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.