Oh Yeah, And We Like To Dance

Sometimes photos are taken when you're not watching. This can be super creepy (read: peeping tom) and/or kinda magical.

A wedding photographer snapped this series of Jeremy & I earlier this year at my brother's wedding. They capture our happiness, and more importantly, our passion for The Dance.

Enjoy.

Pints, Quarts, Tablespoons, Liters, And Other Things I Don't Get

The title of this post is the working title of my upcoming autobiography.

No it's not (thoughitcouldbe).

Measurements, metrics, rulers, those metal things you use to create circles (can't think of the name, but they look like this):

have always been my achilles heel. I distinctly remember my dad sitting me on the kitchen counter with all of the contents of our refrigerator surrounding me. He was so desperately trying to get me to understand how many of the half 'n half containers were needed to fill up the milk carton. Or how many of the milk containers were needed to fill the gallon of juice.

I didn't get it.

I still don't. Unfortunately for me, this is the one thing you learn in math class that you actually DO need in real life. Every time I bake, I have to look up the same conversion questions. I actually have them bookmarked on my phone.

Why can I remember that Jennifer Aniston promised to make Brad Pitt banana milkshakes in their wedding vows? Or that Nicole Kidman wore a hideous yellow dress to the Oscars the first time she went as Tom Cruise's date? How is this helpful?

As I sit here typing this very second, I cannot tell you with confidence how many sticks of butter equal a cup. And I made 3 dozen cookies 2 days ago.

If I have to remember, so do you.

My Favorite Christmas Movie

"It's A Wonderful Life"? Nope.
"Love Actually"? Nope.
"Muppet Christmas Spectacular"? Nope.

All of the above are valid options, but mine is a bit more obscure.

It's a gem of made-for-TV tale of a family's plight to save Santa's house.

Why should you watch it?

1) It stars Art Carney and Jacqueline Smith.
2) The child actors are BRILLIANT. They make those Fanning sisters look like schlubs.
3) The story uses that age-old plot device where an evil corporation wants to drill oil on a beautiful piece of property (in this case, Santa's yard). Cue multiple gratuitous shots of bull dozers creeping closer & closer to the candy cane village.
4) The scenes that take place in Santa's workshop feature special effects that will make you miss movies that don't require 3-D glasses.
5) The end may or may revolve around Santa's sleigh and the moon.

Watch Part 1 here. Don't worry, the other 11 parts can be found on Youtube. You won't be sorry.

Weekend Roundup: Christmas #1

I finally got myself in the Christmas spirit this weekend thanks to following festive fun:

14th Annual Gift Greedy Gift Exchange with some of my nearest & dearest...

And a Saturday filled with a retro movie marathon:

Hijinks ensue.

More on this little gem tomorrow.

Cookie-baking...

Present-opening...

On Sunday, 2 of my besties & I went to lunch with the posh crowd at RL...

We did not eat outdoors.

And watched Charlize do her best to be a 30-year-old who peeked in high school.

Short work-week...and a trip to South Carolina in just 3 short days!

Christmas Traditions

This year's Christmas will be different for my family.

1) We'll be in South Carolina, versus Cincinnati (pro: warm weather, con: no Skyline).
2) We'll have a new member of the family at our table (all pros).

3) We're trading in the 5 hour car trip for 1 hour flight. (pro: no Indiana, con: O'hare).
4) I get to have an extra Christmas on Saturday with this guy:

So in honor of our first official Christmas, I've decided to start our own holiday tradition. It will include the following:

-Favorite Christmas movie viewing party ("Elf", "Pee Wee Herman's Christmas Special", and "Miracle on 34th Street").
-Home-cooked meal (steak & lobster with mac & cheese).
-Christmas cookie decorating (Jeremy can hardly contain his excitement for this one).
-GIFT EXCHANGE (taking a page out of alovelyescape.blogspot.com 's book, we've purchased 4 gifts for each other, something we need, something we want, something to wear, and something to read).

Though I will miss my friend on Christmas, I'm pretty psyched for this weekend's pre-Christmas, Christmas.

Golden Girls Bloopers. Yep.

You read that right.

After a crazy week, today is my last myheadhurtsfromthinking-day of the year.

To reward myself, and you, today is all about bloopers from my favorite show of all time, "Golden Girls".

You want to make fun of me, I know you do. Just watch one of these. You'll get it.

Favorite Picture of The Year

As noted on this blog, my baby brother married his partner in crime in late October.

It was an incredible event, easily the highlight of 2011.

The images capturing the day are in and they are, of course, stunning. The bride looks INSANE in every single shot & my brother even managed to not look like a doofus. It would be impossible for me to  pick a favorite shot of the two of them, but there is one that I'm lucky enough to make an appearance in that I absolutely adore.

Little Matt Gibbs, all grow'd up.

xxoo

My Top 10 Songs of 2011

The songs listed below may or may not have been released in 2011. They're simply the songs that I found myself playing on repeat over the last 12 months. Like all good music, they represent different phases, memories, and moments that stand out to me as I reflect back on the year that was 2011.

1) Shake it Out, Florence and the Machine: 

Flo & her machine did not disappoint with their late 2011 release of "Ceremonials". This track is a staple on my "get your ass up and work-out"-mix.

2) If I Die Young, The Band Perry: 

I'm fairly certain this song came out in 2010, but whatever. I decided to like it this year. It's hella depressing, but there's something about it I just can't get sick of.

3) Heart Full of Promise/Head Full of Doubt, The Avett Bros: 

This song breaks my heart and gives me hope. I love it so much I used it in my brother's wedding video. This one would probably make my Top 10 Songs Ever list.

4) Cracks, Freestylers: 

Because of my ongoing So You Think You Can Dance-fantasy, after this song was featured in one of the numbers, I decided (obviously), that when I audition someday, this will be the song I will choreograph my routine to.

5) All of the Lights, Kanye West:

Oh Kanye. You are such an ass, but you make some pretty solid music. You proved yourself to be quite the showman at the Watch The Throne concert...maybe you're growing up?

6) Your Song, Ellie Goulding:

If it's good enough to be the first dance song for Kate & Wils, it's good enough for me.

7) Someone Like You, Adele:

I know. It's an obvious choice. But good God, how can you not love it? How can you not want to weep your eyes out listening to it? Well done you British genius.

8) Beth/Rest, Bon Iver:

I was thrilled to see the Grammys finally recognize the brilliance that is Bon Iver (as a "best new artist", 3 years after they started touring). This album lulls me to sleep literally every night and I wouldn't have it any other way.

9) You Make My Dreams Come True, Hall & Oates:

Yes, I know it's old. But it's my favorite song ever. Ever.

10) The Cave, Mumford & Sons: 

I started loving them in 2010. I continue to love them in 2011. Now that everyone else is getting on board, I'm going back to the basics, reliving their first hit single.

Look out for my Grammy recap on Monday, February 12th.

Weekend Roundup: Bon Iver, 2 Parties, and Rudolph

After a few lovely weekends filled with nothingness, this weekend I felt as if I was running from place to place...

It started with our company holiday party at Soldier Field...

Me and my little sisters.

I kept it classy at this year's event, opting for an early exit so that I could make it home in time to prep my place for a little get together at my place, pre-Bon Iver.

Great show, not as good as Chicago Theater back in July, but I'll take it. p.s ignore the unftortunately placed speaker blocking the shot.

Saturday daylight hours included a series of random errands, class at Exhale, & breakfast at Milk & Honey (my favorite weekend traditions). In the evening we were lucky to be invited to our mutual friend's Christmas Party at their perfect condo. It was one of those parties filled with people you kind of know (meaning they're FB friends), but you don't really know (you don't text them). By the end of the night new friends (and dinner plans in January) were made. Good times.

Sunday morning we were UP AND AT 'EM, for the Rudolph Ramble, an 8K race in Lincoln Park. 

Yep, the socks are awesome.

We survived it (barely), and made it to brunch at Meli followed by a pedicure for Lauren and Bears/Broncos for Jeremy.

The other foot matches.

Ready for my last busy week of 2011!

Fisher Price Record Player

I used to have one.

And it was awesome.

While browsing at Reckless Records last weekend, I came across a bin of record singles that brought me right back to my pre-ipadpod days.

Oddly, the paper-covered vinyl took me even further down Memory Lane, reminding of how I used to dance around my room in my Get 'N Shape Girl unitard, workin' it out to hits like "Let's Get Physical" and Ray Parker jr's classic, "Ghostbusters".

I resisted the urge to spend $.66 on the pieces of my past as my original "turntable" has long since been donated (and also, I'm not a hipster who claims that the only way to "hear" music, is via record players).

But, any chance I have to remember being one of these little ladies:

Is well worth it. Obvi.

This is Why I'm Late To Work

When I grow up someday, maybe I'll watch a hard-hitting news program like The Today Show (only if Anne Curry leaves) or Good Morning America (I don't even know who hosts that one). But until then, I intend to find the very best syndicated reruns on cable to start my morning. I've got all day to deal with real stuff.

My current choice programming:

Who: Will & Grace (and really, Jack & Karen)
What: Reruns
Where: Lifetime (best.channel.ever)
When: 8-10 AM
Why: Because they're hilarious. And it makes me happy.

Here are a few of my favorite clips:

National Board of Review's Top 10 Movies of 2011 (with my commentary)

To be honest, I think this year can only be described as average when it comes to movie releases. Without this list from our friends at the NBR, I'm not sure I would have been able to list 10 movies I liked (or even saw) in 2011. But because I love award season AND making lists, I will get on board with the early predictors ...

Top Films of 2011 (in alphabetical order):

The Artist:

As a movie fan, I should want to see this movie. But it's silent. As in no dialog. No words. Just overly expressive faces. Apparently- much like the Chaplin films of yore- it's beautiful and the "story" is clear, despite the absence of sound. Spoiler Alert: Mr.Chaplin had a voice. And I bet he would have liked to have been heard. Our ancestors from the '20s didn't choose to not having dialog, they just didn't have a choice. Much like using an abacus instead of a calculator sounds like some back-to-basics fun, it's frustrating and unsatisfying. This is my pick for "Film The People In Hollywood Want You To Pretend To Like Because It Makes Us Sound More Interesting As A Country".


The Descendants:

I did see this one and I enjoyed it. Do I think it's as good as previous year's indie sleepers ("Up In The Air", "Sideways", "Juno"), no. But it's a solid little movie-watching experience. George is good. His daughter (played by Shailene Woodley**) is good. The dialog is good. None of it is great. The fact that it's on a "Best Of" list, speaks to the quality of films we got this year.
**I want to like her, but I saw her interviewed on Chelsea Lately & she said something like "I think it's my job to open the human race's eyes to what's really going on in the world." NOPE.

Drive:

To me, this is easiest the best film of the year. Everything about it was original. The story, the cinematography, the music, the styling, etc. Yes, I love me some Gosling, but even if he's not your cup of tea, you cannot deny how badass (and creepy) he was in this role. You know a movie has had some impact if you find yourself talking/thinking about it days later. This is the only film I can say that about this year. Sidenote: The soundtrack is one of my favorite album purchases of the year.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:

I plan to see this one over the holidays (not out yet), but I'm guessing it will not beat Drive as my pick for film of the year. I read the book and saw the original version of the film. Loved the book. Hated the movie. We'll see if the western version of the same story ranks higher on the coveted LaurenMeter. With Daniel Craig at the helm, there's a good chance it will.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2:

I actually saw this movie long before most of the world thanks to a pre-screening I attended back in April. The film was about 70% done at the time, so all of the special effects were not yet in place. Having not seen the first 6 films, I had to figure out the gist (luckily the books were written for 10-year-olds, so I was able to catch up) as it went along. Honestly? I thought it was long. The characters had a clear bond and they definitely wrapped things up nicely at the end. But is this really going to be nominated for an Oscar? Really?!

The Ides of March:

I am ashamed to say I have not seen this one. My boyfriend RG is PISSED. Most reviews I read gave it a solid B. Much like George's "Descendants", a lot about this particular film was on target, but it never quite reached the "OMGIHAVETOTELLEVERYONETOSEETHIS"- status. I am definitely looking forward to this one showing up On Demand, but I highly doubt it'll beat "Drive". 

J. Edgar:

Nope. I have no doubt that Leo gave it his very best "old tortured historical figure"-try, but nothing about this film's trailer or the reviews made me want to see it. I just don't care about what Hoover did or didn't do and/or who he did or didn't do it with. Turns out the rest of America agreed as this one was in & out of the theaters faster than you can say HotTubTimeMachine.

Tree of Life:

Full Disclosure: I do not like modern art. If you splash some blue paint on a white canvas and make up a story about how it represents your childhood demons, you are not an artist. I realize this is not a popular or widely shared opinion, but it is mine, so deal with it. To that end, I refuse to believe that a series of images (however beautiful) with a rousing soundtrack and some famous faces warrants an Oscar. To be fair, I also don't think that if you spend millions to recreate a childhood cartoon (see "Transformers" franchise), you are making a film worth seeing. I'm an equal opportunity offender. 

War Horse:

I'll be honest, I saw the above trailer and thought, SERIOUSLY?! But I'm hearing that this one is a real gem. For serious. I don't really care much for animals, but I love a good horse film. I will likely weep (if that horse dies, I'm going to be a mess), but I've changed my tune on this one. I think it's worth seeing. But again, is it really the best of the year? Is it only on this list because Spielberg is involved? Probs.

How To Avoid The Walk Of Shame This Holiday Season

Oh Harvey Nichols, you clever little Brit.

The brilliant piece of advertising below reminds all of us that not dressing like a hoochie pays off (especially the morning after).

Remember ladies, the way you look in that dress at 6 AM is no different than how you looked at midnight. In other words, yes, it is too short.

Enjoy.

p.s. It's December people. Put a coat on.

Weekend Roundup: Free Time

Typically this time of year I feel overwhelmed by all of the places I want to go, people I need to buy things for, and sales I feel obligated to take advantage of...but this year, somehow, I feel pretty relaxed.

Maybe it's because I did so much of my holiday shopping ahead of time.

Thanks Cyber Monday.

Maybe it's because I'm worried about saving money, so I'm spending less.

Maybe it's because I'm just not popular and people have stopped inviting me places.

Regardless, this weekend was filled with a fun night out, a facial, and some final holiday shopping around town.

Dinner at Farmhouse with two of my favorites, Sarah & Teddy.

The actual table we sat at, only when we were there, we were surrounded by way more people.

A host of errands and breakfast at The Bagel...

Lox & creamcheese for everyone.

A facial at Bliss...

No more wrinkles.

And Sunday night with my must-see-TV.

Next weekend starts the holiday celebrating, so maybe I'll start to feel more popular then.

Happy week.

JayZ & Kanye: 5 Observations

I had the pleasure of attending Hova & Yeezy's show this week. Here's my takeaway.

1) I have no idea what "Watch the Throne" means. They're both kings and therefore need to watch each other's chairs when they go to the bathroom? Maybe the throne is the bathroom and they're just asking us to stand guard so no one walks in? Either way, it's refreshing to find 2 musicians who don't have inflated views of themselves. Anyhoo, what they should call the tour is "We're Going to Play Everything You Want Us To". Seriously, they did not miss one song this little white girl wanted to hear. "Big Pimpin"? Yep. "Dirt Off My Shoulder"? Yep. "New York", "Hard Knock Life"? Yep. Oh, and Kanye was there too.

2) The show itself was actually kind of perfect (though I could do without the Kid's Incorporated laser light show). They would do a few songs together (mainly from their new album), and then one of them would call the other a genius before exiting stage right to let the other have the spotlight. I am partial to Jay Z (if you haven't seen "Fade To Black", SEE IT), but Kanye has some undeniable hits. "Stronger", "Gold Digger", "Jesus Walks", and that stuff with the autotune. I, however, liked him best when he shared the stage with J, especially "Monster" and "Run This Town".

3) I did not bring or smoke any weed before, during, or after the show. However, the contact high from simply being in the United Center, was tough to deny. So much so that today I got into the car with the same coat on and thought the driver was high. Nope, just my cape.

4) I know these guys are cray-cray rich, but it was actually really endearing to see the looks on their faces when they'd point the mike at the audience and every single one of us knew exactly what to do. Do I believe for one second either one of them is humble? Nope. But I do believe there is a little boy in each of them that still can't believe their good fortune.

5) These guys "played" for 3 hours. No dancers. No intermissions. No one suspended from the ceiling. Just 2 guys, doing their thing. Were the tickets pricey, even for the nosebleeds? Yep. Was it worth it so I can cross seeing these 2 off my bucket list? Absolutely.

Next concert on the agenda? Bon Iver on 12/9. Should be pretty similar.

I Think I Might Like Cooking

For years my idea of "cooking" included the following techniques:

-Putting hummus on any sandwich so that it's not dry
-Perfecting my oatmeal to water ratio
-Melting cheese on a frozen Annie's burrito
-Dumping pre-cut vegetables into a bowl with spinach & salad dressing

It's weird I haven't been approached by the Food Channel.

After a recent successful run at making my mom's stuffing, a berry cobbler, and the very best corn bread I've ever had, I've realized the following:

1) Cooking is remarkably less annoying when you have supplies.
2) When you're only feeding yourself (and your not picky boyfriend), it's actually kind of relaxing.
3) On the downside, I eat more when I cook.

Anyway, here's the recipe for the aforementioned cornbread. Enjoy.

1 cup cornmeal (I like the organic kind from Whole Foods)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup regular milk (don't go skim, it absolutely matters)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (convention, it cooks better)
Grease the muffin pan with a little butter (not the fat free crap)
In a large bowl mix all of the dry ingredients, then add the wet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.

It's pretty great with chili. Or soup. Or on it's own. Doesn't even need extra butter, it's that good.

Florence & The Machine

There is nothing original about loving Florence & The Machine.

"Dog Days" is on every playlist.
"Cosmic Love" seems to be the soundtrack for every movie.
"Shake it Out" is set to be this year's "Dog Days".

The only artist getting more play as the "I'm-Indie-No-Wait-I'm-On-the-Radio-24/7" is Adele (not a slam, love her too).

Though I'm digging their new album, Ceremonials, it's F&M's covers that are on constant repeat on my ipod.

"Addicted to Love"...

Sorry Palmer, she nails it.

"Halo"...

Beyonce's version is good. This is better.

"Take Care"...

This one is a draw for me. Flo is good, but you can't deny the Rihanna/Drake chemistry.

Does she seem like a bit of a fruit loop? Of course she does (her curtain gowns puzzle me every time). But the girl can sing. And she brings a harp with her everywhere she goes, so what's not to like?

The Show You're Not Watching

I stumbled onto this little gem thanks to my BF's fancy cable. After watching 6 episodes back-to-back, I'm hooked.

The drama features Claire Danes (who despite my best efforts, I cannot bring myself to like), Damien Lewis (you'll recognize him, but you won't know why), and Mandy Patinkin (a great actor, who is apparently a terror to work with, but that's neither here nor there.).

I'm really selling it, aren't I.

The premise of the show centers around a bipolar CIA agent (Danes), her curmudgeonly boss (Patinkin), and a POW returned home after 8 years in captivity, (Lewis). 

Danes suspects (psychotically so), that the POW has been turned/brainwashed by his terrorist captors. Her boss (who is also oddly suspicious), isn't quite on board with her theory, but allows her to spy on him ("Big Brother"-style), and his family during his first weeks home. It's uncomfortable watching her watch them. Uncomfortable not only because of the private moments she witnesses, but also the mere fact that she can. 

Each 50 minute episode is filled with little moments that make you question every character's actions, words, and facial expressions. They're all deliberate, but what do they mean? The show strikes the right balance between focusing on what the show is about (is he or isn't he) while also incorporating the right personal elements of each character's lives. We don't see what we don't need to see. 

Though there are other dramas out there that feel very timely and relevant (i.e "Walking Dead", "Once Upon a Time" aklsdfjalk;sdjf), this one gets at the secret lives, processes, and forces at work in our current version of reality. I won't go so far as to draw comparisons to it being an actual reality show (the timelines, dramatic twists, etc are exaggerated), but the core of this show - terrorism - feels very real.

The end of the 6th episode was a game-changer. We had a theory. The theory was wrong. I love it when that happens.

Sunday nights on Showtime, 9CST.

Weekend Roundup: Firsts

As mentioned in my last post, this was my first Thanksgiving in Chicago, without my family (the blood-related members) sitting around the table with me. Though it was difficult to not be with them (change is hard), it was a pretty great weekend, filled with many "firsts"...

First 8k Turkey Trot...

It was chilly, but totally worth it!

First time picking up a turkey at Lillie's Q (highly recommend!)

Pete with a turkey on his lap.

First attempt at cooking my mom's stuffing...

To keep our family "together" we uploaded a series of videos throughout the day. Here's where I show off my cooking.

First catchphrase tournament (victors pictured below)...

The faces of winners.

First Ohio State loss to Michigan in 7 years (I didn't say they were all good)...

#urbanbraxton2012

The best first was spending the holiday with this guy...

Happy last week of November!