the secret to happyness

the secret to happyness ...
i found this really cool quote here and had to share it with you.....

The difference between an ordinary life and an extraordinary life is finding extraordinary things in an ordinary life

now go find them!

xoxo

edited to add: i was searching Pigtown's blog more.... and found this great article about how Ikea names their pieces... very interesting! check it out

she's still got it

Paula Abdul is over 40 & still rockin it!!!! LOVE HER :) This is proof that she is so a More girl!

lets make a deal

so i finally replied to all the comments from the past month.... i know im such a slacker but i do appreciate all of your comments and will reply sooner in the future! so go check out you old comments and see my thoughts!

also, i am a member of this website called swapstyle.com where i have listed TONS of stuff from books to beauty products to clothes... and really tons of randomness. i am trying to uncluttered my life and my apt so check out my page and let me know if you are interested in anything. i accept paypal, cash, or anything really cool. if you make something (stationary, cards, frames, anything) we can swap!

PS, click here to check what I have to swap and sell

here is a small sample of items i'm trying to get rid of!

WW = :(

so i just got back from my weigh in and plainly said, it sucked. i maintained AGAIN this week. so that means i have held steady at losing 11lbs... but no more. grrrr.

i even worked out a lot this week and twice yesterday, just to get that extra edge in. i should of totally skipped spinning last night and gone home and vegged out in front of the tv. i seriously don't get it. i have tracked every point. i have exercised a ton. i have eaten all of my daily fruits & veggies and drank gallons of water.... WTF???

oh and to make matters worse, my goal was to lose 20lb by my birthday... which is now only 2 1/2 weeks away..... which means there is no way that can happen. not in a healthy way, anyway. so that is just one more reason that this all sucks.

okay, so i'm having a bad day. tomorrow ill be cheery.

And the 'style' Oscar goes to….

Katherine Heigl was so stunning at last night’s 80th Annual Academy Awards!* Red was the signature color of the event and Heigel definitely stood out. Her hair was beautiful, her red lips bold, & her dress gorgeous. She is on the top of the best-dressed list fo-sho.


My second favorite would have to be Heidi Klum. She looked like sexy royalty in her Galliano gown! And her head all pinned up & poofy…. Love it girl! She “made it work”!



The best hair & makeup for the evening went to Jennifer Garner hands down. She was wearing Oscar de la Renta, which is my favorite gown designer, but it was her hair & makeup that made Garner the hottest thing on the red carpet. She just makes it look so effortless. She is so amazingly beautiful, but can laugh and have fun, and be real… which adds to why she is so darn fabulous!







Baby Bumps were the hot accessory on last night’s red carpet. With Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, & Cate Blanchete all expecting, designers were creative in flattering the celeb’s tummy’s. Cate is farthest along & showed off her baby bump in an elegant purple gown. Nicole wore a spectacular sautoir, that contains a total of 7645 diamonds and totals nearly 1400 carats. The true gem though is the lil one in her belly… which is not even noticeable. Nicole… Eat something already. We should at least be able to tell you are pregnant.

The true stud’s of the evening were Clooney & Dempsey. Dempsey looks like Prince Charming & even had his action figure doll from Enchanted make an appearance. Clooney… well there is not much to say he is just summed up by the word “debonair.”

The red carpet is the best part about Hollywood events… and as wonderful it is to see the rich and famous dolled up like princes and princesses… the real fun comes with those who so got it wrong. Here are my picks for the 2 worst dressed at the show….

-Tilda Swinton was great in Michael Clayton, but definitely didn’t pick up any of Gorge Clooney’s style. She looks like she is wearing a garbage bag. Tilda… ever heard of a belt? A little cinch of the waist wouldn’t make this a winner, but it would help.



-Daneile Day-Lewis may be a good actor, and he may clean up okay. But his wife does not. Rebecca Miller is a pretty lady. But this dress? For the Oscars? No, scratch that... for anything in public. What was she thinking??? And the shoes…. Seriously? When you are famous enough to be attending the Oscars, you are famous enough to have designers & stylist swooning over you and dying to help make you look incredible. The fashion help are swarming the celebrities. USE THEM.


Well, thank you writers for letting us have our Oscars. And thank you Jon Stewart for being so darn funny. Hey, maybe the writers will actually get to attend the Vanity Fair party next year… and it will be all thanks to you :)

Oh and Hollywood… I’m giving you a hug! It’s time for some uplifting movies… no more war, no more killing, no more tragedy. Lets have more funny movies about teen pregnancy!

*Hey Bert Stern, when you are going to recreate classic Marilyn Monroe, you should use someone as gorgeous as Katherine Heigl… not trashy Lohan.

xoxo

coming soon to a theater near you

my favorite book is becoming a movie.... and Miss Becky Bloomwood will be paid by the hilarious-adorable-kooky Isla Fisher. i loved her in Wedding Crashers.... and i think she is perfect for this role!!!! I am soooo excited!!!

Confessions of a Shopaholic THE MOVIE

Isla Fisher is Bloomwood

new wheels

Mr.HG got a brand new ride.....

and i am in charge of shifting!

...of the week

#1 quote of the week….
“New Yorkers are better, because we do everything in heels!” – Miss Hamburger
(said as we were trudging up the subway stairs with our gift bags in tote.)

Runners up….
“Don’t write about this on your blog, because then Mr.HG is gonna think I’m crazy. But see this isn’t astrology...it’s astronomy. Totally different.” - JCrew

(this from the girl who gave up all things astrology for Lent. Yes, she is so obsessed that it required giving it up for let.)

this was followed by the following comment... "March is all up in the air. i have no idea what is going to happen in March... and there are all these new magazines over there... with my horoscope... just dying to be read."

and this quote is great too...from the charming Mr.Clooney
"Rich famous people getting free shit looks bad. You look greedy. And I don't need a cell phone with sparkles on it." - George Clooney*

*brought to you originally by Hello Darling

xoxo

back to blogging

The Yankees are back!!!!

Today was the first full team day at spring training!!!!! I cant wait til the season starts… I’m hoping for another Yankees vs Indians playoff game*, and you better believe ill be there cheering my heart out...for both teams.

Welcome back Jeter…. A-Rod, you better bring it… and Torre, well I miss ya already. Do come visit! But seriously gents, this year the Yankees are making a comeback so Boston WATCH OUT ;)


In other news…. I had a fantastic time in Ohio with Mr.HG. He took me to dinner a few times, we saw 27 Dresses**, went cosmic bowling, & saw the musical Into The Woods starring the every talented Jay Spencer! We cooked dinner together, had some good chats, sat in Borders drinking coffee & reading*** …overall just enjoyed each others company. It is the little things about being far away that make me miss Mr.HG more than anything. The falling asleep in the crook of his neck, the holding his hand while we watch tv, the phone chats that end in, “ill be home in a few” rather than “ill see you next month.” That is what I miss. I miss my sweetheart so much, and every time I see him, it makes me love him more, and consequently miss him more.

Luckily, I wont have to miss him for too long… Mr.HG got me the best Valentine’s Day present ever…. A ticket to NYC to visit me for my birthday. Yay! I cant wait. Only 5 weeks and counting.

*I flew home last year last minute to go to the playoff game b/w these 2 teams, and of course I cheered for the Tribe!!!! It was the game of a lifetime & they won. A few games later though, they bombed & were out of the playoffs. So close… but this year, they better go all the way!
**sweeeeeeet! i am even more obsessed than i already was with the Sunday NYT wedding section... Next up in my chick flick plans are Definitely, Maybe starring the every adorable Abigail Breslin & the make-me-laugh-til-my-stomach-hurts Ryan Reyonlds.
***he read car magazines & PC books, I read wedding magazines…. For Southern Belle’s wedding, not for me… really!

Tuesday=Goodday

3 reasons why today was a great day…
*I got a mani/pedi!
*I had a phone date with Mr.HG (we watched the Sopranos episode where Adriana gets wacked :0)
*I packed… which means I’m going to ohio….which means I get to see Mr.HG…. IN LESS THEN 24 HOURS ☺ whoo hoo!

So you might not hear from me on here for a few days, I might be busy cuddling/canoodling/kissing/snuggling a certain boy ;)

Have a great week and good luck all you WW peeps! I get weighed in tomorrow. Wish me luck!

PS I must amend this list to 4 reasons why today was a great day…
*The writers strike ended! Time to dust off the TiVo. YAY

xoxo

30 days money back guarantee

Only Mamma G would return fish!

So I am chatting with my mom today and she has informed me of 3 things….
1) her fish are no longer stressed
2) goldfish are dirty
3) fish can be returned… like shoes!

Seriously, I couldn’t stop laughing. I forget the type of fish she bought, there were plenty, most of which have been exchanged throughout the week. The pet store allows you to buy fish, bring them home, see how they act with the other fish, & if you are unhappy you can bring them back for a refund or exchange. This has to be the funniest thing ever. To think, stores give me a hassle sometimes when I’m trying to return a sweater or shoes or something, but other stores allow you to bring back a living animal because you decided “to go another way”! LOL it is too funny.

Apparently, a few of the fish Mamma G bought weren’t acting nice together so the mean ones needed to be brought back. She exchanged them for some bright colored gems. After making the trip home from the store, she put them into the new tank and was perplexed.
“These fish looked so beautiful in the tank at the fish store, why are they so dull here?” She made a call to her new friends at the fish place & they told her that the fish were stressed & when those types of fish are stressed they lose color.
“Don’t worry, the color will come back…. They just need to adjust to the new environment.”
Well thank goodness, b.c you know the only reason Mamma G bought those specific fish was b.c they were pretty! I wouldn’t be surprised if they were color coordinated!

She made one more trip to the fish store, this time to purchase a goldfish. I mean, how can you have a fish tank without the most typical fish of all. One day later, the goldfish has been removed from the bowl & is on his way back to the fish store tomorrow. Apparently, the goldfish was making the tank dirty & after another phone call to the fish men, they informed her that goldfish are the dirtiest fish ever. Who knew!

So as I say goodnight, be glad to know that the goldfish is going away so the tank will be clean…. And more importantly, the fish are brighter then ever. Mamma G must provide a zen-ful aquatic environment. Way to go mom!

On another note… workout with Trainer was awesome today! We did some boxing workouts which I love & worked the whole body in both strength and cardio!!! It’s looking good….

Oh, and I’m going home to see Mr.HG for Valentine’s Day…. I can’t wait ☺

Now I’m off to watch a movie about how the font Helvetica was created… I know I’m an art geek…. It’s okay though! Nite!

XOXO

Grammy’s recap

So, I spent my January disappointed that the writers ruined award show season. I was pleasantly surprised that the Grammy’s were actually going to air tonight… so like any avid media junkie I popped some popcorn & set up in front of the tele to see the who, what’s, and OMG’s of this years Grammy Awards Show. Here are my thoughts…

*I love Alicia Keys more & more every day. Her opening with Frank was incredible. She is the only one who could of done that duet so beautifully. Her No One performance… spectacular!


*Tina Turner…. I so wish she was my grandma! She looked great. I cant believe that at 69 years old she was out there shakin it….You go girl! Keep on Rollin!

*Dear Kanye West… I appreciate your dedication & love for your mama… I teared up with your song for her. But Mr.West, you need to tone it down a notch. A little too cocky for my taste. But congrats on winning. Are you going to change your mind now about boycotting the MTV awards?

*How bad is it that Amy Winehouse couldn’t be at the Grammy’s (she performed via satellite) b.c of her drug charges…. Get it together… Rehab? You should Go, Go, Go!

*What happed to the Michael Jackson tribute???

*Loved Beyonce’s introduction for Tina Turner! So clever.

*Oh wow, Price still looks like a bird! Surprise.

Overall, the Grammys were wonderful. Loved all the oldie but goodie tributes! Thanks writers for not ruining this red carpet event too!

A little bit of Spring-spiration…..

I had a great week at the scale… I’m down 10lbs!!!! And love love looove my new Trainer! We worked out today & I burned 650 calories! (thanks heart rate monitor!) and I have been doing good at eating my points everyday. Now, to more important things....

I would look so friggin cute in both of these! This is enough motivation to get me through the next few weeks… which are going to be rough.

I was a little nervous about my trip home next week (going to see Mr.HG for V-Day) and how my eating situation would be. I am on such a routine with my meals, I was unsure how it would be in an uncontrolled eating environment.

I was scared… until today! I bought the new WW dining companion (it list points for foods at chain restaurants) and it has been completely updated since I last purchased it (like 3 years ago.) Now, I can go to my fave restaurants, eat, & know exactly what the points are. I am actually excited about going out to eat instead of nervous. Some of the places I plan on dining at are Chilis, Macaroni Grill, & Applebees for sure!

I was flipping through the book on the train tonight & was so surprised by some of the point values….

*A Burger King Whopper w/cheese no mayo is 14 points, get rid of the cheese and you are still at 11 points. A better choice would be a Whopper Jr. no cheese, no mayo… only 6 points! That is less then some subway sandwiches!

*My typical ice cream outing at Coldstone Creamery (yum) would be a medium cookie batter ice cream (15) plus the standard mix ins (choc chips 3, cookie dough 4, carmel 2, fudge 2) … that is 26 points WHOA. That is almost my entire point allowance for an entire day. And its not like I added extras; that is what comes in the standard Cookie Dough sundae. Granted, I never ate the entire thing… but still that is a lot of points no matter how you slice it.
A better choice, that I spotted for the 1st time the other day, WW 2point sundae cups. Mint choc chip ice cream is my all time fave…. And now they have single serving cups at only 2 points. They also have a Turtle Swirl one and Choc one. They are soooo tasty!

*This is the crazies point value I noticed…Denny’s Extreme Grand Slam, 1 serving, 31 points. HELLO heart attack. I have never had this meal, and now…. NEVER will! This is more points than I have for an entire day.

Well, luckily I picked up this book and will be able to plan my meals accordingly. Good luck fellow WW peeps ☺ happy Wednesday!

xoxo

IT'S SUPER TUESDAY

If you don’t vote… you cant complain about the government.
So, west coasters….. it’s not too late… polls don’t close til 9pm.

My Pink Mansion

This is it…. my real life Barbie dream house!!!!

Really though, it’s a B&B in Napa Valley. Perfect to stay for a weekend of wine tasting in Napa…

*HINT
MR.HG…. I want to go ☺ so that’s not really a hint… more like a suggestion!!!! luv ya

Okay so enough already

I’m sitting here watching a new (I know, finally) Prison Break. Throughout the strike, Prison Break has been on every other week or every third week with a new episode. For anyone who doest watch the show (um, you should) basically Wentworth Miller* and his brother escaped out of prison, bringing along with them a cast full of felons. They spent an entire season on the run and just when you thought they were free… Michael (Wentworth) got ‘wrongly’ arrested & thrown in a crude, dirty, violent prison called Sona where it is every man for himself. So, this entire season he has been plotting the grand escape! And tonight was the night.

And at 59 minutes…. Michael and the gang are standing there ready to run…. They have 30 seconds before the lights come back on…. And commercial.

Grr… now I have to wait….and wait… until next time which will be who knows when.

Now news on the get skinny plan…..
Well its going good!!! (yes that requires 3 exclamation points) Last week was a bad week at the scale. But with the support of my friends, family, all of you, and of course Mr.HG I put last week behind me and started fresh. This week has gone good and I’m not scared at all about weigh in on Wednesday. I had my first real session with New Trainer today and it went great. My life motto is ‘everything happens for a reason’ and ain’t that the truth!

I was sad when Old Trainer left, but now I like New Trainer better so it all works out. She seems to be more knowledgeable about positioning during exercises, combining strength training & cardio into each exercise, and overall a better knowledge of how to get me into that Vera Wang dress by July!!

I have been eating all my points without going over, and drinking all 8 glasses of water so really I think I’m doing good.

Good luck to all my fellow WW peeps & thanks for your continued support! Good luck at weigh in ☺

*yum

a red hot v-day

Ooooo how I love red hots… what a great idea for a Valentines Day centerpiece!
Thanks Martha!!

paula where are you???

So I’m confused… according to my sources (people, ET, etc.) Paula Abdul was supposed to perform during the Superbowl halftime show. Apparently, she preformed during the PRE-GAME show, not the HALFTIME show. Grrrrr. Darn you entertainment media. How did I miss this? I’m just going to have to go on YouTube later because I’m sure this monumental event will make it onto the web soon enough.

Now that I have vented… I have to get back to my commercial watching! Oh, and Go Giants!!!