Monday, February 28, 2011

E!

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.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Things We Love

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.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

It's

1:43 am and I'm hungry.

Monday, February 21, 2011

iPodding...

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!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Mini-Lohan

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.


Friday, February 18, 2011

MacBook Revolution!

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.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Citizen Stock!

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.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Pig Nose!

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.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

OMG!

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

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.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Broadway Bound

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...

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

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

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

The Girl Who Played With Fire

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!) :)

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Haircut!

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?

Friday, February 04, 2011

Winter's Bone

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.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Zumba. Zumba.

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!

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

The Ugly Stick

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

Omar Sharif

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

$73,467.68

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).