Monday, January 31, 2011

Horoscope for the week of January 31st 2011

Brace yourself, because this week will bring out the truth - which can be
good or bad, depending on how much pressure you've put on the situation in
question. Chances are you already know the gist of whati is to come, but
it's the delivery of it that will blow your mind. As for your response?
Only when it happens will you know what it'll actually be.

_______________________________________________

Well, crap.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Awards Season!

In case you don't have time to catch up on all of the recent Oscar nominees before the February 27th awards show, you can now spend 5 minutes to absorb all there is about these talked-about pictures (by some pretty awesome actors!):

The Social Network



The Fighter


127 Hours


The King's Speech


Black Swan



Who is your pick for this year's "Best Picture" award?

Thursday, January 27, 2011



Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, “You owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that; it lights the whole sky.


Workin' on it...

Monday, January 24, 2011

Sunday night

I would give anything to go back to this right now.

If that doesn't make your heart explode into fireflies, there's something wrong with you. ;)

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Is there an emotional support group for people battling bed bugs? I feel like I need a sterile place to go and cry.

Stuff my boyfriend says...

"Sleep tight, love. Don't let the bedbugs bite! ... Oh, I forgot! Sorry!!"

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Don't let the bed bugs bite!


Yeah, yeah.. that cheeky little rhyme was so cute when we were children! Now, it's a terrifying reality for anyone (especially those who live in New York City). It's no secret that New York is battling an infestation of bed bugs. Bed bugs that have mutated genetically to resist pesticides. They're in stores, movie theaters, apartments, and workplaces all over the city.
This morning, I found a bed bug. A tiny, flat, reddish-brown bug that was crawling across my pillow.. right in front of my face! I have never gotten out of bed so fast! I grabbed the parasite with a tissue and closed it in a tight container. I stripped the bed and put all sheets, blankets, and pillows in trash bags sealed tightly.
When inspecting the mattress and box spring, I didn't see any other bed bugs which makes me wonder: Can you have only one bed bug?
I had to leave the apartment and go to work with the promise that an Exterminator will be visiting my residence sometime today. The good news is that Penny is relatively safe as bed bugs do not target pets. The bad news is that she is probably the transporter of the parasites.
Hopefully, I can get everything taken care of very quickly and not have to worry about being bitten in my sleep (seriously, I can't even type it without shuddering). I am itching all over today and it's not because I have been bitten, it's because I feel positively disgusting. I feel like showering in boiling water.
Yes, I know and understand that having bed bugs doesn't mean you're a dirty person, but I still feel incredibly gross. (*Note: I couldn't even upload that picture in full size because it makes me feel so sick.)
YUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Slushy City

This water could be 1 inch deep, or 1 foot. The only way to find out is to step off the curb. Unfortunately, this is what New York City blocks look like now. Every single curb has an unsuspecting ice pool disguised as a wet street. Take the plunge!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Best and Worst Dressed at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards

So, I spent a good 5 hours last night watching and judging the Golden Globe awards (please note that I am no professional!) and I have to say, it was the best red carpet I've seen in a long time. There weren't that many disasters and most people looked really great! Seems that the colors of this awards season are pale pinks, champagnes, nudes, and whites, black (come on, isn't that every year?), and emerald green! I loved that so many ladies showed up in such a rich, green hue! Angelina Jolie (who FINALLY wore something that had a color!), Catherine Zeta Jones, Elizabeth Moss (MadMen), and Mila Kunis were a few that rocked the green!

So here are my picks for best and worst of the red carpet:

Best Dressed: No contest, this one goes to Anne Hathaway. The Rachel Zoe team knocked it out of the park putting her in this Armani Prive Fall 2011 gown. The completely open back and exaggerated shoulders added some visual interest while the seemingly demure dress did its job. Fits her perfectly. Well done.

Worst Dressed: Oh, Natalie, dear.. you're on top of the world right now with Black Swan getting rave reviews and No Strings Attached coming out right after. You've been on (or in) almost every single women's magazine in the past 2 months and you show up in this disaster by Viktor & Rolf? You look like a tacky Valentine's Day store window. There are SO many ways to do "pregnant on the red carpet", call Heidi Klum and Catherine Zeta Jones and ask them for advice. My advice for this one? Burn it.


There's my opinions.. what do you think? Who had it goin' on and who was a walking disaster?

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Only the prettiest of kitties get kitty-colds..

Feeling a lot like this today:
Penny's got a kitty cold (they say it's very common for a kitten to develop a cold several days after being in a shelter). Poor thing. She feels bad, so bad, in fact, that she kept me up all night trying to find comfort. At least she's sleeping now... ::sigh::

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The Daily Lust


I want this bed. (though, for personal preference, I'd probably remove the yellow)

Meet Penelope!



According to AdoptAPet.com, there are 100,000 homeless cats and dogs in need of adoption in New York City. I know why: it is entirely too difficult to adopt an animal in New York. Craig and I decided that a kitten would be a nice addition to my apartment several months ago. Since then, we have researched every single thing that would be needed to adopt a kitten. We looked into shelters, volunteer organizations, pet shops, everywhere we could possibly find a kitten.

We knew getting a young kitten (like 6-12 weeks) would be better for our situation since adjusting a grown cat into a small studio apartment could be difficult. What we didn't expect was all of the red tape we'd have to go through to adopt.

Aside from the fees (anywhere from $100.00-$250.00), there was an unusual amount of effort and paperwork needed to adopt a kitten. Some places wouldn't place a single kitten in the home, kittens had to go in pairs. Another wanted to do a home visit (after a lengthy application) before allowing the kitten to be adopted and then a personal delivery to the home. Others wanted to do home visits for several years after the kitten was adopted. Phone calls, references, applications, there is no wonder so many pets go unadopted.

Finally, we were able to find a place that had healthy pets and a reasonable adoption process. Still, it took 3 days after finding the kitten to get everything together (phone calls, gathering paperwork, checking of references, etc.) before we were allowed to take her home.

They actually had a litter of actual kittens, not cats that were 1+ years old. And so, Penelope came home with me on 1/11/11.

Since coming to my apartment, she's been a joy. She knows how to use the litter box and has yet to have a single accident in the home. She's relatively clean, hiding toys under the bed unless she wants to play with them, and even though she loves to keep you up at night, it's hard to be mad at that face just wanting to snuggle you. She still has a few moments of skiddish-ness, but seems to have adjusted well to living here.

Oh, and she loves to sit on the computer keyboard.. making it incredibly hard to blog...



Thursday, January 13, 2011

Affected

There are several websites I visit on a daily basis; the blogs listed to the right, Facebook, Twitter, and The Frisky.

Since discovering The Frisky more that 2 years ago, I have followed the lives of the women who write for the site, their trials and tribulations, from financial issues, dating dramas, marriage woes, getting in shape, among many other life journeys. When I started reading, Editor in Chief Amelia had just gone through a similar broken engagement situation that I had just experienced a few months earlier. I read her writings and felt a kin to her, as I had just experienced those same emotions too.

Another writer, Jessica, wrote frequently about her 2 year relationship. One that was "practically perfect in every way". She wrote about how they talked about an upcoming engagement, even bought a dress for the eventual engagement party. I have felt like I know these women, I follow in their triumphs and their failures, like finding best friends in the pages of a book.

___________________________________________________________________

On Saturday evening, Craig and I had ventured out to Ikea in Red Hook, Brooklyn to search for some additional storage pieces for my apartment. We took the ferry in the snow to Brooklyn, found the perfect piece, and ventured back home to put it all together. Craig got to work building the shelf while I ran to the store and came back to make dinner. While waiting for some mushrooms and onions to caramelize, I checked out my Twitter feed from my phone. I was surprised to find Ameila tweeting about un-following a friend/co-worker's ex boyfriend and taking sides "20th Century style".

I quickly dove in to find out who it was. Who had broken up with their boyfriend? Who had even been dating someone? It didn't take long for me to find it: Jessica's boyfriend dumped her.

In the following days, she has written lengthy articles about their relationship, how surprised she was about the sudden turn of events, and today, how she has been able to fall out of love.

This week, I have literally been in a tug-of-war over my emotions and it hit me today that Jessica's failed relationship has struck a chord with me. It has shaken something deep within me. So much so, that I have subconsciously questioned everything about myself.

In Jessica's case, she was in a relationship she thought was on-track to marriage and was completely struck with the reality that it was not as it seemed. The man she loved was not as he seemed and she is left reveling in what she should have done, could have done, and what she will do now.

Why does this affect me? I'm not exactly sure. Maybe it's because I know what she's feeling. I know the shock, the hurt, the disbelief, and the embarrassment that comes from a breakup like that. I know what it is like to finally uncover and understand that the person you thought you were with was not that person at all. And ultimately, I guess it makes me wonder if it will happen to me again.

Of course, I know that she and I are not the same person. Where something that happens to her will not automatically happen to me. Please know that I am aware of this. I know that I should never compare my relationship and my life to one of another and that each individual has experiences that are unique to them. But, I have to admit it has affected me.

"Why do you doubt me?" Craig has said to me this week. And in reality, I don't doubt him. When I think about him I see him as an individual, one that has no ties or connections to anything in my past. If anything, I see him as my shining light at the end of the tunnel. He fills my heart with joy and happiness each and every day and I hope that he feels the same way about me.

When I think about the situation at hand, I think that he is exactly the person he seems to be. No smoke and mirrors, no lies, nothing concealed from me. He is honest and kind, loving and affectionate, and takes care of me. More importantly, I feel that he wants to do these things, to be that person, not because he feels like he has to.

So why does one article written by someone I have never met affect me so? Why does reading about someone else's shock and betrayal make me think that it will eventually happen to me? Is it because it has happened to me? Are we all destined to have one huge heartbreak in our lives and once we get past it we're good to only have happiness? And if not, how do you know? How do you protect yourself?

In trying to answer my own question, I know that no one can predict the future and you can never be prepared for the rug to be pulled out from under your feet. You can only love with your entirety, for that is the only way to love. That is the only way I love. And in moving forward and pressing on, I will try to remember to push away the demons of the past and love wholly and completely, with everything I have.

The Daily Lust


I'm aware that this is actually a "wedding dress", but all I can see is a beautiful gown perfect for a winter soiree.
Oscar de la Renta "Swansdown" Gown ($ I don't even want to know how much)

Monday, January 10, 2011

I don't understand how expectant mothers handle the emotional rollercoaster. I had to make a phone call this morning to find out if I could have the kitten I picked out yesterday in my apartment. I almost threw up, I was so nervous.