BACONATOR

Hello friends!
Long time to blog...about 3 months to be exact. Clearly I have been too busy pinning and thinking up DIY projects that I cannot in reality do myself to blog. I am in somewhat of a limbo with this blog...I have some ideas for the direction I want to take it in but have not made any decisions yet so until I do, I would greatly appreciate it if you would be entertained by what I am about to share. The wicked smaht kids over at Google have take the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game to a new level. Simply enter the words "Bacon Number" into the Google search engine followed by the celebrity of your choosing and VOILA! Please see below as I provide some examples:

"Bacon Number Marilyn Monroe"
Marilyn Monroe's Bacon number is 2
Marilyn Monroe was in Some Like it Hot with Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon was in JFK with Kevin Bacon

"Bacon Number Sergei Bezrukov" ----> Sergei Bezrukov is a well known Russian actor who starred in my favorite Russian miniseries and a man that 99% percent of you have probably never heard of
Sergei Bezrukov's Bacon number is 3
Sergei Bezrukov was in Konstantin Khabensky in Admiral
Konstantin Khabensky was in Wanted with James McAvoy
James McAvoy was in X-Men: First Class with (you guessed it) Kevin Bacon

See how it works?? I could seriously do this all day.

You're welcome for giving you something to do at work.

Outraged that he can't dance...and also that he has never
made a movie with Betty White

Nora Ephron

Just got an alert on my phone that the great Nora Ephron has passed away. Although I have never met her or else everyone I know would have heard the story about how I met Nora Ephron, I pretty much love everything she has ever written/directed. Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, You've Got Mail, I feel Bad About My Neck...the list goes on and on...and on and on. Her brand of humor was subtle and hilarious at the same time. Her book 'I feel Bad About My Neck' was definitely a memoir about getting older but for some reason, I could still relate to everything in it even though I was not forgetting where I left my keys and not forgetting what my ATM password was. Her comedic genius spanned generations and she will be missed. For sure.

Harry Burns: Had my dream again where I'm making love, and the Olympic judges are watching. I'd nailed the compulsories, so this is it, the finals. I got a 9.8 from the Canadians, a perfect 10 from the Americans, and my mother, disguised as an East German judge, gave me a 5.6. Must have been the dismount. 


...Classic Nora

Hey lady!

Just found this hysterical tumblr...Downton Abbey meets Ryan Gosling apparently.
Check it out here!

A little positivity

Sometimes, when one has been having a crappy couple of days, it is nice to treat oneself to a little dose of positive energy and remember that it is not the end of the world. So in the spirit of positivity, here is a little collage that I have put together that I hope will put a smile on the faces of all of those Debbie Downers out there (myself included). Enjoy!

Also, if you are feeling truly down in the dumps, look at the photo below and just let the happiness (and tears) flow out. I could not imagine a happier moment.

All photos courtesy of Pinterest (of course)

Fleet Week

NYC Fleet Week holds a special place in my heart because it was there, six years ago, that I met one Chris Baughman, who as it turns out would be the one for me, my main squeeze and legally bound life partner if you will. If you like a man in uniform then Fleet Week is the place for you...every Memorial Day weekend, the city of New York fills up with hunky men (in uniform of course) and it is not hard to find one to smooch with since for the most part they are very friendly (and did I mention hunky?). I found my sailor at the South Street Sea Port but if you are in the market for a sailor, you can really find them anywhere. If you want to find one fast then I would suggest Times Square, it is like a sea of white there.
Anywho, in honor of Fleet Week and to pay tribute to our service men and women, here are a few pictorial representations of NYC Fleet Week

Big Navy ship with Statue of Liberty in the background

What every eligible gal in NYC has on their camera

Cool flyover photo

Sailor and Marine

Chris and I the night we met

I've been lazy

So it has been awhile since I blogged and let's be honest, I have been lazy. I have been trying to get back into a steady exercise routine and that has unfortunately been taking up most of the part of my brain that historically has been reserved for blogging (and also pinterest). I am going to try my hardest however to blog a little more while simultaneously also exercising a little more - let's see if it can be done. For now, Happy Memorial Day weekend to all! I hope to having a lovely and enjoyable weekend which in turn should give me something of meaning to share with you next week.
Until then...ciao!

I love a good...

Sushi Roll


Glass of wine


Rare steak


Biography


Dirty Martini


Old movie


Hotel room

Coming Soon...London 2012

Hello friends! Long time no blog. Admittedly, I have been a bad blogger as of late but I am hoping to turn that around with more posts in the weeks to come. This evening I write to you about something that I am very excited about...this year's summer Olympics. First of all, I love the Olympics. I love it when like the entire world comes together for something, it makes me think that maybe we don't all hate each other even if it only for 2 weeks every few years. Well this year it is SO MUCH BETTER because the games are being held in LONDON!! I love London, been there twice, would go back a million more times. Chris and I spent part of our honeymoon (AKA the best honeymoon ever) there and loved it. So you can imagine how excited I am to be glued to the TV for two weeks straight starting July 27th. Here are a few highlights for you that I have discovered on the London 2012 website:

1. I am fascinated by the structures that have been built to hold the games. Here are some examples:

Olympic Stadium

Aquatics Center...where Michael Phelps will win many medals

The Velodrome...no idea what this thing is

2. A day in the life of a torchbearer. Read it here. It made me cry...I'm such a loser

3. The cyclops looking Olympics Mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville. Yes those are there names...they are so British!

Which one do you think is sexier?

4. I have been trying to guess who will light the Olympic torch to start the games this year. So far I am thinking that David Beckham will definitely have some sort of major role but will probably not be the one to actually light it because there has to be another British athlete that is more legendary than him, I just don't know who that is. Any ideas?? Make sure to tune in July 27th to find out!

Makes me remember....

Ever catch something on TV that makes you remember how much you love something? Well that just happened to me. Chris and I were channel surfing earlier and caught a concert on PBS - Idina Menzel in Toronto. For those of you that watch Glee, Idina Menzel plays Rachel Berry's biological mother. For those of you that don't, she was the original Maureen in Rent. For those that know me, you know that I am a HUGE Rent head....HUGE. Listening to Idina talk about her experience with Rent and especially working with her friend Jonathon Larson, the creator of Rent, the man who spent 10 years writing Rent and who died tragically of an aortic embolism on the eve of it's premier...was amazing and reminded how much I love Rent and how I could listen to it every single day with ease. It also reminded me how lucky I am to have seen it twice before it closed on Broadway and how great my husband is to have bought me tickets to see it off-Broadway this past summer. And let me tell you, it's still the best show out there.  For those that have never experienced Rent....please do. You will love it!

Art Institute of Chicago

One of Ferris and Co's stops on his day o' fun is one of my favorite spots in Chicago. I'm talking about the Art Institute of Chicago. I love museums, especially art museums and this one has a tremendously impressive collection. Here are a few pieces that are not to be missed:

Grant Wood - American Gothic


Georges Seurat - A Sunday on La Grande Jatte


Edward Hopper - Nighthawks


Mary Cassatt - The Child's Bath

He never drives it...

...he just rubs it with a diaper

1962 Ferrari GT California

As you may have guessed, replicas were used to achieve this:

However, a real Ferrari GT was used for the close up shots.

Ferris Bueller Week

After clicking publish on my last post and then thinking about it for about 7 seconds I have decided that this week will be dedicated to all things Bueller.

Bueller....Bueller...

Uhh, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.

FYI - the above has been written from memory. Memorizing convoluted movie lines is kind of one of my special talents. Another one is rapping. Seriously.

Random '80s Movie Quote

This quote comes to you from what is probably my FAVORITE movie of all time (and for those of you that know me, know how hard it is to narrow it down to just ONE movie) - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Student 1: This guy in my biology class, said that if Ferris dies, he's giving his eyes to Stevie Wonder! Oh he's such a sweetie! Gotta Go!
Student 2: Hi Jeannie
Jeannie: Shut up!

Listen to it HERE




P.S. I just realized that I have never posted about Ferris before - so stay tuned for more Ferris related blogging...Ferris Bueller you're my hero

The collapse of civilization

The end is near people. Snooki is pregant which means soon there will be little snooki's taking over the earth. It is official, we are all doomed. Next thing you know there will be aliens in the car next to you when you are stuck in traffic and Star Wars will be "what the world used to be like". Thank goodness I am going to Indiana this weekend....I can hide out among the corn until this whole thing blows over.

Fridge decorating and why it matters

I have actually been wanting to blog about this topic for quite some time. I love finding new and unique ways to express myself and fridge decorating is one of the best ways I have found to do so. The benefits of decorating your fridge are two fold:
1. All of your guests can see your creations because at one point or another, most people end up by the fridge
2. Let's face it, you spend a lot of time at the refrigerator too. Whether it is because you enjoying taking things out of it and eating them or whether you stare longingly at it wishing you could eat everything inside, you are there so you might as well enjoy it. Plus, it is a great way to remind yourself of the people and things that you love on a constant basis.
Personally, I look at the outside of my refrigerator as a work of art. Everything is strategically placed and I actually take time to think through what I am going to put and where. I realize most people are not this anal about what goes on their fridge, and it certainly is not mandatory in order to achieve refrigeration decoration greatness but I think it's fun and I enjoy doing it.
So without further ado, I present My Fridge. Please to enjoy and inspire.

1. Picture collage area. Includes photos of Chris and I on the night we met and also some of Chris before I knew him.

2. SPBII  - my best friend under the age of 3 and the son of one of my favorite people in the whole wide world

3. Photo of Chris, his brother and sisters. Fun fact about my husband: He has 5 brothers and 2 sisters. He is two weeks younger than 2 of his brothers and another one of his brothers and one of his sisters were born just days apart. I now leave it to you to figure it all out.

4. The card that came with my "Will you be my matron of honor" cookie from my bestie. I keep it on my fridge as a constant reminder of what an honor it truly is to be part of her special day in this way

5. Two black and white photos. One of my parents and the other one of me when I was a little baby and my grandma.

6. Wallet sized wedding photo to remind Chris and I of our special day

7. SPBII (AGAIN). I really love this kid.

8. Assorted magnets from trips I have taken and things I like. Includes mementos from Abbey Road, Baker Street, St. Paul's Cathedral, Los Angeles, The Trapp Family Lodge, and showcases my love for wine, Batman, and British war time slogans.

9. Card from my bestie and her brood which came with the anniversary gift she sent to Chris and I.

10. The card that came with the flowers that Chris sent me for our one year anniversary. What a stud.

Old song new tricks

Don't you just love hearing a favorite song in a different and interesting way? The song "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel is one of my favorite songs. I actually love most of his music but this one has been a favorite for a long time. I recently discovered an alternate REGGAE version of this song. Yes, a reggae version. Anyways, here it is below. Enjoy! It's great!

My thoughts on The Oscars

I originally planned on writing a long and detailed blog post about everything Oscar but it just hit me that writing a post like that would take away from my true feelings for the ceremony and the award itself. To me, someone who is in no way affiliated with the movie industry (except that I one day hope to attend the show, it is TRULY a dream of mine), this event is absolutely magical. I remember starting to watch this show in the early 1990's with my parents and not being allowed to stay up and watch the whole show and having to watch it after school the next day because my parents taped it for me. I remember being so nervous for all of the acting categories because I was so invested in finding out the outcome...I just loved the suspense.  As I am writing this post, Octavia Spencer won the award for best supporting actress. I can only imagine how hard she worked in her career to get to this point and that is absolutely beautiful to see. A job well done rewarded with the highest honor in her industry. Lots of people say that the Oscars are far too political and so predictable and that they don't mean anything but I just don't care. Where else are you going to see the biggest names in the movie industry together, honoring one other, cracking jokes, and crying? Nowhere, that's where else. This was, is and continues to be a unique and unbelievable experience for me. That is all I will say. I love The Oscars and I always always will.

My Neck Hurts

SO despite the fact that at the time that I purchased my tickets to California I selected ALL of my seats for all of my plane rides, American Airlines still somehow managed to put me in the middle seats for both of my returning flights. Sweet. Thanks so much for the wicked neck ache American Airlines.

Anywho, the fact that my neck hurts reminded me of a great book I have read multiple times called " I Feel Bad About My Neck" by Nora Ephron (who, FYI, I LOVE). You may have heard of her as the gal who wrote "When Harry Met Sally" and also as the director (and sometimes writer) of films such as You've Got Mail and Julie and Julia, just to name a few.  I highly suggest you purchase this book here because it is hilarious and Nora's writing style is so perfect and witty.

Nora Ephron in a turtleneck so you can't see her neck which she feels bad about

"I Feel Bad About My Neck" also reminded me that my friend Earl (the girl) and I watched another fabulous movie written and directed by Ms. Ephron entitled "Mixed Nuts" FOUR TIMES this weekend. Yes - we watched the same movie four times. Why would we do that, do you ask? Well mostly because it's hilarious but also because we have determined that outside of the two of us, very few people have even seen the movie and this is our way of keeping it alive.  Mixed Nuts is actually a Christmas movie that takes place in Venice Beach, California and follows the Christmas Eve goings on of three people that work for a suicide prevention hotline and some of their friends. Ok I understand it probably sounds a bit weird, but it's worth a screening, I promise. Here are some random funny things that happen in Mixed Nuts:

1. Suicide prevention hotline employee Mrs. Munchnick gets stuck in the elevator trying to leave work and starts using the toys that she bought as gifts for her dead husband's family as a means for someone to hear her and rescue her

2. Mrs. Munchnick constantly refers to herself as Mrs. Munchnick even though her name is Blanche. She is so formal that Mrs. Munchnick

3. There is a serial killer on the loose called the Seaside Strangler that people are terrified of and call the hotline to express their concern to the employees

4. Parker Posey and John Stewart play borderline violent rollerbladers that almost pop a cap in the ass of one of the other characters because he ruins their Christmas Tree...twice

Mixed Nuts: Watch if you want to see Steve Martin take a bath with Rita Wilson

Where is this post going, do you ask? Well I guess what I'm trying to say is that I had a blast in California watching Mixed Nuts on repeat and also that I am probably going to read Nora's book again for the 57th time very shortly (after I get done reading the 5 books that I am currently halfway through).

P.S. Full blown California blog post coming soon

Jo Malone

So I was just on Polyvore looking at this, that, and the other and saw a bottle of Jo Malone perfume and realized that I have never blogged about how much I love it. I LOVE Jo Malone perfume. A lot. This is the one that I wear, it is called Blue Agava and Cacao and has a smoky hint to it; so different from what I am used to wearing but I just adore it. 

I would encourage everyone to check out their website and see what they have to offer. Yes I realize you      can't really do that online so I would also encourage everyone to go smell their scents in person. Try Nordstrom or Blooooooooomie's.

California Love

5 days and counting until I  am off to sunny California to see my friend Earl (the girl) and enjoy some (hopefully) 70 degree weather!!

(Photos courtesy of my last trip to California)