Sunday, July 31, 2016

Greens from My Work Wife

About a year ago, in the Delaware office, I worked pretty much alone until Kristin W. started. Instantly I disliked her. "Ughlck." I remember thinking, "A pretty girl. I bet she likes the Kardashians and is into going to Blow Out bars and getting mani-pedis in between fights with her lame boyfriend." Like most things that I instantly dislike, in a matter of moments I went from loathe to love. Kristin is just a wonderful human being and so fantastic to be around. It turns out she was childhood BFFs with my sister-in-law, which only reaffirms the fact that I am the center of the universe.

Once we transferred to the Center City office it was all downhill - she and I are on opposite rotations and only see eachother if one of us has internet issues at home. I wanted to stay connected with her so I began leaving her silly little notes and candy on her desk. Kristin saves them all and hangs them around her cube, like the proud parent of a weirdo 3-year old. Today, as payback for my notes and adoration, she brought me four bags of greens from her garden! Rosemary, sage, mint, and four glorious banana peppers. I have been showing them off to everyone all day and making them grab a whiff. They all smell incredible. (I so wish I had paid for the upgrade version of Blogger that included the Scratch-n-Sniff widget...) My cube-mate (who I adore) suggested juicing the mint with lemon and cucumbers. I may add some ginger in there too. Oh, this week started out dreadful but is ending on a fabulous note!


Saturday, July 30, 2016

Parky Garage Silliness

After months of parking in the same lot in Philly for work, I finally noticed a giant mirror the other day and thought, "Hmm... there's no one around, since it's super late, I think I'll snap some ridiculous photos for no reason whatsover and then post them on my blog as if anyone could ever be interested in blurry photos of me in an underground garage."

Friday, July 29, 2016

That's M'girl

This here photo is of Kathryn at this past weekend's Spartan Race. I love, love, love this picture. She looks fierce and dirty and determined and strong and honestly, at her most beautiful. I mean she is leaping over fire, people. How bad ass is that?


Thursday, July 28, 2016

Westmont Mural

(it kinda irks me that i took this picture so fast that i didn't stop to slide the camera over a smidge so as not to include part of the door - i think it ruins the picture. i thought about cropping i out, but didn't because i need to learn to accept the imperfect. ugh - that sentence was so new age hippie...oh well - that's me!)

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

I Heart Chi-Town

My plan is to fall crazy in love with a spectacular bearded beauty that loves the idea of a Tiny House and is into traveling. I will publish all of my kids books plus short stories and prose and live happily ever after, and then some, surrounded always by wonderful friends and family, great food, exceptional conversation, and extraordinary health. 

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Leslie Jones is adorable.

Last Sunday at Bishop and Pax's we watched $100,000 Pyramid and The Match Game, two very old timey things to say, but both shows seriously bring all three of us such joy that we don't care how dorky it is to watch them. Anyway, on Match Game there was one gal that I didn't know. Pax gasped and said, "That's Leslie Jones! She's in the new Ghostbusters movie and she's from Saturday Night Live. She's a madwoman. I love her." Oh my gosh, she so is! She had me cracking up the entire night. Then I realised OMG, she has my hair style! All the fabulous sisters do, ya know...


Monday, July 25, 2016

Heart Beet with Lauryn

Last Sunday I picked up Lauryn and we went to Heart Beet Kitchen in Westmont. Her knitting instructor mentioned the place to her and since it's vegan we decided to give it a go. Well, let me tell ya, it did not disappoint. Everything we ordered was divine and the place was super charming. Can't wait to go back in a couple weeks with Kat and order something different. I love finding places near me that boast about being plant based with locally sourced ingredients and are also gluten free, dairy free, egg free. Makes me feel included for a change.

 
(how friggin' cute are we?!)

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Monday, July 18, 2016

Le Butcherettes

I have had this album on replay non stop for an entire week. It's sensational.


(photo kidnapped from newnoisemagazine)

Sunday, July 17, 2016

From Renee!

Look what that zany pal of mine sent me - tons of Pez candy in a star shaped jar with bonus star clippies for my office papers and a pretty silver star keychain. People so love to spoil me.


Saturday, July 16, 2016

Friday, July 15, 2016

Vum

Ran into Doug, an old customer of mine from the café, out back of Rocky's the other day and we got to gabbin' for a bit and he mentioned a couple new artists he thought I might like. I gave Vum a shot and it's so dreamy and unique. Definitely worth a download. Next up is Le Butcherettes. Love that name. It sounds so bad ass.

(photo kidnapped from vummusic.bandcamp)

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Portofino

Another part of the world that I think I kinda have to see...


Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Daredevil

After finishing Jessica Jones I followed it up with Daredevil, since Jaeden pretty much told me I had to see it. I'm halfway through season one and I do like it, but I'm not crazy about the excessive and frankly, often gratuitous, violence. Especially towards women. I get that it is a story and violence is a part of that, I just don't appreciate seeing women tied to chairs and beaten to within an inch of their lives. I don't care for it regardless of the recipient being male or female, but with so many images everywhere that seem to glorify violence to women, or at the very least have them degraded in one way or another, as if that's just part of the culture and everyone kind of accepts it, I really doubt I'll watch the second season. However, that first dinner scene with Vincent D'Onofrio at the restaurant with the art dealer? Man....totally swoon-worthy. When he called her captivating I literally sighed aloud. But then not ten minutes later he beat the daylights out of some guy so badly that I had to fast forward through it cause it made me sorta sick. I mean, it was beyond over-the-top. Ya know there are plenty of ways to let an audience know that someone is a bad guy; we don't always need to see it. Made me feel like the makers of the show think that the viewers are too dumb to catch on and therefore have to show crazy violent scenes so that we fully understand the depth of a character's madness. Guess what? They didn't.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

M'brother's Fridge

I'm not gonna say which brother is responsible for this fridge, but I would like to add that I snapped this photo when they were away on vacation, which explains the lack of food. Please note the super generic Half & Half container.


Saturday, July 9, 2016

Panda Dunk Mug

I finally ordered a LennyMud mug and man oh man, it sure is spectacular!



Friday, July 8, 2016

Bailey at the Beach

Ashlee and Sean took Bailey to the beach for the first time and she loved it. I loved that Ashlee texted me a bunch of adorable photos because even though they are all the way in Jville, it makes me still feel connected to their everyday life.

 
 

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Vindictive Quadrants

All Time Low - Umbrella
The Fray - You Found Me
Joey Gian - What If I Loved You
ABC - Valentine's Day
Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Come Back to Me
The Rocket Summer - Never Knew
The Killers - Mr. Brightside
Terrence Howard - Spanish Love Song
Jackie Gleason Orch. - The Best is Yet to Come
Modest Mouse - The View
Nirvana - Marigold
Pet Shop Boys - This Must Be The Place I've Waited Years to Leave
Keane - Bend and Break
Martin L. Gore - Compulsion
Michael Nyman - Dreams of a Journey
Robbie Williams - We're the Pet Shop Boys
Dusty - Son of a Preacher Man
Michelle Branch - Everywhere

- December 17th, 2008

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Jessica Jones

I hung out with Jaeden over the weekend and talk turned to comic books and the movies and TV series based on them. I had been meaning to see Jessica Jones on Netflix, but got sidetracked with other shows like Vikings, Hannibal, Modern Family (that show is absolutely hysterical, no matter how many times I've seen the episodes), Sherlock, and Orange is the New Black and just kinda forgot all about it. Then Jaeden mentioned it and Daredevil and said both shows were pretty awesome. I went with Ms. Jones first and damn it, I really can't get enough of it. I knew of Krysten Ritter from her role as Gia Goodman in Veronica Mars and of course as Jesse Pinkman's girlfriend in Breaking Bad. (Sidebar - I totally blame her demise on Jesse. He was no good for her.) I think she is fantastic as Jessica Jones and is the reason I keep watching. 


ps - saw this online and thought this was sublime:
(Jessica Jones photo kidnapped from retrokimmer)

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Watching the Detectives

Have had this Elvis Costello song  on repeat non-stop lately...

Nice girls, not one with a defect
Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal x
She looks so good that he gets down and begs


She is watching the detectives
"Ooh, he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart


Long shot at that jumping sign
Invisible shivers running down my spine
Cut to baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says "We never close"
He snatches at you and you match his cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake


She is watching the detectives
"Ooh, he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives
Oh when they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart


You think you're alone until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away


Just like watching the detectives
Don't get cute
Just like watching the detectives
I get so angry when the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart


Watching the detectives
It's just like watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives


Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
Watching the detectives


(lyrics kidnapped from googleplay)

Monday, July 4, 2016

Best Bridal Party Ever

Saw this online and thought this was such a fun and fabulous idea for bridesmaid gowns!


Saturday, July 2, 2016

Cutest Wienie Dog in the Universe

Not since those fluffy cows or that panda bear's epic fail off the slide has a creature endeared itself to me as this phallic pup has. My god, it's beyond, beyond adorable.


Friday, July 1, 2016

June Films

- Esio Trot - Is there a 12-step program to overcome my obsession with this darling show?

- Hungry for Change - Whenever I am a bit off track with my diet and health, re-watching this documentary always brings my focus back to eating right and trying to maintain a positive outlook on myself.

- Pray the Devil Back to Hell - This film proves that females are exceptional beings. From the moment I read "Then, ordinary women did the unimaginable." I cried. And I pretty much didn't stop throughout the rest of the film. Non-violent protests to combat violence and war seems like an impossible task. The women of Liberia proved that it is not. An uplifting and gorgeous documentary.

- Toy Story 3 - Without question the greatest series of films of all time. I cannot wait until Toy Story 4 comes out next year!!!

- Tab Hunter: Confidential - Ever since Battle Cry I have thought Tab Hunter was the ultimate dreamy-dreamboat boy. This was a great documentary that gave insight to the actual person and not just the pretty boy we all drooled over. So nice to see that he is happy and living his very best life. (sidebar: Is it just me or could Sam Heughan, if he chopped off his locks, went blonde and was clean shaven, totally be a dead ringer for a young Tab Hunter?)

- City Slickers - I remember seeing this in the theatre with Rachel back in '91 and we were roaring with laughter the entire time. So many great lines, most of them from Daniel Stern. The whole scene where he is fighting with his wife at Billy Crystal's bday party was hilarious. I love when Stern screams at her, "If hate were people, I'd be China!" I mean that is brilliant writing.

- Tumbledown - This film gave me the promise of so much more. It felt kind of scattered and at times I could really sense the actors acting, which takes one from the experience of being a part of the film and places them back as merely the viewer. The Boston accents, especially Joe Something-from-True-Blood, seemed out of place seeing as only a handful of the characters spoke like Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting. I wanted so much to like this, a story of a musician who died too soon and the writing of his life by a fan of his music and by his widow, but in the end all I felt was disappointed. Why do they always make the main characters get together in the end? It's so overdone and boring. However, the songs were serene and beautiful.

- Rocky III - I have no idea what possessed me to re-watch this. It was very 80s and not really in a good way.

- Remember - I liked everything about this except the very end. It was so wonderful to see Martin Landau and Christopher Plummer in different and exciting roles. This film showcased the fact that old does not equal out of style, out of date, or out of touch. These men have more to offer now than ever before. Had the ending been different I would have absolutely loved this film, rather than been left with a disappointed taste in my mouth.

- El Topo - I had reservations about Jodo's most famous film, but actually, fact-ually, I seriously enjoyed it. It was most certainly odd and sometimes unnerving and a lot surreal, but I like the odd and unusual. Next I think I might give Holy Mountain a try...

- The Final Girls - Daddy Pax told me about this film when it first came out and I only just now got around to it. I think I saw the preview for it and decided to give it a watch because Maeby (Alia Shawkat) and Malin Åkerman were in it. (I loved Malin in happythankyoumoreplease and in The Giant Mechanical Man.) Plus it also featured Andy the manny from Modern Family (Adam DeVine) who was cast as the token douche-bag (a role he excelled at) and cutie patootie Alexander Ludwig from Vikings! I'm telling you, that Ludwig kid is so adorable I just wanna adopt him and enroll him in private school. Anyway, back to reality - this movie was really original, something nearly unheard of in the horror genre, but it was and it was super fun. The perfect Saturday afternoon flick when it's hot as blazes out and it's safer inside near the AC.

- The Salvation - That Mads Mikkelsen is the master at subtlety. He conveys so, so much without much action. I love that. Even though I skipped through the scene in the stagecoach (No thank you, rape & humiliation scenes, I have zero interest in you and wish you would go away forever, and take your real life counterparts with you.) I watched everything else and was so impressed with Eva Green's performance. Oh, and Eric Cantona and his gorgeous greying beard made for lovely background eye candy. But that Jeffrey Dean Morgan was a real son-of-a-bitch. Who knew he could be so evil? However, I prefer him as a good guy...Anyway, it had been years since I saw a really good old fashioned Western and this one delivered.

Maggie's Plan