This tune I can't get outta' my head, which I'm totally OK with since I love it so much! (P.S. Jay-Z's new album is the deal. Get it!)
"Labor Day parade, rest in peace Bob MarleyStatue of Liberty, long live the World TradeLong live the king yoI'm from the Empire State that's . . ."
Claims that Sienna Miller and Jude Law are back together. I always thought they made quite a pair!Image via Just Jared Anything David Beckham. Image via Pink is the new Blog
I swear, I've probably gained 15 lbs. from all the cookies, cakes and brownies that have showed up at work since the holiday season began. Stop the madness!!! Right now, I'm staring at the last little bit of peppermint bark a friend made. Yep. I've eaten almost the entire bag . . . and could probably finish off another. On top of that, tonight is our Clogging Christmas Party, and I know there will be tons of food there, not to mention Family Christmas tomorrow. Anyone who knows me knows I've got quite a sweet tooth (especially for peppermint!) Check out Paula Deen's peppermint bark recipe.
Ingredients: Peppermint flavorings, optional (Paula says use about 2 teaspoons, to your taste) 2 lb white chocolate Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 cup
Directions: Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.). Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. This is a gifts from the kitchen recipe, see all of the recipes from this feature. Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Servings: 2 pounds Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 45 min Difficulty: Easy
I can't get enough of this Jib Jab. My ex-ASU co-worker, Tunisia, did the dancing elves last year, and I couldn't stop laughing. This year, my current co-worker, Paula, made the one below, and now I'm hooked.
I love these high-pitched dudes from Cambridge, Mass., and since I've been in a Passion Pit kind of mood, I decided to post them in Band Beat. They remind me of everything summertime, of lightness, of torso-dancing with eyes closed and fingers snapping. Love them. I think they're movin' on up (didn't they play at the VMAs this year?) which is super, right? My favorite tune of theirs is Sleepyhead from their album, Chunk of Change. If you listen to this without torso-dancing, we need to talk.
From a review in Paste Magazine: "Passion Pit’s falsetto vocals sound like Bon Iver being sampled and sped up by Kanye West."
1. You feel bloated and really, really wish you would've chosen a different pair of pants to wear to work. You've had muffin top all day. 2. You didn't wash your hair this morning because quite frankly, you didn't want to, and now (3:49 p.m.) it's so greasy you could fry a pork chop. Gross. Everyone in your department is probably disgusted. 3. Your nose has been clogged up and bloody all day. Getting sick again? Sure as hell hope not. 4. You (yet again) didn't listen to your favorite weatherman, Sam Champion, and wore a sweater, scarf and heavy jacket to work. Sure, the scarf and jacket are removable. But your boss probably wouldn't appreciate you taking off your sweater. 5. Your cell phone has been on the fritz all day, so you haven't received the precious text messages your boyfriend keeps sending you. What is with you, Mint Chocolate?! 6. You've got the burps, and your co-worker doesn't appreciate it. It's one of her pet peeves, and you continue to let her down on a daily basis. Get your act together and stop burping so much . . . even if you can't help it. 7. You've dedicated some time today to looking at your favorite magazine photos of MKA because, well, you appreciate them (the photos, not the twins. You don't really know them).
MK in Elle (UK) September 2008Ashley in Nylon August 2006 MKA in Got Milk? ad (my favorite) MKA in Vanity Fair January 2002
This one's definitely for the Quote Wall. me: Oh! My adult cloggers got me a $60 gift card to Victoria's Secret for Christmas. Victoria's Secret, I know that's weird. But $60! That's a lot of panties!
Ever hear of Pandora Internet Radio? M'kay, if not, tune in now. My co-worker, Paula, turned me on to it a couple of weeks ago, and it's super addictive. It's also where I heard Sweet Disposition by the Australian band, The Temper Trap . . . and fell deeply in love. (Wasn't it featured in 500 Days of Summer too? I'll have to investigate.) How can you not like it? See for yourself below! And check out this album review from Pitchfork.
Sweet Disposition sweet disposition never too soon oh reckless abandon like no one's watching you
a moment, a love a dream, a laugh a kiss, a cry our rights, our wrongs a moment, a love a dream, a laugh a moment, a love a dream, a laugh
just stay there cause i'll be comin over and while our bloods still young it's so young it runs and we won't stop til it's over won't stop to surrender
songs of desperation I played them for you a moment, a love a dream, a laugh a kiss, a cry our rights, our wrongs a moment, a love a dream, a laugh a moment, a love a dream, a laugh
just stay there cause i'll be comin over and while our bloods still young it's so young it runs and we won't stop til it's over won't stop to surrender
a moment, a love a dream, a laugh a kiss, a cry our rights, our wrongs (won't stop til it's over) a moment, a love a dream, a laugh a kiss, a cry our rights, our wrongs(won't stop til it's over) a moment, a love a dream, a laugh a kiss, a cry our rights, our wrongs (won't stop til it's over) a moment, a love a dream, a laugh a moment, a love a moment, a love (won't stop to surrender)
Are snow globes back? I had about a billion of them when I was younger. Maybe I should've kept them around, huh? Check these out! It's a toss-up between the tree and bunny for me.
The xx is a foursome from South London whose single, Basic Space, has become quite popular this year. I love singer Romy Madley Croft's voice, particularly in this single. And bassist Oliver Sim's voice? Hot. Below is a snippet of a review from Pitchfork. And check out the Basic Space video below that!
Strongly influenced by modern R&B-- the group made hay with an early cover of Womack & Womack's "Teardrops", while UK copies of xx come packed with their version of Aaliyah's "Hot Like Fire"-- the xx use a drum machine to complement their copiously tidy compositions. Unlike contemporary R&B fetishists Hot Chip or Discovery, who have clearly spent long hours internalizing Timbaland, the Neptunes, and other radio cognoscenti, the xx incorporate more abstract elements of the genre: a liberal use of bass tones and an unwavering focus on sex and interpersonal relationships.
Since my stress level is nearly at a 10, I've been trying to think of ways to bring it on down to, say, a 2? (You can read below about why I'm so stressed, unless of course, it'll make you stressed.) I keep thinking about how nice it would be to get a proper spa facial. I've never had one before (I know, I think I'm the only person on Earth.) I've had a massage, pedicure and manicure, but never a facial. So it's going on my Things I Gotta' Do in 2010 list. Now. What kind should I get? I've been reading about super wacky ones. Don't really think I could commit to getting a facial whose moniker is "bird poop." Too weird. And what about my sensitive skin? Should I do the microdermabrasion?
Why I'm stressed: I'm moving my bedroom furniture and clothes over to my mom's house tomorrow morning. Right after, I'm moving everything else to Charleston. I'm going to live my mom for all of December and half of January (that's the plan, anyway) to save money. I haven't been able to save ANY since Bradford moved out. So I'm hoping to pay off my credit card and put some money back into savings before I move. Moving is stressful, period. Moving to two different places at the same time? Beyond stressful.
Last night, some of my family and friends surprised me with a birthday day dinner (thank you for organizing it, SIL!) It was so sweet and unexpected! I love surprises, so it was awesome. I got lots of sweet gifts and a cake that had a chocolate and vanilla checkered pattern on the inside. Neat!
Today, my former boss made dark chocolate brownies (um, holy yum. If you haven't gotten in on that action, go bake some pronto.) Boo, my other co-worker, Jennifer, and Toni got me a paisley purple-y scarf and a $25 iTunes card. Thas' what I'm talkin' about!
My love's coming into town tomorrow night, and I think we're going to hit Stillwater downtown. There isn't much else going on (there's a metal show at Sky City, which I absolutely have no desire to attend, and there's something called Pop Life at Soul Bar??? I have no idea what that means so I might have to check it out just out of curiosity alone.) I'm hoping GSS can come together again and rattle the town just a little (I'm 30 now, so I can't shake things up too much like I used to.)
Sure wish my cold would go on ahead and kick the bucket. Ugh, it's draggin' me down!
I took Friday off from work to fly out to New Hampshire for B's grandfather's funeral, and wow, I'm exhausted. It was nice seeing everyone, particularly Chris, Tish and the girls, but it was too short of a visit. On top of that, I've been fighting a cold (or some kinda' funk), but it has won fair and square. I haven't been resting or taking care of myself at all, so serves me right. Vivian is showing the house tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., so now I'm under a lot of pressure to get everything cleaned before then. Looks like another late night staying up. I can handle it . . . I just don't know if this funk will let me do what I need to do.
On a completely different note . . . I'm turning 30 in THREE DAYS! AHH!
Check out these celebs who are 30 too. Let's hear it for 1979! Holla'! (Must admit, though, I thought half of them were in their early 20s.)
Aaron Yoo (May 12, 1979) Remember him in Disturbia?
Alison Lohman (Sept. 18, 1979) I remember her best from White Oleander.Image via here Matisyahu (June 30, 1979) Best known for his awesome music! Image via here
Amanda Moore (Sept. 10, 1979) She popped back into the modeling spotlight after she rocked a faux-hawk mullet on the March 2006 cover of Vogue Italia. I've always thought she was so pretty!
Have you guys heard of Cocovan before? I just found her not too long ago, and I'm a little addicted! I can't dig up any bio on her, though, other than what's on her MySpace page. It says she resides in France, she's 21 and began writing songs at 16. That's it. Her tiny voice is really nice, though! And how incredibly pretty is she?! Check out the video below of her song, High.
Quite frankly, November gets the shaft. It's no secret with holiday decorations already on display around town and all. And since UO's holiday spirit has been flooding my email like crazy, I thought I'd flood my blog with all their Christmas cuteness (sorry November. You will always be my favorite month!)
Just look at these beauts!!! I love decorating for Christmas, but I've never had much of a collection . . . just an artificial, $17 tree I scored at Wal-Mart my first (or second) year of college and gifts from peeps and fam over the years. This year, Christmas decorating will be tricky. I'll be living with my moms to save money before I move, and she'll deck her whole house out (like, no joke, we're talking Christmas villages, random lights strewn about and Christmas plates, glasses and napkins galore) herself, so I won't have to stress about that. But I want Thomas and Bradford to have a little Christmas decor in our apartment, even though I won't be living there (yet), and even though my little Christmas collection will be wrapped up for the move. A Charlie Brown Christmas Tree it is then!
It's barely November, and already, the month is filled to the brim with stuff to do! I really, really, REALLY wanted to go to 80s Night this weekend with Fefa as part of my 30th (yes, I admitted it) birthday celebration, but Bradford's grandfather died, and well, his funeral takes precedence over celebrating. Besides, my birthday is really the week after, so it's all good.
So, I'm flying to New Hampshire on Friday and will be back Sunday night. (Side Note: My boss had the nerve to give me a hard time about taking Friday off. W. T. H?!?!?! *sigh*)
Next weekend, Birthday Time! Don't really know what I'm doing yet. B mentioned going to this restaurant called Crum's. Haven't been, but heard it was yums (sorry, I had to do it. I stole this witty line from Boo.)
The weekend after is Thanksgiving, and B's dad and stepmom are coming for the weekend. I've never spent Thanksgiving away from home, and I'm a little sad about it. I know this is what happens . . . but I'm going to miss being with my people.
And the weekend after that . . . wa-BAM! December. My head is spinning . . .
The California Avocado sandwich from Atlanta Bread Company, sans onions.
Image via here
The California Avocado sandwich from Atlanta Bread Company, sans onions.
Image via here
Image via Just Jared
Image via Pink is the new Blog
