I was going to avoid posting about the big HEART DAY, but there is so much kitschy, fabulous schlock all over the internet and stores!!! Every time I pass American Apparel they’ve changed their window display. There are hearts dangling from every restaurant in my ‘hood. And Duane Reade’s been cashing in since December 29th. So now it’s my turn…

Almost everything at FredFlare.com is Valen-tastic, but here are my faves:

$10 Rainbow Heart necklace. It’s got a cute little diamond (I wish—it’s probably just a dot of metal) on the side. Yes, it is un poco tacky, but this little rainbow/heart makes me smile.

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$14 Heart Shaped Measuring Cups. Too cute to actually cook with, but I bet they’d look pretty dangling from my wall.

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Hot Cocoa with heart shaped marshmallows … I’m not sure about this one. I bet the cocoa doesn’t actually taste all that great, and the marshmallows—to me they look mangled. And what did they do with the marshmallow holes?

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$9 Rose Rings. Aren’t these pretty? Unfortunately, they only come in a size 7, and I have abnormally small fingers, so I will not be sporting a Rose Ring this V-day.

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I totally love these $14 Photobooth Frame Necklaces. Andy and I have a bunch of photobooth pictures from over the years, and I think it would kick ass to put one of them in a framed necklace. I guess it’s like a modern day locket… except it’s not quite as personal because it’s dangling around your neck for all to see. Hmmm…

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Thanks Fred Flare for the countless random, useless products that I now desperately want to buy!
Up next….

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WARNING: This next item does not fall under the catagory of schlock. It’s just plain fabulous.
How much do you love this fun pendant by LaCoque? I loved it so much that I bought it—and now it’s sold out, sorry folks. But there’s a lot more fabulousness to be had at their Etsy shop, so swing on by!

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I think my favorite ridiculous Valentines Day item is this:

“Perfect Fit” Denim Chocolates. I saw this at the drugstore and had to take a picture. I mean, have you ever seen anything so cheesy? It makes me happy inside, just knowing that old Mom Jeans are being recycled, and turned into Valentines Day chocolates. Fantastic. Oh, and did I mention that the box is padded? Yeah, it almost feels like you’re actually touching someone’s butt.

Happy Valentines Day (week), lovelies!!!

1.

FASHION WEEK! If you’re not already tracking it, go to Style.com for a look at the runway shows. There are some amazing collections. My favorites so far are Proenza Schouler and Rodarte. The Proenza Schouler collection is dark and dramatic but uses lots of contrasting fabrics to lighten it up (at least, that’s what it looked like to me!!). And the sisters behind Rodarte made some of the most gorgeous dresses I’ve ever seen. I want one!

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2.She and Him.

I was looking at StereoGum and heard Zooey Deshanel’s new single with M. Ward. Their band is called She and Him. The album’s not out yet, but you can listen to the Mp3 here at Merge Records. It’s a cute, fun song and Zooey has such a great voice. Fans of Jenny Lewis will really like this. I think they’re playing at SXSW, which I would kill to go to and see tons of great bands!!! Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s gonna happen.

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3.

I may sound like an old lady for bigging up a heart monitor watch, but this one from the Bliss catalog sounds really cool.
Haven’t you ever wanted to know how many calories you burned after walking fifty blocks, or climbing a flight of stairs? You can also program the amount of calories you want to eat per day, and if you exceed that amount the watch tells you! Okay, that part might get really annoying.
Sorry, I totally sound like an infomercial, don’t I? Ooops!

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4.

Doctor Fish. Apparently in Southern China people use tiny fish (nicknamed “Doctor Fish”) to eat dead skin cells of their bodies. Gross!!! I’m all for beauty rituals but I think I would vomit if fish were sucking away at my flesh. Call me crazy.

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5.You don’t have to watch the whole thing, but this video is really funny. Japanese game shows are so insane.
Thanks for playing!!!

Yes, I know I am like, the last person to get around to doing this post. I have been busy.
… But I know you’re all dying to see what’s in my bag, so here it is!

First of all, the bag I’m carrying these days is an awesome leather Marc Jacobs bag with these little buckle-things that are really hard to get open, but I make that sacrifice for fashion.

Kleenex. I always have kleenex, especially in the winter. As you can see from the bride & groom pattern, this pack is left over from my bridal shower or something.

My cell phone. The obligatory purse item. My Nokia has this cute little charm on it that Andy brought back from his trip to China. It’s merch for the Olympics, which are this year, right?

Gum. Always.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. What an incredible book—I highly recommend it. I wanted to read it before I go see the movie, which also looks incredible. It’s also great because it’s so small, and fits perfectly in my bag without weighing it down like The Other Boleyn Girl did.

My gorgeous Kenneth Jay Lane square hoop earrings. Maybe it’s weird that I keep them in my bag, but there’s a little pocket for them, so they don’t get banged up. It’s nice to have a pair of hot earrings in my bag, just in case I randomly wind up at a party or event. True, it’s not very often that I’m randomly whisked away to a fabulous soirée, but a girl should always be prepared.

L’Oreal H-I-P lip shine in “Sweet”. I love that stuff. And although I love drooling over the goodies at Sephora, this stuff is good and inexpensive.

Oral Sex Mints. How funny are these? They were a gag gift at my bachelorette party. They’re kind of gross, but they make me laugh.

Back Talk postcards!!! I ordered hundreds of these to pass out on the street and mail to people, but of course I’m too shy to stand on the street and shove postcards in peoples faces! Therefore I am stuck with tons and tons of them. I always carry them in my bag, just in case I get the balls to pass them out somewhere. And if all else fails, I’m thinking of making them into a dress. What do you think?!

Tada! So, that’s my bag, as displayed on my horrible Formica counter top. I also carry my camera in my bag, but I couldn’t exactly take a picture of it.

We all have weird dreams, so here’s another one to add to the list:

My mom, sister and I decided to go to the movie theater to see ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ (which is weird because that movie came out like 3 years ago, right?), but first we went to get a smoothie.
So we went to the shop, placed our orders, and I happily drank my raspberry/pineapple smoothie (my favorite combo). It tasted so freaking good that halfway to the movie theater, I decided I’d rather go back and get another smoothie than see ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’.
Unfortunately, when we got back to the smoothie shop, it had changed ownership, and the guy wouldn’t make me the same kind of smoothie!!!! After a lot of arguing, I got them to make me a orange/banana/peach smoothie.

While we waited, I accidentally sneezed in my sister’s face. I said “Sorry,” but she was really mad. (Sister’s can be meeeean in dreams!!). She was like “That’s not good enough!” and just started to yell. So I took my smoothie and went to a paper clip exhibit at a local gallery. Tons and tons of paper clips cascaded from the ceiling, made of metal, plastic, yarn, styrofoam… it didn’t even look that good—but at least I had my smoothie.

Needless to say, as soon as I woke up, I insisted that Andy and I walk down to Juice Generation for yummy fresh smoothies! We split a Pomegranate Berry Blast & a Juice Junky. Even though it was absolutely freezing outside, they completely hit the spot. I kind of wanted to get a third smoothie for later, but Andy told me I was crazy.

I know this was a lame post. If you read the whole thing: Thank You!!
What’s your favorite kind of smoothie?

My parents are visiting, so I’ve been busy busy busy having a stupendously decadent weekend. (And they pay for most of the things we do, which makes it even better. hehe!)

Friday night we had a belated birthday celebration for my mom and took her to Spice Market for dinner. I’ve been wanting to go there for ages, and it did not disappoint! If you’re not familiar wit it, it’s downtown in the Meatpacking district, and the food is described as “street foods of Southeast Asia.” The cocktails were delish (I had a cosmo with plum sake, and Andy got a ginger margarita), the ambiance was hip and amiable with Balinese-style wood carvings, a lot of rich, draped fabrics, and dark, romantic candlelight. And more importantly, the food was fantabuloriffic: curried chicken samosas, calamari salad with papaya and cashews, ginger fried rice, shaved tuna with chili and asian pear… we were in culinary heaven. And of course we had to split a desert, even though we were stuffed, so we had a very yummy cinnamon creme brulee.

Saturday afternoon we walked down to the Ziegfeld (coolest cinema in New York), to see Sweeney Todd. I didn’t know the music, but I love Johnny Depp, and Tim Burton movies are usually fun so we went for it—and loved it! I studied singing in high school, and it turns out I used to sing a song from Sweeney Todd (Green Finch & Linnet Bird). Some of the music gets repetitive, but most of the songs are lovely. Oh, and it’s gruesome. Do you mind the sight of blood? I mean, like, lots and lots and lots of blood? If so, stay away from this flick. But the blood was fairly stylized and comical, so maybe you can laugh at it like I did (does it make me a bad person if spurting blood makes me laugh?!). Another plus: Helena Bonham-Carter’s wardrobe. Everything was black/grey, corseted, flowing, lacy, and poofy (great descriptive word, Alex), and she looked incredible.

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Finally, on Saturday night we went to the New York City Ballet to see a production of Jewels. As you might imagine, it was major eye candy. The ballet was broken down into 3 segments: Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds. Personally, I think ballet gets un poco boring after a while, especially since there was no story to follow, just vignettes, but it was worth it for the beautiful dancing, and the costumes. Yes, the costumes… aaaaah!!!! They were breathtaking and drizzled in bling. The bling was blinging up a storm all over the place. I was also totally blown away by the ballet dancers. Their bodies are so strong. and delicate, and long. Who knew arms and legs could be that long! They must be so disciplined. I can’t imagine training for that, I enjoy food and relaxation waaaaay too much.

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Now I desperately want a tutu.

HAPPY 2008 EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
I really can’t believe it’s 2008. Really. It’s crazy. But I won’t go on and on.
I’m compiling my best/worst 2007 list, but for now I’m just going to recap Xmas, because I’m getting so behind. Did everyone have a great holiday season?
My family and I had a wonderful time. It was my first Christmas with my husband (as opposed to the past few years when he was just my boyfriend—soooo different, haha). The whole day just pretty much ROCKED!! We brought the cats over to my sisters, and I think they had a really fun time, although they are REALLY good at being mischievous and knocking stuff over, which my sister didn’t really appreciate–sorry Ind!

Christmas highlights: I got those square hoop Kenneth Jay Lane earrings. Awesome. And they look fantastic, if I do say so myself.

Keeping in the vein of glittery sparkleness, my sister got me the most incredible placemats from Vivre that you’ve ever seen. When I took them out of the package I just stared at them for about 10 minutes. I think they’ll be really good for dieting—food becomes 2nd banana when resting atop this glittery extravaganza. I can’t wait to have a dinner party!

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Thanks to my mom, we ate fantastic food all day long, and played tons of games. If you’re looking for a new game to keep you and your friends highly entertained, try QUELF. We played at Thanksgiving, so it’s quite possible I’ve already mentioned this quirky game of charades, Q&A, dares, and all around weirdness.

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Someone gave us the most fantastic chocolates from Jacques Torres—he makes tons of fancy fillings that melt in your mouth. I ate way too many, and I’m paying for it now.

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We saw JUNO over Xmas, which I very highly recommend. It was completely hilarious, well written, clever, not too sappy, with lovable characters, and a great soundtrack. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m a sucker for quirky dialog and offbeat characters. I’d love to write a movie like that one day. And Michael Sera is in it (the kid from Arrested Development and Superbad) and I think he is awesome. I want him to be my best friend. Is that so much to ask?

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Gotta go. But, one last horrifying note before I say buh-bye. Andy and I went to Rite Aid the day after Christmas: All the xmas decorations were gone and the store was filled with heart shaped boxes, fake roses, and other Valentines Day paraphernalia. Valentines Day in December? I mean, seriously. SERIOUSLY! I couldn’t believe it.

Well, Kiddies: Chanukah’s over, Christmas is only a week away, and I’m knee deep in holiday euphoria. I’ve been listening to tons of xmas music. Everything from The Ronettes Christmas, to A Very Special Christmas to Christmas Remixed. Andy hates listening to the same old xmas shlock every year, so he finds the most obscure remixes, like Santastic Mashup, to keep it feelin’ fresh. I love it.

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It’s been a busy holiday season this year, what with the writers’ strike depriving me of my social life, Katie Holmes pulling a Single White Female on baby Suri, and the shocking news of Jamie Lynne Spears’ pregnancy! Whoa… But I’m ready to get down to business, and talk Christmas.

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I’ve got most of my Christmas shopping finished. I’m sure I’ll freak out at the last minute and decide to buy something else, but it’s cool, because giving presents is almost as fun as getting them! And I’ve been doing lots of decorating, including making a stunning Gingerbread House last night. Behold!

So, what do I want for Christmas? Here are a few things that looked cool, as well as some that looked a little crazy (no ear dryers this time!!!)

Fingerless Gloves. I have a pair already and I love them, but these gloves by Zero + Maria Cornejo caught my eye. First of all, they’re cashmere (yum), they’re elbow length, and they’ve got ruching down one side for that ultra chic look.

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Super cute hoop earrings from Kenneth Jay Lane. I asked for these for Christmas—think I’ll get em? (hehe) They’re simple enough to wear during the day, but flashy enough to wear for a night out.

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For that special guy in your life: the most insane Swiss Army Knife ever. It has 85 tools and over 100 functions. Seriously, who needs all that crap? (Probably my dad, but I’m not spending $1,200 on a frigging pocket knife).

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A Swarovski USB flash drive, because who doesn’t need a little bling when they’re storing memory?

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I love this clutch by Seril. It’s called the “knockout clutch.” Come on, how cute is that? I know this bag is overly trendy right now, but it’s fabulous. I want one!!!

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Different Like Coco. I don’t think I know any kids, but I’m a Young Adult writer, and I love fashion, and this book looks AWESOME! Who wouldn’t want to read an illustrated biography of Coco Chanel?

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And after you’ve done all your Christmas shopping, don’t forget to do a little charity work. Check out FreeRice.com, where you can practice your vocab while simultaneously donating rice to the UN to end world hunger! Cool, right?

Okay, this is probably my last post before xmas. My parents just got into town, and we’re having a party, so there’s boat-loads to do around here.

Happy Holidays everybody!

We went to Target this weekend to do some Christmas shopping. First of all, don’t ever go to Target on Saturday. It was a war zone. There were so many mother’s yelling at their kids and threatening “No dinner!” that I thought I might pass out. You have to be very focused when shopping in that kind of mania, but it’s also really easy to get distracted there.

For instance, while looking for a certain present (that I won’t mention, in case the recipient is reading this), my shopping buddies and I came across the Egg & Muffin Maker.

Huh?!…

I mean, is it THAT hard to put some bread in the toaster and poach a frigging egg? Apparently so. It’s like bringing McDonald’s to your home! Maybe I’m anti Egg McMuffin maker because I live in a tiny NYC apartment with hardly ANY counter space, but this seems like a completely extraneous appliance. I just don’t get it.

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The other bizarro thing we found that could easily be The Most Useless Item Ever, was Mack’s Warm Air Ear Dryer. I almost don’t have words…

And the tag line is: “Dry your ears the natural way with warm, soothing air.”

Not to be difficult or anything, but wouldn’t the natural way be to just let your ears dry on their own, or possibly rub ‘em with a towel? No, they’re probably right. It’s probably best to spend 135 dollars on a little contraption that will blow air into your ear. Oy vey. If you really need air blown into your ears, just ask a friend—it’d be a lot cheaper.

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However, as usual I was impressed with the new Go! designer, Erin Fetherston. She’s really into hearts, which is both fun and over the top. I bought an adorable grey cardigan with heart-shaped buttons that is very soft and flattering. I’ve barely taken it off since I bought it! I tried on a few other things, but the sweater was my fave.

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All in all, we had a great time at Target. It’s really easy to get lost in there. Especially the holiday section of the store (I practically had to tear my sister away). I’m pretty sure it’s the glitter—that stuff is SO hard to say no to.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

The word “casserole” gets a bad rap—canned soup, string beans and corn flakes—but this dish is the frickin’ bomb. I’m from New Mexico and am always craving spicy, Mexican/Southwestern food. Oh, and it’s healthy, too!

*1 box of dry cornbread mix
*2 cans of diced green chile
*1/2 bag frozen corn kernels
*1/2 cup of cheddar or jack cheese
*garlic. As much as you want (about 3 cloves)
*1 each: large onion, large tomato, green & red peppers, habanero chile (w/ seeds if you like it spicy)
*1 can of black beans (drained)
*Andy’s a vegetarian, so I add firm tofu, but non-vegs could easily use lean ground turkey or beef, or even diced chicken.
*seasonings: cumin, salt & pepper, oregano, chili powder or flakes.
*for garnish: avocado, cilantro, red onion, tomato, sour cream, salsa.

Make the cornbread mix, adding the corn & 1 can of green chile (for a “homemade” feel).
In a large skillet, sautée the diced onions and minced garlic for a few mins. Dice the tomato, bell peppers, and habanero. Add them to the skillet & cook for a few mins, then add the other can of diced chile, the beans, and the seasonings, to taste.
Pour the skillet into a big ole’ glass baking dish. Layer the cornbread mixture over it. Sprinkle w/ the grated cheese and cook (at 425°) for 30-40 minutes. Stick a knife down into it every once in a while to see when the bread is cooked through. Then take it out and sprinkle each serving w/ garnishes. Yummo. And a crowd pleaser.

And if you can still fit into your clothes after eating that, check out Hanii Y, by Korean designer Hanii Yoon. Her designs are a great combination of modern and vintagey.

I am so obsessed with this blue party dress. How adorable is that? And it has pockets, which make it functional AND fashionable!

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I love this top. It has gorgeous, chunky beaded detailing around the neckline, and the back is really unique and sophisticated. Sometimes that trapeze look can be really unflattering, but I think this top pulls it off.

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I can’t decide about this jacket, but it’s growing on me. I like the color, and the combination of puffy vest w/ soft sweater. It looks cozy and sexy.

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Overall, this line is a bit pricey for us normal folk, but a girl can dream, right?!

I think I stayed in my Thanksgiving food coma a liiittle too long, and now all I want to do is cuddle up by the fire (which I don’t have, because I live in a Manhattan apartment) and read books and watch movies. In my perfect Bubble-World, here is what I would do:

Wake up and take a shower with HOT water (really, is that so much to ask?), then stroll down to the Silver Moon Bakery for something yummy that I never treat myself to, like a croissant or brioche. And a big cup of ginger-peach tea to go with it.

Then it’s back home, and onto the sofa, with a big chenille blanket (I don’t actually have one, but this is my Bubble-World, so it doesn’t really matter).

Like most people, my book list is a mile long, but I think I’d start my morning off with Or Not by Brian Mandabach. He is a total weirdo, but very cool, and his book looks really witty and fun and easy to relate to.

I’m also reading The Other Boleyn Girl, because winter always puts me in the mood for period dramas. They’re turning it into a movie soon, so I better finish it quick. Although, I’m not sure about the movie. I like Natalie Portman, and I more-or-less like Scarlett Johansen, but (in the beginning of the book, at least) she’s supposed to be about 13—uuuuh, I don’t think so.

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Speaking of movies, after all this reading I think I’ll put down the books and watch one. In my Bubble-World, nothing is better on a cozy day than watching a Jane Austen movie, like the new Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightly. Nothing warms you up like one of the greatest love stories of all time.

I would totally watch the new Harry Potter, but I don’t think it’s out on DVD yet, damn!

In that case, maybe I’ll try another classic book-turned-movie, like To Kill A Mockingbird. If you haven’t seen and/or read it, you should. Both the book and the movie always make me cry.

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After watching a heartbreaking movie, I definitely think I’d need some comfort food, and what better place to go than S’MAC, the restaurant entirely devoted to mac & cheese. That’s right folks: heaven has arrived.

Oh, and did I mention that while all this was happening in my Bubble-World, I was wearing this incredibly gorgeous $2200 chiffon dress by Alberta Ferretti? I am in love with the scalloped detailing and the colors.
Yes, a couple people were staring at me while I ate gooey macaroni and cheese in a 2000 dollar dress, and it made the cuddling-under-some-blankets part a little less comfy/cozy, but hey, that’s how I roll! haha.