Christina's Pop Life

Kylie Minogue Covers Stylist

2012-02-17T06:43:00.000-08:00

Australian singer Kylie Minogue is celebrating 25 years in the music business. In honor of her achievement she is on 25 different covers of Stylist magazine's Spring/Summer Fashion Edition wearing 25 of the world’s greatest fashion designers. Check them out:

Basso & Brooke

Victoria Beckham

Antonio Beradi

Bodyamr

Roberto Cavalli

Antonio Beradi

Mark Fast

Tom Ford

Holly Fulton

Tommy Hilfiger

Stephen Jones

Christopher Kane

David Koma

Mary Katrantzou

Julien Macdonald

Alexander McQueen

Mrs Jones

Richard Nicoll

Peter Pilotto

Preen

Pucci

Roksanda Ilincic

Sonia Rykiel

Stella McCartney

Phillip Treacy

She is so beautiful, talented and such a chameleon! I bet these designers has so much fun styling her. My favorite covers are Mark Fast, Tom Ford, Richard Nicoll, Peter Pilotto and Stella McCartney.

I don't know if you remember her first hit, the cover of Locomotion way back in 1987, but I loved roller skating to that song at Skateland almost every Saturday when I was 9 years old. My favorite song of Kylie's is Can't Get You Out Of My Head. But she chose to re-release an acoustic version of her 1992 song Finer Feelings in honor of 25 years!

I'm linking up with Blonde Episodes for Fashion Friday!

Elvis Movie Mania

2012-02-16T06:17:00.000-08:00

An item on my Project 52 list is to watch five Elvis movies before my trip to Graceland. After I booked the flights last month I got really excited for my upcoming trip in April and I watched eight! These were six I'd never seen before.

Love Me Tender This movie was so boring and Elvis was hardly in it, but because it was his first role, I wanted to watch. His character, Clint, stays home to care for his mom and farm while his three older brothers go off to fight in the Civil War. They are told that his oldest brother, Vance, was killed and Clint marries Vance’s girlfriend, but all three brothers come back. Awkward. Elvis looked good, I loved the singing scenes (especially the hip shaking), but it was a really slow and boring movie. Westerns are not my genre.

Random fact: The movie was originally called “The Reno Brothers” but advanced sales of Elvis’s single “Love Me Tender” hit one million and the name of the film was changed.

Clambake I really loved the ‘60s vibe of this movie. The clothes, the hair, the dancing! Scott (Elvis) an oil heir, meets Tom, a water skiing instructor. They decide to trade places to see what life is like in each other’s shoes. Scott works for a Miami hotel and meets a girl who’s looking to land a rich fella. Scott tries to help her but falls in love with her in the process.

Random Fact: Elvis wasn’t happy with the way his movie career was going and began overeating. Movie execs ordered him to lose 30 pounds in a hurry. This is when diet pills entered his life. He really wasn’t looking his best in this movie at all.

Viva Las Vegas I can totally see why people think this is Elvis’s best movie. Elvis plays Lucky, a race car driver who is in Vegas for the Grand Prix. He has to raise money for a new engine and meets a local swimming instructor. The movie is filled with tons of musical numbers, plus it has Ann-Margret who is just insane to watch. (See Kristin Wiig’s spot on impression here).

Random Fact: Elvis and Ann-Margret’s chemistry wasn’t just on-screen. They had a brief affair, but after it ended he continued to send her flowers and some say she was his true love. She was the only one of his co-stars to attend his funeral.

King Creole Danny (Elvis) is a kid from a poor family who gets in a fight at school and is told that he will not graduate so he drops out and starts working as a bar singer. Everyone says this is one of his best performances, but I just couldn’t get into the movie. It was slow and serious and the music wasn’t that great.

Random Fact: Elvis deferred the beginning of his army career for two months to make this movie. He said this was his favorite role.

Girl Happy I watched this movie based on a recommendation from Christianna. Rusty (Elvis) and his band are sent to Fort Lauderdale to look after their boss’s daughter while she’s on spring break. Rusty woos two women and crazy comedy ensues. The ‘60s dancing was awesome, the beach scenes were fun, the leading lady was adorable, there was a song about every three minutes and I want some of the swimsuits I saw. What I don’t understand is why Elvis wore long sleeves the whole movie when it’s set on a beach!

Random Fact: Several of the songs are slightly sped up, making Elvis’s voice sounds higher than usual. It was done to give the songs and upbeat and youthful feeling. The original version of “Girl Happy” wasn’t released until the ‘90s.

It Happened At The World’s Fair I had to watch this one because it’s set in Seattle! Elvis rides the Monorail, eats in the Space Needle’s revolving restaurant and runs around what is now the Pacific Science Center. It’s amazing to me how similar it all still looks, almost 50 years later. Elvis plays a pilot named Mike. His business partner gambles away their crop-duster which will go up for auction if they can’t pay their debt. They hitchhike to Seattle, Mike spends the entire movie wandering around the fair with an abandoned little girl and looks for love…of course. The songs were boring, but I loved this movie because of the location.

Random Fact: Kurt Russell has an uncredited role as the boy who kicked Mike. He went on to play Elvis in the made for TV movie Elvis, voiced Elvis in Forrest Gump, and played an Elvis impersonator in 3000 Miles to Graceland.

I also re-watched two I’ve already seen.

Jailhouse Rock I watched this movie on tv years and years ago. Besides the awesome performance of “Jailhouse Rock,” it’s kind of slow. After Elvis’s character, Vince, gets in a bar fight, he is sentenced to prison. His cell mate is a former country singer and when he discovers Vince’s talent, he asks to go into business together. Vince is released, tries to get his career going, and meets a woman record executive along the way, fame gets to his head and his friends help bring him back down. It was a pretty risqué movie for the time. The hero is a bad boy and they say hell. Gasp! I like it because the songs are performed on purpose, in a recording studio or on stage, not like in most of his movies where he’s in a car, plane, train, or boat and just starts singing.

Random Fact: Judy Tyler, who played Elvis’s love interest died in a car accident two weeks after filming was completed. Because of his grief, Elvis never watched this movie.

Blue Hawaii Chad (Elvis) returns to Hawaii from the Army where he’s happy just hanging out with his girlfriend and friends on the beach. His mom wants him to manage their pineapple business, but he gets a job as a tour guide instead. I’ve always liked this movie. I’ve been to about every location and it has one of my favorite songs, “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” It also doesn’t hurt that he’s wearing tight white short shorts in half of the movie! I’ve always thought that Elvis looked and sounded the best in this era and after watching all these movies, I can say that hasn’t changed.

Random Fact: Elvis completed the fourteen song soundtrack in just three days. It was nominated for a Grammy, spent twenty weeks at number one and is his most successful album.

Have you seen any Elvis movies? Which one is your favorite?

Guest Posting At Poodleism

2012-02-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

I'm guest posting for my sweet Casey today over at Poodleism!

Stop by, say hi, and check out my Sundance Film Festival coverage.
Then stick around. Casey is hilarious, smart and kind. I know you'll love her as much as I do!

Hearts

2012-02-14T06:18:00.000-08:00

I hope your day is filled with love from friends, family, kids, pets and/or someone special. Or at least yummy treats!

I plan on making my boys heart shaped muffins, toast, sandwiches and brownies today!

Jacob wrote me the sweetest card I think he's every written and got me this charity:water jerry can pendant.

But of course he just ordered it yesterday so I won't actually have it for a few weeks.

Oh well, it's the thought that counts!

Happy Valentine's Day!

My Thoughts On The Grammys

2012-02-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

I wrote this while I was watching the show so it’s just quick random thoughts. Bruce Springsteen seriously does nothing for me. I like a few songs from the ‘80s but that’s it. I’m so sad about Whitney. I’m not surprised, but I am very sad. She was so freaking talented and her songs always bring me right back to my childhood when I listened to her cassettes on my boom box and danced around the room with my sister. Bruno’s performance was pretty fun, but I wasn’t into the song at all. I just love Bonnie Raitt! She and Alicia sounded good together. Chris Brown? Boo. He’s talented, but I just don’t like the jerk. Did you know that he and Rihanna have been secretly hooking up for a while? Disgusting. It makes me mad at her. Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean were great. I love that song. The Foo Fighters lost me about six years ago. The last song I liked from them was The Best Of You. The Rihanna and Coldplay performance was kind of boring. So was the Beach Boys tribute and Paul McCartney’s performance. Ok, I know I just said I don’t like Chris Brown, but I really, really love the song Look At Me Now. Mostly because of Busta and Lil Wayne though. I think I like The Civil Wars. Leeann told me about them a long time ago and I still haven’t looked into them. After hearing their song with Taylor Swift and watching them last night, I really need to check them out! Taylor kind of looked like crap. Oops, that was Mean. Her stage was cute though. Wow, Katy Perry sure did send a message to Russell didn’t she? I didn’t really like the song, but maybe I will when I hear the real version. She's never very good live. And then there’s Adele. No one compares. She’s pure talent. No gimmicks, visual effects, ridiculous clothes, hairstyles or dance routines. She’s just awesome and I can’t get over how much I love this girl! I liked the Glenn Campbell tribute. I’m going to see Blake Shelton in concert next month and even though I don’t know a single song (it’s a birthday present for a friend) I think I’m going to enjoy his show! He’s so cute. Jennifer Hudson sounded great, but her version of Whitney’s best song ever was kind of weird. I guess no one can sing it quite like Whitney. And I know it just happened the day before the show, but I feel like there should have been more of a tribute to her. The club scene with Deadmau5 and David Guetta was really weird. It felt like the VMAs and not the Grammys. Being a Queen fan, I know I’m not supposed to like this commercial, but I do. I can’t make up my mind about Nicki Minaj. I think she’s talented and pretty and sometimes I really love her, but most of the time she annoys me. I feel like more and more artists are trying to outdo Gaga’s strangeness and it gets old. Or maybe I’m just old. I didn’t like her performance at all. This Cover Girl commercial cracked me up. Adele win’s record AND album of the year! All is right in the world.

Phone Photo Fun - Disneyland Edition

2012-02-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

I’m linking up with Savanah and Ashlee for Phone Photo Fun Monday!

If you’re following me on Instagram (@christinareads), you probably saw me blow up your feed with pictures from Disneyland and California Adventure last week. Here are the pictures I posted:

I love this bag, but at the airport I realized it's not at all appropriate for Disneyland. Good thing Jacob had a backpack.

Disneyland entrance and the door to Club 33.

My favorite treats: chocolate covered banana and Dole floats.

Toy Story Mania = the best ride ever!

More rides.

I took a ton of iPhone pictures! I did bring an actual camera, but it was in Jacob's backpack most of the time and since my phone was in my pocket it was just easier to use. Here's what we did on our quick two day trip to the happiest place on Earth!

We had such a fun little trip! It was our first vacation together in almost two years and yeah, I know you all think we’re crazy for leaving behind our children when going to a “family” destination, but they are only 1 and 3 and would not appreciate the awesomeness just yet. (Besides the movie Cars and the TV show Little Einsteins, Nolan doesn’t even know or watch anything Disney related). Jacob and I have been going to Disneyland or Disney World every year since 2004. It’s our thing. We don’t mess around at a theme park (see here and here) and our kids would just get in the way with their wants and needs (food, water, naps, potty breaks, diaper changes, etc). Plus, we’d have to suffer through their meltdowns, sugar highs, and impatience in lines.

Ok, don’t worry, we’re not that horrible. We intend on letting them in on this tradition as soon as they are old enough to hold their own. We figured out that Nolan (who is almost 3 1/2) is already tall enough for all but two rides, California Screamin’ and Indiana Jones. When we do finally take them it'll be a whole new experience for us and I know we'll have a blast seeing it all through their eyes.

We had a blast on our own though. It was sunny and 80 degrees and the parks were empty so we were able to ride everything a few times without needing Fast Passes. My only complaint is that I hurt my foot. I woke up the second day with a blister on the bottom of my left foot. How does that even happen? Jacob thinks I didn't tie my shoe tight enough so my foot was slipping every time I took a step. This caused me to walk kind of weird the entire second day to relieve some of the pressure on my blister. I woke up the third day with a bruised and swollen foot! And of course the flight home made the swelling worse. By the time I got home, I was so swollen I couldn't even bend my toes! So I spent Saturday evening and all day Sunday with my feet up.

By the way, last week I said I'd never seen a celebrity at Disneyland, but this time I saw Kourtney Kardashian! We exited Toy Story Mania at the same time. I turned around to find Jacob and there she was, RIGHT behind me. She was holding her son Mason, walking with two friends who were holding their kids, while being escorted to their strollers by a Disney employee. She looked so cute with her typical top knot bun and an oversized red and black striped sweater. And she is TINY! She is obviously the super small sister, but man she was so short and petite, even while pregnant! Now I know for sure that Khloe the giant is really not that big at all! (Poor Khlo, she's my favorite).

Stars Do Disney

2012-02-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

Guess where I am? Disneyland! It seriously is the happiest place on Earth and one of my favorite vacation spots. We left the kids with grandma and grandpa and Jacob and I are having a blast! We aren’t the only ones that love to feel the Disney magic.

The McConaughey Family

Anne Hathaway

Reese Witherspoon and kids

Kelly Osborne

The Jackman family

Miley Cyrus

Peter Facinelli and Jennie Garth

Julianne and Derek Hough

Heidi Klum and Seal

Britney Spears

Victoria Beckham and sons

Jennifer Lopez

Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell

The cast of Lost

Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan

Justin Bieber and Ryan Seacrest

Pauly D

Chace Crawford and Emma Roberts

Christina Aguilera and son

The Colbert family

The Rossdale family

The Wentz family

Jon Stewart and kids

Kevin and Danielle Jonas

Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green

Paramore

Tina Fey and John Stamos

Lady Gaga

Tyra Banks

Zac Efron

I've never run into any one famous before. I'll be on the lookout today!

Milo's Winter Wonderland

2012-02-08T06:13:00.000-08:00

Of course it would be 60 degrees and sunny when I plan on throwing a winter themed birthday party for my one year old! We just ignored the spring-like weather and decorated the house in snowflakes, played with penguin balls, sipped on hot chocolate and ate Snowballs.

This was the dessert table with donuts, smores pops, white chocolate covered pretzels,

vanilla tootsie rolls, peppermint bark, snowman suckers, white fudge covered Oreos, peppermints, etc.

Here's a close up of the photo banner.

Our food table had all the ingredients to make our own sub sandwiches.

Plus we had lots of berries, chips and dips and Milo's favorite food: cheese!

This was our hot cocoa bar.

Snowflakes hung in the living room, penguin beach balls bounced around on the floor and

Hostess Snowballs were packaged and ready for everyone to take home.

We played inside for a little bit, but we had to get out in the sunshine while it was here!

It was hard to get Milo to open his presents. He tore a tiny peice of wrapping paper off a present, leaned back in his rocker

and held onto it for dear life. Good thing big brother was there to help him out.

His snowman cakes turned out so cute!

He wasn't really into eating it though. He really, really hated the messiness all over his fingers.

Nolan clearly didn't have that problem.

We tried feeding him with a spoon. Once he realized it tasted really good, he tried it on his own,

but it was just a few bites, then he was DONE.

And I guess he wanted to share.

We all had a really great time. Nolan was such a good big brother and we didn't experience any jealousy at all. Milo was a trooper. He was getting tired, but didn't let it stop him from hamming it up with all of our family. (Our neices and nephews were here running around and being crazy, but I don't feel comfortable posting their pictures). It was a pretty fun little celebration.

Blog Award!

2012-02-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

I got the Kreativ Blogger Award from my buddy Casey over at Poodleism. Thanks, girl!

So here’s how it works:
1} Link back to the person who gave you this award.
2} Complete the form.
3} Share 7 random thoughts about yourself.
4} Award 5 blogs and let them know in a comment or email.

The form:

1} Name your Favorite Song: There’s no way I can name just one. Can anybody? If so, I’m impressed. Right now I can’t stop listening to World News by Local Natives. The song is a year old, but my sister just showed it to me and I’m in love.

2} Name your favorite dessert. Cheesecake. Pretty much any kind, but white chocolate raspberry is my favorite.

3} What ticks you off? When people are constantly late. Whether it's for work, an appointment, a movie, dinner, whatever. It's so selfish to make other people wait on you. I especially hate it when the constantly late people act like it's no big deal, like it's just their "thing". I should really start telling some friends that we're meeting 30 minutes earlier than I intend to. They'll probably still be ten minutes late.

4} When I'm upset: I vent to my husband about everyone and everything. If I'm upset with him, I need alone time. I veg out, read, watch tv, do something to take my mind off it and then I'm ready to talk it out.

5} What's your favorite pet? I acually don't have any pets right now. I guess I'd have to say my childhood dog, a chow named Lady.

6} Black or White? Black to wear, white in my home.

7} Biggest fear? Something happening to my kids or husband. This is something I fear every single day. I'm trying not to let it prevent us from living our lives!

Seven random thoughts/things about me:

1} I love candy conversation hearts, but only the original Necco flavors. Since they don't sell them in the store, I paid $10 for this box on Amazon. Absolutely outrageous, but I'm not mad about it. The white ones are worth it.

2} I don't like seafood, coffee or dark chocolate.

3} I'm currently reading Judy Blume books because I never did as a kid. Man, I missed out!

4} I love going to sporting events but I won't watch them on tv. I do watch the Olympics though. I also might watch baseball playoffs or the World Series, depending on the teams. I didn't even watch the Super Bowl. I caught the halftime show online though.

5} The three women I'd most like to meet are Tina Fey, Hillary Clinton and Rosie O'Donnell.

6} I won't go barefoot in a hotel room.

7} I would love to pick up and move to London. I love everything about that city and I want my kids to have little British accents.

The blogs I would like to pass the Kreativ Blogger award to are:

1} Precisely Holly
2} Peace, Love & Applesauce
3} Honey & Nutmeg
4} Krystal's Kitsch
5} Running Backwards In Stilettos

Man Candy Monday - David Beckham for H&M

2012-02-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

Do you remember how much I love David Beckham?
Did you see this commercial during the Super Bowl? Did you rewind it a couple of times like I did?

After all those stupid GoDaddy ads, there was finally one for us!

Take a look at the print ads for his Bodywear for H&M line.

Yum.

I'm linking up with Leeann at Join The Gossip for Man Candy Monday!

Long Sleeve Mini Dress

2012-02-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

One of my all-time favorite looks is a long sleeve mini dress. I was always told not to give away all the goods. Show either the legs OR the boobs to keep it classy.

Here are some of my favorites!

I'm linking up with Blonde Episodes for Fashion Friday!

Happy Birthday Milo

2012-02-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

Today is Milo’s first birthday. I’m heartbroken that my last baby is now a toddler.

But I can’t wait to celebrate this weekend at his snowman birthday party!

Project 52 Update

2012-02-01T06:18:00.000-08:00

I’m going to check in once a month to show you how I’m doing on my Project 52 list. You can see the list in its entirety by clicking the tab above.

COMPLETED

13. Find a good Twitter app. I’m using TweetDeck on my phone and computer and I love it.

32. Clean out my closet. I got rid of so much stuff! I gave a bag full of clothes to a friend and donated all this:

Here's our clean, organized closet.

36. Play in the snow with the kids. Our snow storm really helped me out with that one. I think 8 inches qualifies! Now we don't have to drive up to the mountains.

39. Clean out my bathroom. Jacob and I are both pretty clean, but it's so nice to have our own sinks! I just really needed to purge. I had products from five years ago that I haven't touched since then. Remember? That's where I found these:

I purged and organized under the sink and bought this at Target to keep my countertop clutter free.

It doesn't stay very organized though. Milo learned how to open cupboards and drawers, so this happens just about every day:

IN PROGRESS

1. Lose 30 pounds. I’ve lost 5! I joined Weight Watchers online a few weeks ago. It's really helping me with portion control and snacking. I love that I can enter my usual recipes and figure out how many points our meals are. The iPhone apps are awesome too. I LOVE the barcode scanner. I use it all the time while shopping and it's prevented me from buying junk food more than once.

2. Go on one date each month. I'm counting my birthday as a date even though friends were there. It was a night out with drinks and without kids. That’s what matters!

5. Enroll Nolan in preschool. I started taking him to a drop off program. He goes from 9:30 to 11:30 one day a week. They do a craft, have circle time, eat a snack and then free play. I think it’s a good way to get my his feet wet.

8. Donate blood four times. I did this yesterday. If you follow me on Instagram (christinareads) you probably saw this gross picture. I thought making it black and white would make it less creepy. I don't know if that worked.

10. Read 24 books. I read FIVE this month. The Jungle, Roseannearchy, Of Mice And Men, Everything I Needed To Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, and It Gets Better. And I just started reading 11/22/63.

11. Read at least four classics. Two so far! The Jungle and Of Mice And Men.

18. Try one new recipe a month. I made chicken gyros. Our pitas were pretty dry and wouldn't fold without ripping so we had to eat them open. They weren't terrible, but they weren't awesome either. I don't think I'll make them again.

40. Get more involved with my neighbors. I had another stay at home mom and her two boys over for a play date last week. She’s the only neighbor that has really reached out to me. I guess I need to make the effort with some other neighbors.

FAILING

15. Use our elliptical three times a week. Um. I haven't been on it once this entire month.

43. Make a new friend. I'm kinda sad about this one. I reconnected with a middle school friend on Facebook. We realized we have a ton in common and over the past two months we hung out about once a week, usually going to movies. But her husband got a job in Nevada and she up and left me last week. Bummer! Back to square one.

Dreaming Of A White Vacation

2012-01-31T06:07:00.000-08:00

My husband is all about snowboarding. He just got back from a four day trip to Mt Hood in Oregon with nine other guys. They rented a house with one queen bed, some futons and eight bunk beds. Are you kidding me? Grown men in bunk beds? That’s not my idea of a vacation. He said they were just home at night to sleep, so it didn't matter.

I’ve been snowboarding twice. When Jacob and I first got together I thought I'd better give it a try. I got cute new clothes and gear and we drove up to Mt Baker at 6:00 am. Jacob strapped me up and basically said, "Go." He’s an awful teacher. Things come to him very easily and he’s always astonished when other people aren’t getting it. Not only was I slipping and sliding down a mountain with no direction, it also started raining. By 11:00 am I called it quits.

A few years later I tried again at Snoqualmie. I expressed my concerns with his teaching technique and he decided that I should go with another newbie and we could learn together, so my brother. He had never snowboarded or skied in his life, but being a sports star growing up, he caught on within 20 minutes. I hung out next to the kid’s class and tried to listen to the instructor without looking totally obvious. Around noon, my brother and I went up the lift and I fell getting off of it. Of course. We made it half way down the smallest run when I totally wiped out, somersault style, hurting my knee. I took off my board and walked it down the mountain.

I’ll never snowboard again. Jacob is just fine with that.

But I’m all for teaching my kids how to do it! We’ll just start them young, enroll them in lessons and they’ll be speeding down the slopes with their dad in no time. I can’t wait to go on these snowboard trips where the boys hit the mountain in the wee morning hours while I sleep in, read a book, watch a movie, sit by the fire in my pjs and have hot cocoa and a home cooked meal ready for them when they get back. Jacob and I have been to Lake Tahoe and Whistler, BC. Here are the other places we really want to visit.

Aspen

Park City

Telluride

Vail

Breckenridge

I love the snow, but I don’t like being in it. I’ll take a walk, make a snowman or start a snowball fight, but after 30 minutes, I’m out. The great things about these hot spots are the cozy cabins and fancy hotels plus the adorable towns with great food and shopping!

Man Candy Monday – Paul Rudd

2012-01-30T06:09:00.000-08:00

I’ve loved Paul Rudd since the moment he played Cher's step-brother turned love interest in Clueless. He seems like such a nice guy and he’s an amazing actor. I’ve never seen him play the same character twice. He’s also totally hilarious and very cute!

I always look forward to his movies. Here are some of my favorite characters he plays.

Josh in Clueless

Paris Romeo + Juliet

George in The Object Of My Affection

Kevin in 200 Cigarettes

Andy in Wet Hot American Summer

(Watch this now!)

Mike in Friends

Chuck in Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Ned in Our Idiot Brother

Bobby in Parks And Recreation

I can’t wait to see him in upcoming movies The Perks of Being a Wallflower (based on the book), Wanderlust (with Jennifer Aniston), and This Is Forty (the spinoff of Knocked Up).

I'm linking up with Join The Gossip for Man Candy Monday!

February Magazine Roundup

2012-01-27T06:27:00.000-08:00

Brad Pitt – W

I know everyone thinks the world of him, but I haven’t liked his look in years. He is an amazing actor though.

Channing Tatum – Details

I don’t get the appeal of this guy either. I really like the photos, especially the ones with the dog.

Charlize Theron – W

Gorgeous. I love the light and her make up. This W cover is definitely better than Brad’s.

Christina Aguilera – Marie Claire

She looks so pretty here. I wish she’d tone down her every day look.

Dakota Fanning – Elle UK

I really love the clothes and I like the covers, but the other pictures are too washed out.

Drew Barrymore – InStyle

I never like Drew’s hair. She needs to brush it and keep up the color. Everything about this spread is boring.

Katherine Heigl – InStyle Australia

What is she promoting? She’s everywhere lately. She looks beautiful and bright!

Michael Fassbender – Interview

He’s the new “it” guy, isn’t he? I like him, but these pictures aren’t doing much for me.

Michelle Williams – GQ

She looks absolutely amazing, but I’m over the Marilyn thing. I wonder if this will help her win an Oscar…?

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka – Out

I love them both so much and they are perfect for the love issue. They are so sweet together.

Nina Dobrev – Nylon

Nina has become a girl crush of mine. She’s so pretty. I kinda like the country feel to this spread.

Rachel McAdams – Glamour

Cute as a button! This is a fun, sexy shoot without being slutty. I just love her.

Reese Witherspoon – Elle

I love these photos! She looks less goody two-shoes. Very pretty!

Taylor Swift – Vogue

Taylor looks so different when she has straight hair. I’m so glad she isn’t in pretty, frilly, sparkly dresses for once. I like this!

Zooey Deschanel - Allure

Oh, Zooey. So quirky. I really love her outfit in the last picture.

I'm linking up with Blonde Episodes for Fashion Friday!

Before I Was A Mother...

2012-01-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

Before I was a mother I swore my kids wouldn’t watch more than 30 minutes of TV a day.

But when your high energy three year old stopped napping at 2 1/2 sometimes you gotta put in an afternoon movie.

And by sometimes I mean Monday through Friday. And sometimes it works and he falls asleep.

- - - - -

Before I was a mother I swore my kids wouldn’t eat anywhere but the dining room table.

But the dining room is all the way downstairs. We have snacks upstairs in the playroom, multiple times a day.

We do eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the table. And yeah, that's Cheetos and a candy cane in the last picture.

- - - - -

Before I was a mother I swore my kids wouldn’t be spoiled with tons and tons of toys.

But my kids don’t go to daycare, so they’ve got to have stuff to keep them occupied all day.

What am I saying? They are spoiled.

- - - - -

Before I was a mother I swore my kids wouldn’t have any stuffed animals.

But they actually love them. I think stuffed animals are the most pointless toys on earth, especially for boys.

I saved a few of my childhood stuffed animals, they’ve gotten a few as gifts and yes, we have even bought three.

(Fun fact: that little white teddy bear is this Britney Spears bear.)

- - - - -

Before I was a mother I swore my kids wouldn’t have temporary tattoos.

But they make a fun treat. I still hate them. They only look good for the first day then they get gray and dirty.

They look trashy and are hard to wash off. Luckily Nolan doesn't really like them.

- - - - -

Before I was a mother I swore my kids wouldn’t wear character clothes or shoes.

But they make getting dressed a lot easier on a difficult morning, no matter how ugly they are.

Plus, how can I say no to his favorites when I dress him in these?

- - - - -

Before I was a mother I swore my kids wouldn’t wear shoes with lights.

But Nolan was so excited when he spotted them while shoe shopping.

I regret it though. He stomps around and kicks the back of my seat to get the lights to flash. Never again.

- - - - -

I’m a mom. I love my boys. I am weak. But there are things I have not and will not budge on. No pacifiers after six months. No bottles after one year. No sugar before first birthday. No candy before second birthday. No gum before fourth birthday. Organic milk only. Organic fruit snacks only. Very strict bedtime routine. No toys or books in cribs or beds. No Sponge Bob Square Pants. Ever.

Charlize

2012-01-25T06:02:00.000-08:00

Charlize Theron has been my favorite actress for years. Last month I saw her in Young Adult and she was perfection. It's a pretty depressing movie but there were so many laugh out loud lines, I had a good time watching it. I don't think everyone feels like it's a comedy though. My sister and I loved it while my friend just thought it was sad and mean. Have you seen it? What did you think?

I first took notice of Charlize in That Thing You Do, I really started to love her in Sweet November and The Italian Job, but my full on girl crush developed when she played Rita on Arrested Development. She stole my heart with her comedic chops. The girl is talented!

She’s also beautiful! She's been the face of Dior J’Adore since 2004. I’m sure you’ve all seen her latest perfume ad. In this ~~commercial~~ mini movie, Charlize is running through the Palace of Versailles to get to a fashion show in the Hall of Mirrors. Through the magic of movies, she runs into Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe backstage.

It took four days to film the 90 second clip on location. It’s so glamorous and I love the addition of old Hollywood beauties (even if Marilyn looks kind of wonky). Charlize is absolutely gorgeous and fits right in with these iconic women. Did you check out her runway walk? Fierce.

Here are some of her print ads.

And check out her other commercials.

She is simply stunning, really funny and talented in so many ways.
I can't wait to see her play the queen later this year.

Cheers & Jeers

2012-01-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

Cheers to good sitcoms! I love laughing out loud when I’m watching TV, but before this year there hasn’t been much to laugh about. I absolutely love newcomers Happy Endings, New Girl and Up All Night, along with my old favorites 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation and Modern Family. I’m also still enjoying 2 Broke Girls and Whitney and Are You There, Chelsea got a little better last week. I’m so excited for the premier of Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 after Modern Family on April 11. I love Krysten Ritter and James Van Der Beek playing James Van Der Beek? Awesome!

Cheers to Rachel Bilson’s rap! While it’s not nearly as good as Natalie Portman’s rap, Rachel’s is pretty funny. I love her and I love Hart Of Dixie so I thought it was cute, entertaining and adorable. I love The O.C. shout out.

Cheers to vacations! I’m going to Disneyland in February, Sacramento in March and doing a Tennessee/Missouri road trip in April. We'll hit Dollywood, Nashville, Graceland, Branson and St. Louis. There’s a possible trip to Atlanta in September also. I love vacations!

Cheers to Jennifer Aniston’s pregnancy!? Ok, not so fast. This is just a rumor, but I hope it’s true! Gossip sites would like you to believe there is a ton of evidence. She’s been skipping high profile parties, she stopped smoking, and she’s sporting a “six month” baby bump. I know, I know. I’m not usually one of those people who suspect a pregnancy when a star eats a cheeseburger. Also, most people gain weight when they quit smoking. And there’s no way she’s six months along with that tiny little “bump”. Plus, it could just be ill-fitting clothes or bad posture. I’d like to believe it’s true though, she would be such a cute mom! Team Aniston!

Cheers to Silent House! This is a remake of the 2010 Uruguayan movie La Casa Muda, based on real events that took place in the ‘40s. I’m excited. First, because I love Elizabeth Olsen. She was amazing in Martha Marcy May Marlene. Second, this looks like one of the scariest horror movies I’ve seen in a long time. And third, the movie is in real time and was shot in one take! Now that’s talent!

Cheers to Russell Brand! He’s writing another memoir. I’m a big fan of his first two books so of course I’ll pick this one up the day it’s released. It’s been reported that he’ll start where the last book left off and detail his relationship with Katy Perry. Ok, so maybe jeers? It’s kinda too soon to talk about her, right? I don’t care. I’m reading it!

- - - - -

Jeers to Lana Del Rey. Did you see her on SNL? She was terrible! I really wanted to see her perform because I like a few of her songs. But she looked so uncomfortable, didn’t seem to be aware of her body and sang like she was half asleep. I previously thought her voice was deep, calm and interesting, but during her performance she couldn’t hit the low notes and sounded so bad when yodeling. I guess not everyone hated her though. Her EP was released on iTunes the day after SNL and it’s currently at number 12. Her full length album is out on January 31. Although she was terrible, I’m probably still going to check out more of her music.

Jeers to Taylor Swift as Eponine. They’re making a movie based on the musical Les Miserables and they offered Taylor the main character! I like Taylor, but I don't think she can pull this off. She won the part over Lea Michele, Scarlett Johansson and Evan Rachel Wood. I honestly don’t like those three for the part either, but at least they've acted before. Valentine’s Day doesn’t count. I also don’t think Taylor can sing that well. But I am excited about the movie and the rest of the cast: Amanda Seyfried, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Sasha Baron Cohen, Aaron Tveit, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter. Wow!

Jeers to Sh*t People Say. I LOVED Sh*t Girls Say and a few after that were kinda funny too, but now it’s just getting ridiculous. There’s black girls, black guys, Asian girls, Spanish girls, gay guys, black gays, single girls, drunk white girls, vegans, yogis, monks, nobody, and now Sh*t People Say While Watching Sh*t People Say Videos. Last week, during our snow storm, someone even created Sh*t Seattlites Say When It Snows. Ugh. I’m over it. But if you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t seen the original Sh*t Girls Say, watch episode 1 and 2 immediately.

Jeers to Marilyn Monroe tributes. I want to see My Week With Marilyn and from what I’ve seen and read it sounds like Michelle Williams did an amazing job channeling the late actress, but I think the recent tributes are played out. Time to get original, people!

(Lindsay Lohan, Blake Lively, Michelle Williams, Katharine McPhee)

Jeers to Heidi and Seal’s divorce. So sad! They were one of my favorite celebrity couples. They seemed to have it all figured out and were very vocal about their love for each other. They even renewed their wedding vows every year! They are responsible, classy people so I hope the split is clean for the sake of their children.

Music Monday - This Year's Love

2012-01-23T06:07:00.000-08:00

My first two boyfriends were serious relationships back to back. One was throughout high school and the other was right after high school for a year and a half. When we broke up I vowed to stay single for a while. I dated a handful of guys (including my husband) and had a ton of fun being young and free.

Then I went off to college (I stayed in my home town for two years for junior college before I transferred to a university). I hung out with two guys but both of those flings ended quickly and left me feeling not so great. I think I imagined I’d go off to college, meet the love of my life, get married and have kids - just like the movies. But the guys I dated were not at all husband material. I was just having fun again. After they ended, I really started thinking that I was ready for a relationship.

Enter Jacob. He was my best friend. He expressed interest in me time and time again, and we dated off and on, but I always shot down the idea of getting serious with him. It might have been a combination of being homesick and feeling ready for a boyfriend, but one weekend while he was visiting me, I asked him if he wanted to give “us” a chance.

We lived 100 miles away from each other, but we talked on the phone every night, emailed between classes and saw each other twice a month. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. He was thoughtful and sweet and it almost felt too easy, but was it going to last? This song was on the radio at the time and said exactly what I was feeling. I still love it.

David Gray - This Year's Love

This year's love had better last

Heaven knows it's high time

I've been waiting on my own too long

But when you hold me like you do

It feels so right oh now

I start to forget
How my heart gets torn

When that hurt gets thrown

Feeling like you can't go on
This year's love, it better last

Obviously, it lasted. Not that it wasn’t rough at times, but our ELEVEN year dating anniversary is this weekend, we've been married for five years and have two beautiful boys, so it was all worth it. I love you, Jacob.

Classic Horror Movies

2012-01-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

I love this editorial in January’s Elle Magazine. Ryan Murphy used the leading ladies from his tv shows and recreated scenes from classic horror movies. The pictures are beautiful and all the vintage looking clothes are actually from current fashion lines.

First up, the Glee girls.

Creature From the Black Lagoon

Lea Michele in Norma Kamali

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

Dianna Agron in Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton

Suspiria

Naya Rivera in Prada

The Birds
Jayma Mays in Chanel and Louis Vuitton

Repulsion

Heather Morris in Dior

And here are the women from American Horror Story.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Sarah Paulson in Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel

The Omen
Connie Britton in Elie Tahari, Cristina Ehrlich and Club Monaco

When a Stranger Calls
Taissa Farmiga in Band of Outsiders

Carrie

Kate Mara in Calvin Klein

Did you know she is Rooney Mara's older sister?

What do you think? Have you seen any of these movies?

I've only seen The Birds, When A Stranger Calls and Carrie.

I'm linking up with Blonde Episodes for Fashion Friday.

Snow

2012-01-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

We're in the middle of THE SNOWSTORM OF THE CENTURY. I know to most people it doesn't seem like a very big deal or even that much snow (we have 8 inches), but western Washington drivers don’t know how to function in this weather.

So we just shut down. Most places of business (including Jacob’s) and all schools have been closed. Even banks and malls! We aren’t getting mail, newspaper or garbage/recycling pick up. Streets are blocked off. Cars are abandoned. Flights are cancelled. Sea-Tac airport is down to one runway. Hotels are overbooked. It's a mess and our governor declared a state of emergency this morning. We've got an ice storm going on right now and downed trees and power outages are in our future. But we've been having fun, hanging out and playing in the snow!

(That's a pretzel nose and Nolan wanted a bite)

Cute Couple Alert

2012-01-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

There have been some cute pairings in Hollywood lately and I am 100% on board. With most of them.

Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana

They are currently filming The Words and have been seen all over NYC and LA together.

Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde

I’m not sure where they met, but I love them together. It looks like they have a lot of fun.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone

Their relationship started while filming The Amazing Spider-Man. They are so cute!

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendez

They met while filming The Place Beyond the Pines. It looks like it’s getting serious. They vacation together and she’s even met his mom!

Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston

Rumors say they got together while filming Wanderlust. I think she finally got it right! She looks so happy and he’s just awesome.

Nick Zano and Kat Dennings

The 2 Broke Girls co-stars were caught snuggling up at a Lakers game recently. So sweet.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively

These two are creepin’ everywhere! I cannot handle this one. I just don’t like her.
She’s gorgeous, but she’s a terrible actor and only 24! It’ll be a Scarlett repeat.

I didn’t mind when she was with Leo though.

What do you think about some of the latest hollywood couples?

Phone Photo Fun

2012-01-16T06:39:00.000-08:00

I’m linking up with Savanah and Ashlee for Phone Photo Fun Monday to show you what I was up to last week.

I got a haircut and color. Just an inch off and a shade darker. I also picked up my favorite shampoo and conditioner.

While cleaning out my bathroom I discovered these awesome finds:

Milo started walking! Well, it's really just four steps at a time right now, but I'll take it!

Nolan and I made some blue sugar cookies while Milo watched. They taste much better than they look!

Birthday presents started coming in. (Jacob shops online). I got a juicer and we tested it out right away. Nolan was not impressed.

I also got The Travel Book and The Cities Book, a little pocket camera, a handheld 15x(!) magnified lighted mirror and an electric blanket, which I've been wanting for years! Notice how it's just a twin? Jacob doesn't want any part of it. I also got $250 in gift cards from friends and family. Not too shabby!

My birthday cupcakes: vanilla with lemon cream cheese frosting. My favorite!

On Friday night, Jacob and I grabbed Dick’s burgers and fries for dinner. Then we met my brother, sister and a few friends at a Silvertips hockey game. Afterwards, we walked over to a piano bar for some drinks and singing.

I wore lots of sparkles and this dorky, but totally awesome necklace.

On Saturday, we ate at my favorite burger joint, Blazing Onion. Then we hit Coscto. Exciting times, let me tell you.

Nolan and I walked to the library's Bookmobile that parks in our neighborhood every other week.
He was disappointed that it wasn't an actual mobile made of books.

We watched our first snowfall of the season.

I had plans to see West Side Story at The Paramount Theater, but I woke up with a cold.
Plus, I didn't feel like going out in the snow. I curled up with hot chocolate and the Golden Globes instead.

Watching the Golden Globes always make me realize how many good movies and TV shows I’m not watching. I need more time in my day! I love Ricky Gervais. He was perfect. I love that Tina Fey photo bombed Amy’s frame. Jake was on for like five seconds! I love it when people try to lighten the mood (Jimmy Fallon), but it always falls flat in this stuffy environment. Madonna’s arms are gross and her speech was weird. She never sounds very gracious and she consistently makes it hard for me to like her. Michelle Williams’s speech made me tear up. I just love George. Aww, Mr. and Mrs. Macy are adorable! I bet they practiced that song on the ride over. Yay for Jessica Lange’s win. She’s so freaking pretty! Yay for Joey, I mean Matt LeBlanc! Octavia Spencer’s speech made me flat out cry. Reece looked amazing! I love Helen Mirren. In that entire room full of super-hot and talented men, Robert Downey, Jr was probably the best looking! I really liked her dress, but Angelina looked like crap. She needs to eat a cheeseburger and get some sun. Jessica Biel’s dress is awful. It kinda looks like my mom’s wedding gown from 1977. I’m very interested in Jean Dujardin. I want to see more of him.

January 13th

2012-01-13T06:12:00.000-08:00

I’m 33 today. Whoa. That was a weird thing to type. 33 is soooo old. I’ve never really been one to freak out about birthdays or aging, but if you mention how big my kids are getting I’ll cry all night long. Instead of focusing on my old age, I thought I'd take a look through history to see what else happened on this very important date.

1915

An earthquake hits Avezzano, Italy and kills nearly 30,000 people.

1929

Wyatt Earp dies in Los Angeles.

1930

"Mickey Mouse" comic strip first appears.

1939

Doc Barker of the Bloody Barkers gang is killed while trying to escape from Alcatraz.

1943

Hitler declares total war.

1961

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is born.

1966

US performs nuclear testing at Nevada Test Site.

1966

Patrick Dempsey is born.

1968

Johnny Cash performs and records his famous album at California's Folsom State Prison.

1969

The Beatles release Yellow Submarine.

1972

Nicole Eggert is born.

1976

Michael Peña is born.

(Yeah. I had to include a picture with Jake Gyllenhaal. Hey, it's MY birthday!)

1977

Orlando Bloom is born.

1979

YMCA files libel suit against Village People's YMCA song.

1979

I was born.

(Check out my ever so stylish dad!)

1982

Air Florida Flight 90 crashes into DC's 14th Street Bridge and falls into the Potomac River, killing 78 people.

1992

Michael Jordan retires for a second time. (He retires for the third and final time in 2003).

1992

Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer pleads guilty.

1993

Bobby Brown is arrested for simulating a sex act onstage. For the second time.

1994

Shawn Eckardt and Derrick Smith are arrested for the attack on Nancy Kerrigan.

1999

Britney Spears opens for 'N Sync in Denver.

2001

An earthquake then mudslide kills 840 people in El Salvador.

2002

President Bush faints after choking on a pretzel.

2008

The Golden Globes are cancelled due to the Writers Strike. Winners were announced at a press conference.

What. A. Day.

All. Day. Every. Day.

2012-01-12T06:06:00.000-08:00

I know siblings fight. My sister and I were excellent examples of that. We were best friends 50% of the time and worst enemies the other 50%. And I know brothers are physical with each other, but I really didn't expect it this young. In this video, Nolan is three and Milo is nine months old. It's even worse now that Milo is 11 months old and practically walking. I break up their fights all day long and I typically just sit between them on the floor to prevent them from touching each other's toys. They drive me nuts!

Make sure you watch to the very end. It's pretty sweet.

And now you know why I'm too tired to come up with a clever blog post today.

Nightly Routine

2012-01-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

Last week, Jacob and I finished a movie around 10:30 and both decided to go to sleep. We came upstairs, he brushed his teeth and plopped in bed. I came to bed 20 minutes later. He asked what on Earth takes me so long. So I broke it down for him.

Brush teeth

Floss

Remove makeup

Wash face

Moisturize face

Spot treat blemishes

Apply eye cream

Apply lip ointment

Moisturize hands

Moisturize feet

It's a ten step process! And yes, that's a lot of moisturizing. Winter really takes a toll on my sensitive skin.

It takes me almost as long to get ready for sleep as it does to get ready for the day.

What is your nightly routine? How can I cut mine down?

Birthday Cake

2012-01-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

My birthday is coming up on Friday. I plan to have a low-key celebration with my husband, siblings and a few friends. Since I’m not really a cake person, one of my friends is making me a dozen of her awesome vanilla cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting. They are amazing! Although, I wouldn’t complain if someone made me a huge, over the top, celeb-worthy cake.

Britney Spears

Missy Elliot

Miley Cyrus

Ashlee Simpson

Audrina Patridge

Beyonce

Brittany Snow

Queen Latifah

Carmen Electra

Demi Lovato

Eva Longoria

Heidi Montag

Sarah Hyland

Jessica Simpson

Nicki Minaj

Miranda Cosgrove

Nicky Hilton

Avril Lavigne

Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Richie

Rihanna

Snooki

Vanessa Hudgens

Brooke Shields

Paris Hilton

Take a look at Kim Kardashian's cakes. They're all sponsored, but isn't everything else in her life?

Man Candy Monday - Taran Killam

2012-01-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

Taran Killam is currently on Saturday Night Live and a member of The Groundlings. He has been in other sketch comedy shows like The Amanda Show, Wild 'N Out and Mad TV. He’s also appeared on iCarly, Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother. He made some headlines last month with the SNL sketch where he played Tim Tebow. Jesus came into the locker room and told Tebow to focus more on his game rather than relying on his religion to help him win. I thought it was hilarious. A lot of people were pissed off. You can check it out here.

I’ve loved him since he joined SNL last season. He’s cute and so funny. Here are some of my favorite sketches.

Les Jeunes de Paris

J-Pop America Fun Time Now

Eminem

Merryville Brothers Amusement Park Ride

He’s been engaged to one of my favorite ladies, Cobie Smulders, for three years and they have a 2 1/2 year old daughter together. They make a good lookin' couple. I wonder when they’re finally going to tie the knot.

Ok, so maybe he’s not super-hot, and I know a lot of people won't get the appeal, but he is really cute and always makes me laugh. That's Man Candy worthy in my book. I've got a HUGE crush on him! I mean, how can you not love this?

I’m linking up with Leeann at Join The Gossip!

January Magazine Roundup

2012-01-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

Carey Mulligan - W

She's one of my favorites. I've never seen a bad spread from her! I love her expression with the chipmunk on her shoulder.

Lady Gaga - Vanity Fair

What a fun shoot! I love the photos of her in gowns at the laundromat and eating from a cart.

Lady Gaga - Elle UK

She's so pretty here. I really love the white, light colors and makeup!

George Clooney - Esquire

Isn't he just so handsome? I love the picture of him and his dog.

Jennifer Garner - InStyle

She's usually gets on my nerves and looks like a wreck, but she's very pretty here. That sweater looks so cozy!

Jenni Farley - Maxim

I really love JWoww, but wow! She doesn't even look like herself. Except for the boobs, that is.

Kardashians - Glamour

I kinda can't stand them, but I love this spread. They are beautiful and really love each other.

Kate Beckinsale - Redbook

She looks beautiful as always! I love all the clothes!

Katherine Heigl - Elle

I still can't decide if I love her or hate her, but she's so pretty and I'm loving her hair!

Kirsten Dunst - Lucky

Love her. She looks so cute, happy and trendy and I love and want every outfit!

Matt Damon - GQ

What a stud. I think this shoot is just so much fun!

Peter Facinelli - Da Man

Hot. I'm really feeling Peter lately. He seems so genuine and he's so dreamy!

Sarah Hyland - YRB

I know she's 21 in real life, but this looks like dress up. I also love big hair, but hers is a disaster.

Scarlett Johansson - Interview

I like that she kinda played up a masculine side in these photos. It's refreshing. I want the blue argyle top!

Also, can we talk about the new Revlon girls for a sec?

Here’s a first look at the beauty campaigns of Emma Stone and Olivia Wilde. I’m 100% on board with this. I love them both!

I'm linking up with Blonde Episodes for Fashion Friday!

Eff, Marry, Kill - Mad Men

2012-01-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

Guys, I’m going through withdrawals. Mad Men is supposed to air at the end of each summer, but because of disputes between AMC and creator Matthew Weiner the fifth season was pushed to March. I can’t wait anymore! I had a mini marathon over the weekend and since then I’ve had the mad men on my mind. And now I give you my choices for Eff Marry Kill brought to you by Blonde…Undercover Blonde and The Vintage Apple.

Eff - Don Draper. Duh. Who doesn’t want a romp in the hay with Mr. Draper? As long as it isn’t anything like Jon Hamm in Bridesmaids! But this is about Don. He’s hot. He oozes sex appeal. I may even have a cigarette with him when we’re done.

Marry - Ken Cosgrove. He’s so happy, polite and cute. He gets along with his bosses, co-workers and clients. And he’s an aspiring writer! I’d totally marry him so I could read “Tapping a Maple on a Cold Vermont Morning” and his two unpublished novels. Yeah, so he was kind of douchey in the beginning, but I think he’s the most stable person on the entire show. We’d get along swimmingly.

Kill - Pete Campbell. There are actually a lot of people I’d kill. I guess that’s what makes this show so good. I thought about killing Joan’s husband, Duck, or Lee Garner Jr. And if I could kill a girl it’d be Betty for sure. But I’m sticking to the office and killing Pete. He’s so annoying and mean and smarmy and smug. He kinda looks like my high school boyfriend though which makes it weird…or better? Kidding! I’m not that crazy.

So who would you Eff, Marry and Kill from my list?

What would be your choices out of all the Mad Men characters?

The Man With The Yellow Hat

2012-01-04T06:10:00.000-08:00

Nolan is obsessed with Curious George right now. He watches it every morning when he wakes up. I usually spend that 22 (sometimes 44) minutes of peace and quiet blogging, but sometimes I can’t resist curling up with him on the couch and watching in my early morning daze. It’s not half bad as far as preschool shows go. It’s calm and quiet and there is a lesson in every episode.

Plus, it’s got the man in the yellow hat. I know he’s just a cartoon, but that guy sure is a catch! First of all, he’s easy on the eyes. Tall and handsome with dark hair is just my type.

He’s got an amazing job. I think. They don’t actually say what he does for a living, but he spends a lot of time at the museum and in one episode he gets hired to design a museum in Paris. He’s always mingling with scientists and professors at dinner parties and giving speeches to crowds full of smarties. What I do know is that he’s loaded.

I can tell he’s got money because he lives in a spacious four bedroom high rise apartment with a balcony and doorman in The City (uptown Manhattan) very close to Endless (Central) Park, the museum and the zoo. That is some good real estate!

If that’s not enough, he also has a house in The Country (I’m guessing upstate NY or even Vermont or Maine). It’s located near a lake and river and is a short drive away from the ocean.

He loves to travel, read, cook, exercise, ski, shop (he is always going to the store), he’s neat and organized, he’s well-liked by all of his neighbors and friends and drives a convertible.

Of course he has some flaws. I mean, he wears yellow head to toe. It’s not a great color, but he somehow manages to pull it off. And his best friend is a monkey. But he’s always involved and playing with George. He takes him on trips and teaches him things. I think that shows good father potential. But maybe he’s not available? I kinda think he’s having a secret affair with Professor Wiseman. He buys her birthday presents, cooks for her and is always helping her out in a bind.

So yeah, I'm crushing on a cartoon.
Um. I think I need more interaction with adults.

Project 52

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

I saw this at Handbags & Handguns last year and really wanted to do it for myself, but I was super pregnant and we just moved so my only focus was getting settled, having a baby, and figuring out how to raise two boys. Since I nailed all that (yeah right) this year I’m really excited to make my list of 52 things to accomplish in 52 weeks. I’m motivated y’all! I’m linking up my list at A Peek At Karen’s World and plan to check in throughout the year to let you guys know how I’m doing.

1. Lose 30 pounds. Time to get healthy already!

2. Go on one date each month. This should be a little easier now that my parents are able to babysit more.

3. Try five new restaurants. I'm so picky and such a brat about it.

4. Visit my BFF twice. I’m going to see him in Sacramento in March, but I’d like to go at least one more time this year.

5. Enroll Nolan in preschool. He’ll be four in August, but I’d like to get him into something two days a week when he turns 3 1/2.

6. Take Milo to library story time. I took Nolan all the time, but it’s hard to do with two kids.

7. Re-watch Arrested Development with Jacob. Gotta get ready for the new episodes and movie!

8. Donate blood four times. I used to do it every 56 days, but had some babies and surgeries and cut back to about twice a year.

9. Go on a day hike. Jacob's all about hiking. I just want to walk around one of the little mountains near our house for a few hours.

10. Read 24 books. I read 22 in 2011. I think I can push it to 24 this year.

11. Read at least four classics. I still have a ton on my to-read list.

12. Plant flowers outside. I’m not saying they’ll live long though. I have a black thumb.

13. Find a good Twitter app to help me organize and weed out my feed. There's too much going on there right now.

14. Meet a blog friend. I’m going on a few vacations this year and might be able to squeeze in a meeting or two.

15. Use our elliptical three times a week. We bought it in October and I’ve used it five times. Oops.

16. Take a sewing class. I don’t even know how to hem or fix a hole on a seam. I’m worthless.

17. Keep our grass green in the summer. Like I said, I have a black thumb.

18. Try one new recipe a month. I’m a picky eater so this will be hard to do.

19. Get our floors professionally cleaned. Every other year is the goal.

20. Take Nolan to his first hockey game. Jacob and I LOVE hockey. We really want our kids to love it too.

21. Give up sweets for Lent. I’ve done this successfully a few times before and it always helps curb my sugar addiction.

22. Get family portraits taken. Dread! I'm always the one behind the camera.

23. Teach Nolan to ride a bike. He still hasn’t mastered a tricycle! This will be tough for my uncoordinated little boy.

24. Try Zumba. I think it could be a hilariously embarrassing workout.

25. Register the family for a 5K. I want to do a fun one like St Patty’s, Halloween or Christmas.

26. Go ice skating. I haven't been since I was 13. And since we want the kids in hockey, gotta start them young.

27. Make a yarn covered monogram. I got the idea from Kristen. See here.

28. Host a blog giveaway. Maybe for 100 followers?

29. Find a really good moisturizer. Any suggestions for combination, yet sensitive skin?

30. Make a jewelry pin board. It looks easy, but I'll probably screw it up.

31. Clean out the garage. It’s an organized mess of Rubbermaid bins. We need to purge!

32. Clean out my closet. I must get rid of everything I haven't worn in years. I'm never gonna wear those tees from high school!

33. Touch up the interior paint around the house. This is Jacob’s job, but I’ll have to remind him and get the supplies.

34. Get Nolan enrolled in gymnastics. He’s got some major energy and wiggles. I think tumbling is perfect for a three year old!

35. Watch five Elvis movies before my trip to Graceland. I've only seen three.

36. Play in the snow with the kids. Unless we get some at our house this winter, we'll have to head to the mountains.

37. Have a weekly family dance party. We need to get up and M-O-V-E!

38. Go on a Seattle ghost tour. I've always wanted to do this! Jacob is afraid of the paranormal though. Who's down?

39. Clean out my bathroom. Purge old or never used makeup, lotions and perfumes.

40. Get more involved with my neighbors. My kids will play with their kids for years and years. I need to get to know them.

41. Redecorate our bedroom. Scratch that. DECORATE our bedroom. It looks the same as when we moved in. Bare and boring.

42. Take a child CPR class with Jacob. Why haven't we done this yet? That's scary!

43. Make a new friend. I cut ties with a friend last year and it felt good; time to start new friendships.

44. Camp at least one night, with the kids, at our lake property. Nightmare!

45. Plan a family staycation. One that doesn't require camping.

46. Hang curtains. We need to put some up in the living room and fix the ones in the bedrooms.

47. Turn my family blog into Blurb books. It's so easy I don't know why I haven't done it yet.

48. Organize and complete our emergency kits. We have a few but the stuff in there is probably expired.

49. See Madonna in concert. I love her '80s and '90s stuff and she's a living legend. I have to see her once in my life!

50. Take a hot air balloon ride. We almost did this last year, but the weather was so crappy.

51. Post a vlog. I'm scurred. I hate my voice.

52. Get AC installed. This was our Christmas present to us. I want it done before the summer hits.

Whew! Did you actually read all that? I’m tired just thinking about it, but I didn’t set too many out of reach goals, so I hope I can do this! What are some of your goals for 2012?

Guest Posting At The Girl With The Blue Bow

2012-01-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm kicking off 2012 over at The Girl With The Blue Bow. I'm honored to be Christianna's first post of the year! Check out my guest post about the simple New Year’s resolutions we should all keep to have the best year yet.

Favorite Books Of 2011

2011-12-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

These were the books I loved this year, in no particular order.

What did you read? Got any recommendations for me?

Favorite Movies Of 2011

2011-12-29T06:23:00.000-08:00

These are my favorite of the year, in no particular order.

What were your favorite movies?

Busiest Time Of The Year

2011-12-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

The holidays just flew by! With my breathing problems, surgery then recovery, it was really hard to find time to get out and about. I felt kinda bummed out about it, but looking back I think we did a pretty good job celebrating in a low-key way.

Thanksgiving was fun as a new family of four. We ate with my family on Thanksgiving day.

Then we had Jacob's family over for Black Friday dinner. I think we just started a new tradition!

The Apple Cup (our college football rivalry game) is always awesome.

Even if my sister was rooting for the wrong/losing team. Go Huskies!

We took on Jacob’s childhood tradition of Advent this year. Every night we read a Christmas book, sang a carol

and let Nolan open a door from our calendar where he found a piece of candy or small toy.

Jacob took Nolan to our town’s tree lighting.

We let the boys pick out their traditional Hallmark ornament.

Santa drove through our neighborhood in a fire truck during bath time. Jacob snatched up Nolan, wrapped a blanket

around his naked body, threw on Milo’s tiny had and ran outside to see him. Milo and I waited inside.

We bought our Christmas present a little early; a Sony Google TV for our bedroom. I love it!

Jacob hung some lights on the house for the first time ever. We were the most pathetic house in our neighborhood.

Jacob and I saw Cinderella at The 5th Avenue Theater.

We also caught an Everett Silvertips hockey game.

We forced Santa hats on our kids.

I finally got my new washer and dryer! Even the kids are into it.

We drove around and looked at the Christmas lights in our neighborhood.

We made a gingerbread train.

Nolan picked out and wrapped a present for his little brother.

We got an early Christmas present from my grandpa: the Thomas Christmas train set.

We went to Zoolights.

We baked cookies and candy for our families and Nolan decorated some for Santa.

We opened presents and played with new toys.

We spent lots of time with family.

And today is Jacob's 33rd birthday. We had plans to take the boys ice skating and then he and I were going to enjoy a nice quiet dinner at The Melting Pot. But Nolan has a fever, has been throwing up and keeps saying his neck (throat?) hurts. It looks like we'll spend the day cuddled up on the couch. Hopefully he gets over this bug soon so we can reschedule the plans. I'm excited to see Nolan ice skate for the first time. Luckily my mom is awesome and let us move our dinner reservation to 9:30 pm! So at least we'll get a nice date tonight.

Favorite TV Shows Of 2011

2011-12-28T06:21:00.000-08:00

I got into a ton of tv shows this year. Some were new and some were just new to me.

What did you start watching?