Friday I'm in Love

One hopeless consumerism item for you this week, and two more videos. What can I say... videos have been doing it for me lately. (Why yes, my books are sitting neglected on my bedside table... can you tell? Give me a break, at least I finally subscribed to the Post! Being a bookworm again will commence once I can walk into my closet and I have art on the walls, okay?) Um, anyway, back to my picks for the week:

Two Paths Trench


It's raining this morning, which makes me think that I really "need" this trench. Very early birthday present to myself?

NASA Scientists Plan To Approach Girl by 2018


Pitch perfect, this video. Full credit to my sister-in-law for bringing this brilliance into my life. Seriously, watch it. Cackle. Weep with delight. Thank me later. (ps: While we're talking The Onion, I sometimes fear I'm turning into this guy.)?

The Runaways

Whatever, naysayers, this movie looks kind of rad. I know there are legions of Kristen Stewart haters out there, but I'm not among you for two reasons: A) I haven't seen any of the Twilight films B) I have seen Adventureland. But more importantly, Dakota Fanning all growns up and rocking it onstage? I want this movie to be 2010's Whip It.

Little finds of mine

To answer some recent queries, a little spotlight on two favorite items around our apartment:

1. My I Love Eastern North Carolina pillow, from this post.

I know, isn't it ridiculously cute?

The pillow is from Etsy seller Love California, and is even more adorable in person than in the photo! I'm actually going to order another one from her, so I'd better act fast before all of you read this and get your own orders in before mine. Here's why Love California wool felt pillows are amazing: she can make pillows for every state, she offers 13 colors, and you can have the heart placed wherever you'd like! So go get your state pride on in pillow form! I kind of want to have one for each of my favorite places. Is that overkill?


2. My "utensil crock," from this post.

Please enjoy the junk on the table in the background

This is actually a planter! I searched high and low for a utensil crock to solve my old kitchen problem of When Kitchen Utensils Attack. I was using three different standard-sized crocks (they were flame Le Creuset, imagine that) and it was a constant battle to find what I was looking for, have all my utensils clean at the same time, and keep them inside the crocks. I soon discovered there aren't any crocks made for the size I needed, so I began searching Etsy for potters I liked who might do a custom order. No such luck. Finally, I started the search for planters, knowing I could get closer to the size I needed and hoping I could find something decent. After almost going the windowbox route (thinking I'd stain or paint it to match the kitchen), I landed upon this planter at the Nicholson-Hardie Garden Shop in Dallas. It's 16"x6" and fits everything with ease while also looking a lot less cluttered. My only remaining task now is to create permanent dividers inside for better organization. I have cardboard dividers in there now as a temporary solution. All in all, though, a much better system for me. And thanks for noticing!

Collards for Jill

My heart and head are someplace else today. Eastern North Carolina, to be exact.

While I'm simultaneously wishing I wasn't so far away and appreciative that I now live closer to the homeland than ever, check out my latest EADL post on urban patio gardening. I'm looking for your tips on turning my patio green.

A new idea this morning: can I grow collards out there?

Steel Gardenias

How many viewers recognized the gardenia in Best Supporting Actress Mo'Nique's hair as an homage to Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to win an Academy Award?

Mo'Nique's acceptance speech was short, simple, and powerful. "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to, so that I would not have to," she said.

Endure she did. According to Salon, "Hattie McDaniel was barred from attending the "Gone With the Wind" premiere in Atlanta, because it would have been against Georgia law for her to sit in a theater with white people. She was not only the first African-American to win an Academy Award but the first to be allowed into the ceremony in anything but a serving capacity -- they stuck her at a table in the back. Although she was a talented singer and comedian, she won Hollywood's grudging respect by playing a maid named Mammy. And during her tearful acceptance speech (below), she said bluntly, "I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race." It was 1940. Here's the video:

Any wonder that Mo'Nique wanted to reference that moment? She's currently at work on a film about McDaniel, by the way. Honoring who came before her: nicely done.

Also bringing more to the Oscar table than meets the eye is Best Actress Sandra Bullock. Her acceptance speech was gracious, funny, warm, tender, real... all the reasons she's been labeled America's Sweetheart for so long. But as her tribute to her mother and her understated nod to her husband revealed, there's much more there than meets the eye.

Rewind the tape to the night before the Oscars, where America's Sweetheart Turned Best Actress recieved an award of a differnet kind - a Worst Actress Razzie for the deplorable "All About Steve." Not only did Sandy B show up to accept the award, she owned the moment. This is how you turn lemons into lemonade with a smile:

Grace under pressure in two very different ways, from the leading ladies of the night. Women to learn from, these two. Congratulations.

Calling Spring...

Last night's Oscar telecast? A little meh. I was pretty disappointed that we didn't get to hear a live performance of now-Oscar winning Best Song "The Weary Kind," which further proved the utter pointlessness of having twice the number of Best Picture nominees this year to introduce. But Jeff Bridges as Best Actor... yes! And the first female Best Director... yes! And not having to hear James Cameron shout, "I'm the king of the world! Again!"... yes! And pretty, pretty dresses... yes! My top three have me dreaming about spring:

Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab

Anna Kendrick in Elie Saab

 Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten

Speaking of spring, after a great and productive weekend with my parents, a few patio projects outside are promising me that a new season is on the way, too. More on that soon.

In the meantime, I'm looking for telecommuting time management advice over on EADL. If you also work from home and struggle with distractions from time to time, go check out the comments - there are some fantastic tips over there!

Friday I'm in Love

Oh, Friday I'm Love, how I've missed you! Although my folders are bursting with fun finds, I wanted to do videos today due to my short attention span. See, I'm busy - my parents are driving up later today to spend the weekend with us. DRIVING UP! This has not happened... ever. I've always lived an airplane ride away. I can't wait to see them and kick some apartment ass around this place. But the fun doesn't end there: on Sunday, my pal Richard is staying with us, too. Check in over on Twitter on Sunday, where I'll surely be Oscar-tweeting to my heart's content while Richard makes me giggle-snort with snark. But enough intro... on to the fun videos!

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

Nope, this isn't new. But I'm still obsessed with it. We play this commercial all the time around here. Just amazing. Amazing, I tell you!

Community

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

We are huge Community fans. Here's just a taste of why. Go watch the show, seriously. And yes, that is Joel McHale wearing tiny gym shorts on the front page of the website. You might want to check out the full episode from last night...

SNL President Reunion

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

I love seeing the SNL presidents in one room together. Will Ferrell and Darrell Hammond are perfect here, and how about Jim Carrey and Chevy Chase making an appearance? The best line, though, goes to Dana Carvey as #41, to his son: "Yeah, that second term of yours was a real victory lap, wasn't it, Dubbers?" I spit out my coffee.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone - I know I will!

Kitchen first

With the exception of paint, a mail sorter, and a wall-mounted bathroom cabinet (also known as Item #2855 we have assembled since moving in), our walls are still bare. And there are still boxes, to be sure. But no matter. Because I now have cookbooks. And things to cook in. And a pantry. As the kitchen is the heart of a home, this progress tips my emotional balance away from focusing on the wreckage of the office and the wasteland of my closet. The rest will come. But this is now, and real, and good:

It's a city-sized kitchen, without question... but it's mine.

My sister-in-law totally noticed my color-coordination within minutes of coming over last night. That is why I love her. And I love this color-coordination! I need something to go on top to draw attention away from that gap. Picture frames looked too cluttered, none of my vases are quite enough of a statement, and I'm sick of candles everywhere. I'm thinking a tall vase (but not too precarious due to the crazy kittenz) for fresh flowers or an low oval planter of succulents.

Our solution for tight kitchen storage: this bookcase where ugly appliances are hidden underneath and pretty Le Creuset goes on top. Lest you think I have a flame Le Creuset problem, know that I own five more pieces that wouldn't even fit on the shelving. ADDICT! We're going to install glass doors on the top and I'll replace the plain knobs with funky "single Maggie" ones. But it's a start! I love you, Ikea Billy (you'll be seeing a lot of them - we have three more in white going into the office).

 

This island is intended to be extremely effective for me while cooking. I wavered between making it pretty and spare and having a nightmare of clutter in every cabinet, or just laying out everything I needed right where I'd need it. This approach won, and I think I'll be happier for it when I'm cooking. (Ignore the clutter of dining chairs in the back - there's a reason we're only looking at the kitchen today.)

PANTRY! This apartment was the only one we saw in DC with a pantry, so I do not take this little closet a quarter the size of my old pantry for granted, trust me. My stuff fits in there pretty well, although it's undoubtedly layered. But I can deal. Again: function over form in this kitchen.

 

Speaking of "layered," no more bulk products laid out to assess in an instant. But that's okay. As you'll notice, it's time for me to restock. Speaking of, does anyone know the best place in DC for bulk pantry items? The Whole Foods here left me wanting (not even any bulk spices? really?). Oh how I miss Central Market.

That's it for now! I would say, "Stay tuned for xxxxx tomorrow," but I can't promise anything. We're doing the best we can over here. And my parents come this weekend to be put to work - woo hoo!!

DC's Right to Marry

As a brand new resident of the District of Columbia, I'm so proud to say that gay marriage is now legal in my city. Beginning today, marriage licenses are being issued to all couples, regardless of orientation. I would go down to the courthouse to watch the joy (and inevitable protest drown-out) in person, but I think I might get too weepy. So from another corner of town, I'm sending my love to that big line of committed couples, whose world is a lot more just today.

Congratulations!

 

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Screwed by the screw

There may or may not be quite a bit of angst on my part regarding the amount of projects littering our apartment and my mental To Do list. Our place is certainly livable right now, but there are boxes and random items everywhere. To complicate matters, much of our ability to nest was stymied by the moving company from hell taking it upon themselves to break furniture that was supposed to hold nicely unpacked items. And so, we've been stuck.

Progress: T passed a big certification exam for his new job yesterday, despite cramming for only two weeks while most folks take months to prepare. This is obviously fantastic news on the career front for him, but it's also fantastic news on the home front for me, because I've been struggling to put our place together largely by myself for the past two weeks while he studied. And so in lieu of the celebratory dinner for his big career gold star yesterday, I whisked him off to Ikea and made him buy us the makings of new bookcases and storage solutions for all our stuff. Such a reward for his big accomplishment, right? The aftermath:

Scene: This morning, T getting ready for work

T: "We can start knocking off projects as soon as I get home."
M: "Okay. I promise I won't try to finish the bathroom cabinet by myself today."
T: "Good."

See... now that I'm working from home, I'm finding it difficult to strike a good balance between the work I get paid to do and the projects screaming for my attention all around me, all day long. T knows I struggle with this, coming in after work and seeing 15 fewer boxes in the apartment and me not exactly behind my desk and on the clock. I think the balance will be easier for me to strike once things are a tad more manageable around here. I hope so, anyway. And so this morning, remembering my promise to avoid the bathroom cabinet, I looked instead to the deceptively simple flat Ikea box that held the cube shelf that will be home to my cookbooks.

My thought process: "So simple to construct... I can knock this right out then get straight to work... for my next break I can put all my cookbooks inside... maybe I'll find inspiration before I go the grocery store later... it'll be so great to get this out of the way... I'd be crazy not to do it..." Despite that condescending illustration in the instructions, of course:

But here I am an hour later, with arms all achy and body all scratched from try to wrestle the final pesky screw into place, and I still haven't gotten to the work I get paid to do. Or checked anything off my list. And sure, why not waste a little more time and write up this story? Wait, what, it is 11 a.m.?! And through all this, that screw is just mocking me.

Fine, Part #104323, FINE. I cannot conquer you alone. I should've waited for help. 

(sulk)

Happily reunited: product junkie and products

It doesn't get much worse than being without our bed for three weeks. But I'll tell ya... as much as my back hurt during our spell of unplanned urban camping, my skin didn't fare much better. I had basic moisturizer and travel-sized shower products with me, but that was it (oh the whining!). So this weekend, in the midst of our broken furniture and boxes upon boxes to unpack, I happily reunited with these goodies. I mean, if you're going to be facing a heap of broken patio furniture, at least your skin can glow while doing so, yes?

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask

The only thing I miss about wedding planning was my excuse to get expensive facials on a regular basis. Oh Bliss, your triple oxygen facial is to die for! Lucky for us all, they make a to-go version that's really fantastic. It doesn't do nearly what the real thing can achieve, but any time I need an instant pick-me-up, this bottle is what I turn to... and dang if it doesn't produce results every time. (I was actually jonesing for a skin recharge so much while waiting for our stuff that I splurged on Bliss' new Triple Oxygen + C Energizing Cream... so far, so good!)

MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel

I got hooked on this two-step system six months or so before our wedding, and never looked back. I'm telling you, a wedding's all it takes to ramp up one's skincare routine. These do such a brilliant job of evening and brightening skin tone and texture. I was absolutely desperate to have these little pads of magic back!

Origins Clear Improvement Mask

I worked for Origins in college, and this mask is still my go-to when I need to suck my pores clean of gunk. It just plain works. And oh how I needed those pores sucked clean this weekend...

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque

Love this product - so sheer and clean, yet really effective to combat dryness.

Origins Modern Friction

The best face scrub I've ever used, hands down. The texture of your skin after using this stuff is completely changed once you rinse it off. LOVE.

 Bliss Blood Orange + White Pepper Sugar Scrub

 As if I needed another excuse to spend lots of time in the shower now that we have a fancy shower head... But this jar of goodness will give you one. I just adore this product. The creamy smoothness, the SMELL... the best. I have other products in this line, too, but this one's the big winner for me.

Davines LOVE curl enhancing shampoo + conditioner

I love these products, and my hair was very much over the travel-size drugstore shampoo I'd been using for three weeks. The shampoo is lovely, but the conditioner is out of this world fantastic.

Fekkai Coiff Bouffant Lifting and Texturizing Spray Gel

My lack of daily hair styling is half laziness, half natural hair texture... and this stuff doesn't make me feel guilty for never picking up a blow dryer and/or straightening tools. Hey, if it ain't broke...

Fekkai Luscious Curls Cream

As stated previously... give me a product that makes my styling laziness look like something purposeful, and I'm yours. The texture of this product is perfect for me.

Origins Out of Trouble Mask

When all else fails and you have breakouts anyway, this mask is what you need. It's like a boot camp instructor for your face, yelling at it to clean itself up pronto. Sometimes we all need a little ass-kicking, after all.