2010 in Books

My goal for 2010 was to read 24 books and I rounded out with 25! The year brought some of my favorite books of all time: The Red Tent and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Looking forward to seeing what 2011 brings in books!

!!!!! - Do not miss it!
***** - Loved it
##### - Good read
:( - Disappointing

1. The Host by Stephenie Meyer *****
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows !!!!!!
3. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout :(
4. Marley and Me by John Grogan #####
5. The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman :(
6. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman #####
7. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick :(
8. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant !!!!!
9. Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore !!!!!
10. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson *****
11. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson *****
12. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson *****
13. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler #####
14. Perfection by Julie Metz :(
15. Little Bee by Chris Cleave :(
16. The Giver by Lois Lowry #####
17. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers !!!!!
18. One Day by David Nicholls #####
19. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer :(
20. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult :(
21. Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez *****
22. Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers *****
23. Her Daughter’s Dream by Francine Rivers #####
24. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot #####
25. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah *****

Spring has sprung!

So many things to talk about!

Back to the Flat Iron
He's back!! Couldn't get enough of Ryan Cabrera when he conveniently dated Ashlee Simpson when her reality show aired? Have no fear, he has infiltrated the reality tv circuit once again. He went on a date with one the sisters from Pretty Wild, and now he'll be getting more publicity than ever on the upcoming season of The Hills. I wonder how long it took him to snag one of those media savvy girls. And it looks like he's back to his spike-tastic hair. Look at the height of that! Remember when he tried a more Justin Bobby-esque look? http://awhirlinmyworld.blogspot.com/2008/04/on-his-way-up.html She must be over that dingy look. Not sure if the spikes are a better alternative, but whatever makes you happy, girlfriend!


Stop Pouting and Start Dancing
Does Pamela Anderson know how to NOT act slutty? Apparently not from watching her on Dancing With the Stars. It's almost like she has a nervous tick that makes her pout her lips, tousle her hair, and coyly look over her shoulder. It's hard to watch. Unfortunately, she's a decent dancer. Maybe she should visit Kate Gosselin's rehearsal to help her loosen up and pump up the volume...of her new hair.

Out and Proud
Congrats to Ricky Martin! We've always known that you were shaking your bon-bon up the wrong tree. Glad you're out with it!


Not Going to Answer That Telephone
I'm a huge Gaga fan. LOVE her. But I'm not digging "Telephone" as a song and especially not the video. She can do better than this! All of her videos are edgy and artsy, but this one seems a little lackluster. And in my mind Gaga exists in a world of her own. One that does not include Beyonce. So having those two worlds collide does not do it for me. But the dance moves at the end are killer! But I'm not sure what's up with the patriotic get-ups in the end, and when is she going to ditch the pee-colored hair?

Cruising With Crazy
Have you seen previews for Tom Cruise's new movie Knight and Day? This writer/director is genius! They are totally banking on Cruise's reputation for being crazy, and I am totally digging it. He should do a promotional couch jumping tour.

Hot Mess and Loving It
Ke$ha can barely string a sentence together, but I promise if you put her album Animal on you will not stop dancing! This is not a lyrical masterpiece. Take the lyrics for what they are--poptastic and hilarious. It's all about getting drunk, hooking up and having a good time along the way. We can all relate to that.

Just don't expect her to actually sing. The best thing about her American Idol performance was the Native American headdress.

Now that's scary.

Heidi's Inner Beauty

Have you seen Heidi Montag's new look? Whoa.

Beat-tastic

2009 Remixed

LOL

Need to laugh out loud?

Watch the music video I previously posted for "Empire State of Mind" and then watch this video with Stephen Colbert. It is sooo funny!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

Tasty Tidbit

While reading a book set in the 1930's and 40's, I learned that the name Charlotte Russe is not only a women's clothing for cheap and trashy trends. It is in fact a dessert that was popular during that time. It is a cold dessert of Bavarian cream set in a mold lined with ladyfingers. Russe is the French word for Russian and it's named in honor of the chef's Russian employer. That's a tasty tidbit for ya!

The Original


Modern Day

Screaming For Freedom

The temperature outside is falling, so that means it's time to bundle up in our winter coats once again. This causes me great distress. Not because I have to freeze my butt off every day walking around the city, but rather because I have to see coat after coat with coattails screaming for freedom.

Coatttails screaming for freedom? You heard right.

When you purchase a new coat, typically the coattails are sewn together with a couple stiches to keep them in order during shipment and on the racks. These are meant to be cut after the coat is purchased. From my guestimate, 40% of people neglect to snip those stitches. Is it because they forgot or because they didn't know they were supposed to do that? Either way, it drives me NUTS. Do yourself a favor and make sure your coattails are flying in the wind. They want the freedom and you'll look much more fashionable.

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of

Big lights will inspire you.

Become Your Own She Wolf

Need some kickin' new music to spice up your life? These popular songs are guaranteed to get your booty moving on the dance floor or your shoulders swaying at your desk at work.

"She Wolf" by Shakira
"TiK ToK" by Kei$ha
"Funhouse" by P!ink
"3" by Britney Spears

Did I Really Just Say That?

My feet are killing me. I'm on my feet all day, and my new shoes are not broken in. As I was gallivanting across campus today, I saw the three flights of stairs ahead of me that I had to tackle. I thought, no way, I'm taking the elevator. I always feel guilty taking an elevator when I don't really need it, but today I did. As I stepped on, someone in a wheelchair came in behind. I instantly felt like a lazy piece of crap. He then said, "How's it going?" Then in my typical nervous banter I told him my feet were killing me and I just had to take the elevator today. I was complaining about my feet hurting to someone in a WHEELCHAIR. He can't even use his feet and I'm complaining about overusing mine! I immediately felt like a total idiot. Note to self: Keep your mouth shut more often.

I Am Not A Student

It's a new recruiting season. I'm back on college campuses rocking one presentation after another. I always work hard to separate myself from the students, since I'm often mistaken for one, and wearing a suit is key. I even have a fancy name tag. I was walking around campus in my new suit, feeling like a rockstar and ultra professional when someone from the college staff said to me, "Hey kiddo." Great. Just what I was going for.

Great Music, Great Price

I'm an iTunes junkie, but I think Amazon may be pulling me over to their team. They offer some amazing deals! If you're looking for some new music, check out these great deals for a really low price.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus - $5.00 album
These guys are going to be big!


David Byrne & Brian Eno - Strange Overtones - FREE song
Nothing better than finding an old song that's new to you.


Demi Lovato - Here We Go Again - $2.99 album
There is no shame in Disney power pop.

An Oldie But a Goodie

"Shadowboxer" by Fiona Apple just came up on my iPod shuffle. What a great song. What a great album. Tidal is the perfect listen for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Not A No Pants Party

Leggings are not pants.

Why do people not understand this? Leggings are merely an accessory for your legs, but require another piece of clothing (i.e. dress) to cover up your southern region. They are made thin with the intention of layering. They are not made to be the only layer between you and the world. "Shake what your mama gave you" does not apply here. Shake it after it's been properly covered. Please.

I Heart Hermione

So I know this is delayed, but LOVED the new Harry Potter movie! It was surprisingly hilarious. It's expected that a ton of the details from the book are left out, but despite that, it was very magical.

I hate being a muggle.

It has inspired me to reread the series. I am already in the third and loving them even more than the first time. Sirius Black is mentioned in the first chapter of the first book--oh the foreshadowing!

For all of you out there who haven't read the books--DO IT. You are not too smart or too cool or too busy. They are a magically delicious and fantastically fun.

Losing an Idol

There are two reasons to watch American Idol. Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. And now Paula's leaving. I didn't think it was possible Fox would let her go. How will the show go on without her "friendly" banter with Simon? I won't be able to spend all season wondering what is in Paula's red Coca-Cola cup. Or watch her shake her groove thing to one horrible rendition of a 90's pop song to another. Kara is no match for Paula. We'll miss you, Paula. Good luck with your music career.

Forever On The Dance Floor

Need a pick-me-up today? Watch this video. It will make you think every other wedding you've been to is lame. Be inspired all you bride-to-bes!

GaGa or Gag-Ga?

Lady GaGa just became the third artist in the 16 year history of the Top 40 airplay chart to collect three No. 1 songs from a debut album. Who are the other two artists? Ace of Base and Avril Lavigne. While I do love me some GaGa, and in 1993 I went absolutely mad for Ace of Base, there is definitely someone missing from this list. John Mayer. You know it.

Bananas for Boden

I stumbled upon this great online store for really cute clothes. How have I not heard of Boden? I'm guessing because it looks like it's geared towards young and hip moms, and I just have the young and hip part down. Check it out--clothes for the whole fam! http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Default.aspx

You Down With OP?

What's the deal with OP trying to revive the brand AGAIN this summer with ads full of young "celebrities." Dude, I was rocking OP in the early 90's and it involved a lot of neon colors. And if I was wearing it at 8, that definitely means Brody Jenner shouldn't be wearing it now.


The random smattering of young celebs includes a 90210 girl (I can see that) a boy from Hannah Montana or some other tween Disney show (also predictable), but then Joel Madden is there too. I thought it was Benji at first, but after some google image tattoo analysis, I can confirm it is Joel. Are they struggling to buy diapers for Harlow? And I swear the token black kid is T.I....but I'm pretty sure he's still in jail. And he's way too gangsta for OP. But not Brody Jenner.

Their tagline is "The original California lifestyle brand with the coolest clothing for girls and guys." Or not. And the clothes are only available at Wal-Mart. Do they even have Wal-Mart in California?

I guess we all would do anything for a nice chunk of change...even if you are Brody Jenner.