pretty design things

so here are some noteworthy things from the MoMa store! once again, a post about things i love & can't buy.... yay.

My apt soooo needs this! how cute would i be at soup parties!*

Soup Tureen & Ladle
This bone china tureen narrows at the top to keep soup piping hot. A peak in the bottom holds the stainless steel ladle upright for a fabulous presentation. Tureen is oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. 4½-quart capacity. Ladle won a 2007 Red Dot Design award. Designed by Steffen Schmelling, Denmark.
Ladle $75.00 Tureen $90.00

This is the one thing from the store i will purchase ASAP. warm weather is among us which means it's almost time for my first bike ride of 2008. making this basket a necessity! i can carry my books to the park & not have to have the nerdy backpack ruining my cute biking outfit!
Carrie Bicycle Basket
Inspired by the Swedish crochet tablecloths on which her grandmother used to serve tea, Marie-Louise Gustafsson has designed a unique bike basket for the urban cyclist. Can also be used as a shopping basket, canvas strap included. $50.00


Another time when design trumps function. This is beautiful & would look lovely in my bedroom... but it would only hold a few items... what about my other 436 pieces of jewelry? i would need to purchase a whole forest of trees!

Jewelry Tree
Sculptural tree of high-gloss aluminum looks just as striking empty as when laden with treasures. Designed by Louise Christ, Denmark. $55.00

And a lil' something for the kiddos.... this is something i will HAVE to buy my daughters... hopefully they are still making the City Girls set in like 14 years!
City Girls Magnetic Dress Up Doll
Mix and match outfits, wigs, accessories, and even pets to create new looks for two city girls on the go. Four backgrounds--a flower vendor, shoe store, cafe, and an evening street corner by lamplight--show off the ensembles. Put all the outfits back into the storage tin for compact, portable fashion fun!

*i have never actually hosted, or attended for that matter, a soup party. but if i had one of these... i would SO have to. right!?!

xoxo

all about moi

I was tagged by Hello Darling so here it goes....
5 random things about yours truly!

1) my reinvention will be as a wedding planner and a cupcake shop owner. i will do at least one of these the day after my 40th birthday so that More can do a feature on me!

2) i get my news from Leno, Access Hollywood, E!, and Matt Lauer.

3) i have a real problem with liars, non-RSVPers, & those who are always pessimistic, cuz really your life cannot possibly be that awful. not when there are the homeless, the sick, and the war.

4) my first pet was a duck named April.

5) i have a sick obsession with shoes, television, and celebrity gossip; i will never change.

6) i hosted 3 episodes of the Hot Zone on MTV aside Ananda Lewis in nov 2000.

7) i love oreos, thin mints, and chocolate covered pretzels.

8) sadly, i have not had any of the above since 2007.

9) i believe that peanut butter goes with everything!

10) last week i ran into a former co-worker. i was wearing a black & white outfit with a hot pink handbag. she looked me up & down and said, "you always have something pink on dont you." and without even thinking, "well, pink is my signature." came flying out of my mouth. Elle Woods would be so proud!

okay so now that im done, i realized i was only supposed to do 5 things. so its your lucky day cuz i just did 10!

I tag :
twentysomething and clueless,
Mrs. Preppy,
hearts & crafts,
and Cleveland's a Plum

xoxo, HG

words from Wired

"It cost $482.79 to get a decent pizza in San Francisco. $17 for the pie, $85 for the cab fare, and $378.80 for the flight to New York. Throw in $1.99 for the tinfoil."

- Wired, May 2008, Pie In The Sky

and he's right! Alba's in Astoria is my FAVORITE :) Mr.HG's too ;)

shoe-gasm

shoe-gasm.
i have heard it on Sex & The City.
i have always wondered if it was real or taboo.
i never thought i would experience it for myself... until i laid my eyes on these
Helloooooooooooooo Lover ;)
these are the most fabulous, fantastic, spectacular shoes ever... and they look even better on my footsies!
so here is how it happened.... i was coming up the elevator at Macy's, arms overloaded carrying lots of new purchases (all one size smaller than a month ago) and very happy. the elevator doors open. the music started, the lights dimmed, and there in the spotlight were these lil pink slices of heaven!

it is just proof that Betsey Johnson and i are long lost sisters. oh how i love her style... now if only she would make an "assistant's salary" line we would totally be in business.

sadly, my pocketbook would not allow for this purchase of $200 shoes... but one day my lady, one day....

xoxo

miracles @ the scale

after all of the monday night chocolate and the tuesday night sweet potato fries... i still lost 1/2 lb.
whooo hooo!
thank goodness for my dedication to the gym b.c that is the only reason the scale went down!
Trainer appt tonight... time to burn more :)

grand total.... 17.5 lbs! and i fit into my new jeans!!!!!!!!

a night with the Kidd

so tonight i went to this great lecture given by Chip Kidd who is just like the most clever book designer ever. chances are those of you not in the creative industry don't know who he is.* but, i am sure that at some point, you have been strolling through a bookstore & were drawn to a book out of your element because of it's catchy cover. his conceptual designs literally draw you in and make you pick up a book, which is why he is oh so treasured by publishers!

his lecture was great. he talked a lot about the process from book title to sketch to rejection to finished cover. it was actually comforting to know that Chip is human, and gets ides rejected.... like us all. it was also good to see how humble he is, not some uppity artist whose nose is in the air. he was genuine, loves his work, and is great at it.

what i really love about these lectures, put on by SPD, is that you really get to know the artists. I love the stories they share about different works, its highs and lows. and it was really cool to see the original concept of a cover, and how similiar or different that was from the finished design. Fascinating!

*shame on you ;)

here are some of his covers... but you should check out his website for sure! and then look in your bookcase.... i bet you find a Chip sensation!

jcrew's astrological superstitions are back

attention! attention!
JCrew says today, April 22, is a super lucky day for EVERYONE!!!!
lets see what the day brings! lets see if shes right!

daily teachings

what did we learn today kids?
we learned that one should not go to a press event where they will be serving an endless supply of delectable chocolates & cakes only to be washed down with fruity cocktails when you are STARVING.

so next time... i will eat first b.c i don't know how well Wednesday is going to be seeing as how my dinner was mostly dessert :( but it was delicious. and i went to the gym today. and i am SO going to the gym tomorrow.... now i start praying!

does anyone know who the "weight loss" saint is? i think i need to start directing my prayers to him as well ;)

nite y'all

the funny & the not so funny

so Forgetting Sarah Marshall is hilarious.... just dont sit in the 2nd row! seeing as how you see a WHOLE LOT of Jason Segel. maybe a little too much. over all though it was funny. not as funny as Knocked Up, but funnier than Superbad (Southern Belle concurs with this.)

now, on a not so funny note...

DEAR KEY FOOD.
you have successfully turned me back to online grocery shopping. i tried, really i did. i got my grocery list together, clipped my coupons, and set aside time to actually go to the grocery store this weekend instead of ordering from FreshDirect.* But when you continue to have incompetent, lazy teenagers running things, it makes an easy, stress free errand give me a migraine.

here is what happened today... and EVERY TIME i come to your store. I travel up and down the aisles searching for whats on my list. i get to the WW frozen meals and there are 12 ** sale stickers all claiming that the meals are buy one get one free. huge bargain right?

i read every sale sign in depth like i was studying for an exam or something. i read every last detail b.c. that is how the stores get you. they post signs, you "think" you are getting something on sale, but really the sale is only on the 9.0oz kind, but all that is on the shelf is the 9.1oz & the 8.9oz, yet the sale stickers are all around THESE items even though, if you read clearly, they are NOT on sale. this really makes my blood boil. i get so angry at the sale sighs.

how hard is it for them to make ALL progresso soups on sale. or ALL WW meals. or ALL of anything, just something without so many darn exemptions.
anyways, i made sure that the items i had were actually the ones specified on the sale ticket. so going to the check out should be a piece of cake right?

wrong?

i watch as the teenage boy scans my items. i point out all of the errors and he ignore me. "they will come off at the end" he says. Um, no they wont, i think to myself. but i'm polite. i wait til the end to see. and i was right, the sales didn't come off. the cashier didn't even care that he was overcharging me and just said i "probably picked up the wrong items."

PROBABLY? you mean hes not even going to go check? seriously? okay now im pissed.

"Um, no i checked. they are the correct items. why don't you go check the signs" i said this is the nicest way possible while biting my tongue.
He is gone for 10 seconds*** and returns saying i had the wrong items.

okay, now i'm really pissed. Italian pissed.
"Come with me" i said as i storm around the cash register to the frozen food aisle.
"SEE this is what i have. This is whats on sale." and we did this for 3 more aisles.

we returned to the register and he corrected his mistakes. now the thing is, i understand the grocery scanners make mistakes. that is why i pay such close attention when getting rung up. However, my problem is with the cashiers. They have no customer service skills, and should have checked the sale items instead of making me escort him around the store pointing them out. half the time i am in there, the lazy teens are texting on their cells, eating snacks, or something else other than waiting on me. how do they get away with this? when i was a working teen .... i worked. really worked. i just don't understand how places like Key Food stay in business when they have incomepetent idiots working for them. even the managers are younger than me. i just don't get it. what is happening to this world? customer service should be a requirement. not a luxury. ahhhhh, this is hard proof that online shopping is the way to go.

*Dumb Dumb dumb
**yes, i counted
***not nearly enough time to even check one item, let alone for 4 that had mistakes

and i'll leave you with these 2 great quotes i heard this weekend!!!

Some days you're the fly, other days your windshield. -DP

Every sinner has future, every saint has a past. -vintage tee

solutions

how do you make a really really really REALLY sad day not so awful?

fill a room with your closest friends & colleagues.... add some company expensed drinks... and top it off with a little late night karaoke! that was my Friday!

so today i recover! JCrew, Poppins, and I are going to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall, really b.c JCrew wants to know what she did lol! then we are going to Grey Dog Cafe in Union Square* for yummy sandwiches! tomorrow will be filled with cleaning, cooking, and a phone date with Mr.HG so overall this weekend is shaping up pretty good.

*see previous post about Grey Dog's awesomeness.

xoxo

2 important things

1) today was weigh in day and i lost 2.2lbs!!!! yay looks like Trainer's new program is working hardcore. i see Mr.HG in exactly 4 weeks and i would love to be at my 25lb mark by then (8lbs, 4 weeks. yikes) im gonna work my tail off so wish me luck!

2) i love magazines. i work at a magzine. a large portion of my life deals with the newsstands where i am a frequent lurker. i was catchin up on my latest trashy magazine when i glanced down and saw this....

seriously i would kill for Mariah's BEFORE body. hello?? what do i have to do to get that? screw the after... the before is bangin!

seriously though, she looked better with a lil body to her. now she looks like every other celebrity/model. BEFORE Mariah had it going on... no it's just all gone :/

1 size down

so i bought my first new pair of jeans since January and guess what... they are a size smaller!!!! woooooo hoooooo!

i haven't blogged about WW in awhile so heres whats been going on....
it was down down down, the scale that is, until my 2 week birthday extravaganza where i gained a wee bit back. so i spent the next week losing that and then gained 2 weeks ago (no frigging idea how b.c i worked my tail off but whateves its over) and then last week i had a huge loss of 2.2lbs!!! i'm hoping the scale will drop another 2lbs this Wednesday and we will be back on track!

so far i've lost around 16lbs, and since my first goal is 50lb i still have a long way to go. but one day at a time, or one crunch at a time, i'm back on track!

one of my big problems recently is that i work out a ton (5 days a week, um yeah!) and apparently don't eat enough so my body went into starvation mode. tricky this whole diet thing. but now i'm trying to eat all of my points and up my protein intake and so far this week i have done both.

as for exercising... Trainer and i are doing great. she has me doing super circuits which is burning the calories way faster then our previous sessions. we used to average 500-600 calories a session... Wednesday we hit 787 and today we were at 683! she is working me hard, and i love it!!!! we have decided that we should make a video of our sessions, it would be similar to the Jen Lancaster one* and be totally hilarious! between my killer kick boxing skills, tripping over my each other, and hitting Trainer with the speed ball.... lets just say we would totally win America's Funniest Home Video!

so i still meet with Trainer 2 times a week, and do cardio 3 times.... with my weekends off for recovery im feeling great!*

cooking has been a new thing on my list. its going to help in adding healthy variety to my diet cuz right now lean cuisine is getting old. i made HG's 2 point egg salad yesterday and it was delicious. i piled it onto 2 slices of toasted multi grain WW bread for a total of 3 points. tonight i made beef stir fry (6pts) which was not only the first time i made stir fry, but also the first time i made beef strips! yum :)

so im off to bed... one more day til weigh in day... wish me luck!

xoxo

*see earlier post
**except my butt which still hurts from spinning class

tales from the dinner party

the 1 point cupcake... it does exist! *

So Poppins in pregnant... yay!!! and Pregnant Poppins & Mr.Poppins had JCrew & I over for dinner on Friday nite.... and it was lovely.

We started out with some appetizers** then had pasta smothered in Grandma Poppins secret family sauce... and then these delicious cupcakes! the whole meal was weight watcher friendly which meant i could actually eat it guilt free!

We also had some great dinner conversation that included, but not limited to...
*crack laced cheerios
*nudity + nyc living +the priest in boxers across the street
*the thrills of being pregnant... and the sounds it makes
*me being scammed by the guy on 42nd & lex... the one with the dog
*the most fashionable homeless man resides in park slope
*magazine industry gossip... and oh is it juicy
*the creepy coincidences of Mr & Mrs Poppin's wedding... seriously they could write a book
and there was much, much more.

our night was filled with good friends, good food, and good laughs. what more could i ask for!

*with all the fixins its probably is about 2-3 points
**who knew cucumbers marinated in red wine vinaigrette could be so refeshingly delicious

xoxo

give back. give hope.

so i watched Idol Gives Back tonight... and it not only made me feel like i can make a difference, it made me realize that i have to make a difference. We all have to. So whether you like American Idol or not, whether you like the entertainment world, or tv, or whatever.... you all will like the feeling you get from helping someone.
so pick up the phone, log on, get a stamp.... and give back. I did.

www.americanidol.com

and if you're still not convinced, maybe one of the following people can influence you...
Robin Williams, Celine Dion, Forest Whitaker, Billy Crystal, Dane Cook, Kiefer Sutherland, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Jennifer Connolly, Elliott Yamin, Fantasia and Amy Adams Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5, Heart, Gloria Estefan, Teri Hatcher, James Denton, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Kimmel, Laura Linney, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Ellen DeGeneres, Kiefer Sutherland, Maria Shriver, Tyra Banks, David Spade....

these are a handful of celebrities who are giving back and you should follow in their footsteps, just this once.

xoxo

not one in a million

tonight i found out that i am not the only earthling obsessed with Rock for Love!!! there i said it out loud... i like rock of love! i watch it all the time while on the treadmill... and when the marathons are on, i have to literally pry myself away. its tres difficulte.

but thats okay.... b.c if someone as fabulous as Jennifer Weiner can admit that to a crowd, then i can admit it to you. just add rock of love to my guilty pleasures list, right up there with Hogan Knows Best and Paris Hilton's book ;)

and how do i know that Jennifer loves the show too... well we are bff and chat everyday of course!

LOL okay, sadly im kidding... but i bet we would have a great time on a coffee date. or a shopping spree... or a day hanging out with Mr.TiVo!
seriously though, I met the fabulous Jennifer at a book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Lincoln Center tonight. And let me just say, she is just as witty and charming in person as she is in her books.

More on that tomorrow though, b.c i have to upload the photo of us...

OH YEAH i got a photo with her, and yes im a wee bit gitty about it :)

check back tomorrow for the full details! nite

PS if anyone doesn't know who Jennifer Weiner is.... well #1 shame on you and #2 click here
you'll be thankful you did :)

xoxo

where are they now

so i just learned the most fascinating thing, thanks to Jennsylvania & Google!
I discovered that Andrew McCarthy aka Blane from Pretty in Pink is the same Andrew McCarthy who plays Joe Bennett (the super rich dude dating Victory Ford) in Lipstick Jungle....I thought he looked familiar!
and then we have Jon Cryer, aka Duckie, playing opposite Charlie Sheen in Two & A Half Men.
As for Molly Ringwald, other than her Medium guest spot shes been pretty MIA in film and television. She did however make her way onto Broadway starring in Sweet Charity.
just thought id share.... cuz i know you all wondered what happened to the teen queen and her sidekicks!

delta gamma i amma

its crazy to think that it is ABC Family that has created one of my favorite all-time television shows. Thank goodness for TiVo*, b/c without that i wouldn't even have realized that the 2nd season of Greek started last week! Um, yay!

If you haven't seen this comedy about Greek life** you are totally missing out. watching Casey and her Zeta Beta Zeta girls bond totally makes me reminiscent & missing my soro days...

...our theme date parties where dressing up as a sailor was sexy.

...dressing to the nines for our formal where our trendy transportation vehicle was the drunk bus.

...being wasted on homecoming by 7am....just so we could watch a parade where the clowns throw candy at us!

...house boys who set our dinner table, gathered chairs, cleared the dishes, & packed up leftovers all for free just to have dinner with us. Hot Dam! Delta Gam!

...a cook, a maid, & a house mom to look after me and my 32 roommates who shared 3 bathrooms! (yeah i miss it)

...sharing a quad with 3 girls whom i had never met before & who later became my bestest friends!

...being #1 in rush... EVERY YEAR :)

...raiding the Phi Delt house.... and running off with their doorknobs!

...the sunshine basket

...my greek family... my grand big who is a nurse, big who is now a lawyer, my little who is in law school....and it goes from there....

...but mostly i miss coming home after a long day of classes and having my bffs there.
my sisters to talk to/complain to/gossip with/laugh with/cry with. i miss the bonding, the socializing, and the daily friendship.

my best friends today still include my sorority sisters. my big, my little, my roomies, my pledge class! every cliché friendship quote is totally relevant here. and since i am a sorority girl... im gonna get all gushy.... here are some of my favorites!

"If I paid for my friends, I surely didnt pay enough"

"Sorority sisters are the siblings God forgot to give us"

"From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it"

and because every good sorority girl has to be a lil bit bitchy....

Today, we salute you, Sorority Girl. In your pointed-stilettos, you understand that having blisters and cramped pinky toes is a small price to pay for the approval of your peers. Sure, your Vera Bradley bag and oversized pearls may appear to have been stolen from your grandmother, but we rest assured that your Daddy bought them for you fair and square. And yes, you may be snobby to every guy that approaches you, but we know that you're only doing them a favor. So crack open an ice-cold Bud Light, Sorority Girl, because everyone knows that behind your dyed blond hair and falsely tanned skin there sits a real person in the driver seat of that Lexus SUV, and that real person...is a pale brunette.***

go greek.

and if your college days are far behind you... go watch Greek & you can live vicariously through the Zetas!

*My TiVo never lets me down ;)
**If when i say 'Greek life' you think of Feta, Astoria, or a 'big fat wedding' you have the wrong idea. Greek life... in my blog.... means: Go Delta Gamma.... sorority/fraternity... bitch bags, flip cup, and mixers!
***even i went blond in soro days.... but now im back to loving my chocolate locks!

PS Casey is played by Spencer Grammer... who is Kelsey Grammer's daughter... who i like, love!

I HEART NKOTB

they are back... and they are lookin good!!!! sadly, JCrew and Mr.HG have both turned down my offer at accompanying me to the upcoming tour... but i can always count on momma!!!! she took me to their first concert in november 89, and she will once again be my date to their 08 show!!!

the question is... are you ready?

spring?

so yesterday, my weatherman* gave me the great news that the high for the day was going to be 68! and it was.... 68, and damp but still it was warm. i packed up my wool coat & took out my hot new spring trench. (yep, that's it in the photo... adorable, i know!)

i put away my black heels and out came the colorful peep-toes!** aside from the rain, it was a lovely april day.

and then i woke up this morning.... Al reported that the high would be a measly 55 and the low 33.

but the thing is, in my head i already welcomed spring. i said goodbye to heavy coats, gloves, sweaters, & closed toed shoes. that for me ended march 31. so regardless of the cold temperatures that have returned once again to my fair city, i will continue to wear my spring palette***, my new coat, and my warm weathered shoes.

Winter... you can kiss it! my spring wardrobe is way cute!

*Al Roker of course!
**it required a rush at home pedicure, b/c i thought... hey spring has arrived! my toes need to show it! and a rush trip to the shoe store where i purchased my new jessica simpson macintosh peep toe wedges... one word: hot!
***along with the rest of nyc, i was wearing a bright spring coat today paired with a scarf and hands tucked deep inside my pockets for warmth!

nite all... nite winter

xoxo

mass transit can kiss it

Dear New York City MTA....

YOU SUCK.

I mean, i was super glad to read half of my book tonight.* but not happy at all that i had to read it while sitting on the W train for an hour. Yes, MTA, you had me stranded, between stations for AN HOUR with NO way off and NO announcements as to why.

this is unacceptable.

you raise your fares but don't raise your service. what gives?

is my $81 a month not enough to assure my timely transport from point A to point B?

even after going on strike through the holiday season of 2006, and ruining holiday shopping & tourist vacations you were still not able to get your s*#%) ** together enough to provide adequate service? i know you got more money, more benefits, & more time off just to come back to work. i would think after all of these pleasures you would at least work efficiently.

i so wish i could boycott you because after tonights excursion, i would be on my own MTA strike. ***

*Jennifer Weiner's The Guy Not Taken... pick it up, its goooood!
**Mr.HG and i are cutting back on our swearing, but some situations call for the big girl words
***unfortunately, my only other mode of transportation are my feet, and in my hott shoes, they can only take you so far.

PS i try not to post negative rants on here, i want my blog to be a happy oasis..... but sometimes a rant is in order. better post tomorrow!

xoxo