Shopping is my Cardio

So I know you're all just dying to know what I ate for my last 4 days in NYC! (or not. LOL) But if you are... I totally have the post ready, however, I haven't been able to add the pics because I don't have my memory card with me. But don't fret my pretties! I will have it back soon enough...For now, how about I discuss what I ended up buying on my trip? I haven't had a fashion-y post in awhile.

Ooh, wait, I have to also tell you that I recently just got Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Tentation Cuivree from Chanel's Holiday 2010 Collection, courtesy of my uber fashionable cousin, Charz. I'm LOVING the couleurs, all my faves, BTW, and I'm so amazed at how good it goes on. I put it on this morning without my eyeshadow primer and the color was still so vibrant! I guess spending a bit more on eyeshadow definitely IS worth it! One might ask, "Oh you fancy, huh?" I might answer, "Yes. Yes, I am."

hee hee.

So. My purchases. I don't feel like I actually bought a whole lot. I didn't even get my elusive faux fur vest from Zara, despite the fact that there were probably at least 5 Zara's in my vicinity. I was only able to get to one Zara and it had every faux fur vest in their collection, but mine! So depressing. When we were in the NBA store on 5th Ave, I kept seeing girls with all these Zara bags, and I stopped one of them to ask where it was and she was all "Just down the block" But I couldn't find it! I'm so blind. I bet you I walked past it multiple times. Ugh!! I managed to get to a few H&M's, but for some reason, I didn't have as much strength to look through their stuff as I did when I was in Edmonton and Calgary this past summer. Go figure?

Before we went, I also made a list of some of the stores that I definitely wanted to go to (in addition to H&M and Zara). I really wanted to check out Uniqlo (which I think of as Japan's answer to H&M) and TopShop, London's H&M-ish type of store. Uniqlo was a wonderful, modern store, with affordably priced cashmere sweaters stacked in color coded piles up to the ceiling! I was able to find myself a couple of "wrap" sweaters there and ended up getting a couple more sweaters for gifts as well. There were a couple of faux fur jackets that were quite cute, but they didn't have my size in the styles that I wanted. BOO! And they were only like 99.00! Craziness.

As we made our way down Broadway, towards TopShop, I noticed a cute pair of brown suede desert boots (with a heel) in Madewell. We went in so I could try them on. It was a charming store, and I ended up getting the boots, which were a (relatively) reasonably priced $188.00. (Every other boot in this style I had looked at thus far, was over $200.00) After much deliberation and hemming and hawing, I bought them and I am SO happy I did. Love them!

I didn't fare as well at TopShop. I've always been intrigued by TopShop, as it's been "endorsed" by the UK fashion plates: Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and featured on Gok's Fashion Fix. This is before I realized that "it's only 40 quid" in London translates to $80.00 US. Which was pretty much their "standard" price. Don't get me wrong, they did have some great stuff (definitely better and more stylish than H&M), but personally I thought it was a little too steep...

J.Crew is a store I rarely go into - I think of it as a less "corporate" Banana Republic, but a higher end Gap. Don't get me wrong, I think the clothes are actually quite nice, albeit a wee bit overpriced.  However, while we sat outside of Rockefeller Centre, waiting for the Jimmy Fallon show, I decided to check it out. Tracy said she got some good stuff @ the outlet for a good deal (which I failed to check out, I don't know why), so I thought I'd see if there was something good in the regular store. Sometimes you get lucky -  Many times the sale in the regular store is a better sale than the stuff at the outlets! Anyhoo, I really didn't think I would find anything but lo, and behold! I found a gunmetal grey sweater with ruffles! And it was on sale! I also checked out the J.Crew in Soho and was able to find a moss green sweater in the same style, which will go really well with my new boots, some jeans and one of my new Gucci scarves! Very "It's a nice Fall day to walk in the Park" type of outfit. Oh yeah! I also picked up a really nice black leather Gucci bag which I'm thoroughly enjoying, in addition to the scarves! And finally, my last purchase/indulgence was a bag charm from Louis. I think it's so cute!  Like a ridiculously expensive toy. LOL.

So yeah, not too many purchases this time. Its seriously so overwhelming. The sheer volume of it all is enough to make you cry "tears of fashion". And for some unknown reason, a sale rack is impossible to find in Saks and strangely enough, in Gap (or at least the Gap I went into!). I think they ship all their good sale stuff to the suburbs. Oh well.

You might think that after coming back from a shopping mecca like New York, I'd be shopped out. But when I got back home I happened to find these really comfy flats that I originally wanted to buy before the trip (but they didn't have my size!)! They were on sale AND I got an extra 15% off (for being a VIP member, thank you very much!). When my husband saw me carrying my purchase, he just shook his head. Whatevs. A little cardio never hurt anyone.

Yeah, let's not do that one again...

So I finally watched the "Rocky Horror Glee Show" episode tonight. And I kind of really didn't care for it! Perhaps it's because I really don't care for the Rocky Horror Picture Show or whatever it's called. I never understood it and I never really cared to watch it. Apparently it's supposed to be extremely significant and provocative, but...yeah, I still don't care for it.

Anyways, because I don't like to not like something for the sake of not liking it, I decided to Wikipedia it so I could actually find out what it was about. Did you know it is "one of the most well-known and financially successful movies of all time"? I didn't, though I did know that it was one of those "Cult Classic" movies. Unfortunately, none of this matters because even after reading and learning about it (which usually intrigues me)...I STILL don't care for it. And putting it into Glee, still didn't change my mind. In fact, I was not excited about it at all when they were previewing it. I don't know what the hype was all about. I was already annoyed when I saw the lips (which btw, I think were Quinn's) singing at the beginning. I mean I understand it's their L'Halloween show, but couldn't they have just done a remake of Thriller instead? Or something?

I did, however, think Finn was cute in those nerd-y glasses and Rachel wasn't as annoying! And even though I didn't like the songs, I thought Finn's voice was really good. Yes, I'm a Finn-Fan. And John Stamos...ah,yes! Uncle Jesse is back with a vengeance. I vote for more singing on his part! You know something funny? When I first got infatuated with Finn, my sister was like "I don't think he's THAT cute. He looks like he has man-boobs". I was offended and totally DEFENDED Finn. "He doesn't have man-boobs! It's just his shirt!" Anyways, I did notice at the beginning of this season he looked more toned. So in this episode when they were talking about how he had to be in his tighty-whiteys, and he was all nervous about it, I felt like it was a wink to everyone who thought he had man-boobs! He was insecure about showing his body, but then he did, and I didn't see any man-boobs!!! I do protest to his use of those yucky off white boxers though. Seriously, they should have put him in crisp, white, boxer briefs. Have mercy.

So, to all of you who enjoyed this episode, perhaps you could enlighten me? Tell me the significance of it all? I still don't understand what all the hype was about? Has everyone watched this movie? Does everyone know these songs? Is everyone supposed to know these songs? Is this a "must watch" movie or my life will be incomplete type of thing? I dunno. Personally, I think it insists upon itself.

Anyways, the upcoming episode looks better. The girls are singing "Livin on a Prayer". 'Nuff said.

New York - by day, by night, by food...(part 1)

Today I’ve decided to focus on the food – though this will have to be a 2-part post because there is just too much food to discuss in one! New York as we all know is a cornucopia of different cultures and therefore different foods. You can get pretty much anything you are craving in this city. Either just down the street or a short subway ride away. So let me take you on this journey of eats…Warning: your mouth will probably be watering after this, so have a little snack handy…

we sat right here

 Our first night there, we went to Katz’s Deli. This deli was the site of Meg Ryan’s memorable (ahem) performance in "When Harry Met Sally." And! We actually got to SIT at the actual table she sat at. However, I don’t think I had the same thing as her (raised eyebrow). heh heh



mound of meat!



We did however have a tasting of 3 different meats: Pastrami, Corned Beef and Brisket. It came with bread and pickles. Aldin and Jeff ordered it at the counter and they even got to taste some samples before they gave them the mound of meat! We also had (my favorite part) the gigantic steak fries and of course to wash it all down, a Dr. Brown’s Rootbeer! SO good. I preferred the pastrami, but my husband LOVED the brisket. Either way, it was a great way to begin our culinary adventures…



The next day we went to Woodbury – nothing overly exciting to eat at first because the shopping was more important than the food! Sustenance! Energy! We just needed a quick breakfast at Au Bon Pain and a quick lunch at a surprisingly decent Mexican place called “Desert Moon Fresh Mexican Grille”. However, in the evening we were famished and decided to head over to Cafeteria. This restaurant had a great vibe and an extensive, delicious menu. It was like being in a trendy club (dark, but candle-lit with good music) but sitting and eating! They even had a “bouncer” like guy sitting outside. Pretty cool. We started off with a trio of mini mac & cheese bowls: cheddar & fontina, bacon and smoked gouda, and truffle oil. Mmm…I always love a good mac & cheese and they gave us 3!! We also had a big bowl of their PEI mussels, which came in a nice creamy broth of white wine, thyme, tomatoes & shallots.

On to our entrees! I had the “Blue Plate Special” which was a spinach ricotta ravioli with braised beef short ribs with arugula, roasted tomatoes and pecorino cheese.

My husband had their version of “Chicken & Waffles” – Buttermilk fried chicken on a waffle with Vermont Maple syrup and buttermilk ranch on the side.

 Delicious. Unfortunately, we were too full to have dessert! The portions were really good, especially for the price. I totally recommend this place. I also love that its open 24/7 so you can go anytime to enjoy!

(Another little tidbit: In an episode of SATC called “Boy, Interrupted”, Charlotte and Anthony see Marcus and Stanford at Cafeteria. Anthony tells Charlotte that he saw Marcus’ picture in an old issue of Honcho. He was an “escort” named Paul “Worst Hustler Name EVER!!”)

Monday was our Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Day. We took the ferry over to Liberty Island and had a nice breakfast in the outdoor café: buttery(?) scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and a roll.  After we got back to Manhattan, we walked through the historic financial district. Since it was Columbus Day, the streets were closed down and there was a major street fair in progress. Street fair = street food, which you definitely can’t beat in New York!

 

spicy!

Any kind of food you can imagine is there, from French Crepes to Greek Pitas, to Spicy Italian Sausages to Italian Zeppolis. I ended up having a Greek Chicken pita which was spilling over with sauce, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and gigantic pieces of chicken on a soft pita pillow. Aldin got spicy Italian sausage and onions on a bun. We also had a fresh mango, watermelon, banana and strawberry smoothie. Mmmmm…

For dinner we decided to go authentic and have…Gray’s Papaya!

The best deal in NYC for hotdogs! Seriously, probably our cheapest meal. For like 4.00 and change you get 2 hotdogs and one of their famous drink concoctions (we had the “Manila Calling” which was actually a Pina Colada…or Coconut Champagne. LOL). The funniest part was that the workers were Filipino. Aldin of course, was all over this and pulled out his Tagalog to speak to them! However, since it was so cheap, we didn’t bother asking if they could “hook us up” LOL.

On Tuesday we went to Rockefeller Centre and Top of the Rock. We spent the whole day in this area because we had tickets for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon which was taping that afternoon. We had a quick breakfast at Starbucks/Subway. We didn’t really eat lunch, but we had a yummy snack of Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes: S’Mores, Red Velvet and an original choco and vanilla.

 For dinner we went to Les Halles Brasserie. You know that tons of restaurants in New York have a famous chef and this place was no exception. This restaurant was/is Anthony Bourdain’s (of No Reservations fame) base restaurant. A French restaurant that was actually quite reasonably priced. My husband and I had the Cote de Boeuf – which was $58 for 2. It was prime rib on the bone, sliced tableside and included fries (or frites!) and a frisee salad. So very good.

can we keep the bone please?

So…what do you think so far? Well, we still have 4 more days to go….However, I'll have to continue this another day. I gotta eat. I’m starving.

Empire State of Mind

Bonjour my fab lifers! Did you miss me? I haven't forgotten about you! I have just been in withdrawals (from my trip) and am just now getting over it...

So...I'm back from my trip to the BEST city on earth: New York! And as expected, it was absolutely FABULOUS and more! We had a great time and I have SO much to tell you all! I may have to make it a series of posts because there is just too much fun to tell you about! We packed a lot in our short week there so I will give you some highlights of the stuff we saw, did and ate! A totally fab 10, if you will...so without further adieu...on to my top 10 fave things about this trip to New York:

1) Our hotel - The Eventi Hotel was AMAZING. It was new and modern and the people were so nice! Our room was awesome: the bed and pillows were SO comfortable (no bed bugs!) and the bathroom had a "rain shower" head! So luxurious! Every day at 5:00-6:00pm, there was a wine reception in the lobby which we took advantage of when we happened to be at the hotel. The location was also pretty awesome, a couple of blocks away from 2 major subway lines and just a few blocks from Herald Square. I'm so glad I strong-armed Jeff & Trace into staying there. hee hee.

2) The Subway - this is hands-down, THE best way to get around New York. We bought an unlimited ride metrocard when we got there ($27) and it lasted us the whole week! We went everywhere on the subway and we never had to wait long for one. It was fast and always entertaining. We had some singers (good and bad) and some musicians, and the occasional crazy person...but hey, it wouldn't be NY if we didn't right? The only thing I won't miss? The walk up the stairs after getting off the subway. Killer!! (I guess that's why everyone is so slim there! lol)

waiting for the next train...

3) The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island - New York is full of history and the Statue and Ellis Island are no exception. Just knowing that what you're looking at is the same thing immigrants in the past saw when they first came to America is absolutely amazing. I would say the best view is when you are actually on the ferry on your way there! Ellis Island is also pretty cool. Remember that movie "Hitch"? Will Smith's character was trying to woo Eva Mendes' character by showing her a piece of her family's history...unfortunately it didn't turn out the way he wanted it to...well, my husband and I kind of "re-enacted" that scene. Too funny! I may post that video...we'll see! haha! But it was definitely cool to see the "logs" of people that came in. We also remembered the scene in the Godfather II, when Vito Corleone came in as a young boy, and sang to himself in one of the dorms. So sad. But it was cool to be there. We took some nice "artistic shots" there too. And it was nice and sunny too, so all in all, it was a perfect day for a trip through history.

4) Shopping - OBVI. We went to the best outlet mall EVER - Woodbury Common. They had everything you could want and more! Before we went, my cousin (who lives there) asked us if we were going to bring our luggage with us. We were like "What? Why?" She said that people went there with huge luggages to cart their purchases around in. We thought she was joking. She wasn't. When we got there, we saw that not only was it true, but it was actually quite a smart idea! We got some crazy deals here! (more on this later)...

Then back in the city there was 5th Avenue (Saks! Louis Vuitton! Tiffany & Co!), the 3 B's: Bergdorfs, Barneys and Bendels, oh my!, SOHO, Herald Square - everywhere you looked, there was something to buy. Even the street vendors were pretty awesome! (I wish I bought more!). And, Century 21 (which is supposed to be NY's "best kept secret") is not really a secret anymore - it was like a mix of Boxing Day and Black Friday there - people were going crazy!! My husband got 3 pairs of William Rast jeans, for a ridiculous $80.00 each. (Unfortunately, Trace and I spent the whole hour on a mad search for flip-flops! Our feet were KILLING us!) It's so hard to not be so overwhelmed with everything...next time though, I'm bringing my luggage.

5) Croque-Madame at Pastis -  I've been on a search for the perfect Croque Monsieur or Madame ever since the french restaurant close to my work, Mirlycourtois closed down. Well on our last night in New York, my search came to an end. I had the most delicious, delectable, exquisite Croque Madame I've ever had. Oh, I'm sure someone will tell me they've had something better, but I'm telling you - like that show on Food Network - this is THE BEST THING I EVER ATE. Omg. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It was so good. I think I'm in love.

6) Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - This was a really fun experience! There was a lot of energy in the crowd and we also had amazing seats (we were in the 3rd row!). The guests were Johnny Knoxville from Jack-Ass, Judah Friedlander from 30 Rock and the musical guest was Everest. Jimmy Fallon came around after the show to shake hands with the crowd and my husband was able to high five him! Cool! Also, he's pretty cute in real life. hee hee!!! Also if you had a chance to watch that night - we were TOTALLY on TV!!! Famous!!!!



my husband's wrist (not mine! in case you were wondering about the hair...lol)

 7) Celebrity Sightings - On our very first night, as we stepped out of our hotel room, who should we see? Chef Ming Tsai of Food Network fame! He was staying in our hotel, on our floor! We rode the elevator down with him and my husband got a pic with him. A few days later, we saw Danny DeVito. He walked right past us and I seriously wouldn't have seen him if it wasn't for my husband. I'm a total zoner when I walk so luckily my husband is a little more observant than me. I bet I could've seen SJP, if I wasn't such a zoner. Oh well, maybe next time!

ming tsai totally looks like my high school friend, souradet

8) Wicked - I know I keep saying everything was the best of this and the best of that, but this Broadway show was definitely the BEST highlight (out of all the highlights!) on this trip. I was seriously so emotional after watching this show - it was SO good, it literally brought me to tears (you know how I cry, when I hear really good music!) The singing, the acting, the story - the whole combination was perfect. If you ever have a chance to watch one show in your life, make it this one.

 

9) The views from the Top of the Rock and Empire State Building - We went to Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre) during the day. The best thing about this view is that you actually get to see the Empire State Building! New York is a total concrete jungle. It's amazing to see all the buildings...but then you go on the other side and you see...Central Park. A huge green space in the middle of the big city. It's amazing.

But then, we went to the Empire State Building in the evening - and it was even better! New York at night is just gorgeous! What a memorable experience.

10) Central Park - this vast green space, extremely well maintained and so tranquil in the middle of all the chaos of the city is really beautiful. We walked down the "mall" which is that major walkway you always see on shows or movies. I loved it. We had a personal photo tour in the park and our tour guide/photographer Marc took some really great pictures there.

I have to add one more thing to my list - a little shout-out to my travelling companions - Team Wabaki : My husband, my cousin Jeff and his fiance Trace - without who I would not have the wonderful experiences I had. We had an AWESOME time together and we can't wait to do it again!

And my cousin from New York: Lerms, her husband John, and her 2 daughters Jem and Jen - it was sooo great to see them and we are so thankful for their generosity and hospitality.

I have so much more to tell you all but I will have to continue it in other posts...hope you don't mind...I'll be gushing about New York for a while : )

"Cryyyyy-ing Over You"

So I think I have finally, finalized my outfits for my big trip to New York. Ideally, I would have wanted to have a nice big, poufy, tulle skirt a la “Carrie in the opening credits of SATC”. Alas, it is not to be. (Though, if I see one there, I’m gonna get it...Maybe.)

I have opted to try and be a mix of simple, stylish and comfortable. I’ve tried not to bring my whole closet (just half!), but I have to remember that I will also be shopping (as if I could forget) so I suppose if I have to, I can wear my new purchases. For some reason though, I hardly ever like wearing stuff I just bought right away. However, this may be the time to do so (especially if I run out of clothes to wear!). Hm… I dunno. I can’t stand cutting the tags off right away. What if I change my mind and need to return it?

In my family, if you wear something new right away, my dad calls it “Crying in the Rain”. I never really knew why he said that. But I guess it means that you’re so excited to wear or use something new, that you’ll wear/use it even if it’s raining (and it will possibly get ruined – so it’s “crying”). Haha! I never really thought about it until today. My dad is funny.

One of my sisters-in-law, when she’d get a new purse, she would do the “change over” of stuff immediately. I mean, she’d be walking to the cash till to pay for the bag, and her stuff would already be in it. That’s for sure “cryin”! She saw it, she loved it, she bought it. No regrets. I’m the opposite. There are very few times when I’m absolutely sure that I want to buy something. Many times I’ll buy things because I’m sure it’s fate (ie. The Perpel Dress) or because it’s the last thing in my size (ie. The VLG boots) and if I don’t get it, I’ll regret it forever. My brother-in-law calls me the “Queen of Returns”. I’ll buy things, but I’ll leave the tags on (just in case I need to return them) and I’ll hardly ever wear them right away. The item will usually sit in my closet forever waiting for the perfect occasion. Like, my Perpel Dress. Yeah, its still hangin there…but oh, I would have been SO depressed, had I left it in the store, when it so obviously was crying out for me to bring it home! (I’m sure an occasion will come when I will finally cut the tags and wear it!)It’s there, along with my VLG boots. I know what you’re thinking… “She still hasn’t worn those?” Well, let me tell you why:

1) When I bought these wonderful suede boots, it was the dead of winter, so Hellz Naw was I going to ruin them stomping around in the snow.

2) I couldn’t wear them in Spring/Summer because Hello! They are so obviously not a summer shoe.

3) I don’t have a Lady Gaga outfit to wear with them yet…and

4) They are really kind of high…I will probably fall and break my ankle.

Hm…I suppose I didn’t ACTUALLY need these boots…but that salesguy did say they were so “very Lady Gaga”! So I couldn’t very well return them! Anyways L’Halloween is coming up – I can wear them while giving out candy to the kids…I mean, when else am I gonna wear these ridiculous boots??!!

Perhaps poppin tags right away is a better way to go?! It shows that I have no regrets, and that I DO actually need what I buy, thereby proving that I really “can’t live without it!” To that end, I’ve decided that if the Shopping gods bless me with a “Day of Lucky” in NY, then I will for sure be “crying in the rain”.

Besides, I probably won’t be able to return it anyways.

"Whenever I pray, I fall asleep."

I have to admit that last week, when they showed the preview for this week’s show, I wasn’t overly excited. I mean, I knew that it would still be good (c’mon, it’s Glee people), but I just didn’t want to have to think about religion on a Tuesday evening, watching my favorite show. I mean, I just feel like that kind of talk is for church on Sunday. Now don’t get me wrong, I love God and Jesus and I always try to be a good person (some days I even succeed!) and I definitely do not want to go to Hell (which I imagine to be a place where everything is regular price and nothing ever goes on sale), but I’m not overly religious on a daily basis…except maybe during Christmas, Holy Week and funerals. I do pray – but sometimes it’s like how Finn was praying to his Grilled Cheesus. (ie. “Please God, don’t let someone buy that last pair of ruffle booties in my size!”) So when they previewed this week’s show, I hoped it wouldn’t be overly “preachy”.

After watching the show…I have to say, it was just, okay.  There were some parts that were well done, but other parts were definitely a bit more “preachy”.

First, the good:

I love Kurt’s dad. I love how one would expect him to be all “rough around the edges”, but instead he’s sweet, kind and understanding. And even though he doesn’t quite understand him, he loves Kurt so unconditionally! My favorite song of this episode was when Kurt sang that beautiful and usually upbeat song, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”. Heartbreaking. I enjoyed Mercedes first song “I Look at You”. Songs like that always have me tearing up. I also liked her “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” at church and how she was able to get Kurt to come to church by mentioning he could wear a fabulous hat! (“You had me at fabulous hat!”) The show also managed to throw in some laughs, courtesy of Finn’s Grilled Cheesus. The look on his face when Rachel let him touch her boob was so cute. He’s so adorably clueless. I didn’t mind his “Losing my Religion” – his voice was kind of raspy, and I didn’t think it was awful. Then there’s Sue. I always like it when they show us glimpses of “Nice Sue”. Even though we all love Mean Sue, its good to see that she’s human too, that perhaps she’s not always just being mean, for the sake of being mean, but that she’s someone of many layers. She’s not necessarily “good underneath” per se, but she is also not as cold as she would have us believe.

Now, the not so good:

Puck’s song “Only the Good Die Young” – I didn’t care for it. I like Puck’s voice, but I really just didn’t care for the song. Then Rachel with her rendition of Yentl’s “Papa Can You Hear Me?” I kind of thought it was a little too much. And I’ve also decided that I really don’t care for her bangs. I’m over them. Cut them or pin them back already.

I feel kind of indifferent about the last song “One of Us”, but I did like Tina singing the first part – she has a good voice, that I hope we will hear more of in the future.

All in all, some good singing, but a little too much “existential crisis” (is that the appropriate phrase?) this time. I suppose the title of my post sums it up - the show wasn't as exciting or as fun as it usually is. (One of my friends was even "annoyed" by it all - and she's the one who cries for EVERYTHING!) Anyways... like I said in my last recap: Glee always manages to mix in some laughs, and some seriousness, but this time perhaps a little too much seriousness? I’m so glad that Kurt’s dad is coming out of his coma. It would just be too much if he died. Tina said "Last week we were too sexy; this week we're too religious! We can't win!" However, from the previews for next week's show, it looks like we can expect something a little more light-hearted than this week's sombre episode. Thank God for that!

Until then...see ya next week my fellow Gleeks!

 
One last thing – was it just me, or did you all cringe when Finn ate the last half of his Grilled Cheesus? I mean, how old was the sandwich by then anyways?

Oh you Fancy, huh?

So this past weekend I got glam-ified!

After many months of just thinking about it, I finally went to get my eyelash extensions! I absolutely love them! I find myself blinking more (but only because I want to attract attention to them. LOL). The process wasn't too bad actually and there were only a few times I wanted to scratch my eyes out. Haha! No really, after forcing myself to get through a couple of instances of itchiness, the final product was well worth it. I'm still getting used to NOT rubbing my eyes, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the "come hither" look it's giving me. So much easier than the usual falsies I attempt to put on and so well applied that you can't even really tell that they're extensions! I totally recommend them if you are lacking in the long luscious eyelash department like I am. It's like those cartoon characters with the long eyelashes, that make that "ding, ding, ding!" sound when they flutter them. Seriously, me and my friend (who came with me to get hers done as well) have been batting our eyelashes all weekend.

Also, I got my hair did on Friday evening - I'm now my "evil twin" (this is what I always say when I get my hair color darker for the fall). Gone are my Spring/Summer 2010 blond highlights - they are now replaced with a nice rich cinnamon brown, which I'm enjoying...though I do miss my fun highlights...I may have to re-visit them in February! My hairstylist girl does a fantastic job on  my hair color, but for some reason, she doesn't want to cut it...perhaps it's because I was saying I wanted to grow it...but still. I figured since I'm going to NY, I needed an "edgy" haircut! So I got the girl who did my eyelashes, to just give me a quick haircut at the back too! I don't know how edgy it actually is, but I love it. It's just the right amount of angles I want. I figured I needed a new look for New York!

On Sunday, my sister also taught me some eyeshadow techniques. She's been getting really good at doing eye make-up and has shared some of her expertise with me. I just need some more make-up brushes. (My husband is asking - how many brushes does one person need?! The answer is A lot.) I also need all of the colors she uses. That's only - what - $50.00 on eyeshadow?! Yikes. Okay, maybe just one for now...

I haven't gotten my nails done yet, but I'm absolutely LOVING the Joe Nail Polish from Superstore right now! It goes on smoothly and stays on for a long time, they have very stylish colors, the top/base coat is in one bottle AND, you can get 3 for $10.00. You can't really beat that with a bat.

Man, it ain't cheap being a girl. But it sure is fun!

Britney vs. Brittany!

Sorry my fellow Gleeks, I know this is kind of late and you've all probably read everyone ELSE's Glee recaps of the Brit vs. Brit episode. I've been extremely busy at work and at home this week and I've barely had time to even watch my shows! I'm behind on a couple of shows, but I hope to catch up tomorrow night.  And without further adieu...on to my (very) late Glee-cap!

So how did we feel about Tuesday night's highly anticipated Britney Spears episode of Glee? Was it as EPIC as I predicted? I personally believe it is a resounding "Oh Hellz Yeah!"

The Britney videos performed by Brittany, then Brittany and Santana and lastly Rachel were SO well done. Dare I say, better than even Ms. Spears herself?  First, Brittany was/is absolutely an amazing dancer and completely channeled snake-wielding Britney for the "I'm a Slave 4 U" video (and her other incarnations: "Oops I did it again Britney" and "Toxic Britney") ...Then in another anesthesia-induced haze, Brittany and Santana rocked the Madonna/Britney duet of "Me Against the Music". Craziness!! Santana definitely "Got up in my grill!" (LOL) Of course, Brittany is always the scene stealer and this episode was no exception! This girl always has the best lines. ("It's like a Jewish Cloud") And she delivers them so deadpan, that you can't NOT laugh! It was nice to see someone other than Rachel taking the spotlight. However, I have to say, my absolute favorite Britney-esque video was "Hit Me Baby One More Time" only because it was SO the original video. (Finn as the "basketball player") LOL.

And what did you think about the introduction of Uncle Jesse himself, John Stamos as Emma's dentist bf, Carl? ("Have mercy!") He is actually pretty hilarious and I have to say, he's still got it.

I don't know if I loved Artie's version of "Stronger", however, Glee always has this way of taking something silly, but giving it a deeper meaning. Like, you think the show is going to be all funny and light, but a lot of the time it throws in something that is even a little bit uncomfortable...(for example in last week's ep where Will and Sue are mean to the new football coach) One of my friends was so moved by it, she totally cried. (You know who you are...) Anyways, this week, it was Artie, who wants so badly to get back with Tina, that he wants to be on the football team...it's like, you root for him, but how can he really compete with Mike Chang (and those abs!) Speaking of abs, did anyone else notice that background dancer girl in the "Hit Me Baby One More Time" vid? My husband kept yelling "EASY there ABS!" everytime she came on the screen. (Okay already, husband of mine, I get it, you admire her abs! Eye roll.) 

And lastly, "The Only Exception" which Rachel sings to Finn. Truthfully, who hasn't felt like her? Finally, getting the guy of her dreams, and then so unbelieving of her luck, being so scared of losing him! Of course she would find comfort in the fact that he wasn't "cool" anymore, that no other girl would give him a second look, now that he isn't the quarterback anymore, that he was a "loser" now, just like her. I almost melted when Finn tried to reassure her saying that when he got a touchdown, he would point to her in the stands so that everyone would know that she was HIS girlfriend. But of course that wasn't enough, and Rachel, being Rachel needed to have her own proof of his love, testing Finn's loyalty and fidelity by having Quinn proposition him and hearing for herself how he felt. It kind of gave me a bittersweet feeling. Then there was Mr. Schu sadly having to accept that he wasn't like Carl and that (for now, at least) Emma was no longer his and Terry (yikes! she's baaack!), terrifyingly calm in those big jackie-o sunglasses and that ridiculous but exquisite fur jacket (I want one!) reminding him (and us) that she's still there, waiting patiently until he realizes SHE is the one for him.

So how does a show manage to mix all of those above emotions, the excitement of those anesthesia-induced dance numbers, that nerdy guy's butt sweat on a chair, and a "sex riot"? Easy. It's Britney. Bitch.

Until next week... G'nite from G'Lee