Lady Gaga - Amy Winehouse with 50% less coke?

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been MIA as of lately. Another thing you may not have noticed is that Martin+Osa’s website is now “All Sales Final”, which means the end is near. Get over and check it out before it’s gone – and with 50% off this week it’s a good time to stock up.

I saw Sex and the City 2 last night. Of course I went on opening night, why wouldn’t I? The critics had complained ahead of time that the movie lacked substance, so I went in with low expectations. But really, by the last couple seasons of the HBO series it had taken a turn from being Carrie-sex-column-based to more relationship-based. The upside was that the fashion and the big-city living glamour were still part of the background appeal, but not the story line. The first movie tried to tie up loose ends while moving fashion to the front. I didn’t mind the first movie. I wasn’t looking for something earth-shattering, I was looking to reconnect with the characters I enjoyed.

So, back to SATC2. I went in with low expectations. It really was not as bad as critics made it out to be. Yes, Samantha was terribly un-politically correct. And no, it wasn’t another Shawshank Redemption (but who expected it to be?). And I definitely could have used 25% more Mario Cantone. But otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Great cameos. I got home and into bed by 12:30, and what did I find on TV while flicking around trying to find something to lull me into sleep? Well, an episode of SATC of course. So I watched the episode where Carrie meets Berger and has her book release party, with Samantha’s terrible chemical peel. It was a nice end to a girly day.

Spring Clean

I'm compiling a list of things that often don't get done as often as they should for some final spring cleaning this weekend. Maybe my list will help someone else:

1. 1. The bed - it's probably time for you to wash your mattress pad on a hot-water sanitary setting (kill all the dust bunnies), and if you're taking that off you might as well rotate the mattress, and while you're at it you should probably vacuum under the bed. And wash those random socks that you'll most likely find under there.


2. If you have one of those one-piece shower/tub fiberglass surrounds, you should probably clean that ledge around the top.


3. Dust your lamp shades, and take a damp cloth to glass shades on your other lighting fixtures. They literally become hot messes.


4. Vacuum the lint from your dryer lint trap.

And here's a good tip - start from the top down. Clean light fixtures, wipe upper cabinets, clean counters, dust tables...and THEN vacuum/sweep/mop. There's no use doing the floors before anything else.

This weekend there are 30% off cardigans at The Limited, free shipping at Lands End Canvas (become a FB fan to get a code), and deals on fragrances at VS. I have a $15 Off Any Purchase coupon for The Limited which I plan on using for an Outback Red tank that I tried on last week.

Photo - thelimited.com

Run Run

So, I think I’m going to run a race with my friend. Or at least try. It’s a 5k. OMG.

See, I was a “runner” in high school. I use that term with quotation marks, because I don’t consider myself to be a runner. I was a sprinter. Here was the daily drill – two laps jogging around the track (a shortened track, as my HS’s track was a 5-laps-to-a-mile track versus a 4-laps-to-a-mile which is standard for most schools). I often showed up late for the jog so I could get away with just doing one lap. This was followed by stretching, calisthenics, and then either sprinting drills, running stairs, ladders, or some other sprinter-related workout.

I literally have NO endurance. I would occasionally get put into a 4 x 400 m relay, and I’d have to be put into the second runner spot, which was reserved for the worst runner. I was terrible. I wasn’t quite as bad at the 200 m. I was much better at the 100 m. I was GREAT at the 60 m, which is a shortened version of the 100 m reserved for indoor meets. I’m great out of the blocks. Good ol’ Moye starting blocks. And this was younger, fitter me more than 10 years ago, that had to stop running after a stress fracture my junior year. So, you can see where 5k is really intimidating with this kind of background.

My brother is much better than me at this sort of thing. He’s done a couple races. He’s built for distance. And his girlfriend….well, she just won an 8k with a record time recently, and she does triathlon training. So I’m also preparing myself to be embarrassed by my terrible race time. I guess I’ll just have to remind those two that I could TOTALLY beat them in a race across my back yard.

Self Promotion

I haven’t informed a lot of people about my blog; I didn’t post about it on Facebook or send out a mass email when I started it. I listed it as my website on Facebook, mentioned it to a few friends, and assumed that people would just find it organically. Well, I realized that many of my friends don't know about it, and that there aren’t a whole lot of readers. So today I plugged it on Facebook. We’ll see if my readership changes...

Dirt Sandwich

I stopped by Subway today for one of those free breakfast sandwiches on my way to work. The news is not good. I described the smell of my sandwich to a coworker as smelling like “my dog after a day at the dog park; he smells like aggression and dirt”. I’m not sure you want your breakfast to smell like aggression and dirt. It was super bland. Maybe I should have added banana peppers and chipotle mayo to my egg sandwich to spice it up a bit? Gross.

What sort of shoes do you wear with skinny or straight-legged jeans? My skinny/straight-leg pants are easy to figure out, as they’re all cropped. But I’m struggling with full-length, non-flared jeans. Sandals are always easy, but not always appropriate for Midwest weather or casual Friday at work. My go-tos have been a pair of bejeweled ballet flats and a pair of equestrian riding boots, but I’d like to have a few other options. I just feel like I have clown feet when I wear loafers or fashion athletic shoes with a jean that doesn’t flare on the bottom. I’ve done the rolled-leg jean look which seems easier to pair shoes with, but again I don’t feel like it’s appropriate for all situations.

Since I’ve started using Google Reader, I respond much less frequently to blogs. I read all of the blogs of my friends, design blogs, fashion blogs, etc, but I don’t comment because it requires me to click through from Reader to the actual blog. How lazy am I? But I know my friends must be doing it too, because people tell me they read it but I rarely get comments. Have sites like Reader reduced interactions on blogs? Do you avoid viewing commenter drama, or having to visit lots of individual sites, by using Google Reader or the like? Is this convenience one more way technology is allowing us to have less real interaction with one another?

Donuts

I’m craving donuts pretty bad today. Cream-filled long john, caramel-iced Persian, glazed cruller, jelly-filled round or just a box of Krispy Kremes…anything will do. Mmmmmmm.

We purchased patio furniture last week. We had a tough time making the decision whether to do a dining table and chairs or to do a seating group. We went the dining table route at our last house, but donated the furniture rather than having to move with it. The truth is, as much as we love the idea of dining outside, we primarily used the furniture for sitting around on a warm day with a magazine, or entertaining a neighbor with a beer, and we can do that more comfortably with a seating group. We ordered it and it arrived yesterday. We will be assembling it tonight and I’m VERY excited. Something about non-plastic patio furniture makes me feel grown up, and buying things that are going to last means that I’m being much more eco-friendly in the long run versus buying disposable plastic nonsense.

I played in a softball scrimmage last night. I’m not formally joining a team this year; nothing can ever replace my old team in my heart, and with late nights at work I can’t commit to making every game. I’m going to be on the call list as a substitute, and I love that idea. It felt good to do some fielding and shake off the cobwebs. That counts as exercise, right?

This & That, and your mom

I read a great article that Kohl's will be expanding its ELLE line to include ELLE Decor. Um, yay!

I recently wrote to the author of a J.Crew fan blog that I read, asking for help on fitting the tops. No help, though. I thought it would make an interesting post, asking which tops fit best on the bustier set. Since most J.Crew tops seem to be fitted for the I'm-built-like-an-adolescent-boy crowd, I was wondering if certain tops work better for the busty. I guess that didn't sound interesting enough to mention on her blog, so I'm mentioning it here! Anyone? I just don't live terribly close to a J.Crew (well, there's an outlet, but I'm talking first-run), and I HATE ordering items just to have to pay return shipping.

I love my new job. I've been busy, which is why I've been terrible at blogging regularly, but here I am! Running around, meeting people, being random and doing 18 things at once - this is totally my thing. So far. Just remember your comfy pumps on the days you need to run around. I am rocking some serious blisters today.


Photo - austin360.com