Crate and Barrel: Survivor Woman

I love Crate and Barrel. We're talking serious love. Like meet the parents, put a ring on its finger at the top of the Empire State Building, small but intimate destination wedding, have 2 kids together kind of love. Every time I'm in there I could spend thousands of dollars which is saying a lot because it's so reasonably priced! I'm also convinced that I could live in Crate and Barrel as though it were my home.

One of my favorite books as a kid was From the Mixed-up Files of Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler, because seriously, how cool would it be to live in a museum? But as I've grown up, my fantasies have also become much more adult, and by that I of course mean I want to live in a Crate and Barrel instead of a museum.

Think about it, there is no better place to live. I mean, my local C&B even has a Starbucks inside, could it get any better? My routine would be as follows: get a good night's sleep in one of their immaculately made beds, taking turns on each of them of course so I could eventually decide which is my favorite. Then I would spend my morning wake up time leisurely sipping a latte from the onsite Starbucks or made with one of the various espresso machines in the appliance section. While enjoying my caffeinated beverage, I would curl up on one of their sofas or armchairs and peruse this season's catalogue or read one of the books they have as props for their pretty bookcases. Then I would wander the china section, adding pieces to my fake wedding registry. After that, you would find me in the gourmet food section, making one of their scrumptious soup mixes and perhaps sampling a little bruschetta or chips and salsa on the side, washing it all down with one of their custom drink mixes, perhaps the jalapeño lemonade!

Stuffed from my tasty lunch, it would probably be time to stretch out and take a nap on this chaise lounge:

Ahhhh, bliss.

Now it's cookbook time. I could spend hours scanning cookbooks, reading recipes, drooling over beautiful pictures of expertly prepared meals, and my new home allows me to do just that. First I'd grab Giada's latest, then pick up the new Barefoot Contessa, and finish off with the latest dessert book, be it cupcakes, cake pops or whoopie pies. After all this cookbook reading, I'd surely be hungry, so once again I'd hit the gourmet food section, maybe make use of on of the electric griddles or frypans and whip up a nice risotto mix, maybe throw in some dried salami or something. After some light nighttime reading of this season's catalogue, I'd curl up in another gorgeous bed and fall asleep, dreaming of linens and silverware.

Ok, so I could probably only do this for a day or two, but you give me an iPad and a few trips to the grocery store and I could milk this for weeks. The various sleeping and lounging options in this store are what make this scenario so tempting I think. I could while away hours playing games and reading and listening to music curled up on one of their loveseats, just you watch me. Les Stroud may be the Survivor Man of the wild outdoors, but I, I would be the Survivor Woman of the untamed interior of a moderately priced home store.

Holiday To-Do List

Hi friends! I've been MIA from the blogworld lately and it's mostly because I've been buuuuusy. My husband and I went to his family's home for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful and it was so good to spend some quality time with my in-laws. I'm sure that makes a lot of you want to vom, but I'm going to brag, I have great in-laws. Then I got back and work was cray cray. Now that all those real-life responsibilities have been dealt with, I am back to the fantasy land that is my blog.

The holiday season is upon us, and since I love lists, I've made a to-do list that I'll share with all of you. This is a list of things that I feel I must accomplish to fully experience the holiday season.

Holiday To-Do List
1) Buy my husband the BEST $30 gift EVER. I’m thinking a collection of Pez Dispensers.

This Christmas we've challenged each other to buy the best cheap gift for each other that we can. So far I'm stuck on Pez Dispensers. I'm not thrilled with that idea, please help.

Ok, they do look pretty awesome. Also, Pez is delicious.

2) Watch the following movies:
Home Alone
Little Women
The Family Stone

Muppet Christmas Carol (could prove problematic because I only have it on VHS and do not own a VCR)

The Office’s Christmas episodes from Seasons 2-4

The OC’s Christmakah episode

Nothing says Christmas like tricking bad guys.

3) Bake cookies (this year I’m thinking eggnog cookies and mint chocolate chip)
4) Buy Candycanes which will inevitably continue to be eaten through April

5) Awkwardly hang Christmas lights because we live in an apartment that has no decent place to hang Christmas lights, therefore I just kind of pin them up in random places.
6) Make my cat wear his Snuggie

Look how much he loves it!

7) Purchase the MOST obnoxious holiday gift wrap I can find
8) Indulge in an Eggnog Latte or a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from Starbucks
9) Listen to N’Sync’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” approximately 12,098 times

10) Buy some type of sparkly outfit piece, jewelry or headband to punch up my festive factor for holiday get-togethers. (Even if it’s not needed b/c I already own sooooo many sparkly things!)

I'm just like a magpie. Attracted to anything that glitters.

If I accomplish all ten of these items of holiday merriment, I'll be so much in the Christmas spirit that I'll be just like this:

Happy Holiday Season everyone!!

My Apologies Gilmore Fans

I have been SO remiss. Thank god I'm an avid reader of Hello Giggles and I came upon this lovely piece: A Note on Melissa Mccarthy by Sarah Heyward (who, by the way, writes hilarious and wonderful things on Hello Giggles, so you should probably read all of her stuff.). What Ms. Heyward's article reminded me is that in my recent All Time Favorites: Gilmore Girls post I COMPLETELY neglected one of my favorite parts of the show: Sookie St. James, played by the amazing Melissa McCarthy, who is oh-so-hot right now.

She always wore the cutest little kerchiefs!

This was partly because I was focused more on my lessons from Gilmore Girls and in my description of the show, more focused on the most central plot points, but I was still a total loserface for not including her at all, because she is a gem. She is a wonderful friend to Lorelai, another great role model for Rory and she provides such awesome comic relief that she will make you laugh every episode, even the more drama-heavy ones. She honestly has great chemistry with everyone on the show. Also, the love story between her and Jackson Belleville, the local produce farmer, was honestly such a sweet and amusing story. You get to watch this great couple go through all the traditional relationship stages from first date to children in often non-traditional and uproariously funny ways.

Look at these two lovebirds, making goo goo eyes at each other over produce. Totes presh.

So anyway, I'm sorry Gilmore fans and Melissa McCarthy lovers. I totally blew it. Read Sarah Heyward's piece in Hello Giggles for even more, and likely more cleverly put, reasons to love Sookie St. James, one of TV's best BFFs ever.

More from The Cloud

So lately I've been a little too all over the place to think full post-length thoughts, but I have had some briefer musings that I wanted to share.

The Heatley Cliff, a semi-imaginary place where ladies can go and just be ladies.

Podcasts: My husband loves them, and I never really got it until I recently found my own that I am really enjoying. It's The Heatley Cliff and it's these two awesome ladies who have many interests similar to mine including Jane Austen, addictive television shows and pretty things. They've also already turned me onto a few things I'd like to try including book and music suggestions and inspiration to try knitting again. I've linked to their website under "Sweet Escapes," so enjoy both their website and their podcasts if you find yourself liking many of the things I post about on this blog.

Thank Netflix Instant for my latest TV addiction.

Netflix Instant: Thanks to our new iPad, my husband and I no longer have to suffer through each other's television choices that we don't enjoy ourselves. It's football season, which means a lot of looooong games that I just can't sit through, even if I want to veg and watch TV. Thanks to Netflix and the iPad, problem solved. I take the iPad and settle in for another episode of Parenthood, which I'm ashamed I didn't watch before. It has LAUREN GRAHAM in it for goodness sakes! Such a great show and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Young Adult Fiction: I admit it, I read books written for teenagers with vigor quite honestly. Thanks to The Hunger Games, I now also find myself entranced by this whole dystopian forbidden love angle and the Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie is no exception. The second book in the trilogy just came out and I've abandoned the book that I was reading to read this, mostly because I know I'll finish it by the weekend and then it's back to Howard's End I go. (I don't feel too bad only because Howard's End, although great, is a little slow. I'm sorry Mr. Forster, but Jane Austen has you beat for captivating classic English prose.) Anyway, yes, I like YA fiction. Yes, I am a sucker for dystopian tyrannical governments trying to separate young lovers. Yes, I will pre-order the third book in this trilogy as soon as I am able.

You're totally putting rice krispies, butter and marshmallows on your grocery list aren't you? I know, me too.

Cravings: Lately I have been DYING for some rice krispies treats. At first, I thought I could cure it with the packaged factory-made ones, so I bought one of those hoping for fulfillment. Sadly, although delicious, all that the pre-made treat did was make me realize how much I really wanted one that was homemade and fresh. This craving won't go away, and looking at the picture above makes it even more real for me. I'm making rice krispies treats this weekend, it just has to happen.

Red Nails: So I've always been a pretty simple nail girl. For the past decade it's been pretty much light pinks only, but in the past few months I have expanded my nail color horizons. I've rocked neon pink, sparkly black, navy blue and most recently, cherry red, a la Ms. Mendes above. Let me tell you, I am LOVING them, especially with short nails. They are cute and sassy and a lovely pop of color against even the most boring work outfits. I'm channeling my inner Eva and it feels fab.

So those are the non-stressful things floating around my head. It's nice to be able to focus on little things like these sometimes when life gets hectic in adult land.

All-Time Favorites: Gilmore Girls

Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, an unfairly pretty mother-daughter combo, am I right?

I don't know if any TV show has had the effect on me that Gilmore Girls has had. I'm not saying there aren't other shows I've completely loved in my long career of television appreciation, but Gilmore Girls is the show that I think most affected me as a person.

For the GG-illiterate, Gilmore Girls is about a mother and a daughter, Lorelai and Rory (short for Lorelai also) Gilmore. Twist: Lorelai had Rory when she was 16, so when the show starts Lorelai is 32 and Rory is 16. Partly because of their closeness in age, they have an almost freakish bond that makes them best friends as well as mother and daughter. The bulk of the obstacles in their relationships are when they have trouble figuring out which side of the friends-or-family line they are on in certain situations, which is really interesting. They also talk incredibly fast in conversations so full of pop-culture references, you need Wikipedia open for quick searches during each episode. As a fast talker and pop-culture geek girl myself, I find myself envious of their conversational abilities, although some critics found it jarring when the show initially aired.

Grown-Up Lessons: Losing Touch

Throughout my years in this world, I've lost a lot of things: money, jewelry, coats/jackets, countless gloves and socks, occasionally my dignity and most unfortunately, friends.

As I've moved along my twisty life path, there are friends I've gained and lost along the way and some that will be there forever, no matter where I go. I don't want to sound callous about this because it still makes me incredibly sad, but the reality of growing up is that life happens and along the way, you lose track of people and they lose track of you. This doesn't mean you stop caring about these people; it doesn't mean that there are any hard feelings; and it certainly doesn't mean that the door is permanently closed on that relationship. Long-distance friendships are hard and I'm thrilled and grateful that I can maintain the relationships that I do manage to hold on to, especially my 5 college roommates, who I'm pretty confident will forever be a part of my life.

I am one hundred percent a culprit of losing touch as much as anybody, but I have legitimate reasons for it, just as many others do. My husband and I were long distance for a large part of our relationship and unfortunately, some of the time I might have spent on friendships I spent keeping phone dates and traveling across the country for visits. That's probably the largest reason I've lost touch with some friends, but there were others. I lost touch with a few good friends during my senior year of college because we kind of starting hanging out with different groups. Although I had no ill will toward my friends,  I wasn't particularly fond of the people with whom they spent most of their time. Also, I had begun seriously dating my now-husband around the same time, so I was spending a lot more time with his friends and our friends from our abroad program. Again, it wasn't any inciting incident. There was no big falling out. We just grew apart. This was something that used to bother me a great deal, and I used to feel an incredible amount of guilt about my part in this separation. What I've realized, however, is that firstly, it takes two to grow apart in these situations and secondly, that it was actually a pretty natural progression because of the courses our lives took.

The Girly Feminist

I can't count the amount of times I've tried to replicate this very outfit.

A few years ago, my mom gave me this comic strip. It showed a picture of a little girl dressed like a fairy princess, much like the one pictured above. The little fairy princess looks up at her mom and goes "Don't worry Mom, I'm still a feminist. Just a pretty pink one!"

I don't think anything could capture me and my attitudes so perfectly. I absolutely adore being a girl. At 28 years old, pink remains my favorite color; I have the same affinity for things that sparkle as that of a baby bird; I love dresses and new shoes; I frequently change the color of my nails; I drive a Volkwagen Beetle, with a giant fake pink gerbera daisy in its precious dashboard vase; I prefer a rom-com to a football game; I have read Nora Robert's Bride Quartet books more times than would ever be necessary. I'm a girly girl! Proud of it!

However, that doesn't mean that all of my girlfriends are girly girls or that I look down on anyone that isn't super girly or that I'll throw a fit if the group wants to watch March Madness instead of Footloose (although the reasoning may allude me.). I'm down with all variations of girldom and I enjoy it when I get to be exposed to things outside my pink sparkly bubble. That's what I love most about being a girl; there are lots of ways to be one, each as awesome as the next.

Ten Fun Things About Fall (Part 2)

Hello fellow adorers of autumnal awesomeness (and alliteration!), here is part 2 of my list of things I love about my favorite season:

6) Fall Holidays (specifically Halloween and Thanksgiving, but I'm down with Columbus Day too!)

This makes me happy to no end.

Fall contains my 2 FAVORITE holidays!! First, Halloween. It's a holiday dedicated to candy and dressing up. I mean for reals, if that's not reason enough to make fall the best season, I don't know what is. I've had some pretty killer costumes throughout the years, ranging from the supremely girly (I was a bride at age 5, it totally freaked out my kindergarten boyfriend.) to the supremely awesome (I was Kim Kardashian last year complete with really dark eyebrows and fake derriere.). And I eat so much candy during Halloween time that 4 out of 5 dentists agree I might end up with dentures by age 30.
Next, Thanksgiving. I love cooking and I love eating. Thanksgiving is a day where the entire day revolves around FOOD. I get so excited for the impending feast that I purposely fast a little bit in the day or two leading up to it, just so I can cram that much more food into my face and not feel guilty about it on the big day. I mean my version of fasting of course, which is basically cutting out snacks and candy, let's not get crazy people. Plus Thanksgiving means being with family, which I happen to really enjoy and taking naps in full public view with no shame whatsoever. I'm getting so excited just thinking about it, I'm bouncing in my chair.

Ten Fun Things about Fall (Part 1)

Since I'm a fall baby and fall really is my favorite season, I'd like to throw out 10 things I love about this lovely transitional time. I'll also be doing some posts on some of these in more depth because fall is just THAT awesome. So here we go, these are 10 things I LOVE about this time of year:

1. Oktoberfests

Now I've never been to the one in Germany, which I've heard is like the most fun you'll ever have EVER, but lucky for me, there are tons of Oktoberfest-themed festivals all over in honor of Munich's most holy holiday. I've been to 2 so far this fall and they were delightful! Good micro-brew beers, giant soft pretzels and many a person wandering around in lederhosen as a nod to the festival's origins. It's a super fun way to spend a sunny Saturday and it is a quintessentially fall event.

In Appreciation of Getting Older

Hi friends! Sorry I've been gone again for awhile, our October is completely cray-cray (that's crazy for people who speak normally). Danny and I were in Chicago for the wedding of one of my dear friends and we had such a wonderful time, but it was quite the busy whirlwind trip. All of my college roommates were there and in the wedding in some fashion, as were their significant others, so there was a lot of catching up and squealing (mostly on the girls' part) and general silliness. I got home Sunday night and in the little time I've had to breathe and think and process since returning home, I began to reflect on how we're all growing up. People are getting married, moving in with boys (gasp!), buying houses, getting promotions and planning for the future. It's just so amazing to think that 5 and a half years ago, the six of us girls were living in squalor in a crappy house together and loving every minute of the Sex and the City marathons, Wendy's runs and beer pong. Don't get me wrong, we all still indulge in the occasional SATC marathon, Wendy's is still delicious and beer pong does pop up occasionally, but obviously we're in a new stage of our lives.
 

 

Writer's Block

I haven't posted in quite awhile because really and truly, I'm having trouble coming up with post ideas lately. That's not true, I have plenty of ideas but I don't like any of them. It's like that feeling where you know you're craving something to eat but you can't figure out what it is and everything that's suggested to you sounds like doo doo. That's how I feel about my post ideas right now. So I've heard that the best way to cure the dreaded writer's block is just to make yourself write and eventually you'll get past it. Hence this stream-of-consciousness I'm treating you fine people to right now. You're welcome.

RIP Steve Jobs

I just wanted to write a little something in tribute to a man who really did change the world. Throughout all of the coverage of this great man's death, we've heard the same praise: visionary, world-changing, creative, genius and honestly, they all couldn't be more true. I'm truly sad that the world has lost this amazing person. I wouldn't be writing this right now if it weren't for Steve Jobs; I wouldn't be able to keep in touch with my friends and family like I do now if it weren't for Steve Jobs; I wouldn't have access to all of my beloved music like I do now if it weren't for Steve Jobs. My life is better because of this man, as are the lives of countless other people around the world. What an amazing thing to be able to say about one person. Thank you for everything Steve Jobs, but most especially, thank you for being an inspiration to all of us.

All-Time Favorites: Shakespeare in Love

I am a theater geek. On top of that I'm a Shakespeare geek. One of the best experiences I've ever had was taking an acting class at the Globe in London when I was studying abroad there. I don't even care that it's not the original Globe, it's basically an exact replica and whatever, to be on that stage reciting Desdemona's lines from Othello, well it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. I didn't care that it was 2004 and not Elizabethan England. I didn't care that my audience consisted of my mostly disinterested classmates, half of whom were feeling the effects of a pre-show pub crawl. I was completely swept up in being a part of a Shakespeare show on THE GLOBE STAGE. (I'm not trying to be braggy in any way, it was just so cool.) Enter Shakespeare in Love. It had already been one of my favorite movies because it's just excellent (more on that later), but I think it reached All-Time Favorite status after my experience at the Globe. The movie is about putting on a Shakespeare play! At the Globe! And not just any Shakespeare play, but Romeo and Juliet of course. (I know, I was in Othello, but I was also in Romeo and Juliet my senior year of high school and cliche or not, it's my favorite.) The main plot is an incredible love story but the subplot of the inter-workings of a theater company, and the actual process of putting on a show is also so, so great. And quite honestly, fairly true to life. Things go wrong; companies run out of money; actors get bronchitis. These things all happen so often and yet, the show goes on.

There are lots of wonderful pieces to this movie. And in my way, those that I have chosen to spotlight range from completely shallow to more substantial. First, I have to get this out of the way. Gwyneth Paltrow is GORGEOUS in this movie. Particularly her hair. Her hair is so princess-perfect; it's honestly all I've ever wanted my hair to do since I saw this movie.

I mean really? It's long and flowing and curly and looks naturally beautiful even though it probably took hours to create this hairstyle. I love it so much.

I mentioned the supporting cast earlier and it too is phenomenal. Geoffrey Rush as the down on his luck theater owner is hilarious and his interactions with both Shakespeare, played by Ralph Fiennes and Fennyman, the money man played by Tom Wilkinson are awesome. Then, there is Ben Affleck, who at the same time was starring in lead roles in movies like Armageddon. I think it's so great that he took this supporting role, the role of Ned Alleyn, a career actor and total divo (that's male diva to the lay person) and he killed it. He is so amusing and spot-on as an egotistical actor, who wants everything to revolve around him at all times, that I have to believe he had a lot of fun playing this part, as no doubt he has probably had some divo moments in his own career, or at least witnessed some.

Plus, how cute is he in Elizabethan garb? So cute.

Also, Judi Dench, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for a role that gave her just 6 MINUTES of screen time, is the best Queen Elizabeth I ever. Sorry Cate Blanchett, I love you too, but just look at this:

That is one scary and awesome queen right there. I would pretty much do whatever she said, which is why she is so freaking awesome.

Then of course, the main plot, the love story between Shakespeare (Fiennes) and Viola (Paltrow) is so beautiful and heart-breaking. The way their romance shapes the story of Romeo and Juliet as Shakespeare is writing it makes it so interesting and honestly, makes me love Romeo and Juliet even more. To think that Shakespeare could have based his most powerful love story on his own life's love story is pretty amazing, even if it's also fiction.

The movie is the total package and it's no surprise to me at all that it one an Oscar for Best Picture, among its 6 others. It is funny, poignant, aesthetically beautiful, well-acted and entertaining from start to finish. I basically ugly cry every time I watch it and also laugh out loud at numerous points. If you love Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare or long pretty hair, you should see this movie. It's a can't-miss.

*Oh! And Colin Firth plays the BAD GUY! It's so great to see him in this role too, even though he'll always be the Mr. Darcy of my heart. He is so easy to hate in this movie, which makes Colin Firth a superb actor because I usually love him so much. OMG you guys for reals, if you haven't already seen it, go buy this movie right now. BUY it, don't rent it because if you rent it, you'll just want to buy it and then you've wasted a rental.

Bistrot Du Coin

Oh hey, look at that picture of a little Parisian bistro, I wish I could go to Paris and eat there. What? That's Bistrot Du Coin in Dupont Circle, right here in Washington, D.C.? WHA?! How delightful! Moules and frites for everyone!

So, you're welcome for that intro because as you might have guessed, I'm going to write about Bistrot Du Coin in Dupont Circle.

We went there for dinner Thursday night and I like French food, although I think most French restaurants in the US are rarely extraordinary. Well here's the thing that blew me away about Bistrot Du Coin: the atmosphere and aesthetics of the restaurant were SO Paris. There's no other way to put it. I felt truly like I was not in just another D.C. restaurant while eating there but like I was actually in France, which is saying a lot. I couldn't get over it and probably brought it up too often. (Sorry dining companions!)

Also, the menu, although filled with typical French fare, was extensive and appealing and also featured many of its dishes in appetizer or entree portion sizes, which I thought was a nice touch. One thing Bistrot Du Coin is known for are their mussel pots. They have like 9 varieties of mussel pots and 3 of the 4 of us got one for our entree (with yummy frites of course!) and they were all delicious. I went with the Provencale, which included white wine, garlic, onion, tomatoes and thyme and the tomatoes were gorgeous and the mussels themselves were fresh and delicious. Danny went with the Mariniere, which is garlic-tastic, and the one I tasted was super good and then finally our friend Jeff got the Mussels Roquefurt and oh. my. god. I'm glad I didn't get a whole pot of them because I would have had to be wheeled out of the restaurant, but the one I tasted? It was dripping in creamy, cheesy, briny, garlicky amazingness. So tasty.

One of the afore-mentioned mussel pots. Delicious? Oui!

Also Danny and I split a Bibb salad and as simple as it was, it was SUCH a good salad. It was perfectly dressed, crunchy and fresh. Also our friends got this warm potato salad which had pesto in it and goat cheese melted over the top. Um, seriously? Potatoes, pesto and goat cheese in one bite? So good. Again, a good thing I didn't order it all for me because I would have blown up like Aunt Marge in Harry Potter. (Nerd Alert!)

So if you are ever in D.C. and want some very tasty French food and some Parisian ambiance, go to Bistrot Du Coin, Merci!*

*And thus I have officially exhausted the French words I know.

Matt Nathanson's All Night Noise Tour

This Tuesday, my husband and I went to Matt Nathanson's concert at the 9:30 Club here in D.C. I know, I know, I was supposed to be sick. Well no matter how much self-pity I'm drowning in, I was NOT about to miss Matt Nathanson because I love him and this is my 3rd Matt Nathanson concert and did I mention I love him? So, I took a nap, pulled myself together and off we went. First a quick word about the venue, I really like the 9:30 Club. Apparently in D.C. that is akin to saying I really like kittens because everyone knows it's some super awesome venue, but whatever, I'm not super hip and had never been there. We had seen MN twice before at the House of Blues in Chicago which is a pretty decent venue but even though they weren't too different in size, the 9:30 definitely felt more intimate. If you are in D.C. and have an inkling to go see a concert, I recommend it for sure.

*Not from our show, but I wanted an action shot, you know?

Anyway, onto the actual concert. First of all, fun surprise, Vanessa Carlton was the opening act! I'm actually a big fan of her new record and have really been enjoying it, so I was super pumped to learn right before the show started that she was performing first! My husband was actually also excited, because he and his friends are super-weirdly obsessed with the song White Houses. I have no explanation for that. Anyway, she played some of her new songs that I love (Carousel and Fairweather Friend), a few I didn't know that I will probably download because they were lovely and her original hit, 1000 Miles. She did not play White Houses and Danny almost ugly-cried. Not really and he'll probably kill me for saying that, but he was bummed. However, I think the Vanessa Carlton surprise sighting was almost enough to brag about to his friends. They are so weird.

Next up was Matt. I call him Matt because I'm pretty sure we'd be friends if he ever met me, which is one of the reasons I love him. At all 3 of his concerts that I've attended, I've been struck by how personable he is and how he just seems like a really cool dude that I would want to hang with. He's funny and makes insightful comments about the inspiration for his songs and really responds to the energy of the crowd. I buy all of his records, but I will keep seeing him live over and over again because he is just a really good performer and brings something extra to his already great music. Also he makes awesome singing faces. See below:

 

This is soulful Matt.

This is Matt going "Oooooooooooooo" (See the song Laid.)

This is Matt belting it out.

And finally, this is Tambourine Matt. (That's not really a tambourine but it makes the same sound and you play it by doing the same shaky thing.)

Well that was fun, Thanks Google Images! Just a few additional highlights from the concert other than Matt's awesome singing faces:

• His covers. He always does a few and Tuesday's were amazeballs. First he did an impromtu version of La Bamba, which was both hilarious and intoxicating in that you couldn't stop yourself from hip-jiggling. He also did Whitesnake's Here I Go Again, which was fist-pumping tastiness and then finally he did a gorgeous acoustic cover of Prince's Little Red Corvette with his guitarist Aaron Tap. And let me just say, you hipsters over at The A.V. Club that didn't like this cover? Shut your stupid faces! It was so good and all of your jeans are too tight.

•  His mix of old and new songs. He did a great job of promoting his current record, Modern Love (go buy it now it's awesome) and playing stuff from all of his old albums, which hold a very dear place in my musical heart. When he played Pretty the World (his second song of the night), I about peed my pants with excitement. But I didn't because I'm a lady.

• His band. They are really really good and were doubly impressive because when Matt just decided to play La Bamba after someone cheered when he played the little opening riff between songs, they literally all just picked up the instruments and started joining in one by one. (Dear grammar police, sorry about that run-on sentence.) I'm sorry but that kind of musical ability blows my mind. I have been playing piano my whole life almost and I could not just sit down and start playing La Bamba no matter how badly I wanted to. So good.

In conclusion, I just want to put it out there one more time how much I love Matt Nathanson. He's talented and cool and as I said before, I'm pretty sure we'd be friends. I'm putting it out there like the Secret. Matt, let's hang out, not in a weird, stalker-y crush kind of way, but in a fun, listen to good music, drink beers and talk about pop culture kind of way. I think you'd really like my husband too, you're both cool dudes, so let's make this happen. Ok? Kthanksbye.

 

On Being Sick or as I think of it, The End of the WORLD

Me. RIGHT NOW.

When I was little, being sick wasn't so bad. I got to stay home from school, watch soaps and The Princess Bride (ok, that didn't start until I was like 8 or so because I was afraid of the Rodents of Unusual Size and the Six-Fingered Man until then), eat chicken soup, basically get a free lazy day. My mom would make me a special sick bed on the sofa that I got to feel cozy and snuggly on all day. Aside from the achy feverish feeling, it was kind of awesome. In high school, sick days got even better because by that point I had discovered the BBC's 6-hour Pride and Prejudice mini-series and I watched all 6-hours in their empire-waisted, British-accented, Colin Firth-filled entirety every time. I miss those days.

I also remember when I was younger whenever my dad was sick. My mom would always say, "When your dad's sick, no one else in the world is sicker (more sick?) than him." Well, thanks a lot Dad, because now that's me.

I used to be a trooper when I was sick. I would slurp my chicken soup and quietly watch TV without complaint. I would try to go to school the next day even if I still felt somewhat bad. Well now that I'm an adult, that is OVER.

I am no longer any form of trooper. I hate troopers. In fact, when I'm sick, I hate everything. No one feels as bad as me right now and I hate everyone and everything because of that. I'm like 15% sure I'm dying even though all I have is a low-grade fever and what appears to be some sort of cold, but whatever, it's SERIOUS.

The turning point was when I went to college and suddenly I kind of had to fend for myself when I was sick. I would feel sick, walk into the living room of my apartment and go, "Where's MY SOFA SICK BED?!?" I would walk into my kitchen and go, "Where's my CHICKEN SOUP!?" I'd look at my planner and realize I had a mandatory class to attend and go, "Where's my SICK NOTE?!" Oh right, you need a mom for that. I had a mom, but not with me in post-high school land (ok, so my parents lived 10 minutes from my college campus, but I didn't live at home anymore and who knows what she was up to when her life didn't have to revolve around me and my sick needs anymore!). And sick notes don't work on college professors. And the chicken soup from the dining hall tasted like booboo.

NOT the dining hall's chicken soup.

Then law school came. I lived in Chicago in a small apartment with my cat. Well, my cat was useless when I was sick. Even crappy chicken noodle soup wasn't a 10-step walk away. And so my self-pity during illness continued to snowball out of control.

Now we come to present time where I live in Adult Land. I have a job. I can't just take sick days especially because I'm saving my leave time for holidays, so I have to go to work. I have to wake up at 5:45 in the morning with a fever and mucus pouring out of my face and go to work and get everyone else sick. Suck it coworkers! I have to try and look presentable which is really hard when your face is running. Yeah, my face. Not just my nose because I'm sicker than EVERYONE.

Now I have a husband, so you'd think, awesome! Someone to pity me and take care of me! (He's back in town by the way, yay!) But no. He's a med student. Not that he isn't helpful to a reasonable degree, but he is every bit aware of just how sick I am, which does not match how sick I am in my head, 15% chance of dying. He just tells me drink a lot of water and eat Coldeeze which have a weird aftertaste and I hate them. The problem is, it's not him at all. He's actually great and perfect for a normal sick person. But I am not. I am a sick MONSTER. I don't even know what I want him to do. I just want him to pull an I Dream of Jeannie and do the crossed-arm, head-bob, winky thing and make me better. (Plus, seeing him do that would be priceless.) If I could go home now and have a sick day high school style, I'd probably still be a nightmare because I'm at the point now where my self-pity knows no bounds. Now go away. I hate you. I hate everything. I need Kleenex.

All-Time Favorites: Fleetwood Mac's Rumours

I think I'm going to start a series of posts of my all-time favorites in which I will pay special tribute to the movies, albums and books that have will always have my heart no matter what my fickle heart is obsessing over in the ever-changing winds of pop culture.

For today's All-Time Favorite, I have chosen an album: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. I realize this may be a cliche choice particularly because Glee just did an episode devoted to the whole album, but I assure you, I have been a Fleetwood Mac fan for a long time. I had a musically hip mom and she exposed me to a wide range of awesome music from the womb. I mean there weren't many 8 year olds singing Evenflow by Pearl Jam on the way home from second grade, but I was one of them. I don't want to sound pompous because I'm not a music snob at all. I mean come on, I've written about Selena Gomez like 3 times. However, I also truly truly love Fleetwood Mac. When I say Fleetwood Mac, I'm referring to the line-up that made the band name truly famous: Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. In albums this takes you from Fleetwood Mac (1975 album) to Tango in the Night (1987).

I love Rumours the most for a few reasons. First, my very favorite FM song is "Dreams" which is on this album. The presence of that song alone is almost enough of a reason for me. Stevie Nicks is singer/songwriter perfection on this song and it's an ideal example of why she is AH-mazing. If that song isn't enough, the album also has "Don't Stop," which I bet will make you feel better no matter how sad you might be; "Go Your Own Way," one of the best break-up songs ever made; "Songbird," that song from Love Actually, yeah, it's a Fleetwood Mac original and it's gorgeous; and "The Chain" which is just a rad song, and it basically tells the story of all the craziness going on behind the scenes when this album was being made (see below). Ok truthfully EVERY song is good, but those are the best.

Second, the backstory behind this album is remarkable. While this album was being made, Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were ending their long-term relationship and John and Christine McVie were ending their MARRIAGE. Maybe it's all that angst that produced such incredible music but I cannot even imagine being mid-break-up and have to go to the recording studio and sing about heartbreak while my ex provided backing vocals. To be a fly on the wall of that recording studio, although probably not, because a fly on the wall would probably get killed by a glass being thrown or something. I mean musician exes working in a tiny room together? There had to be some flying glassware at some point.

Third, and probably least important, I love the album artwork for this record (pictured above). It's Mick Fleetwood who is freakishly tall and Stevie Nicks in all her flowing-dress, ballet-slippered glory. Have you noticed I kind of love Stevie Nicks? I just feel like she made boho-chic beautiful and trendy way before Sienna Miller or that Olsen twin, not to mention, she's f-ing crazy talented. Anyway, everything about this cover is cool, from their Hippie-meets-Medieval costuming to his jaunty ponytail to the font used for the title. Plus the black and white image against a plain cream background? One word. COOL. I'm sorry, it's just the best word for them, end of story.

I mean really?! I want to be her. Not so much the personal life, but the musical talent and style? Yes, please.

So here's what I'm saying to you. If you haven't heard Rumours, then listen to it on Spotify. Then after you've done that, buy the album, because you need to listen to it more than just off of your computer. Preferably on vinyl, which I don't even have, but is very much on my wishlist. Then listen to every song and memorize all the words and appreciate beautiful music made in the midst of complete and total personal madness. God, they're awesome.

Wha???

The following is a list of things that made me go "Wha?" or something similar. The world is a crazy f-ing place.

Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace. AND PEOPLE ARE USING IT LIKE IT'S NORMAL. WHA?

Michele Bachman and Rick Perry are ACTUAL Presidential candidates. Seriously? I mean really, is that a joke? Democrat or Republican, can't we, as citizens of a so-called developed country, demand more from our leading presidential candidates?

According to People.com, 14% of people didn't like The New Girl. That's crazy because EVERYONE should like The New Girl.

THIS happened:

I've never been creeped out by babies before. Until now.

Parks and Rec didn't win any Emmys. That's some boo boo. However, Melissa McCarthy's win was pretty cute, even though she won for Bridesmaids.

I hate coconuts but legit love coconut water. How is that possible?

I'm from Indiana but I have never seen Hoosiers. This is something totally within my control and yet I remain surprised by it.

In the same vein, my husband has never seen Dirty Dancing. I can basically act this movie out as a 1-woman show. Maybe I should trade him Hoosiers for Dirty Dancing and then we'd both be better people.

Elton John's real name is Reginald Dwight! Do you think his husband calls him Reg? Reggie?

George Clooney is currently dating Stacie Kiebler, a former Dancing with the Stars non-Star and before her he dated Elisabetta Canalis, a current Dancing with the Stars non-Star. WHAT IS HE DOING?!?

This was a WTF in a good way:

Note the #1 Sex Champions Banner. Amazeballs.

Oprah's not on anymore. I still don't really believe it and I didn't really watch that often, but it's just something I counted on, like my pillow. What is a world without OPRAH!?

Christina Hendricks' boobs. I love that she's curvy and proud, but her boobs are so big and so emphasized, I can't help but be in shock every time I see her on a red carpet.

The following movies exist: Glitter, Gigli, Battlefield Earth and Death Race. I've seen 2 of the 4. I bet you can't guess which ones.

Snooki tweeted something insightful today. She said that Michael Bolton is a male cougar, which he kind of is isn't he?! But then she followed it up with: they should be called mougars. Also, I follow Snooki on Twitter. Who am I?

Gwyneth Paltrow managed to not look beautiful:

I'm never seeing Contagion.

You're welcome everyone. The world is crazy town and I love it.

In Appreciation of Manners/Friendliness

I realize I may be aging myself with this next question but what happened to manners? What happened to common courtesy? What happened to good old-fashioned friendliness? I was raised in a casual household but I was also raised with a heavy emphasis on being polite and kind. At 27 (almost 28, not too many shopping days left people), I find myself appalled at how many of my peers ad my elders seem to have gone without these very important lessons.

I mean really, is it THAT MUCH of an inconvenience to wait an extra 2.5 seconds to hold the door for a young lady with her arms full of groceries? Is it that hard to say "You're Welcome" when someone thanks you? Let me pull a me-in-grade-school and answer before you get a chance to: NO. IT'S NOT.

That's the thing about manners: they require minimal effort and, bible, those of us that use them can attest that the benefits outweigh the extra 5 minutes of time one spends in a day to be polite. People respond more warmly to you; you're setting a good example to those around you (particularly children); sometimes  you even get stuff for free, especially when those good manners are directed at an under-appreciated person who is serving you food or beverages, hello on-the-house dirty martini! I find this especially is the case if you are kind and understanding about a delay or a simple human mistake and let me tell you, i prefer a free cocktail to being a biatch any day.

I think part of my sensitivity to this manners/friendliness drought is that I moved from the Midwest to the East Coast. Now I'm about to say some not-entirely-positive impressions of the East Coast but please just hear me out East Coasters. For all the WASP-y upbringing of the many clean cut preppies that inhabit the Eastern seaboard, overall East Coasters just aren't a friendly bunch. Of course I've met plenty of friendly people out here individually but on the whole, Easterners seem to be colder, more isolated and less likely to go out of their way for another person than people from the Midwest. I'm sorry guys, but it's true and if you spend any length of time in the Midwest, even a big city like Chicago, you'll notice the difference too.

My husband and I went back to the Midwest for a week this summer to spend tie at my parents' lakehouse in Michigan and to visit friends in Chicago. We were honestly thrown off by how friendly people were. We had gotten so used to the collectively chilly attitude of D.C., we were borderline suspicious by the kind and attentive Midwesterners with whom we interacted at restaurants and stores. They'd say something really sweet like, "You two enjoy this beautiful day now," and we'd reply "Ok, what's your angle, lady?" In our heads, but still. This revelation that I was wary of kindness honestly depressed me a little bit. I'm a proud Hoosier, cornfed, love-thy-neighbor kind of girl! Have my 2 years out East really hardened me that much? What the French, toast?!

So from here on out, I'm on a mission to kill 'em with kindness and to really appreciate the people who are also nice and polite, rather than questioning their motives. Let's bring manners and friendliness back like Minnetonkas, big hair and bodysuits, but more like Minnetonkas and big hair because I'm actually not a bodysuit fan and I doubt that trend is all that long-lasting. Smile. Hold the door. Say thank-you. Oh and one more thing, read this post on Apocalypstick about being early, because being early is also good manners. You all enjoy this beautiful day now!

Interlude Post

So here's the thing, I just got back from Salt Lake late last night and I'm tired. Ergo, I'm also feeling lazy. I actually did work on a post in my journal on the plane which I will publish tomorrow, but for today, I'm just going to say a few things.

First: Salt Lake City is so beautiful. I think some people can be wary of Salt Lake because it's in Utah and there are certain cultural implications that people tend to make when they hear that. It is honest-to-god one of the prettiest places I have ever been in my whole life and actually a really cool town with lots to do. This weekend Danny (my husband), my father-in-law and I went up to Snowbird Ski Resort where they were holding Oktoberfest but where they also have all kinds of non-ski activities. Danny and I took the tram to the top of the mountain and the views were unreal. Here are some pics and please excuse the fact that they are all of me, I blame the photographer.

Seriously, the views were unreal. I love mountains.

Holy close-up. This was our sweet ride to the top.

Can you believe this awesomeness is only 20 minutes from Salt Lake?

So I also mentioned that this was Oktoberfest at Snowbird, which wasn't a huge thing, but you know I obviously had a tasty beer and a soft pretzel to celebrate Germany because I've got some German somewhere in my European-mutt ancestry, so obviously just doing my part with carbs. However, the BEST part of the fact that it was Oktoberfest was this:

Yeah, that's right. Tiny Lederhosen. Best. Outfit. Ever.

Obviously, if that adorable little boy's outfit is any indication, it was a magical weekend. It really was. I got to hang out with my in-laws including my super awesome sister-in-law, catch up with friends, eat some super great food (including dinner at Danny's Italian grandmother's house), and of course, I FINALLY got to spend some time with my adorable husband. All in all, a wonderful weekend. Also, Danny gets home in 6 days, yay!  I'll be back with some cohesive thoughts tomorrow fools.