Weekend Roundup: Packin' It In

Oh hello Monday...The only reason I don't hate you is because my weekend was filled with goodness.

Dinner party at a girlfriend's that included all of the following:
Catchphrase:

Graeter's:

Many bottles of La Crema:

Not necessarily in that order.

We hit up an art opening on Saturday, because that's what fancy people do...

Video art that I am not smart enough to explain.

Yay Casey!!

For the longest day of the year, I found time for yoga & brunch with a bestie, baked 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, finished my book ("A Secret Kept", it gets a B), and even took a little nap.

It's almost mid-November. What.Is.Happening.

Top 5 Songs I'm Loving

Sometimes I'm not feeling super creative and/or inspired.

So on these days, I will provide all 6 of you with a Top 5 of some sort.

Today? You get the top 5 songs I'm listening to on repeat. Before I announce 'em, let me clear on the following:

1) They are not necessarily current, they're just what I'm liking at the moment.
2) They are not necessarily cool or indie or even good. They're just making my walk to work a bit more enjoyable.
3) If I can find the video, I will include it. However, these songs were not selected for their videos, so do not assume that I think they're good. Or entertaining. Or even really videos as a lot of these bands don't make videos any more. Apparently that's very 1991.

Here you go.

Wrapped in Piano Strings - Radical Face

Their videos are beautiful.

Spit Your Game - Notorious B.I.G (featuring Bone Thugs)

Matt & Rhetta's first dance.

Body Language - Jesse McCarthy (YEP)

I feel you judging me. I don't even like this song, but I can't seem to skip over it.

Rich Girls - The Virgins

This band is not good live. But not live, they are pretty solid.

Cracks - Freestylers

I like to pretend I'm on SYTYCD when I hear this one. I have a routine. NBD.

TV Rules

I miss Must See TV.

No longer is there a single evening I feel compelled to glue myself to the couch. When I was little, Friday night TV was my fave (um, The Muppet Show, Small Wonder), and the teen/college years were dominated by the NBC juggernaut Friends/Seinfeld/Will & Grace/ER.

I'm still getting by, don't you worry. There are still some gems worth the space on my DVR.

Take a look.

The one I'm devoted to...

Game of Thrones. March can't get here fast enough.

The one I'm embarrassed about..

Dirty Soap. These people are idiots. And I love it.

The one that's growing on me...

Happy Endings. The best shot at a "Friends" redux yet.

The one that I want to be good, so I'm sticking with it...

Revenge. It's Dynasty, Hamptons-style.

The one that makes me happy...

Once Upon A Time. Clever. Sweet. Different than anything else on TV.

The one I can't look away from...

American Horror Story. It's batshit. There are gasp-worthy moments in every episode. I tell myself I'm not going to watch it, yet I can't seem to delete it from DVR record list...

The one I most dread jumping the proverbial shark...

Modern Family. I actually look forward to this show going into syndication.

Okay, so my DVR is full by Sunday afternoon. 

Melancholia - A Review

Here's the deal. I don't feel like writing a novel about the above film, but I will give you a top 7 (no need for 10) list for why you should see, "Melancholia".

1) Full disclosure: This movie is insanely depressing. It's kind of like "Zookeeper" only the EXACT opposite. It revolves around a suicidal girl and a planet plummeting into earth. You will know from the first minutes of the film that it is not going to end well. Accept that, and move on.

2) I do not endorse Lars Von Trier's racist/horrifying/creepy remarks (as made at the Cannes Film Festival. Google it.). But the man is a visionary. Possibly a fruit loop in need of some vitamin D, but he manages to walk the line between indie/artsy & commercial/watchable. A tough balance.

3) I like Kirsten Dunst. I can't help it. She had me at "Jumanji", "Bring it On", and "Crazy/Beautiful". Yes, she's damaged AND drawn to weird indie rocker guys AND ill-fitting thrift duds, but much like my obsession with Chloe Sevigny, if we had gone to the same high school, I would have wanted her to like me (to be clear, she would not have).

 4) The supporting cast is filled with people you should know, but you won't know why (except for Aleksander Skarsgard & Kiefer Sutherland). To be clear, this is a good thing. Their performances (especially Charlotte Rampling and Charlotte Gainsbourg) are brilliant. While the camera follows Kirsten wherever she goes, the rest of the cast sucks you in just as affectively. Don't look for these folks to pop up in US Weekly anytime soon. Nylon or Paper, maybe.

5) This film is a perfect example of why sometimes you need to stick with it. The first 8 minutes are batshit. It's in slow motion. There are horses. Bright lights. Many slow, gratuitious shots of a practically comatose Kirsten Dunst. Classical music rising & falling at all the wrong moments. Yes, it serves a purpose (foreshadowing the film to come), but had I not been trapped on a plane while watching it, I may not have made it to the good stuff.

6) I'm still thinking about it. The almost painful, accurate depiction of a young woman's horrific battle with depression I've ever seen captured on film. I wanted to help her. I wanted to help her sister help her. There is a seen where Gainsbourg's Claire can't catch her breath. I actually found it difficult to breath, knowing what was happening to her. That's powerful stuff.

7) The juxtaposition of her lifeless life and the impending planet plummeting toward earth (no joke) could have easily been the stuff of Razzie infamy. But with this top notch crew, it makes perfect, devastating sense.

See it. Perhaps chase it with a viewing of "The Zookeeper"** to balance the emotions.

**I don't know why I keep referencing this movie as I've never seen it, but I assume it is stupid.

Dating-moon

Because I simply cannot let my little brother have a vacation (okay, honeymoon, big dif), while I sit at home, I booked myself (and my lover as I like to call him) a trip to California's Wine Country.

It. Was. Awesome.

Visiting places like Napa make me question my own sanity.

Why do I actively choose to live/work in an environment filled with smog instead of constant sunshine?

 Wind that blows me over versus wine that makes me topple over?

A view of taupe push-pin walls over endless fields of green?

Bathing in a linoleum box versus surrounded by trees & birds in an outdoor shower?

I've got a million of 'em.

The best way to relive any trip is through daily pics. Here are a few of my faves...

Monday: After a planes, trains & automobiles travel day, we made our way to the INCREDIBLE Caneros Inn (we had no business staying there). Our own little cottage with views of the vineyard from our patio.

Just two kids swingin' on their porch.

Our back yard.

Our first meal was at Ad Hoc.

 I neglected to take pictures of any food because I INHALED everything. It was 8:30 PST, WHICH IS 10:30 CST. I've officially turned into my father. Jeremy did snap this gem. 

Homemade vanilla ice cream with brownie bits, bananas, and chantilly cream. YES. PLEASE.

Tuesday morning we woke up to this:

PEOPLE LIVE LIKE THIS.

After a lap around the property (it was seriously a maze (rich people problems)), we found our new favorite breakfast spot, Boon Fly Cafe.

 

This place is not for people who want egg whites or shots of wheat grass. You eat this:

And these: 

While throwing back:

THERE IS BACON IN THERE.

We spent the rest of Tuesday ridin' dirty in a black Escalade with our driver, Dave. He took us to some incredible spots that we never would have found/given an inordinate amount of our $$ to if he hadn't taken us...

 

Adam Vinetieri's uncle's house. NBD.

Insane theme-roomed house. Shot 1.

Shot 2.

Shot 3. YEP.

After a day of delicious wine and light snacks, needless to say, it was a GREAT night for room service.

Wednesday morning we walked the property, taking shots of our insane surroundings + what I like to call "lover shots". 

Artsy couple.

Just hangin'. Talkin' about life 'n stuff.

The pool. No big deal.

Definition of "Lover Shot".

We made our way to the Newton winery in the afternoon. This place has to be one of the most beautiful I've ever seen in person. HIGHLY recommend if you're making your way west any time soon.

LOOK AT THAT VIEW.

 

Rich people trees.

Wednesday night we dined at the Girl and the Fig in Sonoma. GREAT food. Only I forgot to take pictures of it. I can tell you that we had oysters and steak and pumpkin cake. Take my word for it, it was delish.

Thursday we decided to stay put. A full day of lounging. It included the following GRUELING activities:

Bocce ball. I lost.

Looking for the elusive apple orchard.

Enjoying a fire while watching Game 6. Go Cards!

Friday was a travel day, but we managed to get in another breakfast at Boon Fly & some solid "chair time".

 

 Thumbs up for Napa.

Lover shot #2.

Back to reality. I'm okay with it though...If the daily grind allows me to experience trips like this one, then it's worth it. Having said that, I'm already thinking about where I want to go next....

Thanks to this guy for making it happen & capturing most of the pics you see here. xo

Wedding Round Up (not mine, no rumors please)

It has been a pretty fantastic 10 days. In the spirit of milking my recent adventures for blog content, today's post will focus on my baby brother's wedding weekend.

It all started with a pretty spectacular rehearsal dinner at Disotto Enoteca....

FAMILY.

 BRIDESMAIDS.

My date.

Followed by the best wedding ever...

At this point I was weeping.

 Her lovely ladies.

I can't take it.

Photobomber on the party bus.

LOOK. AT. HER.

Photobombing runs in the family.

Dancing to Bone Thugs. Obvi.

Props.

I've decided that any wedding that does NOT feature a photobooth is just not as good as a wedding that DOES feature a photobooth. Matt & Rhetta had everyone make an appearance (or 2 or 3) in the booth to document all of the stars who attended their wedding.      

BFFs + Props = Photogold

 Me & the groom.

Jeremy & I like the booth. A lot.

Come back tomorrow for a recap of our amazing "datingmoon" in Napa/Sonoma.

p.s. I have a sister now!