A Resolution is just a solution that you are trying again. A Re-solution.

Well hello there my fab-lifers!! I apologize for my deliquency in posting - I looked at my December posts and they were very sparse indeed. However, I'm sure you were all just as busy as I was during these past few weeks. I even forgot to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!

Anyways, I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday filled with cookies, turkeys, presents and good times with family and friends. Can you believe we are only a day away from a brand new year?! I can't believe how fast time flies...

This is the time I usually take to think about the year that has past and the coming one and what my goals and wishes are for the new year. I don't believe so much in making New Year's resolutions - only because in my past experience they're good for about a week or two, and then are quickly forgotten. Therefore, to combat that, I'm going to make my resolutions BEFORE the new year. You know, get a head start on it and all.

So this year, I've resolved to: save money, lose weight and stay in touch with old friends. (Then again, these are resolutions I make for myself monthly, if not weekly!) But seriously...

1) Saving money - Well, who doesn't want to save money? I suppose if you call saving 30-50% on stuff that's on sale/clearance "saving money" then I'm pretty much there! In fact, I figure if I only ever buy stuff on sale, then that's pretty much like saving money all year! I'll have my husband drive me around to different stores if it will save me a quarter (though he does like to complain about the gas it takes to get me to the place that's supposedly saving me the money. Whatevs. Gas, shmas). As for actually putting away money I guess I could try that too...

2) Losing weight - Well, this is pretty much a constant struggle. I hate the thought of myself in a bathing suit, but I also hate the thought of going to the gym. And I really hate the thought of missing out on creme brulee (I love me some creme brulee!) Then I get all "what's wrong with being a "big skinned girl" anyways? ( "You mean big-boned"? "No! Her bones the same, skin's BIG!" haha!) then I get all mad at myself for being all "what's wrong with being a big skinned girl" because there is something wrong with being a big skinned girl (if you don't like how you look in a bathing suit!) then I get all "Well why does society think it's so great to be smalled skinned anyways?!" Then it turns into an existential crisis and then I go out and drown my sorrows in....creme brulee. But this year...FOR SURE. I'm gonna go to the gym. I mean, I've been paying for the membership. I might as well go. Maybe I'll reward myself for going...with some creme brules. Just kidding.

3) Staying in touch with old friends - I'm absolutely terrible at this. I mean, I know there's facebook and all that, but first of all - I'm not on facebook (Too stressful for me - when I was on it, I was constantly like "Do I want to have them as my friend? Why aren't they my friends? What's taking so long for them to accept me as a friend? Why are they your friend and not my friend?" It seriously got to be exhausting. So I took myself off it.) Minus facebook, it's a little bit harder to keep in touch. Oh, yeah there's cell phones and home phones and work phones, but really - after high school, I can't stand being on the phone for more than 10 minutes, if that. (Remember high school, when your whole life was on the phone? Everything happened on the phone.) There's also of course, email - which is okay, as long as you have everyone's updated email addresses! I don't mind emailing...in fact, I could make plans to meet up with my old friends for some coffee and creme brules, but then that wouldn't save me money at all (nor would it help with my "big-skinnedness").

See? Good thing I made these resolutions now. I don't feel so bad about breaking them, it's the end of the year after all. There's always next year!

Happy New Year friends!

PS. If you read my blog - why not become a follower? I'd be happy to have you as a friend! If not, then maybe you can tell 2 friends, and they'll tell 2 friends and pretty soon, I can have an international following. I promise I won't forget you when I become famous. See you next year :)

Order in the (Food) Court!

Even though I say every year I’m going to be prepared and not go to the mall the last few days before Christmas, I always end up going – I can’t help it. I think I secretly love the rush of finding a gift when I know that time is running out. This year has proved to be more challenging than previous years but I was up to the task. However, while on the search for the perfect gift, other things (such as eating dinner) get sidetracked. During this busy season I don’t always have time (nor do I have the desire) to go home and cook a meal after I’ve been shopping all evening. I mention going to a restaurant to my husband who says "That's too expensive. Why don't we just eat at Food Court?"

Ah yes, food court. An “oasis” amidst the hustle and bustle of the shopping crowds. A place to sit, relax, fill your tummy and quench your thirst. Choices lined up side-by-side: Greek food, Korean food, sushi, burgers, subs, New York Fries, Orange Julius, KFC, and pizza…the list is almost endless and guaranteed to satisfy whatever you’re craving. Everyone can get something they want. Everyone that is, except me.

I’ve never done well in Food Court. I don’t think there’s ever been a time where I was completely satisfied with what I got. And it’s not because of the quality of the food. I mean, food court food, is usually consistent. You pretty much know what you’re getting. No, it’s not that. With me I always have dilemmas. First, what do I eat? There is so much to choose from! Too much, in fact. I go from vendor to vendor, trying to decide what I want. Looking at the pictures of noodles or greek salad with chicken souvlaki or gooey pepperoni pizzas, getting taken in by smells and seeing other people’s delight at what they’ve chosen. Unfortunately, the assault on my senses is too much. It causes me to be extremely indecisive. Eventually, I’ll see my husband, or sister or friends (whoever I came to the mall with) sitting down enjoying their meals, while I, still wander around the food court back and forth.

Finally, I’ll force myself to make a decision. “I want sushi!” So I’ll go over to the counter and look…I’ll pick up a couple of packages trying to decide which one has the most crab or salmon and walk tentatively up to the line to the cashier. However, if the line up is too long, it causes me to think too much. Then I'll change my mind...I'll look over at the Thai Express counter and think "Hm...those people look like they know what they want. And I should try new things...and the food comes in those cute take-out containers!" So I'll give up my spot in the line and walk over to the Thai Express counter...then I'm faced with the menu. "Hmm...I don't know what to get. That looks good! But hmm...what if it isn't? UGH! Why did I decide to try something new now?! What was I thinking?" And right before I'm the next person to order, I'll look over at the familiar KFC line. "Hm...popcorn chicken. I love popcorn chicken." And...I'll leave the unfamiliar Thai Express line and walk over to the KFC line...which unfortunately happens to be familiar with everyone else which makes the line-up really long. Uh-oh. I look over and my husband is eating already. "UGH! I gotta make a decision! Do I want to stay in the KFC line? Ugh!! Hm...there's no more line at the sushi counter. Maybe I'll just get some yam fries and by that time I'll have figured out what I wanted." So I leave the KFC line and walk back over to the Sushi line. Yes. Yam Fries. But what else should I have? "It's not Tuesday, so I don't want tacos (they're not on special). I don't even have a drink. Hm...that greek food is looking good. I know! I'll have calamari! And I'll get my drink there too." So I walk across the food court to the Greek food vendor and confidently get in line. "Wow, $8.95 for a calamari combo with drink. That seems kind of steep. I mean, I already have these yam fries, which are kind of getting cold now. I should decide now, am I staying or getting something else?" I look around - all the line-ups seem pretty long. Except for the Sushi line. "Hm...maybe I should just get some teriyaki chicken? Yes. Teriyaki chicken on rice." Back to the Sushi line. "Okay for sure I'm gonna stay here now. The cashier is looking at me funny." I look over the menu and think "Geez. I coulda ordered the bento box and got sushi, teriyaki chicken and tempura'd yam! But I already have these damn yam fries. Oh wait, look there's just a teriyaki chicken bowl. Fine. I'll just have that. Ugh, they don't have fountain drinks here. I refuse to pay 2.49 for a bottle drink." I look over at my husband who's almost done his meal. "Yes! He has a fountain drink - I'll just drink some of his." I finally get to the cashier who gives me a look that says "You again?"

I ignore her and order: "I'll have the teriyaki chicken bowl please". I finally get it, sit down and open it up.

There's a little sliver of chicken with TONS of rice, and...yam tempura. ARGH...and in total my food court meal cost me almost $12.00! TWELVE dollars for rice, two yam sides and no drink. So much for saving money. By this time, my husband is done eating. He looks at my meal and shakes his head.

And I say "See! I told you we should've just eaten at a regular restaurant!"

I hate Food Court.

The Gift Exchange

So today at work we had our annual Christmas party and "Steal and steal" gift exchange. Ever since Monday morning when I arrived at work to find the explosion of Christmas baking all over the counter at my desk, we've been waiting for this day to arrive knowing that the goodies and food would be pure craziness! This year we had many new additions to our department which of course equaled even MORE food than usual. I brought my (almost) famous Shmoo cupcakes and homemade "Clodhoppers", but there were also homemade Christmas cookies, cheeseballs, shrimp rings, dainties, brownies, the list goes on and on...and this was even before lunch! By 10:00am there was an email to all stating the "grazing could begin"! Lunch began at 12:30 and we had all the usual suspects: Turkey with gravy, cranberry sauce and stuffing, ham, meatballs, cabbage rolls, perogies, garlic sausage, scalloped potatoes, hashbrown casserole, chicken skewers, spring rolls, 5 different kinds of salads, etc...I got full just standing in line waiting to get the food. Then after the meal, even more treats came out: homemade tiramisu, cheesecakes, chocolates...CRAZINESS.

However, the best part of our Christmas party is always the "Steal and steal" gift exchange! Anyone who brought a $10.00 (or more) unisex gift was able to play. We chose our numbers and the game began...

Now, I've joined this gift exchange ever since I started my current job and I've usually gotten a pretty good gift. However, one year I TOTALLY got shafted. As in, it was a pretty crappy gift. One that no one was going to "steal" from me. Ugh. It was "fake" candy bought at the dollar store. Fake as in, dollar store brand Smarties, dollar store brand LifeSavers, dollar store brand chocolate, all stuffed in a dollar store brand coffee cup. I'm pretty sure it wasn't $10.00 (or more) and I was really kind of pissed off about it, especially since the gift I brought that year was AWESOME. I swore it would never happen to me again. So ever since then, I've employed a strategy that almost guarantees me getting a good gift everytime, if not the one I really want!

See, what you need to do is pretty much in the name of the game: steal. Do that and the following things, and you can pretty much get exactly what you want!

1. Don't get taken in by the gifts' outward appearance. Anyone can buy good wrapping paper or in the case of when I got scammed: a pretty gift bag. (That was mistake number one for me. I love me some pretty paper and gift bags. Sometimes I'll buy gift bags, with no intention of ever using them for a gift. They're just for me to have and admire.) So yeah, this thinking is what got me to choose that gift. Remember: no one wants to spend more than they have to on wrapping paper or gift bags, so those things most likely come from a dollar store. It has nothing to do with what's inside.
2. Try to gather as much information about the gifts currently under the tree. In the days leading up to your gift exchange, start casually asking questions like: Are you in the gift exchange? Do you know what you're planning to give? Of course, most people won't want to tell you what they're planning on giving, so then you can say "I don't know what to get! Do you guys have any ideas?" Gauge their responses. If they suggest a gift card or a bottle of wine, or something that you like, then that person's gift is usually safe to choose. However, if they say something like "Just pick something up at the dollar store" then you will probably not want to choose that person's gift. They're in it to get something better than they put in. Therefore, stay away from their gift. Far away.
3. Once you've gleaned as much info as you can from your fellow gift exchangers, try to hang out in the lunch room the morning of the party - so you can see who's bringing in what package. However, don't be obvious - busy yourself with "organizing" the food for the lunch or any other type of helpful activity that will not call attention to the fact that you are "scoping"out everyone else's gifts. 
4. For your own gift, get something that you like. In fact, get something that you actually want or need (but something that not everyone will necessarily want or need.) Maybe even get something that specifically matches with your own decor or something that maybe requires you to have more than one of. This can be a way for you to kill two birds with one stone: For example, say you only have $10.00. You are planning to use it to buy your gift exchange gift. But then you also need a pretty stocking hook for your sequined stocking to hang on your fireplace and you find one for $10.00! What do you do? Well, you use the money to buy the stocking hook and then put that in as your gift. Two birds, one stone.
5. The most important rule is to always STEAL. Never, EVER get a new gift from underneath the tree. The way our gift exchange works at my work, is that when someone grabs a gift from under the tree, they have to open it, so everyone else can see what it is. This is key. IF you steal someone else's gift, you will never be surprised by what you get - because you've taken something that someone else has already opened.

But then, you ask, how can I make sure to get my gift (or something equally great)? Well, my friends, to actually get your own gift, may take some luck AND some good acting. When picking your number, it's always better to get a later number (ie. closer to the middle or the end). This is where your luck comes in. However, even if you get an earlier number you can still possibly get a great gift. If you happen to get say,  #2, then either choose your own gift (make a big show about trying to choose other gifts, and finally "settle" on your own) OR choose a gift that looks like it may be liquor or wine. Someone will ALWAYS steal liquor or wine from you...this will buy you the chance to be able to choose another gift that someone has already opened, or again, your own gift. If you get your own gift, don't make it obvious that it was your own gift. You can't show too much love for it because if people know that you really like it, they're more likely to steal it from you...just to be mean. Be indifferent.

Some people think the steal and steal gift exchange is pure fun. It's not. It's a battle of nerves. If you want a good gift, you need to be alert and pay attention. You need to remember how many times a gift has been stolen because (as in our gift exchange) there may be a rule where a gift can only be stolen a maximum number of times (in our case, once a gift has been stolen twice, the last person to have it, gets to keep it). If you steal something, hoping that someone will steal it from you, but haven't paid attention to the fact that it's already been stolen the maximum number of times, you are stuck with it.

If your own gift has been put out of commission (ie. you were not able to keep it and it has been stolen the max. number of times) make sure you have your eye on a back-up gift that you like. Failing that, if you're going to steal someone's gift, that you don't really like, want or need, make sure you steal one that has great "re-gift" value. Remember, one man's trash, could be another man's treasure. So steal a gift that you wouldn't be embarrassed to re-gift.

Now remember, don't get tempted to choose something unknown from under the tree.  Some people may wrap their gifts in separate containers to lure you with "a two or three container gift" (making you think that you're getting more than just one gift) or they may wrap it in a big box, hoping to fool you into thinking "bigger is better". Don't fall for it! That's for other people to do. Your mission is to steal the perfect gift. If you can follow these rules, I'm sure you will end up with a gift you are very happy with. You're welcome.

I wish you luck in this season's gift exchanging extravaganza! Happy Gift Exchanging Stealing!

PS. In case you're wondering, I did get a great gift today. It was my own gift: a pretty stocking hook to hang my sequined stocking on my fireplace. And...I also got to keep my cute gift bag.

Give = Receive

So, I've been in full on Christmas shopping mode for the last couple of weeks. And I'm actually almost done! (The kids' gifts, that is. I'm like the younger, cooler version of Ms. S. Claus. Seriously.) I have to say that I do enjoy the sense of accomplishment I get when I cross a name off my list! Giving the perfect gift, is almost as great as receiving it! (but not quite.)

Normally I also take pride in the fact that I'm a shrewd shopper who knows her prices and gets good deals. However, taking a look at my budget, it seems that I'm spending more this year, despite my refusal to overpay for anything. So I did a quick check of all my purchases for the past few weeks... Hm...Not only have I been getting gifts for all the kids on my list but it looks like I've been taking care of a lot of stuff on my own wish list! (Heh heh.) It seems that for every present I buy, I end up getting something for myself! (How did that happen??) But I can't help it! I guess it's like getting myself a reward for finding the perfect gift for someone else. So far I've gotten some fabulous fuschia gloves, a nice thick fuschia scarf and an awesome fuschia sweater...(Hm...perhaps that's it for the fuschia?) I also picked up the Glee S.2, Vol.4 cd. (BTW, it's fricken fabulous. I love almost every song on it and I only wish the mash-up of "Umbrella/Singin in the Rain" was on it. But other than that omission, I'm pretty happy with the songs that made it on to the cd. I've been listening to it non-stop at home and in the car (much to my husband's annoyance. However, I think he lets me listen to it because it takes my mind off his driving and my "spatial paranoia". Well, not really. But it still makes me feel happy.)

Anyways... is it really my fault that everything I want happens to be going on sale for Christmas? Sure, I can put it on my wish list or wait until Boxing Day... but then what if it gets all sold out before whoever is going to buy it for me, buys it? Or what if it doesn't go on sale anymore? (Like the Starfrit frying pan I've been looking at all year! It finally went on sale for $24.00 so I had to pick it up! And the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer that I've wanted forever! On sale AND no tax!) Also, I've learned the best time to buy things like salon hair products or makeup, is during Christmas because they have all these combo packs or special editions. And a lot of stores will have "No Tax" days or 40% off days, or Moonlight Madness days...(Oh, I'm sure a lot of the stuff will go on sale even more AFTER Christmas, but then a lot of that stuff is also picked over...)

So I think it's a good thing I've bought this stuff for myself now. Besides who wants that kind of pressure when trying to find MY gift? I'm simply helping out my family and friends...plus what if they bought me something for regular price, but then it went on sale? Or worse, what if I don't LOVE the gift and need to return or exchange it?? I'll feel so bad and their feelings will be hurt. By buying the gift myself right now, we both win. I get instant gratification AND the perfect gift (on sale) plus I'm saving them from having paid too much for my gift and from worrying whether or not I love it. I'm so considerate!

The only problem now is that I don't have anything to put on my list when people ask me what I want...

Wait that's not true. Fret not, my family and friends! My wish list perpetually regenerates...I'm sure I can find something on my list for you to give me! Don't worry. I'm sure I'll LOVE it. (Just make sure you give me the gift receipt).

"Deck the Halls with Boughs of Hol-"Glee", fa la la la la, la la la la..."

So today we experienced "A Very Glee Christmas"! And in typical Glee fashion, we were treated to some funny moments, some heartbreaking moments and of course, no show is complete without some "Sue" moments!

Since I've had the cd for a couple of weeks now, I've been looking forward to watching my fave Gleeks sing the songs - however, I was wondering which ones would make it on to the show. Usually there are only about 5 per show and this cd has 12 songs. I didn't think they'd be able to put in all 12, but they did manage to put in 6 songs, plus one that wasn't even on the cd!

They started right away with "The Most Wonderful Day of The Year" with happy voices and expressions, despite decorating their sad, "Charlie Brown-ish" tree with the broken star and stolen  "gifts" from a mall display. Mr. Schu (in all his sweater vest glory) tells the kids that he is not going to allow them to feel sorry for themselves and that they are going to be carolling to raise some money. Ha! Unfortunately it doesn't go well when they start singing "We Need a Little Christmas", with other students yelling that they are "starting to hate Christmas" because of them and a teacher (?!) throwing her shoe at them. Yikes! Artie learns that Brittany still believes in Santa (which is actually kind of adorable!) And being as sweet as he is, asks the rest of the Glee club to go along with the whole thing so that Brittany can keep believing. Until...what she asks of Santa  is to work his magic so that Artie can walk. Sweet but obviously impossible...or is it? Brittany's child-like innocence could make even the most cynical person believe in Santa again.

And...just because Kurt is not at McKinley doesn't mean we've forgotten about him and happily, him and Blaine treat us to my favorite duet of the episode "Baby, It's Cold Outside". I was bummed that it was in the context of Blaine performing it at a Christmas concert and having to just practice singing with Kurt, because when I listened to it on the cd, I imagined a whole different thing, ending with Kurt getting his REAL first kiss. Aw! Other than that, I loved it! But, I miss Kurt singing with the other Glee kids - perhaps Blaine could just transfer to McKinley??

Rachel is still trying to get back with Finn, who, even though he loves and believes in Christmas, can't seem to forgive Rachel for making out with Puck. Rachel takes any opportunity to try and woo him back, first with a gift of a coupon for the bearer to hear a song of Ms. Berry's choosing and performed by Ms. Berry herself.  Rachel may be annoying at times, but I can't help feeling bad for her, because in some ways, I'm pretty sure I'm just as annoying as she is. Ask my husband. (lol). Unfortunately, I can't sing like her...but I do enjoy many of her song choices.  She chose my second fave Christmas song (originally sung by the Carpenters), "Merry Christmas Darling" which I thought was very nice, especially with her "winter wonderland" of blue christmas trees and fake falling snow. Also, isn't it so like her to believe that her singing to Finn would make him forgive her? She kind of tried again when they went to look for a new Christmas tree and her and Finn sang "Last Christmas" (by Wham!) but alas, that didn't work either! I guess we will have to wait for the new year to see whether Finn will ever find it in his heart to forgive her.

Now, you all know how much of a soft spot I have for Coach Bieste. And as usual, I always want to cry whenever she is on. Artie and the other guys asked her to play Santa so that she could tell Brittany that Santa, try as he might, wouldn't be able to give her what she asked for (ie. Artie being able to walk). To make Brittany understand, she told her a story about a husky little girl who asked Santa to make her look like other little girls so she wouldn't stand out. Eventually she accepted that she wouldn't ever be like other girls, and asked for patience instead. AHHHHHH! Heartbreaking!! Brittany is obviously crestfallen and begins to lose her Christmas spirit.  And then...a Christmas miracle - in "Tiny Tim" style - Artie receives a gift of a contraption ("I thought it was a Transformer") that helps him walk! And Brittany once again believes in the magic of Santa AND Christmas. And we believe in the greatness of Coach Bieste. I heart Coach Bieste!

Lastly, we couldn't go an episode without the requisite mean Sue and today she took it one step further by literally becoming the Grinch Who Stole Christmas (complete with green face, and trusty sidekick Becky as her "rein-dog" to pull along her wagon full of stolen gifts, all done with "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" playing in the background). So mean, but so perfectly Sue! She even had the evil Grinch grin...But as we know, even if she plays the Grinch, Sue's heart is not really two sizes too small. In fact, Sue ends up being so moved by the Glee kids (who haven't given up on Christmas, even after her "Grinchifying") singing "Welcome Christmas" to raise money to buy gifts for the homeless kids, that she breaks into Mr. Schu's place ("I had a key copied ages ago."), and surprises him with a Christmas tree (decorated by the Glee kids) and a gift...of clippers - to cut his "chia pet hair". LOL.

Aww... So I guess that's it until next year. Boo! All I want for Christmas is a few more episodes!

PS. I apologize for the title. I know it's kind of corny.

Gleecap: I wish I had a Magic Comb...

Sectionals!

Okay so last week, we were left with a quandry. When would Rachel find out that Finn slept with Santana (during the utterly wonderful "Power of Madonna" episode!)? Apparently we wouldn't have to wait long to find out...just when we thought that it might be drawn out through upcoming episodes, Santana does the unexpected (well sooner than I thought!) and spills the beans almost immediately! Oh, what a bad day it was for Rachel - finding out that your boyfriend slept with a hot cheerleader, not getting the lead vocals for sectionals...what more could go wrong? However, just because Rachel wasn't going to sing at sectionals didn't mean we weren't going to hear her sing at all. There weren't too many songs I liked in this latest installment, but I have to say I did actually like Rachel and Kurt's duet of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". SO much better than Madonna's version, no? I laughed at the subtle "No to the hands" move that Blaine did when Kurt was channelling a little too much  Evita (lol). But I do feel he was robbed of a solo. And what's wrong with a little Duran Duran anyways??

In last week's episode, we thought that Kurt going to Dalton was going to be for the better. And while on the surface it seems like it is (ie. Kurt not having to fear for his life at McKinley from scary football bully guy!) we start to see that perhaps he might also need to sacrifice his individuality to be part of Dalton's Warblers. "More of a team player" as Blaine said...hm...

(Speaking of Kurt and Rachel, I thought the whole exchange before their sectional showdown was very cute. It made Rachel actually likeable!)

Now, let's talk about Puck...what's up with Puck lately? It seems like he's lost some of his mojo (though I do admire him not wanting to hurt Finn again by stopping himself from making out with Rachel). He just seems to be off his game and I felt sorry for him, getting thown in the awful port-a-potty, only to be rescued by wrestler girl...And why is scary football bully guy allowed to be back on the football team and be all "nothing's wrong"? Is that really how they're going to leave that? No! I'm hoping there is some sort of upcoming vindication! Seriously. And adding to my outrage: Where was Sue?!

Also, in other couple's news: that was sweet of Artie to give Brittany the "magic comb" to help her get over her fear of leading the Glee club to victory with her dancing...and kind of hilarious that it wasn't even his comb, but a comb that he was gonna throw out in the garbage! haha!! ("You let me comb my hair with it?!")Oh Brittany, you're so funny!!! Then it was sad when Artie thought Brittany was cheating on him, because she even admitted it! But then we find out she had misunderstood Artie when he accused her of adultery ("I thought it meant being stupid. Like an adult") and really wasn't cheating on him. So cute! I like those two together. And it also turns out that Tina and Mike are alright too. Although we get it, you're asian. No need to name your kiss an "Asian kiss?" (wha?? Unless of course it's a "thing" like Carrie and Berger's "Hollywood Kiss"?) 

Yay to Emma coming back...(ps. I LOVED her striped coat) and for suggesting to Mr. Schu that he was a little too predictable when it came to the New Directions. I was glad to see the change-up of Quinn and Sam taking over the leads with "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (though, the opening still seemed very "Finn and Rachel opening at Regionals" didn't it?) Truthfully, having Quinn and Sam do the leads was not really different from having the two usuals do it, because everything else was the same...but I still liked that they got a chance in the spotlight. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought/hoped they were gonna do the whole dance routine from Dirty Dancing. ("Nobody puts Baby in the corner!") Indeed.

It was also nice to hear Santana getting a solo, singing "Valerie" (? I don't really know that song!) ...though I didn't quite understand the little hat with veil (I hearted it very much, mind you, but I just didn't get it). And speaking of wardrobe - I also didn't care for it. The dresses alone were aight, but not in combo with the leggings and the guys outfits of inexplicable burgundy shirts. Just confusing...although not as confusing as when the Hipsters were singing - was that that lady's real voice? It sounded too young for her ("She's too tall for him"- Ocean's Eleven. Random. Sorry.) I mean, it didn't sound like it was her voice...And finally, the Warbler's song "Hey, Soul Sister". eh. Though I enjoy the blending, I didn't really love the song...perhaps its because I can't stand that they're trying to make Kurt "just another Warbler". I sense a return to the New Directions before long...(ps. Did anyone else notice that little horse head pin on Kurt's lapel!?)

And just when we thought everything was gonna be alright (the Gleeks and Warblers tied and would both be going to Regionals!) we got a series of grenades dropped on us: Emma and Dr. Carl (aka Uncle Jesse) got married in Vegas! Finn broke up with Rachel! AHHHHH! My head's exploding!

(Also I'm glad we got a little peek of "the finest dentist alive" (again, have mercy!) I thought all we'd get to see was Emma's new name plate.)

So some things for us to think about: Will Finn and Rachel get back together? What will happen to the leads? Will Quinn and Sam be the new Finn and Rachel? Will Finn hook up with Santana and give us Fantana (no, that sounds like a drink...) I mean, Sinn? (Yeah, that sounds better). Will Kurt come back to face Scary Football Bully guy? Will Blaine and Kurt ever get together? Will Puck get his mojo back? Will Brittany ever give us more "Britney"??!! So many questions so little time!

Next week - the last episode of the year... (wah!!) but it's the Christmas one and I'm looking forward to hearing the songs from their CD (esp. a certain duet!)..so until then, my friends, G'night!

PS. I forgot to add my thoughts re: the last song of this episode "Dog Days are Over": Another "eh" from me. I hate it when I don't know the song. So sue me.

I shop, therefore I am.

I’m not much of a sports enthusiast, but once a year, I gear up for a major event, one that I would call “mon sport favorit”. NO, it’s not the SuperBowl.

It’s SHOPPING (duh.). And not just shopping, but BOXING Day Shopping. On this day, the day after Christmas, I get up early (earlier than I do for work or any other activity) to get ready to battle with the crowds. The days leading up to December 26th are consumed with scouring flyers, knowing prices and memorizing calculations, visiting my targets and scoping the store layouts to best determine my course of action. Then I brief the troops (ie. my husband) on our mission. On Christmas night, I go over my game plan, over and over until it’s memorized. I can barely sleep - the adrenaline rush building inside...

The battle plan is simple: get the deal.

This sometimes proves to be a daunting task due to the others who have a similar plan. Unfortunately for them, they are dealing with someone who has not only trained throughout the year by going to semi-annual sales, sidewalk sales, weekly sales and surprise sales, but someone who has,  pretty much gone to the mall almost every day after school or work, since Grade 7.

I live it, I breathe it. The mall is my home court. Everyone else, is the opposing team. They have no chance.

In recent years, another event has come to my attention. The event is called Black Friday. Our neighbors to the South celebrate this day after their Thanksgiving (which happens to be today). It’s their “Boxing Day” and I hear it's even better than ours. Their sales, more ridiculous. Their crowds, more fierce. Actually, their timing is better too - everything is on sale BEFORE Christmas. I've been watching the news reports, it's as crazy as they say...

Therefore, I've decided that I am going to participate in it next year. It will be my Olympics. I will have to train more intensely than I've ever had to before. I must plan every detail and study each store layout. I must learn their taxes and memorize those calculations. I must have perfect timing. It will be tough - and there may only be a few days before where I can train onsite. Of course, the cost will be greater...but the pay-off will be well worth it. To quote Brodie from Mallrats: "I love the smell of commerce in the morning". Ah, yes. I look forward to the challenge.

So enjoy your Black Friday sales today, my fellow shoppers - next year, you will meet your match.

GLeecap: I always cry at weddings...

I love weddings. And this week our favorite show treated us to, not one, but 2 weddings...GLeestyle!

Kurt's dad, Burt and Finn's mom, Carol, finally decided to tie the knot - much to the delight of Kurt, and to a lesser extent, Finn. I loved that (of course) Kurt was the wedding planner and I knew it was going to be beautiful:  a crimson and cognac color palette for a fall wedding? Yes! And just because we didn't get to see Kurt's dad's proposal to Finn's mom, don't think we missed out! We got to see a very cute "promise ring proposal" by Sam to Quinn. (Are guys in high school really this sweet?). However, Quinn, ever weary, gave us a definite maybe.

Then there was Principal Sue marrying herself? Obviously! No one would be a more perfect match! The introduction of Carol Burnett as Sue's mom (the nazi hunter)? Yeah, I buy it.  Their duet of "Ohio" was a strange and funny and somehow worked with the perfect blending of their voices.

This episode was all about Love. Different kinds of love, varying stages of love: young love, true love, self love, the love of family, the love of friends. But unfortunately, it was also about something more sinister: bullying. Just when Glee lulled us into a false sense of security with all the wedding gaiety and excitement, it came back and punched us in the stomach with the return of Karofsky (I know his name now! I don't have to keep calling him "scary football bully guy"), who once agained scared the bejeezus out of Kurt (and me). After that, I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen and I prayed and hoped that it wouldn't come during the wedding! (Seriously, I must watch too many action/drama movies - I kept thinking that Karofsky was going to come and start shooting up the wedding. I mean, he seems just unstable enough to do it. I'm not ruling it out.) Damn him - I was on the edge of my seat for the rest of the show. Good thing I had it on PVR, I had to watch the wedding again since I couldn't enjoy it the first time because I was so stressed that something bad was going to happen!

But enough about that for now...let's discuss The Wedding. (Have I told you that I absolutely love weddings?)

My favorites:

1. As I said earlier, I really dug the color palette. (I'm all about color palettes).
2. I loved the entrance of the "entourage". It was cute and fun and made me wish I could get married again, just so I could dance in to such happy music. I hadn't heard that song before, but I really liked it. "Marry You" by Bruno Mars. Hm...I like this Bruno Mars.
3. How could you not cry during Burt and Carol's speeches to one another and the boys? (I'm teary just thinking about it!)
4. Mr. Schu singing "Sway". (Totally reminded me of my uncle, who I'm pretty sure, throws parties, just so he can sing at them. (LOL)
5. Seeing Burt and Carol cha-cha was awesome. It was so "we don't really know how to dance, so we took lessons, but we're still not perfect, but who cares because it's OUR wedding and we are in love and having fun!". It looked like a really fun wedding to attend. You know how some weddings you attend, you can really feel the love? Watching this one, was like that.
6. Rachel's dress - I liked hers the best...the neckline was gorgeous. I want to get a dress made that looks exactly like that. For the next wedding I attend.
7. Finn's speech - it was a perfect "high school boy" speech. It was awkward and sweet at the same time. It made me laugh we he said the bit about combining names: Finnchel (Rachel beaming with delight), and Puckleberry (Rachel's "beaming" was erased) haha! It was subtle, but perfect. However, maybe instead of "Furt", Finn could have picked "Kinn" (which would be a perfect intro to a speech about "kin", which is what Kurt is to him now...right?! Really, Glee writers, that was a gimme.)
8. Finn and New Directions singing "Just the Way You Are" (also by Bruno Mars) and dedicating it to Kurt - which I have to say is my favorite song of the show and my current fave song in real life. (Next to "Baby" by the Biebs of course)

And Sue, for all her tyranny and toughness showed us glimpses of heart - whether it was standing up to her mom (and her version of "bullying") to expelling the creepy Karofsky for threatening Kurt to stepping down as Principal in protest for the school board letting him back in and for telling Kurt he could choose what (nick)name she would call him. "I choose porcelain." (I would too.) It was just the right amount of sweetness and meanness. (Oh Sue, you're our favorite villain!)

I haven't even mentioned yet how great it was that the guys (well, minus Finn) stood up to scary football bully guy (sorry, I'm not used to calling him Karofsky), or the hints of Tina's jealousy of Brittany and Artie's relationship, or Santana, who seems to be getting tired of all the "love" happening around her (but only because I suspect, she wants to be "in love" or for someone to love her as well). BTW, I'm starting to like Sam and Quinn as a couple and thought it was also very perfect "high school boy" for Sam to cheer when Quinn decided to wear his ring. However, I'm sad that Kurt is transferring to Dalton, though it seems to be the only course of action (at least for now). On the upside, we get to see more of Blaine! And also, Sectionals are next week!

So my fellow Gleeks, I hope you enjoyed the episode as much as I did (as I do, almost every week!).

PS. I also picked up the Glee Christmas CD today and am thoroughly enjoying as well!

Consequences...

Have you noticed that as you get older, you start to worry more about consequences? I mean, it's obvious - you become an adult, so you have more responsibilities and more things depend on you or your actions. Instead of doing things willy-nilly, you start weighing out pros and cons, making lists, planning things to every minute detail...it's exhausting! Why can't things be easy and simple like when we were kids?

I never thought of consequences back then.

For example...When I was a kid,  I used to be in a folk dance group. We used to perform  for special occasions, such as cultural days and Christmas programs or different places like hospitals or nursing homes. We'd dance, people would clap with delight and everyone would be happy.

Well, one day we were performing at a nursing home, but this nursing home happened to be out of town. The families of the performers all drove out for the day.  For some reason, we decided to stop off at someone's cottage on our way. The only thing was, that it had been raining previously and this person's cabin was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by random mud puddles. Us kids got out of the car to go check out the beach. Our parents told us to not to go far because we wouldn't be staying long. They also told us to be careful of the mud puddles. One of  my friends was wearing little flats and I secretly scoffed at her thinking "Duh, why wouldn't she wear runners?"...

When it was time to go our parents called back to the cars, as we had to get to the nursing home before all the residents went down for their naps. We decided to race back and I thought it would be faster if I just ran THROUGH the mud puddles instead of around them.Of course I promptly slipped on my butt and I was covered with (and stuck in) mud. My other "dainty" friend had smartly avoided this and looked at me with disdain. Now, I don't know about you, but when we were kids, if we got hurt, we wouldn't get sympathy. We'd get in trouble. Our parents would be all "Oh, SEE? Why did you do that? It's your own fault!" And this is exactly what happened to me. I totally got in trubs for slipping in this mud. My hands, legs and butt were covered in mud. Did I mention that my dad was driving his new camaro? Yeah, I had to sit on newspapers in the back, getting in trubs all the way to the nursing home. My mom kept saying "Why would you run through the mud?! Your friends didn't run through the mud! WHY would you run through the mud?!" Of course this was a rhetorical question and an answer was not required...though she would look at me expectantly waiting for me to say something. I couldn't say "I wanted to win the race!". So I just sat there, bawling my head off, regretting my decision and cursing the fact that I didn't think of the consequences of my actions. Then again, how was I to know I'd fall in the mud? I was wearing runners!

Another time, we had a family trip to visit my parents friends. Some of their other friends and their kids also came along, so there was quite a big group of us. For the first couple of days everything was good. Then we went to their church that Sunday. We all got dressed up in our Sunday best.  My dad always carried chewing gum then, so he gave me some to keep me quiet during the service. I was sitting across the aisle from one of the other kids that had come on this trip with us and showed off that I got gum. (I really don't know why I thought I was so cool, but I did). Well, you know how that kind of gum eventually gets hard and you just want to spit it out? Well, I was sitting in between both parents, so I couldn't get out to throw it out. I thought that I could just take it out and hold it in my hand until the service was over and I could put it in the trash. So I took it out of my mouth. I held it gingerly in my fingers. Then I started to play around with it (you know how gooey gum is!). But then it started to really get sticky. So I tried to pull it apart. Of course, it just got longer and gooey-er. Then I thought, well maybe if I use my other fingers to get it off? And well...you can imagine that now BOTH hands were sticky with gum. (I seriously don't know how I get myself into these situations). When the service was finally over, my parents noticed me trying to get the gum off and... obvi  I got in trubs again. And that other kid shook her head and gave me a look that said "I didn't get gum all over MY hands." How would I know that that little piece of gum would become the STICKIEST and gooey-ist piece of gum on the face of the earth??

I never thought about the consequences. Like that time I thought I had the BEST plan EVER...

We had heard the bells ringing from a block away. The popsicle man was riding his bike down our street! It was one of those hot summer Saturday afternoons and a red, white and blue rocket pop was just the ticket. We flagged the popsicle man down, but alas, we did not have enough money. So I came up with a brilliant plan. I was going to tell my dad (who happened to be over at the neighbors house) that the paper boy had come collecting. (In those days, the paper boy would deliver your paper and once a week would come by "collecting" money for the paper subscription). I saw my parents give him money hundreds of times and I knew there should be enough in there to get a couple popsicles and ice cream for myself, my sister and my cousin.

I ran over to the neighbors and breathlessly told my dad the paper boy was "collecting". He thought it was odd, but I was insistent, so he gave me the money anyways, and went on with his conversation with our neighbor. I ran back to our house where the popsicle man was starting to look suspicious of my sister and cousin who kept trying to stall him. I triumphantly handed over the money and told my sister and cousin that we had enough to get them whatever they wanted. They each chose their popsicle and I got mine and like 56 cents back. We quickly ate our popsicles in the basement for fear of someone catching us. We wolfed it down so quickly we didn't even have time to enjoy it! My dad eventually came home and I gave him his change. He wasn't really paying attention, but he stuck it in his pocket. I thought to myself "Whew! I TOTALLY pulled it off." Everything was great and I forgot about it...until Tuesday.

That's when the real paperboy came collecting. My dad came to the door and said "I already paid you". The paper boy looked perplexed and said that no, he hadn't come around asking for money until today. Uh-oh. I sat in my room, trying to figure out what to do. Should I climb out of my window and run away?! UGH. Then I heard "Lisette! Come here." I slowly walked to the door where my dad and the paperboy were standing. My dad asked me "Is this the paperboy you gave money to last Saturday?" I looked at the paper boy, who looked back at me with eyes that said "I'm terrified of your dad". And I squeaked out a "No." So my dad got even more annoyed and said, "Well who did you give that money to then?" Of course, I couldn't say I used it for popsicles! Crap. I said "Um...I dunno.I can't remember." Anyways, the paperboy, who looked completely terrified that 1) my dad was going to yell at him but 2) that he wasn't going to get paid for the subscription and thus, get yelled at by HIS boss, quietly said "Um...Sir, do you, uh, want me to come back?"  Sensing his fear, my dad reluctantly paid the paper boy who beat it out of there as fast as he could. He turned back to me and said "Hoy..You better go and find that other kid you gave the money to." So I went outside and walked around our neighborhood, berating myself for the WORST plan EVER...UGH. I finally told my dad last year that I did that, thinking he'd think it was funny. I got in trubs.

Yup. Consequences.

Hm...maybe being an adult isn't so bad.

It's a Jolly Holiday with Holly: GLee-style!

AAAAHHHH!!!

Where do I start? I loved this episode of Glee! (I know I'm pretty biased because I really love the show) However, the past few weeks, I wasn't loving it as much as I did when I first fell in love (ie. I was past the honeymoon stage and into the "comfortable" zone). There were songs that I liked here and there, but I was missing a lot of the singing and big end numbers from the first season (or was it that I haven't been paying attention?) Anyways, everything I love about Glee has returned this week with the grand entrance of Ms. Gwyneth Paltrow! (I like to think of Gwyneth as one of my good friends, ever since I had a dream that we were bff's! She totally had my cell number and we hung out all the time...I even called her "Gwynee".) Anyhoo...

As I said last week, I was really looking forward to this episode because 1) my bff (see paragraph above) was going to be on and I know she's an awesome singer 2) Sue was going to be the acting principal and of course tyranny was going to ensue and 3) I thought I heard a snippet of "Umbrella" in the previews...

And just as I knew it would, Glee didn't disappoint.

Getting past the initial grossness of the whole "spray of sneeze" scene, I thought the baby Gleeks were adorable! 

Then the whole introduction of Gwynee as Holly Holiday ("Are you a porn star or a drag queen?") as the substitute Spanish and English teacher (singing "Conjunction Junction" no less) and finally as Mr. Schu's stand-in was so fun (ps. I totally dug her outfits!) I wonder if she will make more than just a fleeting guest appearance on this show? Even my husband was excited about her first song, Cee Lo's "Forget you" (well, we know what the title really is). Also, I have to say that I thought that whole slippery butter floor thing was funny (I enjoy cheap laughs) Esp. when Rachel slipped and quickly got up and said "At least I didn't break my talent."

I was confused about the song that Mr. Schue sang with Mike Chang (or at least danced with M.C to). I mean, at first I was like "What?" but then I thought the choreography was really quite good, so in the end I have to say that I didn't mind that little interlude. Then it all made sense afterwards that he was dreaming! (BTW..How does one run towards, and up a wall, then do a flip? I'd try it, but I'm pretty sure I'd fall on my head.)

Then there was the duet by Gwyneth with Rachel (my husband was like "This is the song that Rachel wanted to do that was glamourous and upbeat?!") Feather boa satin robes? Check! Silly dancing with matching faces? Check. Broadway showtune? Check. Wonderful harmonies? Check.

There was the side story of Mr. Schu and the return of Terri(ble) - From nice (Aw, knowing that "Singin in the Rain" makes him feel better) to creepy (baby talk involving petroleum jelly and a thermometer) to gross (ew Vicks "sex" with his ex) to scary ("You'll regret this!")...that woman is PSYCHO.

But that wasn't the only thing, there was also the side story of Kurt and Blaine's blossoming friendship and Mercedes' third wheeling and use of (tater) tots as a substitute for love...(Perhaps holding up the TOTS sign in the caf was a little too 'Norma Rae'. Then again, who doesn't love tots?) I thought her little hallucination at Breadstix was hilare - and the boys talking about Patty Lupone's latest novel, LOL.

And finally that death threat from bully football player guy to Kurt was actually kind of...terrifying. (I didn't care for this at all. I know that Glee likes to take us from lightheartedness to seriousness and back, but I'm worried that Glee will venture too much to the dark side of this one and I'm scared they won't be able to make it back. I don't want there to be a PSA after the show a la Eminem.).

Oh! I can't forget about Brittany's line: "Mr. Schu taught me the second half of the alphabet. I stopped after M and N. I thought they sounded too similar and got frustrated." Ba ha ha ha! Brittany rules.

However, everything was eclipsed by the last number - a mash-up of Rihanna's "Umbrella" and "Singing in the Rain". AAAHHH!!! I absolutely LOVED it. Probably my favorite song this season! Everything about it, from the choreo to the color palette (aubergine umbrellis?! Delightful!!!) to the duet of Gwynee and Mr. S, was perfect. It gave me a renewed love for both songs! I so enjoyed it. There are not enough exclamation points! I'm pretty sure I was sitting on the couch with a smile of pure glee, for Glee.



"....ella, ella, ella..."

 AAAHHHH!!! And next week...a wedding! Finn in a tux! Can't wait!

A Bully, A Bieste and a Bro-mance: Glee-style

I know Glee was only gone for like one week, but did it not seem like it was forever? Perhaps it was because I was disappointed in the last episode but it seriously felt like I hadn't seen it in ages. I was quite looking forward to this episode because of the girls singing "Living on a Prayer" in the previews (This turned out to be a mash-up with "Top it up" or whatever that song is... Oh, it was "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones. haha). It was classic over the top Glee with the girls all wearing black leather biker gear. I liked it. It was fun and the girls looked like bad-ass biker chicks!!

However, I think this week I enjoyed the guys singing more - whether it was the rival all boys school that Kurt visited, singing Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" (a song I normally don't care for, but didn't mind because I am a sucker for good harmonies) to Puck and Artie's reggae duet of Bob Marley's "One Love" (which I liked the most out of all the songs this week) to the Glee Guys' mash-up of "Stop! (In the name of love)" with EnVogue's "Free Your Mind".

There were a few themes this week - Kurt getting bullied by that football player and finding the courage to stand up to him with the help of a friend from a rival school, (could his new friend become his first boyfriend??!) and getting his first kiss. At first I thought that Kurt was just having a dream and that any moment he'd be woken up from it with a slushy to the face. Happily it wasn't a dream and he looked so delighted when the Warblers were singing Teenage Dream. (Though I thought it was awkward when Blaine took his hand and they were running to the room. I suppose there's no other way to pull someone along...but I think it just looked funny.) I totally called that whole "boys locker room situation". (Didn't something similar happen on "American Beauty"?) However, I have to say that even though I was pretty sure that's what would happen, there was a split second where I thought it could really go the other way. The acting in that scene was intense!

Another theme was how the Glee guys (and Tina) would visualize "the Bieste" to cool off when they were getting too hot and heavy, which on the surface may have had a comic element (visualizing the coach in a tutu) but was, in actuality, particularly mean especially when Will had to tell her. Everytime this coach is on, my heart is breaking! We love Coach Bieste. She's like a big teddy bear.

There was also the return of Puck (and his mohawk!) from juvie. For his "community service" he decided to hang with Artie to teach him the ropes on being "cool". And though he initially played up that he was a tough guy, it turned out he was terrified of going back. And instead of him influencing Artie, it was the other way around (kind-of). I'm glad Artie didn't fold to the pressure of the "dine and dash" because if he did, I could see him being the one getting caught and Puck and the girls beating it out of there, leaving him to take the fall. Seeing Artie standing up (excuse the pun) for what was right and seeing that Puck isn't as strong as he likes to believe is refreshing and I see a bro-mance on the horizon! I like them being good friends. Also, I think Artie has a really good voice which at times is under utilized. Hopefully more duets to come from these two.

All in all, I think the show was a good one this week, with a lot for us to digest. I'm sensing we will see more of Kurt's new friend (or boyfriend, perhaps?), Coach Bieste will stay to fight another day and the PuckArt(?) bromance will blossom further...

I'm looking forward to Gwyneth Paltrow's appearance on next week's episode! See you next week!

If you love something...

The other day I was having a discussion with one of my friends, who also happens to be my fashion guru. This girl is ALL about fashion. I love hearing her designer shopping stories and purchasing dilemmas...("Have you seen those RIDIC Burb Boots? I NEED THEM!") She gives me advice on all the best shopping websites (yoox.com!!!) and updates me on crazy sales (I'm still kicking myself for not ordering those Jimmy Choos from that once-in-a-lifetime sale. Everytime she wears hers, she says "Dude, I told you!! You shoulda got in on it!" I know. I know. Sigh.). I force her to take pics of her purchases if only to experience these designers vicariously through her...If Madonna or Gwyneth Paltrow has it, she is also getting it! We discuss designers like Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant and Stella McCartney (Well actually, she discusses it and I sit there with my mouth hanging open in awe). She's even introduced me to her personal shopper...Yeah, she's THAT kind of fashionista!  

Anyways, we were discussing how sometimes you buy something because you just absolutely NEED to have it. It's not even a question. Your life was meaningless before this purchase and if you hadn't gotten it, you might as well not bother with the rest of your life because there is just nothingness if you don't have it. (A little over the top perhaps? Ah...no.) We were talking about loving an item so much that you can't even bring yourself to wear it or use it because it's just so GOOD. It's the complete opposite of "Crying in the Rain".

Take for example, this Joseph Altuzarra* skirt that she had ordered...(from Paris, no less!). She finally got it and was totally in love. She brought it with her to wear on her latest trip. She said she took it out of her suitcase, admired it, and promptly packed it back in. It was too good, she couldn't even stand to wear it. I said I felt the same way about my Burb shawl. I absolutely ADORE this shawl. I didn't even want to take it off in the store, but pretty much as soon as I got it home, I couldn't bear to take it off the velvet hanger and garment bag it came in. Oh, I did deign to wear it once on our cruise last year, but I was so stressed out about it! Right after dinner, I tenderly folded it back up into the delicate tissue paper and slipped it into another bag, before I put it right back into my suitcase. I did bring it on my last trip to NY, as that would be a perfect place for me to wear it...but I did the same thing she did with her Altuzarra...I took it out, admired it and promptly re-packed it. (She chided me for this too, saying "Dude, you're supposed to wear it on the plane, so you can be all nice and toasty!") Anyways, this is exactly how I feel about that Ostrich feather clutch from Club. It's too good. TOO good. I'll probably never use it. But my life will be empty without it.

I was discussing this with my husband later on, struggling to articulate how we felt about these pieces, but it turns out, he completely understood. He said "Oh, just like with my Jordans?" Precisely. He loves those shoes so much, the thought of them touching the ground is absolutely unheard of. Nevermind they were technically made to actually play the game of Basketball in.

You know that saying "If you love something, set it free. If it doesn't come back to you, it was never yours to begin with..." (or something like that). Well, I say, "If you love something, do whatever you can to get it. If it tries to get away, lock it up." Ah, thank you.

*PS. How HOT is Joseph Altuzarra?! We likey!!!

love, Love, LOVE.

Yesterday I fell in love.

Yes, again. It happens to me often (I'm quite fickle). In fact, I think I might have fallen in love thrice yesterday. ("...Miami is nice, so I'll say it THRICE, Miami is nice, Miami is nice..." haha. Just an inside joke...to myself - and you too, if you know the episode of Golden Girls, I'm referencing! haha).

Anyways, I mean to say that I might possibly have fallen in love, not once, not twice, but THREE times - all in the span of about 17 minutes. However, there is no cause for my husband to be jealous. You see, the objects of my affection are all from Club Monaco's Fall/Winter 2010 Collection. Strange, as I really don't normally fall for things in Club. I mean, don't get me wrong, their clothes are nice, but I just don't usually buy stuff from there. Also, I find their accessories extremely overpriced. So it was with complete shock that I actually found 3 things in there, that will most likely make my life complete.

The first is their faux fur vest. Athough it's not the Zara faux fur vest that I originally wanted and it's way more expensive, I still love the look and color of it. And since I wasn't able to get the Zara one, and am still hell bent on getting a faux fur vest, this has become The One. I'm so getting it...just as soon as I find someone who has an employee discount. LOL

The second item I absolutely MUST have, is their short black chain driving gloves. The brown ones are also awesome. 'Nuff said.

And the third item - the thing that's consumed all of my thoughts since I first laid eyes on it yesterday...is the Black Ostrich Feather Clutch. OMG. The epitome of evening bags. I'm not even going to lie - If I got this clutch, I probably wouldn't even use it because I adore it so. But I NEED it. I'm pretty sure I can't live without it. While I was waiting for my sister I saw another girl pick it up and admire it, and pure hatred and jealousy coursed through my veins. I had to stop myself from screaming across the store "Take your filthy hands off of the bag before something bad happens." Yes, it's that good.

Ah, love.

New York by day, by night, by food (part deux)

Finally! Here it is. Part 2 of our New York Food Tour. I hope it was worth the wait!

Before I go on, let me ask - is it weird to be taking pictures of our food? I often wonder what other diners think when they see us pull out the camera and bright flashes of light interrupt their dark, candlelit dinners. I already have a story ready in case they ask what we're doing: I'm planning to pretend I'm an important food critic and that I absolutely MUST have the pictures of food...I doubt they'd believe me though. Well, boo on them because I love looking at food pictures. Now...the continuation of NY bd, bn, bf...

Wednesday brought another day of shopping...this time in SoHo. We decided to check out Silver Spurs for breakfast which was recommended to Jeff & Trace by our tour photographer, Marc. This seemed like one of those spots that tourists don't usually frequent and we loved the homey vibe this diner gave off. First we ordered coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice. Now I know that a lot of places will say "fresh squeezed OJ" and it will taste like fresh squeezed from the frozen concentrate can. But here? It was the real deal. Like someone was in the back and that was their only duty - squeezing oranges for this juice. It was so good and we got a huge glass of it. Mmm..Tracy and I both had the Scottish Benedict which substitutes lox for the usual back bacon. It was good, perhaps a wee bit salty, but definitely a good portion. I can't remember what Jeff had - it was some kind of breakfast huevos rancheros-ish type of wrap and I know it had avocado in it. It looked good anyways. Aldin had a breakfast of eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausage - huge portion! Trace had also ordered a fruit plate not realizing the Benedict would be so big.  But since we had been eating so much good food, she figured something healthy was in order!

After this, we walked back to tackle the shops lining Broadway. Uniqlo, Topshop, H&M, Bloomingdales, Madewell, Zara and Armani Exchange to name a few...Aldin wanted to find this place called Flight Club so we walked...and walked...and walked. After that adventure, we were starving and decided to find Eataly...There was an Eataly cafe, but we actually wanted to go to the Madison Square Market's Food Square which was right across the street. It was  a group of food/restaurant stands that were set up in a little area across from the Flat Iron Building and beside Madison Square Park. They had tables in the middle so you could sit and enjoy your food from the different types of stands there. Aldin and I shared a Margherita wood-fired pizza (they actually had the woodfire oven there!) with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese from Roberta's and a spicy Chicken Tikka Masala combo on basmati Rice from Tanjore's. For dessert we had a wonderful banana nutella crepe from Bar Suzette. We forgot to take pics of everything because we were so starving!



mmm...look at the cheese crust on that mac n cheese!



We went to watch "Wicked" in the evening and didn't have dinner until after the show. We were pretty hungry, so we wanted something we knew was going to be delicious, reasonably priced, open, no reservations required and close to our hotel. So... we ended up going back to Cafeteria! And, it was once again delicious! I didn't want a huge meal, so I ordered the angus sliders and the trio of Mac & Cheese. It was really good, but I was so tired after the show (emotionally draining!! lol) I was unfortunately full after only one slider. Aldin ended up having the other slider and the rest of the Mac & Cheese...in addition to his own meal of a giant pork chop with potato latkes and poached pears. 



aldin's pork chops - yummo!

On Thursday, it was our "alone day". We split up with Jeff & Trace in the morning and didn't see them until the evening! Aldin and I had a photo tour that morning and we were meeting our tour photographer, Marc by the LOVE sculpture on 56 and 6th. We were early, so we ended going to Pret a Manger to sit and have some breakfast while we waited. 

Oh, here's funny/cool story: While Aldin was up getting his food, one of the workers said to him "I like the way you tied your scarf!" She went on to ask him how he tied it, and he politely explained how. But then, another worker said to him "Oh! And my boss wants to know where you got your boots - he thinks they're really nice!" So he told them and they were all gushing about his style and finally asked, "Are you a fashion designer??" So he came back to the table, his face beaming with pride and told me the whole story. I was like "That's AWESOME love! For someone to think that you were a fashion designer in New York, that's pretty cool. I'm so proud of you!" He was like "I know!!" Then I said "Um...you realize they probably think you're gay right?" (insert the sound of a deflating balloon) Of course there's nothing wrong with being mistaken for a STYLISH gay man! Regardless, it's still cool - and I'm totally taking credit for teaching my husband how to be stylish. It's pretty much a compliment to MY style. LOL! Anyhoo, he had a warm chicken and roasted tomato wrap, but it was all overshadowed by the whole "fashion designer" episode, so I don't think he even took a picture of it. 

After our pictures, we ended up on the Upper West Side and met up with my cousin Lerma for lunch. The last time we were here, we had the BEST pizza (in our opinion) in New York at Francesco's. They have all these different kinds, and when you choose it, they put it back in the wood ovens to crisp up the bottoms and it you get a wonderfully satisfying HUGE slice with gooey cheese and flavorful toppings. Did I mention this place is a favorite of Ben and Jen (of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner fame) who live on the Upper West Side, as well as Regis, whose show is taped right across the street at the ABC building? (This is all of course an assumption based on the fact that I saw their pics on the wall.) Actually, I think it is a favorite place of other famous people as well - their pics were on the wall too. So there. 

For dinner, we were meeting up with Lerms and the girls. At first we were going to go to a fancy shmancy place called Patsy's Italian Restaurant (which happened to be Frank Sinatra's Favorite Restaurant) but we decided to just be casual and visit another favorite joint we hit up last time. Hop Kee's Chinese Restaurant. (For the famewhores, this restaurant was featured on an episode of "No Reservations" with Anthony Bourdain, our fave Chef at large. We also pretty much ate the exact same thing...) So what did we have at this great, authentically New York, Chinese eatery?



snails!

Spicy squid, Cantonese Crabs, steamed Chinese Greens, Deep fried Flounder, Peking style Pork chops and snails. Yes, snails. They came with toothpicks so you could take them out of their shells. (I personally didn't care for these, but did have one). Apparently this is one of their specialties because not only did Anthony Bourdain have it when he was there, all 3 tables around us ordered it too! Everyone seemed to be enjoying it, and 2 of the tables even ordered seconds of it! As usual, the food was delicious. I know you're thinking "why go back to some place you've already been, in a city with tens of thousands of restaurants?" Well, when its this good, as with the pizza, you can't help it



line up at the famous Halal cart

Friday...our last full day in New York AND our last full FOOD day too. We had a quick granola bar for breakfast, as we were checking out the 5th Avenue shops and the MoMA. We met up with Jeff & Trace at the MoMA. They had been telling about this famous Halal Food Cart on 53rd and 6th since we arrived in New York and we were completely intrigued. Jeff kept saying, you get this HUGE amount of food in a container and its only $6.00! Hey, after being in NY for a week, your wallet does get considerably lighter. So we walked up 53rd to 6th ave and found 2 Halal Carts. One on the east side of the street and one on the west. Since there wasn't really a line-up at the east side one, we crossed the street to the cart, where a few people were lined up. Tracy and I found a bench near by beside some other guys eating their Halal Chicken or Lamb on rice. They seemed to be enjoying it very much. When the guys came back with our food, I saw that it definitely was not just hype. It was huge. And it was "Throw your fork on the ground, because this is the best thing you ever ate, GOOD".



chicken on rice with famous white sauce

lamb on rice with famous white sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got the chicken on rice and it came with salad, tomatoes and this white sauce on top that you can't even explain how good it is. Aldin got the lamb on rice and it was just as delicious! Not game-y at all. And after we started eating, the line-up got longer and longer, so I guess we did pick the right Halal cart!

 

There is just so much good food to be had in this city. I almost wish there wasn't because I would have liked to try dessert at some places! (Next time I go back, I'm totally going on a Dessert Restaurant Tour). After this, we went back to the MoMA to be artsy-fartsy for the rest of the afternoon. After we had gotten our fill of art, we walked over to the NBA store and finally back to Rockefeller Centre where we were going to take our subway. By this time, we needed a little snack to tide us over until dinner, so we stopped off at Auntie Anne's Pretzels. MMmm...we got a couple of pretzel dogs, some pretzel bites and this uber yummy blended pomegranate lemonade!!



braised  beef

And before you knew it, our last dinner in NY. And we went to the perfect last dinner place: Pastis. (Pastis was also in SATC in a couple of episodes, btw...) If you read my first NY post, you know that this was the ULTIMATE dinner for me. It was pretty much the best day of my life...foodwise. LOL. Forget lobster and steak, I will take this wonderful glorified Ham and Cheese sandwich topped with bubbling bechamel sauce and a fried egg ANY day! Oh, croque madame...j'adore!! Okay, well, you already know about what I ordered. Let me tell you what everyone else had: Aldin and Trace both had this "it's like buttah" braised beef with indulgent and creamy scalloped potatoes. Jeff had a wild mushroom ravioli which was nice, rich and hearty.

We also had chicken liver/foie gras pate to start. We were all like "So THIS is what Foie Gras tastes like. What's all the hoopla about?" (lol).

chicken liver and foie gras - fancy shmancy

It did, however, come with these sweet sauteed onions and frisee greens that when you put it all together with the pate on a piece of bread was good. Hm...perhaps my palate is not sophisticated enough for foie gras?

so much to choose from!

Anyways, we were determined to visit this place called Viniero's which boasted the best cheesecake in New York City. We cabbed it over to the Lower East Side and found it, packed with people lined up to take out AND eat in. We opted to take out and chose 2 kinds of cheesecake: Sicilian and Italian. The Sicilian had cherries and some kind of liqueur in it, so I only took a bite. It was soft and creamy...and very liqueur-y tasting to me. I also tried a bit of the Italian one, which was made with ricotta cheese. Um...didn't care for it that much either. We later realized we should have ordered the NEW YORK cheesecake. Duh. LOL.

the "Sicilian"

And finally Saturday, our last day. BOO. We met up with Lerms, her husband John and the girls for dim sum. Bright and early! We went to this place called Dim Sum GoGo and it was really quite good! The decor was bright and airy and really clean!

We had the usual dim sum fare, plus some new things - duck dumplings, rolls with shrimp and mango and pumpkin cakes. The latter reminded us of some kind of filipino dessert. It sort of looked like what John called "gel insoles" (lol) but orange. It was actually pretty yummy...if you didn't think about the gel insole comparison.

 All in all, a really great and diverse experience of food from different cultures, New York style. There are so many more things we wanted to eat, but we will have to try them again next time...can't wait!

Au revoir! Team Wabaki @ Pastis

Oh, I forgot to say, we had some REALLY delicious food at the airport in Newark too. The place was called "Currito" but Aldin kept calling it "Corrina, corrina!"

 

He had these flavorful carnitas tacos that had just a hint of sweetness (I don't know what it was, but it was divine) and I had some kind of Chicken bowl that had a mix of rice, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, corn and black beans, salsa and guacamole. Surprisingly good for an airport restaurant!

 

So that's it. A week's worth of culinary adventures. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed eating it... Well maybe not. But at least the pictures turned out! Good thing I'm "an important food critic".