplay Parachutes
Coldplay X&Y
Coming Home
The Cranberries No Need to Argue
The Cranberries Everybody Else is Doing It So Why Don’t We?
The Crystal Method Vegas
The Cure Disintegration
Cyndi Lauper At Last

D
Dave Matthews Band Crash
Dave Matthews Under the Table and Dreaming
David Sanborn Inside
Dean Martin Greatest Hits
Dee-Lite World Clique
Denis Leary No Cure for Cancer
Destiny’s Child Independent Women
Destiny’s Child Survivor
Diana Krall Quiet Nights
Diana Ross & The Supremes The Ultimate Collection
Dido No Angel
The Disco Years Vol. 1
Dixie Chicks Fly
Dixie Chicks Home
Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince Homebase
Django Reinhardt The Great Blue Star Sessions 1947-1953 Peche a la mouche
Django Reinhardt Best Recordings I
Django Reinhart (Koch)
Donna Summer’s Greatest Hits Endless Summer
Duran Duran Decade

E
Eagles Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Eagles Greatest Hits Vol. 2
Edith Piaf The Gold Collection
Ella Fitzgerald The Best of the Song Books
Ella Fitzgerald The Best of the Verve Songbooks Love Songs
Ella Fitzgerald The Cole Porter Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald The Irving Berlin Songbook Vol. 1
Ella Fitzgerald The Johnny Mercer Songbook
Elton John Love Songs
Elton John Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind (wrapped)
En Vogue Greatest Hits
Entertainment Weekly Greatest Hits 1980
Entertainment Weekly Greatest Hits 1989
Enya Paint the Sky with Stars
Enya The Memories of Trees
Enya Watermark
ESPN Jock Jams Vol 1
ESPN Jock Jams Vol 3
ESPN Jock Jams Vol. 4
Eurythmics Be Yourself Tonight (missing cd)

F
Fatboy Slim Praise You Single
Fatboy Slim Rockafeller Skank (single)
Fatboy Slim You’ve Come a Long Way Baby
Fiona Apple Tidal
Fiona Apple When the Pawn
Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits
Fleetwood Mac The Dance
Forrest for the Trees
Frank Sinatra Classic Sinatra His Great Performances
Frank Sinatra Songs for Swingin’ Lovers

G
Gin Blossoms New Miserable Experience
George Michael Faith
George Michael Listen without Prejudice
Gerry Rafferty Right Down the Line
Go Gos Greatest Hits
Grand Master Flash Essential Mix Classic Edition
Grand Master Flash and Melle Mel and the Furious Five—The Best of
The Greatest Dance Album in the World
Green Day Nimrod

H
Hangovers On the Rocks
Hangovers Moonshine
Harry Connick, Jr 20
Harry Connick, Jr. 25
Harry Connick, Jr. She
Harry Connick, Jr. Star Turtle
Harry Connick, Jr. Voodoo Mama, Hear me in the Harmony Single
Harry Connick, Jr. We Are in Love
Harry Connick, Jr. When My Heart Finds Christmas
Hootie and the Blowfish Cracked Rear View
Hotel Costes 5
Hotel Costes 9
House of Pain
The Howard Alden Trio

I
Indigo Girls Indigo Girls
INXS Welcome to Wherever You Are

J
James Taylor Greatest Hits
Jamiroquai Travelling Without Moving
Janet Jackson Design of a Decade
Janis Joplin Greatest Hits
Jars of Clay
Janet Jackson The Velvet Rope
Jennifer Lopez—If You Had My Love (single)
Jewel Pieces of You
Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock (single)
Jimmy Buffet Songs You Know By Heart
Joan Osborn Relish
John Mayer Room for Squares
Joss Stone The Soul Sessions
The Judds Greatest Hits
The Judybats Full Empty
The Judybats Native Song
The Judybats Pain Makes You Beautiful

K
kd Lang Absolute Torch and Twang
kd lang All You Can Eat
kd lang Drag
kd lang Invincible Summer
Kid Rock Devil without a Cause
The KLF The White Room
Kristine Sa Never Knew

L
La Caution Peines de Maures
Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Les Nubians Princesses Nubiennes
Live Throwing Copper
Living in Oblivion The Eighties Greatest Hits Vol. 4
LL Cool J All World
Luscious Jackson “Naked Eye”

M
Macy Gray The Id
Macy Gray On How Life Is
Madonna American Life
Madonna “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”
Madonna Erotica
Madonna Greatest Hits (volume 2)
Madonna I’m Breathless (Dick Tracy Soundtrack)
Madonna The Immaculate Collection
Madonna Music
Madonna Ray of Light
Madonna Something to Remember
Madonna True Blue
Malaguena Spanish Guitar Music
Mark Curry Its Only Time
Mariah Carey Butterfly
Mariah Carey Greatest Hits
Maroon 5 Songs about Jane
Melissa Etheridge Yes I am
Michael Buble Crazy Love
Michael Buble Let it Snow!
Michael Buble Michael Buble
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Let’s Face It
Miles Davis A Kind of Blue
Mills Brothers Paper Doll
Moby Play
Monica The First Night (single)
Monty Python Instant Record Collection
Morrissey We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful (Single)
MTV Party to Go Vol. 2
MTV Party to Go Vol. 3
MTV Party To Go Vol. 4

N
Nat King Cole The Greatest Hits
Natalie Imbruglia Left of the Middle
Natalie Merchant Ophelia
New Order The Best of New Order
Nick Lachey SoulO
No Doubt Greatest Hits
No Doubt Tragic Kingdom
Now that’s What I Call Music Vol. 3
Now that’s What I Call Music Vol. 11
Norah Jones Come Away with Me

O
Oasis What’s The Story, Morning Glory?

P
Paul Simon Concert in the Park
Paul Simon Negotiations and Love Songs
Pearl Jam No Code
Pearl Jam (sheep cover)
Pearl Jam Ten
Pink Martini Splendor in the Grass
PM Dawn Jesus Wept
The Police Every Breath You Take The Singles
The Police Synchronicity
Portishead Dummy
Puff Daddy and the Family No Way Out
Pure Disco
Pure Disco Volume 2
Pure Funk
Prince The Hits 1
Prince The Hits 2
Pras Michel Ghetto Superstar single

Q
Queen Classic Queen (Black)
Queen Greatest Hits (Maroon)

R
Real McCoy Another Night
Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magic
Red Hot Chili Peppers—What Hits!?
REM Automatic for the People
REM Document
REM Eponymous
REM Monster
Republica
Ricky Martin Ricky Martin
Rolling Stones 40 Licks
Rolling Stones Hot Rocks
Robbie Williams The Ego Has Landed
Robbie Williams Sing When You’re Winning
Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman Something Stupid
Robyn Show Me Love
Rusted Root When I Woke

S
Sade The Best of Sade
Salt N Peppa Very Necessary
Sarah McLachlan Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Sarah McLachlan I will Remember You/Ice Cream Single
Sarah McLachlan Surfacing
Seal
Shania Twain Come on Over
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow Greatest Hits
Sheryl Crow If it Makes You Happy single
Simon and Garfunkle Greatest Hits
Sinead O’Connor I do Not Want What I Have Not Got
Sixpence None The Richer
Smash Mouth Fush Yu Mang
Spice Girls Say You’ll Be There (single)
Spice Girls Spice Up Your Life
The Soup Dragons Hot Wired
Squeeze Singles 45s and Under
Steely Dan Greatest Hits
Stephane Grappelli Live at the Blue Note
Steve Miller Band Greatest Hits
Stevie Wonder Natural Wonder
Stevie Wonder Song Review
Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life
Sting Brand New Day
Sting Best of 1994
Sting Mercury Falling
Sting Ten Summoner’s Tales
Sugar Ray Floored

T
Talking Heads Sand in the Vaseline (2 disks)
They Might Be Giants Istanbul (not Constantinople) (single)
Third Eye Blind How its Going to Be (single)
Tonic Lemon Parade
Totally Hits 2

U
The Unplugged Collection Vol. 1
U2 Achtung Baby (Missing CD)
U2 Boy
U2 Joshua Tree
U2 October
U2 Rattle and Hum Missing CD
U2 Sunday Bloody Sunday Maxi Single 45 = special us remixes
UB40 Promises and Lies
Ultimate Dance Party 1997

V
The Verve Pipe Villains
Village People Greatest Hits
Violent Femmes

W
The Wallflowers Bringing Down the Horse
Whitney Houston It’s Not Right But Its Okay (single)
Whitney Houston My Love is Your Love
Will Smith Big Willie Style
Will Smith Wild Wild West (single)
Wings Greatest
Wings Wingspan
Woodstock ’99 (wrapped)

SOUNDTRACKS/BROADWAY

50 First Dates
Ally McBeal
Amelie
Annie Get Your Gun (Broadway cast Merman)
A Room with a View
Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me
Batman Forever
Bend it Like Beckham
The Bourne Supremacy
The Breakfast Club
Cabaret Broadway Cast Recording
Charlie’s Angels
Chicago The Movie
Chicago The Musical
Chocolat
Clerks
City of Angels
Crazy For You Broadway Cast Recording
Dead Man Walking
Don Juan DeMarco
Down with Love
The English Patient
Everyone Says I Love You
Forrest Gump
French Kiss
The Full Monty
Girl 6 Songs by Prince
The Music of Glee Season One Volume 1
The Music of Glee Season One Volume 2
Go
Grease
Grosse Pointe Blank
Hannah and Her Sisters
I Am Sam
Into the Woods Broadway Cast Recording
James Bond The Best of James Bond 30th Anniversary Collection
Kill Bill Vol. 2
The Last Supper
Love Actually
Match Point
Moonstruck
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge Vol. 2
My Best Friend’s Wedding
New York—A Documentary Film
Notting Hill
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Twelve
Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
One Fine Day
Out of Africa
Party Girl
Pretty Woman
Pulp Fiction
Radio Days
Ragtime Film
Ready to Wear
Reality Bites
The Red Violin
Rent (Broadway Cast Recording)
Romeo and Juliet
Saturday Night Fever
Say Anything
Scent of a Woman
Sopranos
The Sting
Strange Days
Sweet and Lowdown
Titanic
Trainspotting
Vanilla Sky
Walt Disney’s Fantasia 2 Disk Set
When Harry Met Sally
Woody Allen Classics
You’ve Got Mail

The Rock

2011-02-09T01:02:00.001-05:00

Okay, I so totally love The Rock's cameo in You Again.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

2011-02-08T16:33:00.002-05:00

I finally got the chance to watch this (on my iPad, nonetheless!) Again with the Swedes and the bad skin-- uber realism! But, regardless it was a good movie (even if they did cut out some of the stuff from the book... namely the begining part in the Carribean).

Next? I've rented The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest through iTunes and am looking forward to watching it.

I still have mixed feelings about Rooney Mara becoming Salander for the US film, but I guess I'll just have to focus on Daniel Craig. (We know he has better skin than Michael Nyquist!) :)

Haircut!

2011-02-06T00:35:00.002-05:00

I have finally made an appointment for a haircut! I haven't gotten one since June... So needless to say it was about time. I have been going to Frederic Fekkai for just over nine years now (with previous forays to John Barrett salon at Bergdorf's and, sadly, prior to that the Jean-Louis David on 52nd Street--egads!) but this time I'm trying Oscar Blandi. I had looked into Rita Hazan (known for color) and Sally Hershberger (signature shag cut for Meg Ryan, et. al) but decided to stay in midtown and not do anying drastic cut or color wise...

My appointment is for this coming Saturday and I'm excited to see the results. The week after we've got Westminster (with Thisbe and the Wee Kraken), the Circus and Mel's baby shower, so I figured it might be a good time to look presentable. Hoping to also grab a late lunch while I'm in the city.... Any recommendations?

Winter's Bone

2011-02-04T03:52:00.001-05:00

was pretty gritty, to say the least. I knew it couldn't have been a good thing when that woman was carrying a chain saw.

Next up? Animal Kingdom.

Zumba. Zumba.

2011-02-03T22:28:00.003-05:00

Tonight I went to a "Zumba" class which is a workout mix of latin fusion dance and cardio. The Zumba motto is "Ditch the workout and join the party!"

Was it a party? I don't know about that, exactly, but it was fun, to the extent that a workout can be called fun.

It was a 7:30 class and there were about 6 of us, plus the instructor. The other ladies included two women in their 50's, one gym employee who was the spitting image of one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey (Juicy Couture track suit and all), two Asian women and me. Any class that includes dancing to Salt n' Peppa, Shakira and Ricky Martin can't be all bad, right? That's right. Unless, like me you happen to have some sort of dyslexia when it commes to trying to follow people's dancing instructions.

Whether I'm watching the instructor's feet or trying to watch in the mirror regardless I ALWAYS go the wrong way. If everyone else in the class is turning to the left, I'm going to the right. If I'm supposed to move my left foot two steps to the right, I'm moving the right foot two steps (if I'm lucky) to the left.

As my mother is painfully aware, I can't dance (this is not entirely true... I can dance. If I'm wearing heels. If I'm wearing flats, forget about it. Tennis sneakers? Give me a break!) So here I am in these New Balance clodhoppers trying to follow the instructor as she shakes and shimmies her way through Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" and I'm doing all the wrong moves and I'm going totally the opposite direction from everyone else in the class. It was like something out of a movie. And, let's not forget that I also have some sort of workout triggered tourettes syndrome, whereby I tend to repeat what the instructor is saying, but often lose control of the volume of my voice and say it too loudly. Nice.

That all being said though-- by the end, where we got to just dance to some salsa music and not have to follow too strictly, I managed to do okay. Further, there were certain moves that I could just do, even if the rest of the routine was like a foreign language. Anything involving hopping, clapping or one certain samba move I can perform like an idiot savant. I'm sure this skill will never come in handy. Ever.

Will I go back? Probably. Like I said, I love Salt n' Peppa. And besides, at one point I was pretty sure she was trying to teach us the dance routine Christopher Walken performed in the "Weapon of Choice" video. Now that would be a good party trick.

In other news, regarding work outs specifically, I'm going to see what other classes may interest me. I've tried Yoga many times before and I'm just not too crazy about it. Yes, it can be very relaxing but over all I think mat pilates is a better workout. You leave pilates really thinking that it just kicked your butt, all I've ever gotten out of yoga was a back spasm. Mostly, though, I'm more a fan of strength training and doing the weight machines. While I need to do cardio to help with my asthma, I prefer the weights because I'm good at it.

Finally... here's my million dollar workout idea: have a fitness class that involves both dancing AND singing. It could be Cardio-Karaoke. What do you think?

UPDATE----- Apparently, someone named Billy Blanks, jr. has already developed a workout called Cardioke (damn, he even took my name!) I guess I'll have to hold off on that call to the Invention Submission Company!

The Ugly Stick

2011-02-01T21:35:00.002-05:00

She didn't just get hit with the ugly stick, the whole effing forrest fell on her.

Omar Sharif

2011-02-01T21:32:00.003-05:00

Apparently, the world's greatest living expert on Egyptian politics... and Bridge.

$73,467.68

2011-02-01T15:10:00.002-05:00

is what I made while staying at home last year. Telecommuting rocks. (As does having gone to school for long enough that I am billed out at $735 per hour for my services).

Some People

2011-01-28T02:10:00.001-05:00

have no social skills what. so. ever.

Ice.

2011-01-27T02:47:00.001-05:00

This reminded me of Chihuly.

Me. With Camera and Funny Hat.

2011-01-27T02:44:00.000-05:00

Book Club

2011-01-27T01:16:00.004-05:00

Since Christmas I've read the following:

Born Standing Up, by Steve Martin
True Grit, by Charles Portis
The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua
The Lover's Dictionary, by David Levithan
Flights of Love, by Bernhard Schlink
Water for Elephants, by Sarah Gruen

I'm now deciding between either An Object of Beauty, also by Steve Martin or The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Thoughts?

As for the books I've read, I actually have enjoyed them all (and I think that's what has successfully kept me on this little reading kick...)

Born Standing Up was great. It was light... An easy and enjoyable read.
True Grit? Fabulous. Just like the movie, but indeed, i liked it better than the movie. The characternof Mattie Ross comes off even better in print and the dialogue is fantastic.

The Battle Hymn? Chua definitely has issues, but she does try to tell her story with humor. It was a fascinating look into just what can happen when drive and perfectionism can take over a life (and one's children's lives...)

The Lover's Dictionary was inventive and perfect for those with ADD, as the entire story is told through dictionary entries.

Flights of Love? I had wanted to read this after watching the Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Antonio Banderas film, "The Other Man" (recommended by the Mom). The movie was based on one of the short stories from this book. I enjoy Schlink's writing and i like reading about his German settings.

Water for Elephants? Good story, interesting characters-- looking forward toseeing Christoph Waltz' take on the schizophrenic August when the film version opens later this year. I will say, though, the part I liked the most, was the epilogue wherein Gruen tells of her inspiration and research fornthe book. It was great insight into the writer's craft. Turns out while, writing what you know is still always true, you can supplement "what you know" through research. ;)

What books have you been reading?

Dance Me to the End of Love

2011-01-27T01:11:00.003-05:00

The other day I was at, of all places, the Cheesecake Factory, and I heard Madeline Peyroux's version of Leonard Cohen's Dance Me to the End of Love. I'd always thought it was a haunting and beautiful song. I had first heard it years ago and I had actually bought the otherwise pretty dreadful soundtrack to the (also pretty dreadful) film "Strange Days" just because of Kate Gibson's version used in the movie.

So, when I heard the song at the restaurant I knew I had to go home, unearth my old cd and add it to my iPod. So I did and I also downloaded the MP version as well. I had never known that the song was inspired by the Holocaust. Have to say, that kind of makes it even more of a downer!

Multitasking

2011-01-24T03:36:00.002-05:00

Early this morning (around 2:30am) when my daughter cried for me to come into her room, I doubt she anticipated that when joining her I would bring my iPad and enlist her in finalizing my order for invitations for a friend's baby shower.

Yup, little Miss wanted some snuggly company as she is lately not enjoying sleeping by herself, so I figured nothing will more than likely put a child to sleep than having them act as an invitation proofreader.

Ceelo and Gwyneth

2011-01-21T02:55:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed Gwyneth's stint on Glee. Her "Forget You" version of Ceelo's "F___ You" is catchy in that typical Glee way. I like it.

But I like the original even more.

One more musical side note. I hadn't heard La Roux's Bulletproof until she performed on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve with Ryan Seacrest (that's a fricking mouthful). You may recall, I don't listen to the radio, save WNYC.

Anyway, when I first heard the song I was convinced it was some sort of redo of an '80's song. Wasn't crazy about it. Then, today I heard it at H&M and had to download it. Yes, when it comes to being a music consumer I'm as imprintable as a baby duck.

From the You've Got To Be Kidding Files

2011-01-20T11:50:00.003-05:00

So I post to my Facebook status a reference to a song. Yes, I'm one of "those" people. I do this often. Either a lyric, or a song. I spend a lot of time listening to my iPod in the car and it just seems fitting.

I post a reference to a Pearl Jam song, one of those typical angsty '90s songs that was popular in high school. It had been on in the car and fit my mood, so why not. (It is, after all, my favorite Pearl Jam song), notwithstanding the bit at the end that gets repetitive and kind of grating, but whatever.

A friend from High School sees this and posts that the song always reminds him of pining away for someone in high school.
I respond by agreeing, wholeheartedly. It's just that kind of song.

We go back and forth and he, bravely, reveals who his high school crush was-- a lovely girl, who I never knew he liked, even though, during high school we were pretty good friends. He asks me to do the same, citing the passage of time.

I say, sorry, but no cigar. After all these years nobody needs an ego boost, especially since I'm not pining, I just happened to hear the song, though it does remind me of pining. You see, for me, the song wasn't just a soundtrack for longing, but was actually playing, in the car on a so-called "date" with a particular person.

Who I am friends with on Facebook, who I wish to remain nameless.

Until that guy posts a comment.

Schmuck.

So I respond also, saying nothing specific, but implicating two friends.

One of which I have now reached out to, asking, (okay, begging) to throw out the name of another High School crush guy.

And suddenly, at age 35, I'm not only reminded of high school, but find myself back in it.

Thanks, Mark Zuckerberg. Thanks so much. ;)

$5.00 Deals

2011-01-16T02:14:00.002-05:00

So I know this won't be a big deal for most of you, but I have been pretty excited lately by the $5.00 deals I've recently found...

Take for instance, my venture to the East Village with Thisbe where I managed to dig up a Marc Jacobs 100% silk dress for $5.00 at Cadillac's Castle. We're not talking Marc by Marc Jacobs, this is actual Marc Jacobs... It was turned inside out and kind of balled up in the middle of one of the cardboard boxes filled with crap that was all "$5.00". It's lavender silk, fully lined and has pockets! It has an empire waist and an a-line skirt and matches my lavender suede Manolo Blahniks perfectly! I had it dry cleaned and it looks fab, I just have to take it to my tailor and have it shortened a bit because for now it is kind of that awkward length where it's hitting mid-calf... But that's what you get when you're five feet tall.

Next: TSE cashmere skirt for $5.00 at the Second Chance Thrift store in Peapack. It's burgundy, super soft and just damn comfy.

But the kicker has to be the vintage Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche wool pants I found for $1.00, also in Peapack. You just can't beat vintage couture for $1.00!

Wowzer

2011-01-10T23:26:00.002-05:00

I'm falling behind. So, long time, no posts. Thanks for sticking with me, my fearless readers.

What's been going on?

Well, for starters, I've seen a lot of movies. Let's do the run down:

Tangled (since it's animated, I don't know if this really should count.... But I will say, I was pleasantly surprised. It was classic Disney. And, since I love Zachary Levi, it was fun that he did voice work for it).

Tron (let's not even discuss) Way too much Jeff Bridges. I know a lot of people think of Jeff Bridges as "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski, but I will always think of Jeff as Starman. I will say, however, that I really felt bad after the fact when I gave my review of the movie to Mallory, the fabric girl at Jo-Ann, who seemed genuinely disappointed that I didn't have anything positive to say about it. Sorry to disappoint, Mallory-- I hope you went ahead and saw it and made your own decision!

The Tourist (did I see ANY movies that didn't start with the letter "T"?) Okay, this one I really liked. It was fluff and it wasn't necessarily as good as Anthony Zimmer, but it had great scenery, a good story and everyone in it was entertaining. Now matter what you may think of Angelina Jolie, the woman is beautiful and incredibly classy. I would kill for her wardrobe in that movie. Johnny Depp, unfortunately, looked a bit more disheveled than normal, but we'll cut him slack since he is, Johnny Depp. Even Paul Bettany was good. Rent it. Its pure escapist fun.

The King's Speech: So clearly telling the story of a King who stutters is not nearly as important as let's say, Schindler's List or Nelson Mandela's life story or something, but it was a well done film. Once again showing solidarity amongst the English film community, utilizing 75% of all working British actors (aka, they shot this during breaks in filming Harry Potter 17), it was a typical well shot period piece. I can totally see Colin Firth potentially bringing home the Oscar for this one.

Black Swan: For the men out there: Lesbian scene or not, save your money. This was B film schlock without any real suspense. I'm a fan of Natalie Portman (especially since the Husband, Sausen and 410e9th and I once brunched at Sarabeth's at the same time as Ms. P) but this was not great.

Gulliver's Travels: Really? The best part was the chicken fingers and French fries that I was able to get from the snack bar.

Video:

A-Team: It was goofy, fun and entertaining. Rent it.

Easy A: Love Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci as Emma Stone's parents and the had a few funny lines, but it wasn't earth shattering. I preferred She's Out of My League for a flick in a similar vein.

The Town: I really enjoyed this. Affleck was surprisingly good. Jeremy Renner was great. Nice to see Jon Hamm in a movie and out of Don Draper's 60's garb and Rebecca Hall was good too.

The American: Clooney: I know you want to employ large portions of the Italian film industry while simultaneously interviewing new prospective girlfriends, but please, do so with a decent script. Sadly, showing your naked butt is not sufficient replacement for a plot. Nice try, though.

Wall Street 2: Wow. Not my favorite Oliver Stone movie. Some of the fade in and scene splits were hokey. Poor Michael Douglas-- not looking great. Shia LeBoeuf.....? Carey Mulligan....? I will say, it was more entertaining than The American and the cameo by Charlie Sheen brought into perspective just how crazy he is. Josh Brolin: do we have any thoughts? I liked him in W. I'm interested to see how he does in True Grit. Hmpf.

So, that's about it for now.

What have you been up to?

She's Out of My League

2010-12-12T01:03:00.001-05:00

is actually a cute movie.

Random!

2010-11-30T23:18:00.002-05:00

Tonight I made Francis Ford Coppola's Vesuvio pizza from his new restaurant Rustico as seen in this month's Food and Wine magazine. It was great! It's half pizza, half calzone and it has salami, rosemarybham, artichoke, red peppers, etc. on it. Yum!

In musical news I created my holiday playlist for the iPod with highly currated holiday tunes. While checking out Christmas music I also picked up a few Diana Krall songs and some Stereophonics songs. We can't forget that the Husband and I saw Elvis Costello and Diana Krall dining one night when we were at Milos! Granted, she always sounds a bit drunk when singing, but I do like her music.

Otherwise, I'll post pictures of the stockings later!

Thanks for Visiting!

2010-11-29T01:35:00.002-05:00

Hi there! You may have received an invitation to read. Sorry to add an extra step (i.e. The need to login) but for the sake of privacy, and picture posting, I thought I might start utilizing the "invite" reader function.

So, thanks again for stopping by! (ps some Thanksgiving pictures will be posted shortly!)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!

2010-11-25T00:42:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

We almost went out of town, but then work schedules did not permit. (Hell, even I have a deal that's going on right now... and with folks in the UK who decidedly do NOT have Thanksgiving happening tomorrow, thank you very much).

So, instead, we've got a whole lot of food going on.

Ina Garten's smoked salmon dip (to be spread on bagels and one certified Pepperidge Farm Party Pumpernickle loaf!)

Caviar (to be put on deviled eggs... what can I say, it's low end caviar, but it is from Caviar Russe!)

Ham and Gruyere Puff Pastries

Then it's on to the traditional goodies...

A Griggstown Turkey, with stuffing (that includes sausage, apple and mushrooms), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, crescent rolls... I'd planned for onion tarts but of course, Wegman's always has to be missing at least one key ingredient and this year it was pearl onions.

To finish things off? Pumpkin Pie.

And what about "Black" Friday? Well, left over turkey made into panini with cojack cheese and apple slices, served with butternut squash soup.

Not only is it a time for good food and spending time with family and friends but it is a time for giving thanks.

So, here's a thank you for my wonderful family and friends who bring happiness to my life. And, for everyone else? They can just suck it! ;) Mahalo!

Sing-A-Ma-Jigs...

2010-11-23T20:34:00.002-05:00

So, the Sing-A-Ma-Jigs are supposed to be one of those "big" toys this year... I'm checking them out on Toys-R-Us.com and they have some of them in stock, but with shipping the two guys who start at $9.99 become over $25.00 with shipping.

Go to Walmart.com... they have our first choice colors in stock, they're $9.00 and $8.54 respectively and shipping is FREE!

Love it!

Reason #535 Why Americans Will Always Be Idiots...

2010-11-17T21:51:00.003-05:00

Apparently, Queen Elizabeth now has a Facebook page.

I visited it and you can tell the British users who are making posts because they open every line with "Your Majesty" and end with "God Bless You". Sure, one British poster did inquire as to whether the Queen has a favorite soccer team, but leave it to an American to post the following:

"If I become Friends with HM Queen Elizabeth II, do you think I might get invited to Prince William and Kate's wedding?? Hmm...I wonder if their registered at Pottery Barn???"

They couldn't even figure out which "they're" to use!!!

It's what's for dinner..

2010-11-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

Tonight we had angel hair pasta with heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, artichoke hearts and sausage, with fresh ricotta. There was also a side salad and bruschetta.

Not bad.

Kind of made up for yesterdays Jambalya which did not hold up well over time... Alas basmati rice is too delicate!

Anthony Zimmer

2010-11-14T23:53:00.002-05:00

Okay, so why did I not know that The Tourist is a remake of Anthony Zimmer until I read it today in EW?

Up in the Air

2010-11-12T01:47:00.001-05:00

and Away We Go.

Hmpf. Late night Thursday is turning out to be a downer night on TV.

Lilly Warehouse Sale!

2010-11-08T23:37:00.001-05:00

It's time for the Lilly Pulitzer warehouse sale! It is Nov. 19-20th at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia!! Up to 70% off original prices!

Salty or Sweet

2010-11-04T00:12:00.003-04:00

Are you a salty or a sweet person? I know that there are some, like my Mother, who are both. (Meaning, after you have something sweet you've got to have something salty, and vice versa). For me, I'm definitely salty. While I enjoy chocolate, cookies and brownies as much as the next person (arguably, though, not as much as the next person if said next person is Miss B.), I'm much more a fan of salty things.

White Cheddar Cheez-Its, Ritz Crackers, and of course, the end-all-be-all of salty snacks: Salt and Vinegar potato chips.

Another random question: Why are there somewhere upwards of what seems like 37 different varieties of Listerine? Notably, each one more vile than the next? I was at Target the other day looking to replace a bottle which had actually been completely used and was met with a display that had to be not less than 6 feet high and four feet wide, filled with various varieties of Listerine (each with a different active ingredient). Some were plaque fighting, others antiseptic... but regardless each one works simply by burning off whatever may be foolish enough to be lingering on your teeth. Never before have I felt like I needed to counterbalance mouthwash with baking soda (or some other PH balancer).... Oy!

Mamet

2010-11-04T00:07:00.000-04:00

Put the coffee down. Coffee is for closers.

Wondering when

2010-11-03T22:04:00.000-04:00

the ability to spell fell out of vogue.

Is It That Time of Year Again? A Gift Guide for the Perplexed...

2010-11-03T01:12:00.016-04:00

Yes, it may only be a few days after Halloween but the holiday season appears to be upon us. Christmas displays are already in stores, the Pillsbury people completely left behind their turkey themed Thanksgiving sugar cookies in favor of Rudolf cookies, and its just a matter of time before CBS FM starts playing Christmas jingles 24/7.

So in the spirit of the Season, below are gift ideas for you and yours.

Personalizable Jack Rogers sandals! . As if putting your monogram on something could get any better...

Well, perhaps it could, there is always a personalized Longchamp foldable tote bag.

In the way of tote bags, if you're going for early '90's chic, you could always go for the gold standard Prada Messenger Bag.

If the chic you're looking for is more of the mid-aughts chic, why not try hot pink Marc by Marc Jacobs?

If its the holiday season, humidity is low, which means dry skin abounds... so there's always the La Mer starter kit, because nothing says Christmas like a miraculous sea-weed infused miracle cure.

But what if skin care and handbags just aren't your thing?

Perhaps you're looking to provoke or otherwise annoy your vegetarian/vegan friends or PETA supporters? If so, you could always try Adrienne Landau's mink loop scarf.

While you're at it actively not supporting the ethical treatment of animals, why not go whole hog (or goat) and pick up a pair of red and turquoise distressed cowboy boots by Lucchese (FYI, in case you're wondering, I'm a 7-7 1/2).

Lastly, though I'm sure it's not tested on animals, you can still annoy your dirty-hippie gypsy friends by trying Trish McEvoy's latest Ready-to-Wear Make-up Planner.

What about the men in your life? Surely, they'll be expecting Santa to leave them a little something under the tree as well, right?

How about a lovely v-neck sweater by Malo? Nothing says pre-recession pricing like spending $1,050 on processed goat hair.

Is Purple Cashmere too sedate for the man in your life? Why not try some outrageous socks by Paul Smith. Personally, I'm always a fan of a statement maker (so long as the statement does not include a Starter Jacket or a gold chain).

Now it sounds like your man is all dressed up with no where to go. If he's willing to pull off wearing a purple cashmere sweater, we've got to assume he's a Prince fan, so why not get tickets to see his latest show at MSG. While you're at it, why not remember your special event with a ticket stub diary?

What about the kids in your life?

Personally, I'm partial to the UglyDoll Ice Bat, but if you can't decide what monster to get for your little monster, why not try the Ugly Doll Gift Set with gift tote. Or, you could always go the more creative route and design your own Muppet Whatnot.

And, for the little girl who has everything (and also wants to piss off PETA), there's Junior Gaultier's fur trim dress and striped shirt. (If you don't want to piss off PETA, you could look to all of the new offerings at Stella McCartney Kids.)

Not to be left out (or outdone by dad), you can also get a whole Paul Smith ensemb for the junior boy toddler set as well.

Now that the fam is covered, what about your four legged friends. How about a personalized dog bed for fido? (Available for cats, too, but face it, your cat will never like whatever you buy for them, so you may as well just forget it.) While you're at it, why don't you get a customized Erwin Pearl dog charm necklace? While your cat might never appreciate anything you do for it, you know your dog would buy you one of these if they had opposable thumbs or disposable income.

Are there people on your list who you're just not crazy about, but you have to give a gift to anyway? You know, co-workers, distant relatives (the ones who have sent you that same cheese crock for the past 15 years) or maybe your mailman, doorman or dog groomer? Then, going along with our aforementioned goat theme, why not buy them a share in a goat courtesy of Heifer.org. It's the perfect anti-gift. It's really not anything that most people would actually want to get, but since its a humanitarian donation they'll not be in a position to be able to complain about it! (And, I think the added bonus is it may just be a tax write-off for you, too boot). Score!

Lastly, are you looking to send a polite reminder to the friend who may have lost their way? Why not send over Toby Young's How to Lose Friends and Alienate People?

Merry Hannukah and Happy Christmas, everybody! Now, go forth and spend.

Trick or Treat?

2010-10-28T12:12:00.001-04:00

Apparentlty, certain cities including Belleville, Illinois limit trick-or-treating to kids under 12. According to the article, its even banned for people over 12 to wear masks any other day of the year besides Halloween. I wonder what those folks would think of the Naked Cowboy?

Things We Love

2010-10-28T00:14:00.002-04:00

Watching Casino Royale before bed and then turning on the tv in the morning and having it still be on.

Tony Stark (thanks to Miss B. requesting to watch Iron Man almost as often as she used to watch Kung Fu Panda).

2nd Avenue (the "vintage" store), though 2nd Avenue, the Avenue, will always have a special place in my heart.

Driving down Street Road.

iPad.

That Marc Jacobs makes laptop cases.

Jeggins. (Only for so long as we are below pre-pregnancy weight).

Zeta. (Even if she did bring in a tick).

Nantucket Nectars Half and Half. Damn, you, Wawa.

Wawa (the only place within a 25 mile radius that carries Half and Half, see above).

Fly Through Our Window

2010-10-28T00:11:00.001-04:00

This
is a great post from Darby's blog.

Playlist

2010-10-25T03:27:00.009-04:00

Warning Sign-- Coldplay
Yellow-- Coldplay
Constellations-- Jack Johnson and Eddie Vedder
Southern Cross-- Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Jimmy Buffet Live
Sweet Disposition-- The Temper Trap
Rush-- Big Audio Dynamite
How Soon Is Now? -- The Smiths
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic -- The Police
The Edge of Forever-- The Dream Academy
If You Could Read My Mind-- Scala
The Blower's Daughter-- Scala
Western Stars-- Chris Isaak
There She Goes-- Chris Isaak

Ladies Tea

2010-10-25T00:06:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, my friends joined my for a lovely tea at the St. Regis Hotel's Astor Court. It was a lovely day for some girl time and wonderful, too, to see two of my friends' children, Noah and Maddie.

If you like high tea I would definitely recommend the Astor Court. I had thought about going to the Palm Court at the Plaza but had seen some negative reviews and in my searching I had seen a lot of good things about the St. Regis. The service was great and the high tea came with finger sandwiches, an endless pot of tea, scones (with Devonshire clotted cream and jams) and petit fours.

They also brought out a piece of birthday cheesecake (and the harpist played "Happy Birthday").

It was very mellow, very lady like and a lot of fun.

Thanks to my lady friends who joined me, it was a wonderful way to celebrate!

That's Not My Name

2010-10-25T00:03:00.002-04:00

I love that song by the Ting Tings. It's just too damn catchy.

Oh, and, as an FYI, in business and social situations, I use my maiden name. It's on my driver's license, its on my passport. That's my name.

The Blue Flower

2010-10-22T18:58:00.005-04:00

Many years ago a friend bought me a book at the Strand in New York. The book was The Blue Flower by Henry van Dyke. I had liked it at the time for its decorative blue boards. Tomorrow night I've been invited to an event where I've been asked to bring a book to donate.

I'd been thinking about what to donate for a bit. I've got paperbacks that I'm not that keen on and I've got multiple copies of various Eco books and two Franny and Zooeys. But I hadn't made any specific decision, until Thursday when I chose The Blue Flower.

Mysteriously, when I went to the Princeton Library book sale in the rare book section I spotted a decorative blue cover. It was The Ruling Passion by Henry van Dyke.

Van Dyke was a graduate of Princeton and the Princeton Theological Seminary.

I took it as a sign. My instinct about The Blue Flower was right.

FYI

2010-10-22T00:07:00.001-04:00

Tonight we baked. (Or at least began some baking)... we started up a loaf of NYT No-Knead Bread (it's in the process of the 12-18 hour rise...) and then followed it up with Madeleines. Hey, we had a lemon to zest, what do you want?

Devil in a Red Dress

2010-10-21T23:58:00.001-04:00

We love Zac Posen.

Glee-Q

2010-10-21T12:02:00.003-04:00

The latest issue of GQ has a photo spread with three of the stars of Fox's Glee. The magazine, the show and the three actors (Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron and Lea Michele) have caught flak today over the photos and what they may or may not imply.

Linda Holmes's article published on NPR's website makes a good point. The photos are in poor taste, but not necessarily for the same reasons that the Parent's Television Council suggests.

I've seen the pictures and I really only have an issue with how Lea Michele has chosen to have herself portrayed. In the bulk of her photos she has on bikini underwear and little else. I like Lea, but I have to say that from what I've read about her in the press I think she must suffer from low self-esteem. This seems to be a situation where the photographer or GQ said we can do this "sexy" photo shoot and she jumped at it. Well guess what, you are pretty, you are sexy, etc., etc. and you don't have to go around with this lame FHX/Maxim style pictorial to prove that (except maybe to yourself).

Her pictures are tacky.

Her two co-stars are wearing pants (to a degree), for goodness sake! I think had Ms. Michele thrown on even a catholic school girl style skirt there would be less of an issue. Or for that matter, had she done a Jennifer Anniston style tastefully naked-but-not-naked shoot (without the high school overtones) people would have less to say about it. But then again, had she gone that route we probably wouldn't be talking about her.

Dear Andy Cohen,

2010-10-21T01:20:00.001-04:00

Would you take a write-in nomination for Jack-hole of the week?

Halloween!

2010-10-20T01:40:00.002-04:00

So, we're going to a Halloween party this year and I'm trying to figure out what to wear. While costumes are optional, who doesn't like to dress up every once in a while?

Last year, we threw a kid-friendly Halloween play date party and I made an embellished witch hat for the occasion. Before that, I hadn't had a true Halloween costume since college. Back then, I dressed up as Uma Thurman from Pulp Fiction for multiple years in a row. (I think it is fair to say that I did get good use out of that wig after all).

That leaves us with the question of what to be now. I still have my witch hat, so I could pair that with one of my missoni skirts and be a fashionable witch. I also have Groucho glasses and a Marilyn wig.

In other options, Wal-Mart has a Star Trek costume. They also have tons of others, but the emphasis really seems to be on "adult" costumes. Should browsing the Halloween costume section really seem like you're browsing through a stripper supply shop? I guess I'm just out of touch with Halloween these days ;)

Costume suggestions are appreiciated...

The Plan B

2010-10-20T01:08:00.002-04:00

A friend from high school recently christened his boat the Plan B. I'm sure he didn't expect people would think it was named after emergency contraception.

Things You Don't Expect to Hear in the Same Sentence...

2010-10-20T00:21:00.000-04:00

Catherine Zeta-Jones, $5,000 and Pier One Imports

Advice

2010-10-19T22:15:00.000-04:00

You could probably use to get your house in order, don't you think?

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

2010-10-17T21:39:00.003-04:00

is one of my favorites from childhood (that and Watership Down)... I found a first edition today at the Franklin Park book sale. It's a library discard and doesn't have a jacket, but it's still cool.

Observations

2010-10-16T22:08:00.003-04:00

Ever drive a 6-speed manual through the urban safari in a mini dress while wearing one four-inch heel and one flip flop? I'll just say it's not easy.

In other news, it is starting to really turn Fall-ish and we seem to quickly be approaching that time of year when you've gone from wearing summer clothes right past fall clothes and now you have to start wearing a coat. Damn.

Next item? Book sales galore. The Franklin Park book sale concludes tomorrow and next weekend is Princeton and South Brunswick. Do I splurge and pay a $10 admission fee to get into the Princeton sale's preview? I probably won't, but I'll think about it.

SnAKs Cafe at Saks on the fifth floor really has good little sandwiches. You should try it.

Brendan Fraser is coming to Broadway in November. Okay, so Broadway is kind of hitting the bottom of the barrel when Encino Man makes his debut, but I like Brendan and might be interested in seeing the show... Do I have any takers? There's also Driving Miss Daisy, A Life in the Theater, Time Stands Still, The Merchant of Venice and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Yes, Pacino is in Merchant. Why haven't I bought my tickets already?

I finally watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, my impression? It's amazing how people in Swedish films look like regular people (i.e. wrinkles and bad skin don't seem to be barriers to entry into the Swedish film industry, unlike in Hollywood) that being said, I liked it. It certainly seemed like they had to cut out a lot/slim down the story... But given how dense the book was its not really a surprise. It is definitely a movie where you should read the book first so you know what's going on. If you have, I think you'd enjoy it. Now, here's to The Girl Who Played with Fire... Hoping it will be out on DVD or iTunes soon!

That's all I have to report.

I lied. Three more things. Saturday we're doing tea at the St. Regis. Miss Leda, we'll have a scone in your honor.

Thrift store score? Tweed Marc Jacobs pants: $7.00

And a question. As between Dolce, Cavalli, DVF and Nicole Miller, Who would you pick?

Gabba-Gate and Ticket Karma

2010-10-04T02:30:00.005-04:00

Last week I saw a message from a friend on Facebook that she had three tickets to sell to the upcoming Yo Gabba Gabba Live! Show at Radio City Music Hall. Miss B. likes the show and has some Yo Gabba goodies, so I thought it might be a fun thing to go to, especially since the tickets came with access to the "After Party" (yes, who knew that a children's show would have an "after party"!?!) But I had checked out what the "VIP" party included and you got to mingle with the characters, have your photo taken with them and have snacks/entertainment, etc. so it sounded like a lot of fun.

I commit to buy the tickets. I mail out a check to my friend. My friend e-mails me her e-tickets. All is right in Gabbaland, until... I get a message from my friend saying that the tickets had been cancelled. You see, my friend's sister had bought these tickets as a birthday gift for my friend's daughter earlier in the year. Since purchasing the tickets, my friend's sister scheduled her wedding for the same day as the show. Instead of first trying to sell the tickets, they had approached American Express (who they had purchased the tickets through) to see if they would take them back. Apparently, Amex did agree to finally take them back, but only after they had already been sold to me.

So, Amex then offers to replace the tickets with the same "or better" seats. Okay. Then the Amex rep lets us know that the "VIP Party" is sold out. So, while they could get us tickets to the show, they couldn't get us tickets to the party. They called the party promoter, they called Radio City. No dice. So, I called not only the party promoter but the two companies who were actually putting on the entire production. I also canvased friends for contacts at Nickelodeon (thanks, Thisbe!) Days go by, and while I did get new tickets (in the first row), I heard no word on the status of the party.

Meanwhile, while this was going on, I had noticed that a piece of mail for my nextdoor neighbor had been mistakenly delivered to me. When I first noticed it, I had set it aside, meaning to drop it off at their house, but I had been busy with work and it had gotten shuffled back in with the rest of the mail. On Thursday night, at 2am I'm sorting through junk mail in an effort to clean up the manse before the arrival of my mom and dad and what do I come across? My neighbor's envelope. I noticed that it was from Rutgers and I figured it was just alumni stuff. The envelope was partly opened and out of curiosity I decided to look inside... what was in there? Tickets to the Rutgers/Army Football game on Oct. 16th. I immediately thought: "Oh, Shit! I have to get these tickets back NOW!"

It was ticket karma.

I vaguely remembered that the mis-delivered mail came around about the time I heard from my friend that our tickets had been cancelled.

So, despite it being 2am and raining outside, I got in the car and drove over to the neighbor's house and popped the envelope into their mailbox.

Then, at around 11:30am the next morning I received an email from Donna at Wild Brain Entertainment. She had secured us a place at the VIP Party! (Thank you, Donna!!!)

Of course, since my new tickets were procured through a broker, the entire time up until we were actually inside Radio City I was completely expecting them not to be valid. But, our tickets worked, our VIP passes were at the box office and we were sitting smack dab at center stage, front row.

Unfortunately, we hadn't anticipated that the 73rd Annual Pulaski Day Parade was happening today, so we didn't expect that the Husband would have to spend over an hour and a half just trying to park the car (all the while missing the entirety of the show and most of the after party), but Miss B. had fun, so that's all that matters, right?

Oh, but I also have to mention, that the night before the show I was up till like 4am making a "Muno" hat for Miss B. to wear. It was pretty cool because during the show, we got to have the Muno character give B a hug and then after the show, the person who was inside the Muno costume came up to us at the after party and said they recognized us from earlier and wanted to say how much they loved her hat! (Not to mention, that the official Yo Gabba photographer took B's photo with her hat on) ;)

AngelRox

2010-10-01T03:35:00.002-04:00

Thisbe told me about this and it is just totally cool! Have to get me one of those!

Alpha and Omega.

2010-09-26T03:19:00.002-04:00

Was so bad and inappropriate for Miss B. That we actually walked out and I got our money refunded.

While this was certainly not as bad as the time that the Dad and I walked out of Q & A, it was pretty bad. The husband summed it up when he said it was a movie about horny wolves... And let's not forget the graphic descriptions of animal violence... I mean I know they're predators and everything but come on.

Ever

2010-09-26T03:13:00.002-04:00

give someone the benefit of the doubt for fifteen or so years and then realize you've been wrong?

In other news, I have one random co-worker who continues to surprise me with hidden coolness.

And I also have some really wonderful friends who know how to put things into perspective and make me laugh.

To Buble or not to Buble...

2010-09-24T04:37:00.001-04:00

I got a Ticketmaster email about a pre-sale notification for Michael Buble's next concert... it's at MSG in November. Now a few years back he played MSG on my birthday (let's not even get started with how Barbra Streisand had her "farewell" concert on my birthday too...) and that would have been a cool show to go to... but am I motivated enough to see Michael Buble on a random Sunday in November? That is the question.

One of those days...

2010-09-23T15:40:00.001-04:00

My t-shirt is on backwards and my total day's sustenance so far has been tater tots.

On the upside, I did get Jenn-Air to confirm that they will pay parts and labor to repair my trash compactor.

Someone Save My Life Tonight....

2010-09-23T03:49:00.004-04:00

(okay, so the title of this post is solely a nod to the fact that my iPod has shuffled its way to vintage Elton John... btw, love that random Elton video with Robert Downey, Jr. but I digress....)

So a friend from high school is 3 1/2 weeks away from her due date. She looks great and she's been posting some baby stuff on her blog recently.

One of her last posts was about how she's been doing research on using cloth diapers.

Yes. Cloth Diapers.

Hey, you know, more power to you for all of you green-planet, hybrid driving, hippie gypsy folks out there, but what I found most funny about my friend's post was that she made a statement to the effect that she thinks she's got enough of a starter stash of cloth diapers so that she can accomodate doing laundry every 2-3 days and is allowing for 10-12 diaper changes per day.

I had to laugh at the idea of anyone with a baby, let alone anyone with a baby using cloth diapers only doing laundry every 2-3 days. I don't know about you, but with my fam I'm usually doing 2-3 loads of laundry PER DAY, and hell we've only got three people!

All I can say to my soon-to-be cloth diaper using friend? Godspeed and peace be with you. (Oh and ps. invest in that covered bucket with bleach solution from now).

(Oh, one more thing-- one reason why I'm stuck doing so much laundry is because my goofy Whirpool Duets take at least 90 minutes per dryer cycle to dry anything. Hence, I'm doing multiple smaller loads, but at the end of the day I still have a phenomenal amount of stuff to wash. Little people will do that to you.)

Quilt-tastic...

2010-09-22T00:20:00.006-04:00

Check out these quilts that I've made recently...

This one was made with Kaffe Fassett fabric...

This quilt has been made for a friend's new baby with various fabrics including some from the "In the Beginning" line of fabrics.

It's 1:55am

2010-09-21T01:54:00.001-04:00

and I'm watching a Duran Duran concert from 2004. Why? I saw these guys live in 1993 and we were all much younger and spryer then.

(And even then, they were past their prime, but still entertaining).

The Latest Fashion Trends?

2010-09-19T02:18:00.000-04:00

There's such a fine line between stupid and clever.

Steel Magnolias...

2010-09-19T01:28:00.001-04:00

If you can't think of anything nice to say, come sit by me.

How to Really Take the Wind Out of the Sails of an Apology...

2010-09-17T03:12:00.005-04:00

Received this evening from a former colleague who, together with another former colleague, decided to go Medieval on me over the phone this evening in connection with a transaction I'm working on:

"I want to apologize again for your misperception that the volume control on my voice indicated yelling"

Spoken like a true lawyer.

By the way, I can't help but mention how at one point during the call the woman associate involved started screaming something to the effect of "DON'T EVEN GO THERE!" (Hello, are we going to start snapping our fingers next and saying "Oh No you Din't!?!" What is this an episode of the Real Housewives franchise?)

Yankees and Hooters

2010-09-16T03:49:00.003-04:00

I've lately been doing some genealogical research with the help of Ancestry.com. So far, I've been impressed with their resources and excited about most of my findings. Certainly the upside to this search has been finding two Civil War veterans in my background (including one relative who fought at Gettysburg), the downside? Finding out that my cousin's 23 year old daughter is some sort of former Hooters girl bikini model who's life aspiration is to "live off her looks" and her self-description is "natural 34D and 'baby's got back". Let's not even discuss how her "thing she'd want to bring on a deserted isle" is Steve-O from MTV's Jackass.

It's times like this when I really value raising my daughter to be a sci-fi geek.

More from the "Things We Love" Category.

2010-09-16T02:27:00.003-04:00

Dennis Quaid. Sure he's kind of aging into a bit of "WC Fields" but I'm watching
The Right Stuff. We love Dennis Quaid, the younger years. Texas Jack, back me up on this.

Other things we love? Ritz Crackers. Preferably with tuna.

Pulp Fiction.

The new Bluefly Commercial featuring Bethenny Frankel.

That Martin Short is the voice of The Cat in the Hat on the new series The Cat and the Hat Knows a Lot About That on PBS.

Just Cavalli.

Personality Goes a Long Way.

2010-09-16T00:18:00.001-04:00