Book of Randomness

I started watching Gossip Girl when it started (it’s a guilty pleasure what can I say). I knew that it was outrageous in the beginning. Obviously little to no people actually go through high school like that. I mean come on, who went bar hopping on a regular basis when you were in high school? Drinking maybe. Bar hopping? Not so much.

The episodes this year have just seemed so insanely outrageous. Drinking, threesomes, drugs, “Queens” and the works. Some of the scenes just seem so ridiculous that it is hard to watch, let alone take the show seriously anymore (not that it was ever serious). So where do we draw the line between entertaining and absurd?

I’m currently watching the show. Serena and Nate are currently getting wasted at a bar talking about do you remember the last time we went out drinking? It is as if they are 25 or so and haven’t seen each other in years. They are BARELY college freshman. And now little Jenny is at a bar? She is still in high school.

I’m not even going to go into shows like 90210 and Melrose Place. I’ve never seen an episode, and I never plan on doing so.

I’m all about the girly shows and movies, I mean I love a chick flick, aka romantic comedy any day, but there is a limit. I still need some regular comedy, action, adventure, mystery and you name it in my life.

I’ll probably continue to watch Gossip Girl, mostly out of curiosity of what kind of craziness they will come up with next, but I will watch my other (probably more so) favorite shows. My current shows are Gossip Girl, America’s Next Top Model (although it is getting a little old), NCIS, Bones, Project Runway and White Collar. I also love watching The Food Network and DIY type of shows… in case you were wondering.

Enough of my ramblings… Lady Gaga is about to come on Gossip Girl! LOVE HER!!

I’m sure many of you have heard the story about Elena Desserich, the 6 year old girl who lost her battle to Brain Cancer. Her incredible story centers around the 135 notes that she left behind for her parents to find around the house. Please read the story from From MSNBC.com/Today Show, and consider purchasing the book that her parents have released including all of the notes. The profits from the book will be going to research.

Such a great story!

It really makes you question how we can all be so selfish sometimes, and a 6 year who knew she was dying could spend the end of her life trying to help her parents cope? We could all learn a little something…

One of 135 Notes:

The Book:

You can also read more about Notes Left Behind and Elena Desserich from their website NotesLeftBehind.com

I feel that I need to share some new opinions on some of the makeup products that I shared in a past post.

While I still love my Savvy eyeshadows, Olay moisturizer and Sonia brushes, there are some things I have recently discovered that may or may not change your opinions of the products.

The Physician’s Formula Bronzer…

While I still love the actual bronzer inside of the compact, I am not sure that it can out weigh the issues I have with the packaging. This is actually the second time this has happened to me. I thought that it was a fluke the first time since traveling can sometimes be hard for makeup, but unfortunately I was wrong. The plastic hinge on the lid keeps snapping off so that the case will not remain closed.

So sad… I guess I will need to find another option.

The Loreal Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara…

I would still suggest this as an alternative to some others on the market. I have not had many issues with it, it gives great volume and looks nice, it just has a slight tenancy to clump. But I am going to keep on the hunt for my perfect-inexpensive mascara.

At first I was terrified at the item of a vibrating mascara (I mean come on that is going next to my eye!), but apparently they have been getting good reviews, so I think I am going to check it out! I will let you know.

The main point of this post was to warn you about the troubles with the Physician’s Formula product.

~~For you wannabe winos!~~

Who says good wine has to be expensive??

Whoever they are, I am definitely NOT one of them. I drink Two-Buck-Chuck! There I said it!
(for those of you unaware, I am referring to Trader Joe’s $2 Charles Shaw wine)

Photo from Making Memories.org (more info at the bottom!)

I do not seek out two-buck-chuck, but it is a great thing to have around the house for the last minute wine needs or to add to a dish. It is never GREAT but it is also never AWFUL. It usually is decent tasting wine and you can stock up on it at the $2 price (although I hear it is $3 in NY… bummer). Apparently, Trader Joe’s can afford the cheap price since the wines are left over from different wineries… which is why some are better than others. That could be a rumor though….

So on to the moderately priced wines that everyone should give a shot.

Sidenote: I am not a wine connoisseur (and in fact, I didn’t even know how to spell that), I am just a girl who is trying to learn more about wines by experiencing, tasting and listening to people who think they know what they are talking about. Also, I typically lean towards white wines, but I am open to just about any… red, white, pink, sparkly, bubbly and you name it. Just keep that dessert wine away from me. Especially one flavored like a peach.

Back to the wines…

When I need to bring wine for a special occasion or I just do not want to be thoroughly embarrassed by my poor wine picking skills, I try to be loyal to these brands.

• Beringer-Smooth tasting wines. My favorite is their Chardonnay
• Barefoot-Love the wine AND the bubbly (champagne peeps)
• Yellowglen Sparkling Wines- Pink is one of my favorite wines/champagnes. Smooth tasting with lots of bubbles. The bottle is adorable and who can fault the pink color of the liquid!
• Kendall-Jackson-Always a decent taste!
• Francis Ford Coppola Winery-What can I say? They are a talented family!

The gadgets!!

Opener! – Plus this one comes with a foil cutter and a sweet box!

Keep track of your glass for crying out loud!

The helper – Clinton’s book helps explain wine pairings in a simple manner!

Other books:

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting and Running a Winery

Wine All-in-One For Dummies (For Dummies (Cooking))

California Wine For Dummies (For Dummies (Cooking))

Yellowglen Pink and Yellow are supporting National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) by giving $1 for every bottle sold during the month! Check in out on Making Memories.org and support them in their quest.

That means drink people!

Also, BevMo! has great deals on wine and champagne, especially during their 5 Cent sale. I can usually find Pink! I believe the sale is about to start again!!

My FAVORITE book EVER! Ok maybe it is my favorite possession….? I guess that could be stretching it, but this book is definitely WAY up there.

So what is it you may ask?

Freakin’ Fabulous by Clinton Kelly. I feel hesitant to share this with everyone because, well if I share, then you may become more fabulous than I am… oh well. The more fabulous people the better!

Everyone has seen the TLC show What Not to Wear on at least one occasion (and if you haven’t, you must be living under a rock). Clinton is half of the hosting duo, Clinton and Stacy. Clinton is also touring the country’s Macy’s stores for Make Over America (sadly I was not chosen ) He is undoubtedly funny on the show, and it translates perfectly into his book. He had me laughing cover to cover.

Freakin’ Fabulous is like my new life bible. I have only had the chance to read it all the way through once, but I frequently refer back to it. I actually began to annoy my friends and family by saying… “Clinton says….” or “According to Clinton…” I even had my DAD quoting the book!! Weird.

By the first few pages of the book you will wish Clinton was your best friend!

Freakin’ Fabulous is the book that you need if you want to know “How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else” according to its sub-title!

Highlights of the book… according to moi!

• Dress: Includes everything you need to know from accessories, to tailoring, dressing for certain occasions and a page of very ugly shoes (clearly the DON’T page)
• Speak: Definitely the section I need to read again… and AGAIN. The proper use for words. My greatest accomplishment so far has been taking the “s” off of the end of anyway! The pretty pictures and doodles help my learning… what can I say, I’m a visual person!
• Behave: Don’t butter the entire roll!! Holding wine glasses, eating oysters, texting with company and even a section on “bodily functions.” This section is definitely a must read. Did you know you should never bring your own food item to a party unless requested? I did not know that one, but you can ruin the theme/atmosphere.
• Eat: Four recipes you should MEMORIZE, cutting onions and other great recipes.
• Drink: I was laughing from the first page of this section as Clinton says, “Gin has made me do a lot of stupid things, but I forgive it.” Obviously there are drink recipes in the section, but my part is the section on wine; descriptions, how to serve, how to order and which wine pairs best with your food.
• Entertain: Plan for 1 bottle of wine per person!! Now that sounds like a party! Covers food to serve, music, booting people at the end of the night and making the potty smell nice! The “Mac and Cheese with Bacon” looks and sounds delicious… although it reminds me of the overeating experience I had at Yardhouse.
• Decorate: I cannot wait until I have my own house to be able to do all of this!! Room by room tricks, organization (“Kill the Clutter”), and fresh flowers. Never include baby’s breath or ferns IN an arrangement! Clinton suggests using Flowerbud.com for flowers.

  The book is full of color and information. Clinton has done an amazing job with this book balancing entertainment and information. I suggest it to EVERYONE. Give it to your girlfriends for their birthday or as a bachelorette party gift.

  You don’t NEED a reason, just get the book for crying out loud!! You will thank me later!

My FAVORITE book EVER! Ok maybe it is my favorite possession….? I guess that could be stretching it, but this book is definitely WAY up there.

So what is it you may ask?

Freakin’ Fabulous by Clinton Kelly. I feel hesitant to share this with everyone because, well if I share, then you may become more fabulous than I am… oh well. The more fabulous people the better!

Everyone has seen the TLC show What Not to Wear on at least one occasion (and if you haven’t, you must be living under a rock). Clinton is half of the hosting duo, Clinton and Stacy. Clinton is also touring the country’s Macy’s stores for Make Over America (sadly I was not chosen ) He is undoubtedly funny on the show, and it translates perfectly into his book. He had me laughing cover to cover.

Freakin’ Fabulous is like my new life bible. I have only had the chance to read it all the way through once, but I frequently refer back to it. I actually began to annoy my friends and family by saying… “Clinton says….” or “According to Clinton…” I even had my DAD quoting the book!! Weird.

By the first few pages of the book you will wish Clinton was your best friend!

Freakin’ Fabulous is the book that you need if you want to know “How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else” according to its sub-title!

Highlights of the book… according to moi!

• Dress: Includes everything you need to know from accessories, to tailoring, dressing for certain occasions and a page of very ugly shoes (clearly the DON’T page)
• Speak: Definitely the section I need to read again… and AGAIN. The proper use for words. My greatest accomplishment so far has been taking the “s” off of the end of anyway! The pretty pictures and doodles help my learning… what can I say, I’m a visual person!
• Behave: Don’t butter the entire roll!! Holding wine glasses, eating oysters, texting with company and even a section on “bodily functions.” This section is definitely a must read. Did you know you should never bring your own food item to a party unless requested? I did not know that one, but you can ruin the theme/atmosphere.
• Eat: Four recipes you should MEMORIZE, cutting onions and other great recipes.
• Drink: I was laughing from the first page of this section as Clinton says, “Gin has made me do a lot of stupid things, but I forgive it.” Obviously there are drink recipes in the section, but my part is the section on wine; descriptions, how to serve, how to order and which wine pairs best with your food.
• Entertain: Plan for 1 bottle of wine per person!! Now that sounds like a party! Covers food to serve, music, booting people at the end of the night and making the potty smell nice! The “Mac and Cheese with Bacon” looks and sounds delicious… although it reminds me of the overeating experience I had at Yardhouse.
• Decorate: I cannot wait until I have my own house to be able to do all of this!! Room by room tricks, organization (“Kill the Clutter”), and fresh flowers. Never include baby’s breath or ferns IN an arrangement! Clinton suggests using Flowerbud.com for flowers.

  The book is full of color and information. Clinton has done an amazing job with this book balancing entertainment and information. I suggest it to EVERYONE. Give it to your girlfriends for their birthday or as a bachelorette party gift.

  You don’t NEED a reason, just get the book for crying out loud!! You will thank me later!

It may be a little late in the season to discuss boating safety, but since I am fresh off of a boating trip I thought I would share a little bit about what I know and just learned. This is definitely not a complete (or anywhere close to it) list, so check out some boater safety sites before you go on your trip.

Obviously the key thing is to put kids in a life jacket!! It doesn’t matter if they think they look stupid! We ALL look a little silly in them!

Orange Flag You HAVE to have an orange flag up when you have people in the water. Whatever you do, do not forget this and have a friend run over. Major party pooper.

Remember to turn off the prop when your friends and family are getting in and out of the boat.

Drinking High on the list of things NOT to do. Drinking and driving anything is a bad idea. Places that are frequented by “partiers” like Havasu have a zero tolerance policy, meaning if you test positive for ANY alcohol, they are sending you to the big house.

No Wake Zone Always obey this rule. You never know who is watching. Breaking the “No Wake” is like rolling a stop sign… it just gives the cops a reason to pull you over. (My friend was almost arrested because of this)

Wave Runners The passenger is always supposed to wear the safety key. Luckily the cops who almost arrested my friend gave us this lovely tidbit. It makes sense, how else would you know if they fell off?

Also remember that people do not pay attention to wave runners. Keep an eye out for boats in your area.

Lights Boat lights are very important. It is illegal to have a boat out in the water without having lights on it.

Sunscreen Wear it, re-apply it. There is nothing worse than a burn – they make you feel like an idiot because you can’t do something so simple. Plus peeling and skin cancer are hidious side effects.

Other helpful ideas…

• Wear boardshorts when you are wakeboarding or tubing (no one wants their bottoms coming off or going up there tush).
• Take your earings out when tubing. Not only can they fall out, they can go right through your earlob.
• Take plenty of food and water. Boating (especially in the sun or doing activities) can be physically exhausting.
• If you are riding wave runners, or on a boat, make sure the plugs are in… you don’t want to sink.
• Did I mention sunscreen??
• If you rent a boat make sure it has an anchor, large bimini top and a sound system.

  If you do rent a boat, or borrow it, make sure it is in good working condition. Nothing can ruin a boating trip faster than a dysfunctional boat.

I’m not exactly sure what I expected when my friends took me to see the movie “9″. All I knew is several people were interested in seeing in. It was also a successful short movie (short as in 11 minutes and never should have been more) I never even took the time to watch the trailer…

And now I find myself asking…. why?!?! Why did I NOT watch the trailer?

It happened. It’s over. I wasted $10.50 on a weird pointless movie.

I will now try to walk the fine line between telling you why not to see it, and trying not to “ruin” it IF you decide to see it.

Review

Keep in mind this is a “consumer review” and not a “critic review” so this will not be a technical movie guru p.o.v. I am no expert, just someone who (usually) enjoys going to movies.

The question here is: Is “9″ worth seeing?
The answer: I don’t think so.

“9″ is a movie about a puppet named 9 who comes to life in a post apocolyptic world. All of the humans have been killed and the surroundings have been destroyed. 9 quickly discovers the only other “living” things are other puppets created by the scientist (all named 1-8) and the “machines,” who ironically were also created by the scientist.

The movie becomes a fight between the puppets and the machines. The main machine is somehow smart enough to create other machines… who knows what is up with that?

Long story short, here is how I felt during the movie.

The first 15-20 mins seemed to have no point. I found myself wondering if they were ever going to develop a story line. When it FINALLY came, I was pretty dissapointed. About 45 minutes into the movie I started thinking… this can’t be it, there HAS to be more. But there really wasn’t. There were a few shining moments where there were some exciting fights between the machines and puppets. A few sad moments when some of the puppets became “trapped” inside the main machine. The end was just as boring as the beginning. At that point I was still thinking there should have been more, but still, nothing!!

There was very little talking in the movie, and on the rare occasion when there was, it was little more than a “no 9 don’t do it.” Talking becomes VERY important in a movie when you are already bored with it…

The description of the movie says, “They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they’ll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them.”

I’m not sure there is ever a “reason” why the machines want to destroy them… More importantly, the future of civilization??

***SPOILER***

There are only 4 puppets left at the end of the movie, and as far as I know, puppets do not have reproductive organs… let alone ones that can produce humans. So how exactly is the world supposed to have a future…?? Yeah, I didn’t think that worked either.

The animation is good, and there are times when you can feel for the puppets. Overall, for a Tim Burton (one of four producers) movie, it was undeveloped and dissapointing.

When I asked my friends what they thought of the movie vs. what they expected, they thought it was grossly misrepresented in the trailer.

Final Thought
It seemed as if the creators were more interested in creating a movie that would be able to open on 9.9.09.

I’m not exactly sure what I expected when my friends took me to see the movie “9″. All I knew is several people were interested in seeing in. It was also a successful short movie (short as in 11 minutes and never should have been more) I never even took the time to watch the trailer…

And now I find myself asking…. why?!?! Why did I NOT watch the trailer?

It happened. It’s over. I wasted $10.50 on a weird pointless movie.

I will now try to walk the fine line between telling you why not to see it, and trying not to “ruin” it IF you decide to see it.

Review

Keep in mind this is a “consumer review” and not a “critic review” so this will not be a technical movie guru p.o.v. I am no expert, just someone who (usually) enjoys going to movies.

The question here is: Is “9″ worth seeing?
The answer: I don’t think so.

“9″ is a movie about a puppet named 9 who comes to life in a post apocolyptic world. All of the humans have been killed and the surroundings have been destroyed. 9 quickly discovers the only other “living” things are other puppets created by the scientist (all named 1-8) and the “machines,” who ironically were also created by the scientist.

The movie becomes a fight between the puppets and the machines. The main machine is somehow smart enough to create other machines… who knows what is up with that?

Long story short, here is how I felt during the movie.

The first 15-20 mins seemed to have no point. I found myself wondering if they were ever going to develop a story line. When it FINALLY came, I was pretty dissapointed. About 45 minutes into the movie I started thinking… this can’t be it, there HAS to be more. But there really wasn’t. There were a few shining moments where there were some exciting fights between the machines and puppets. A few sad moments when some of the puppets became “trapped” inside the main machine. The end was just as boring as the beginning. At that point I was still thinking there should have been more, but still, nothing!!

There was very little talking in the movie, and on the rare occasion when there was, it was little more than a “no 9 don’t do it.” Talking becomes VERY important in a movie when you are already bored with it…

The description of the movie says, “They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they’ll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them.”

I’m not sure there is ever a “reason” why the machines want to destroy them… More importantly, the future of civilization??

***SPOILER***

There are only 4 puppets left at the end of the movie, and as far as I know, puppets do not have reproductive organs… let alone ones that can produce humans. So how exactly is the world supposed to have a future…?? Yeah, I didn’t think that worked either.

The animation is good, and there are times when you can feel for the puppets. Overall, for a Tim Burton (one of four producers) movie, it was undeveloped and dissapointing.

When I asked my friends what they thought of the movie vs. what they expected, they thought it was grossly misrepresented in the trailer.

Final Thought
It seemed as if the creators were more interested in creating a movie that would be able to open on 9.9.09.

Do you ever worry about your friends that live out of the area? Like a few close friends that you just can’t get to when you know they need you most?

One of my best friends lives a couple states away, just out of my reach, and she has been having a tough year. She is going to grad school, so she is in a foreign state surrounded by the few friends she has met so far through school.

Of course with all of this modern technology we can talk all of the time, but I can’t give her that hug you know she needs every so often. So what do you do?

A few days before Valentine’s Day this year, she was having a really rough time. After giving it some thought, my other best friends and I (all of us friends from high school) found a good way to cheer her up.

FLOWERS!! Yes, that is right, we used the classic sending flowers trick.

It was my first experience with sending flowers. Period.

I’m guessing I lucked out because you no longer have to call up a florist in the destination area, and you have the convenience of having pictures of all of your options.

So for a few minutes of work and $30 (we split the $90 bill three ways), we had the perfect cheer up for my friend. She received a HUGE purple bouquet of flowers at her door step on Valentine’s day.

No matter who you are, a girly girl, a sporty girl, grandmother, mom, sister, friend, etc. if you are surprised with flowers, you can’t help but to be happy. When you aren’t expecting anything, it truly is one of those situations where it is the thought that counts. Regardless of how much was spent, what kind of flowers, and any other details, your initial thought is just surprise and happiness.

My friends and I searched around the typical websites, which I have listed below, and eventually landed on a bouquet from Teleflora. Most of the websites offer similar options and prices, the Telefora website just happened to have one that matched what we were looking for.

Flower websites are amazingly easy to use. You can search by colors, flower type, prices, and occasions.

Prices usually start at $20, and go up to nearly $100. You are bound to find something you are looking for, for your friend, anniversary, birthday, “I’m sorry” and any celebration.

But do you really need an excuse? Just picture the look on your loved one’s face when they get a beautiful package of flowers delievered for absolutely no reason. If you split it with some friends like I did, you can get a great bouquet without breaking the bank.

You should really check it out, and make someone’s day!! Or even month depending on how long the flowers last!

Also keep in mind that you can find fruits, stuffed animals and just about anything delivered.

• Teleflora
• FTD
• ProFlowers
• 1-800-Flowers