Following the extravagance trend I've got going, this weekend I will be indulging in some beauty/spa/Princess Lauren time.
Where's my crown?
First up, Saturday cut & color at my over-priced salon. My hair has gotten so long it actually goes past my bra strap. According to the experts at Glamour, that means it's time for a cut.
Not quite, but almost.
On Sunday, I am getting a facial. Mama needs a deep clean. I look forward to sitting in the steamer, exfoliating, extracting, peeling, moisturizing, whatever.
As previously noted, I like to watch TV. And I like to read. Unfortunately, the content I seek out is not the type to challenge my critical thinking skills.
Think more:
Less:
This:
Not:
This:
Not:
In the spirit of trying to combine a piece of what I like doing with something that might actually make me smarter, I've decided to make incorporate the following into my life:
1) 60 Minutes = appointment TV.
2) Reading Time Magazine and/or Newsweek cover to cover (even the boring parts about stocks 'n stuff).
3) Incorporating a classic into my reading repertoire (current plowing through "Sons & Lovers").
No, I won't be writing a thesis any time soon, but after watching "Iron Lady"+ Oprah's interview with Chris Christie, I'm fairly confident I could hold an intelligent, timely conversation that has nothing to do with Peeta, who Killed Rosie & why neon is back.
Though not deemed mandatory, when looking for a new place, we determined pretty early on that having a 3 bedroom was the goal.
1 room for us.
1 room for guests.
1 room for Jeremy.
Design Headquarters.
I have to say, he did a really great job taking a room full of boxes & containers filled with who knows what and making it look like a pretty impressive office.
The art wall.
Organized chaos.
Without this third room...where would the bikes go?
I'm not sure where your acting career has been for the last 10 years or so (as "True Lies" & "Christmas With the Kranks" were both delightful), but I have to commend you for hopping on the spokesperson train - especially since your product of choice is one of my most favorite things ever.
That's right, I love old lady yogurt.
Look, I know that no one wants to talk about yogurt or regularity or images such as this one:
Just so there's no confusion.
But I'm a big fan of thinking about food as fuel. Yes I want it to taste good (and I realize it can't always be healthy), but once I find something that is enjoyable and makes my body stronger (probiotics are great for building up your immune system), then I'm all in.
Besides, anything I can eat while looking this cool is a-ok by me:
One of the most challenging parts of moving into a new place is determining what art goes where. It's especially tricky when you have an enormous wall in need of some personality.
To that end, one of my favorite new pieces in the apartment is the Gibbswood map.
The purpose of the map is 2-fold:
1) Fill a large space.
2) Act as a "living" visual of all our domestic travels together.
Sonoma! Napa!
We ordered a cheap map online & had it framed at our favorite spot, Foundre.
Lots of ground to cover. Plenty of time for adventure.
One of the benefits of having a boyfriend who is also an amazing designer, is I can rely on him to come up with all of the cool art/decorating stuff that I appreciate, but have little interest in thinking about.
His best work so far? He managed to take 2 beat up chairs (whose glory days were in & around the Nixon era), and made them look like this:
Cow hide directly from the farms of Missouri. Robin's egg blue directly from a fabric store.
My favorite angle.
They're gorgeous. I love them. And I'm definitely going to keep him.
It always amazes me how easy it is to pack up my entire life. Sure it takes time and involves manual labor, but ultimately, it takes about 4 hours (and 4 incredibly strong men) to move from one place to another. There's something humbling in that.
Anyway, on Saturday, I said goodbye to one place and hello to another. The weekend was filled with opening boxes, organizing cabinets, and wiring. Lots & lots of wiring. Though there is still much to do, we made some progress...
After 2.5 happy years in River North, I am heading to Bucktown, the land of skinny jeans, dive bars & just about everything faux-hipster you can imagine.
I will miss my apartment, walking to work, and living in the same building as P. Talaba.
I am excited to live in a new place. In a new part of this wonderful city. With a BOY.
In college, I took every gerontology class possible. I just love grandpas. It's probably because I had 2 amazing ones.
When I see an old man sitting by himself in a restaurant, it takes everything in me not to go sit with him. This doesn't make me noble, it makes me weird & dramatic (most of these gentleman are probably enjoying their solo meal).
Regardless of where you stand on the elderly set, watch the video below & just try not to be moved.
I've been a fan of Blind Pilot for a couple of years. Caught there show (I'm so indie) in 2010 at the House of Blues.
We're so f'n chill, it hurts.
They finally released their new album earlier this year & I HEART IT. The voices, the instruments, the vibe is all very Band of Horses meets Bon Iver meets fill-in-the-blank acoustic folk band. In the very best way, of course.
Abstract!
This is my favorite song on the album. Currently listening on repeat until I inevitably get sick of it.
p.s. The above song may or may not have been featured in the finale of "One Tree Hill" that I may or may not have watched.
Is it sexy? I mean, I guess. It's essentially a Harelquin novel in classier packaging, so if you like those, you'll love it.
This gem appears to be shooting ahead of Fabio's greatest hits for 2 reasons:
1) The woman who wrote it has admitted that the book is inspired by the passion/longing Edward & Bella (that's right, the vampires) felt in the "Twilight" series.
This book is for you.
2) Desperate Housewives everywhere are in need of some love. Apparently now, more than ever.
The "story" revolves around an innocent 20-something virgin who falls for a dominant (literally) older guy. The whole will she/won't she bit falls flat real early because we all know she will. She comes across as an enormous idiot, which also doesn't help (I'm clumsy! I am ugly (buteveryonetellsmehowgorgeousIam)! My best friend is perfect!
Remember "She's All That"?
She's the rated NC-17 version of her.
Now, what I'm about to say may come off as insensitive and/or ageist, but I'm gonna say it anyway. If you are a housewife who hasn't had sex in weeks or months and/or hasn't ever had good sex, be prepared for the following:
1) You will love this book because it might reignite something long since deemed dead.
2) You will hate this book because I can almost guarantee you will never have the kind of sex these 2 are having.
3) You will never actually meet or sleep with Edward Cullen.
Yep, you're pretty much the demo you fruit loop.
The book took me all of 3 hours to read, so if you're curious, you won't waste that much time.
I'm usually pretty skeptical when I read tips from Self & Shape magazine. Any editor who thinks drinking more water and walking around the block are solid health tips irritates the bejesus out of me.
I ALREADY DRINK WATER.
So when I recently read that incorporating locally grown honey into my diet might help control my allergies, my usual skepticism set in. Could the same geniuses who serve up great advice like "you need to sleep to feel rested" have actual useful advice?
Here's the logic: Local bees make honey using the pollen that makes us all sneeze. So if we eat the local honey, we're ingesting the pollens that drive us nutty, building up a tolerance of sorts.
Eating this makes me feel like a hippy.
It's probably too soon to tell, but so far so good. I have a little each day in my yogurt or on an english muffin. It's certainly a more useful tip than yet another "shrink-your-belly" plan that involves only eating vegetables. Plus, this stuff actually tastes good.
Aside from that, here are the top 5 reasons the return of Monday night's REAL entertainment (read: "The Bachelorette") can't come soon enough:
1) Katherine McPhee is light as a feather, stiff as a board. Holy crap she's emotionless. Sure she's cute and she can certainly sing better than me, but man she can't act. And really, if the plots were a true reflection of the Great White Way, there's no way she'd even have a shot at any role up against Megan Hilty.
Is this sexy? I'm from Iowa so I can't be sure.
2) Grace - Will = DRY&BORING. Not only is Debra Messing unlikeable, she's also tremendously unfunny as the cheating lyricist. Though I understand why she's toned down her performance (as compared to the spastic Grace), this Xanax'd version is putting me to sleep.
I used all my laughs up on that other NBC show.
3) Broadway star Megan Hilty as Katherine's nemesis certainly looks the part, but unfortunately she acts like she's on a stage. Megan: We can hear you: Stop screaming. And while you're at it, please don't look directly at camera while you're singing. YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY ON A STAGE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
4) There are no cute boys. None. Zip. Zilch. There aren't even any you're-average-but-you're-charming-so-I-like-you, types. Our 2 best options are a British jerk (who's apparently not that great in bed) and a cheating broadway boy who inexplicably wants to destroy his homelife by cheating with Debra "Xanax" Messing.
I miss Will.
5) Ellis. The creeper who somehow, hilariously, is always lurking behind curtains. Under pianos. Behind bathroom doors. I get that shows like this need a foil, but come on, his ability to just appear is so over the top, we're laughing when we're not supposed to be.
Skipped out of work early on Friday see to "The Hunger Games"...
We are famous but you don't know most of our names.
Movie ended just in time for dinner at Nellcote with family...
Great company. Average everything else.
Saturday my LOVER reached the end of his 8 week health kick, so we rewarded ourselves (as cheerleader, I get treats too), with a trip to Edzos in Evanston.
No gluten-free here.
Happy guy. Healthier guy.
Spent a cold, gloomy Sunday packing boxes, catching up with one of my favorite people in the universe & WATCHING "GAME OF THRONES".
