Woody Allen Moments

There are times I over think things. If I don't hear from my kids (who are all 20+ year olds) after I have tried to contact them within 24 hours, I will obsessively think:

1. They must be dead, kidnapped, or involved in a car accident.

2.They must have been thrown in jail for some crazy reason and not allowed that one phone call.

3. They must have left the country (maybe so they wouldn't be thrown in jail?!)

I have NO idea why these thoughts enter, nurture, and then begin to grow like bamboo in my brain...but they do. I think it's for the basic reason of --well, if they're not dead--even a broken arm, flat tire, fill-in-the-blank, is SO much better of a reason for not calling. I know. Weird, sick, and bizarro.

Lately, I have been having issues with social skills at the grocery store. Case in point:

We live in a relatively small town (approximately 30,000 in our immediate area) and chances are good that you may run into someone you know at the grocery store...and usually that someone is someone that you haven't seen for awhile --where a simple wave of the hand is not going to do it.

You ask how things are, you let them know your life in five minutes, and then inevitably one of us ends up saying "it's so good to see you again! let's talk soon!" and you think your conversation is finished.

The problem is...you end up "running" into that person in some other aisle during the shopping trip. AWKWARD. smile. diverted eyes. weird banter.

It happens enough to me that now I state "well, I'm sure we'll run into each other before we check out....but so good to see you" and try to avoid them by checking out their grocery cart in an act of desperation to memorize if they had milk, yogurt, or cheese--and if so--I'll be safely shopping in the dairy aisle for a few minutes while they're in the produce department. And don't even get me started if we could end up in the same checkout lane. My cart and I must look like a video game from a bird's eye view.

Two for the Show

When my husband and I go to the movies, we often come home and wonder "why did they make that?" Not with Slumdog Millionaire. We both liked it and both agreed it was out -of- the -box filmmaking.

I loved it because of the writing--taking such a simple idea--the familiar with the unfamiliar--and turning it into a movie. The idea of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" is an everyday click of the remote in America...but the idea of India and the lifestyle that many suffer through is foreign to most and beyond our scope of reality. Take those two ideas, create a storyline, and you've got yourself an Oscar nominated film.
I understand that Slumdog is not being as well received in India...a little too familiar?

I don't really get to watch too much daytime television because of the "day job" but I happened to catch an interview between Bonnie and the O.C. Housewives and I thought she was a doll!

Ms. Hunt is so charming, so real, and fun to watch because I would want to ask those Orange County Housewives some of the same things she did. It sounded like she actually watches the show which made the interview even more appealing. Looks like another show to add to the recording schedule!

I'm going to win

I am fighting some sort of bug...but, it's NOT going to knock me down- especially on a weekend!

Chips and Style

It's time for a design project and I'm so excited to have some COLOR in the house. Our library will be losing the sofa to our daughter and her husband returning from New Zealand and nesting in California, which allowed me to go for something new and different.
I bid and won a Restoration Hardware English roll arm sofa covered in a Ralph Lauren linen in indigo blue floral...it's fabulous and will be very "Spanish colonial" by the time I'm done with it.
The best part is that I have a "friend" in the process...a designer who is in sync with what I'm trying to do. And who is she? The amazing Cassandra of Coco&Kelley. I love that she has performed miracles long distance before (I'm in Arizona and she's in Washington) and I'm ecstatic that she can relate to what I'm trying to get the room to feel like.
I just found the newest Hacienda Style collection from Pittsburgh Paints and am lusting after the colors. More details to come as things happen.

craving

I am in love with pistachios as of late. I can't get enough of them. True confession--the first time I ever ate a pistachio was a year ago? I know I ate them/enjoyed them in Ben & Jerry's pistachio ice cream for too many scoops to count and pistachio gelato in Italy last summer. But, to open up a pistachio and pop it in my mouth...2008, dear reader...a late bloomer.

Magical Sleep

Who wouldn't get a night of sweet dreams in this bed? "Under the Apple Tree" bed from Finnish designer, attiladesign. Happy weekend everyone!

Early bird gets the worm

I am not a morning person. I actually enjoy my weekends for the simple joy that I do not have to set the alarm. But, two hours after my alarm had rung today I was glad I had set it....
please note this is silly and something what would excite a ten year old...but hey, it's the simple things right?
On my way to work the radio station that I wake up to gave a trivia question of what was the first "rain" song they had played this morning (it was actually a rainy morning in Arizona...excitement abounds) and I called up and answered correctly, thank you very much. The answer was "It's Raining Men" and at the time I actually thought "why can't they play a soft, wake up slowly sort of song" which helped me to remember it even more.
The prize? A gift certificate to a restaurant in town which probably won't be too much but enough to buy a couple of drinks after finally going to see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” this weekend. As in, this weekend when I sleep late weekend.

obsessing

It doesn't need to be a competition...but, for me I would most likely be rockin the red Fleurette coat, plaid Milly dress and tall black boots in the daytime (and my legs might be kept a little warmer with the boots) a la Jill Biden and the vibrant Reem Acra red ball gown for the evening festivities. It will be fun to see photos as the months and years pass...both ladies have great taste.

Stole the Show

Jill Biden looked AMAZING at the Neighborhood Ball. She's 57 and looks like she must do Pilates to keep those arms in such great shape. You go, girl.

The Perfect Pantry

As embarrassing as it looks...this was my "before" pantry. Most people would give a couple bags of groceries for a nice walk in pantry, pocket door, lots or shelves-bigger than some people's closets!

And I treated it like this...poor pantry. So, I was inspired (thanks to Tracy Porter) and decided to redesign and redecorate the forgotten room off the kitchen on Saturday and---

Voila! The perfect pantry! Please click on the pics to blow them up--I love how pretty and put together it is now. I used wrapping paper (!!) for my wallpaper backdrop and everything you see was in the "before" pantry...just stuck away or put up too high or too low.

My husband was thrilled he has a little "bar" area now.

I didn't show you the right side where the food is...because it's just...food. Although it is very well organized and there's a shelf for cereals, one for canned goods, one for grains, one for oils and vinegars, and one for everyday basics. Clean and simple. Hope you enjoy and hope you get to any projects that are on your list.

Homeward bound

I had one of those moments today thinking how there was only 2 weeks left in January which led me to "Audrey and Josh will be home in 2 weeks!" Our daughter and her husband have been enjoying a 6 month "time out" from daily work and routines to enjoy New Zealand and all it has to offer and finishing up with their last month in Australia. It has been a trip of a lifetime and one that they will always look back fondly and say "we are so glad we did it!" Check out their blog if you've ever had the urge to go for it.

almost forgot

um...what's up with Sting? Is he like old guy trying out grecian formula for men? Is it for a movie? it's awful.

Golden Globes

Did you happen to see the pre-show, the warm-up, to the Golden Globes?

Access Hollywood co-host Nancy O’Dell looked STUNNING on camera. The color of her dress and the waves in her hair...gorgeous. Favorites for you?

The Blog Hole

There are times you can feel a little bit like Alice falling down the rabbit hole when you're in blogland. You go to your favorite blogs, read and want to leave a comment but then you see someone else's witty comment and click on their blog and read all about them and find something terribly interesting and click on that and before you know it hours and hours have passed and....You've ALL done it. The Blog Hole. I recently clicked over to Vicki Archer's French Essence and was reading about snow in the Provence area of France, wanted to leave a comment, and saw "Pink Poodle" on the comment box, which intrigued me to no end. I clicked to Pink, who ends up and lives in Australia but had just returned from a trip to Japan (what a blog world traveler I am!) with the most adorable cupcake packing tape (remember The Cupcakes Club? How perfect for my packages that go out!) I NEEDED to find the tape and after googling and researching found it here and after a trip to blogland ended up scoring a find--good luck in YOUR travels!

two's company; three's a crowd

An informal way to express a situation when two people desire privacy and a third one is present - A proverb.

True story. I bumped into a friend at the grocery store and our conversation grew from the checkout line to the exit doors. As we were standing outside the doors and she was confiding in me how "she wishes her boyfriend would change but he doesn't. He says he will,but he keeps going back to old habits--"

A man interrupted us. "Excuse me. I don't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation...but, I do the same thing."

My friend and I look at each other with perplexed faces. I knew that this friend was not going to enjoy someone eavesdropping and then joining our conversation. Someone that WE HAD NEVER MET BEFORE interrupting a private tête-à-tête.

Another friend of mine (Linda the caretaker) would have set the man down, bought him a cup of coffee, and had him talk to her about his trials and tribulations. But not Nicole.

"What thing?" Nicole asks the stranger.

"I say that I'm going to change but I don't. I keep going back to doing what I was doing. What can I do?" the stranger said almost reciting Nicole's and my conversation to the letter.

I was befuddled and suggested that the man "could perhaps talk to one of his friends about it to help him?" and then I started giggling. When I'm under stress, I tend to laugh. You don't want me around if a flying object hits you in the head, you slip on ice...ah yes, these things will have me on the ground in hysterics...I'm no good at spontaneous stress.

Always in charge Nicole says she's sorry but she really can't help him and starts to laugh as well while pushing her cart to her car and dragging me behind her. The poor guy didn't stand a chance.

art on etsy

I am not sure if I am more delighted with the paintings/prints of vivstrauss or the titles she gives them:

Madge Was Supposed to Have Met Shirley at Bloomingdales Over an Hour Ago and Couldn't Imagine How She and Jeffrey Had Gotten LostMs. Olive Gladstone Reflects for a Moment While Warren Almost Dies of Boredom
Fiona Ramsbottom was Most Desperate to Get Away from Diana Worthing Who Never Let Anyone Else Get a Word In Edgewise

Almost time

Season two of Damages starts Wednesday night and husband and I are are ready for another roller coaster ride of a series. Great acting, writing, and this year promises to be even more exciting. See you there.

Back to School

My two weeks of sleeping and enjoying lazy days are about to come to an end. School starts tomorrow and as much as parents will enjoy their kids to head back ...I won't enjoy the alarm clock going off at 6 AM.

Hopefully not a drama

This week my husband is in charge of sending a truckload of documents into the US government for our daughter and her Canadian husband for his final paperwork for a green card. Perhaps it's for citizenship? I'm clueless on the details...hence, my husband organizing all the paperwork! If you've been following you know that they are in their last month in New Zealand and there are all these dates and times when things need to arrive on people's desks for it to be considered.
I wonder how difficult it is for Americans to be allowed to work and play in other countries?

Adele

I'm sure you've heard this 19 year old talent or seen her on the talk shows (hmmm..19 years old? I believe I was joining a sorority, dancing in clubs, ditching classes...) I was first intrigued with Adele in "Chasing Pavements"~ her voice and the video~

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

And I really fell hard after hearing a snippet of one of her songs on Lipstick Jungle. Schooch it forward to 1:30 to get the idea of what's going on and if you're not into the show. I'm not sure if it was the song that made me believe in these two as a couple...but I was crying my eyes out. Adele, you own our hearts.

Hooray for January ONE!!!

Let's make this a spectacular year!