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.