Don’t let this title deceive you, I haven’t secretly become an Olympic ice skater or even developed any desire to get on the ice, it’s just not my thing.

The red ice skates in question however are these:

This weekend when I took a trip down memory lane I rediscovered these skates and the emotions pretty much went wild. Let me explain.

My maternal grandma,passed away when I was a little over three years old. I have the vaguest of memories of her and recall her in pictures, but that’s all. I was robbed of a grandma at an incredibly young age (damn you cancer, damn you and your horribleness). However, I wasn’t robbed of her memory. When my grandpa was alive there were trinkets all throughout his house of my aunts and uncles and of my grandma. Pictures of her, some of her clothes, her choice of shag carpet, all of it.

When my grandpa passed away when I was in high school the family decided to sell his house. This process meant sorting through years of memories, of items, of everything. My parents asked me if there was anything in particular that I wanted from the house and I selected three things: My grandma’s red ice skates, a small wooden camel and a picture of my grandma and grandpa together.

Of all the years I spent in my grandparents’ house I never forgot the red ice skates that hung in their bedroom. I envisioned my grandma as a champion skater, a graceful skater. The red skates seemed bold and different, like something I would wear (if I actually enjoyed about ice skating, haha) and that made me feel close to someone I barely knew. Although I really have no idea what kind of skater my grandma was or even if she skated into her older years it’s the one thing that’s always made me think of her.

And now, my grandma’s skates finally have a place on the wall again and a place in our lives and I can’t even begin to explain how happy it makes me.

happy wednesday!

I’m pretty sure I don’t know what day it is and my goodness this week is going to be a busy one and just hello there. The weekend, was lovely. I got things done, I saw friends and napped some. Seriously, naps, GLORIOUS. Anyhoozits, recap, let’s do it.

Friday: After work I met up with Matt, my father-in-law and brother-in-law at a lovely Italian place that had been on my to-eat list for a while and just yum. We all had a good time hanging out, chatting and enjoying dinner and all together a lovely way to ring in the weekend. After dinner Matt and I just called it a night, relaxed a bit, watched some TV and just loveliness.

Saturday: Day oh errands and cleaning and crafting. Seriously I don’t know how but I keep finding things to clean and sort and organize and my goodness it’s exhausting. I also managed to find some time to be crafty and make a cork wreath and a hot plate and put some of our bagillion wine corks to good use.

The evening finally came and Matt and I met our friend Mike out for too much sushi (but really, it’s just so good) and eventually we managed to go to Dave and Buster’s before heading to a late night showing of Safe House (hello Ryan Reynolds and your abs). All in all it was a lovely day, equal parts friends and fun and just yes. Love it.

Sunday: Slept in for a bit before meeting my friend Megan for brunch. Seriously is there anything more delicious than brunch? Especially when you can sit outdoors in February, that just makes it even more lovely. It was nice to catch up and just chat while salivating over our tasty eggs. After breakfast Matt and I headed to my parent’s house where I jumped into a time warp, basically I sorted through old boxes that were hanging out in my old bedroom closet. There were photo albums and old journals (dear god, it’s scary) and trinkets and just everything. I made a slight dent in tossing some stuff out and keeping the good stuff and overall it was just an adventure into my past.

The rest of our evening was spent cooking together in the kitchen and knocking another movie off my to-watch list (Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, heart Jimmy Stewart). Basically just loverly.

Monday: Oh sweet glorious day off. I slept in, walked the Rose Bowl with my mom, ran some errands, got new shoes and a new dress and napped and watched DVRed shoes and just, yes. Good times. We had friends over for dinner where we enjoyed pasta and Big Bang Theory and made tentative travel plans and basically the best way to wrap up a long weekend.

And that my friends is what I call a good weekend. And how was yours? Any crafting, movie watching, good times? All of the above I hope!

happy tuesday!

Living in an apartment for the past three years and a half has definitely taught Matt and I a lot. We’ve had some interesting experiences and throughout it all we’ve had some interesting neighbors as well.

When we first moved in I had visions of Friends and  How I Met Your Mother floating through my head. I just assumed meeting your neighbors was easy and the thing to do and the normal thing to do.

In our three and a half years here we’ve had five direct neighbors. We’re in between two different apartments and in that time we’ve had the most different people living around us and oh what an adventure it has been:

Willie Nelson:
No our neighbor was not an old guy with long straggly hair, but rather a guy that SMOKED ALL OF THE POT IN THE WORLD. Seriously, it was insane. Our bathroom must have shared a vent or something with his apartment because every time he smoked pot it hot boxed our bathroom. It was a bit ridiculous, entertaining yes, but ridiculous. He was also pretty quiet and the only time I ever saw him was when he went to his car since our spots were next to each other. I admit, I also heard him attempting to sing in the shower and that is just something I can’t unhear.

The Girls:
So the night of our housewarming party I had just a little too much (a lot) to drink and when I saw the girl neighbor pull into her spot I ambushed her asking if she wanted a Jell-O shot. Luckily she said yes and didn’t think I was a total spaz (or if she did she didn’t say anything). Once she came over I also confessed that I could hear Top Model on their TV next door and I LOVE THAT SHOW WE SHOULD WATCH TOGETHER.

And from there our friendship was set. My dreams of Friends had come true. We had neighbors that were friends. They came to our parties, we had dinners together, they helped me zip up dresses when Matt couldn’t, we shared wine. It was glorious. The day those girls moved out was just so sad. Our next door friends were gone.

Shaq:
A couple months after the girls moved out Shaq moved in. Seriously the guy was huge. His voice was like Michael Clarke Duncan and he was just so intimidating. But the best surprise was that he was THE NICEST.He always asked Matt and I how we were doing and called us the newlyweds. And he took in our mail when we were on trips and just seriously, the best. Although we didn’t make Friends status since the guy had kids our age, it was still nice to have a normal neighbor. Although sometimes hearing grunts through the wall made it a bit awkward, but you know, it happens, I guess?

Van Wilder:
Willie Nelson’s apartment was open for a while and eventually Van Wilder moved in.  He’s a fresh out of college kid with a good job and a positive attitude and asked Matt what his girlfriend’s name was when he first moved in. When Matt told him we were married his jaw dropped, it was precious. He’s a nice chatty guy and very much still living the college life. Also the random life. We’ve heard random singing and banging on the walls and just generally odd noises.

The New Girl:
A couple weeks ago a new girl moved in where Shaq used to be. I met her entire family the day she moved in and it was sweet and she was nice and I didn’t suspect a thing. I thought she was moving in by herself. Turns out that this girl has like three guy friends that are either living with her or are couch surfing indefinitely or who freaking knows. There are always people next door! Like seriously, I don’t think there’s been a single night that she’s been alone. Someone is always there. It’s crazy. Also. Lots of loud noises and wall thumps and vacuuming at weird hours and basically I’m just baffled.

So basically in our three and a half years we’ve had an interesting cast of people living around us. I mean I didn’t even touch on the complex and the soap opera couple and the precious old couple and cutest little kid that loved our Halloween decorations, that’s a post all its own. And all of it has been awesome. An adventure, a story, a good time every night.

So have you had any interesting neighbors? Crazy neighbors? Super nice neighbors?

happy weekend! 

*I was compensated for writing this post but all wacky neighbor stories are my own. Also You Move Free can help you move and maybe you’ll find some fun neighbors or your own*

Yes, you are seeing this correctly. An actual Hollywood post. With actual Hollywood scoop and not just snippets. Oh how I’ve missed this. And there is just so much to share. So be warned, incredibly long post about Hollywood ish coming in 3,2,1…

OH BABY! Okay I have to admit. I don’t usually find brand new bebes all that adorable. But go figure Beyonce and Jay-Z’s magic genes have produced the cutest little kid around  (sorry Suri). Also the magic of awesome photography. But really. All that hair, the precious little face, Blue Ivy Carter you are cute as a freaking million dollar button (& you already have a tumblr, welcome to Hollywood)
Also uber cute, Harper Beckham hamming it up for the cameras. Seriously the little fashionista already knows how to make everyone go “awwwww” and then laugh at the same time because I can’t imagine Victoria laughing about her daughter sticking her tongue out. Details. Still, so cute.

In other Hollywood news...Merryl Streep lost her shoe at the BAFTA’s and in true charming form, Colin Firth helped put it back on (adorable!)…also adorable, Kristen Bell and her love of sloths, I know this video is old but if you haven’t seen it, WATCH RIGHT NOW AND LOVE HER….remember Sophia Grace? The adorable little Brit who sings Nicki Minaj songs so well? Yeah well Ellen brought her and her cousin on again and the little gem has her own rap! Gah. The cuteness. Enjoy…if you watch Big Bang Theory (and let’s be honest, if you’re not what’s wrong with you?!) you know the song “Soft Kitty”, well occasional guest star Will Wheaton recently sang it to his sick wife and let’s just say the cuteness is awesome…and although I don’t get why Jennifer Aniston is only wearing a bra, I do adore her GQ cover with the always adorable Paul Rudd:

And in the biggest Hollywood news: Whitney Houston. Oh Whitney. Unless you live under a rock you know that Whitney passed away on Saturday. And man. Admittedly this didn’t hurt as much as when MJ passed away but it’s still sad to see icons from your childhood leave and to live such sad lives. It’s also incredibly sad to know that Whitney’s daughter Bobbi Christina has been hospitalized twice since her mom died and I can’t even begin to imagine what she must be going through. It’s a sad time for Hollywood, for music, for her family. So let’s leave it at that and please don’t be a jerk.

Moving on to some favoriteness…
Titanic 3D is coming to theaters soon and Kate and Leo got to preview it. And gah. My middle school self is too excited for this, for them, for all of it. My heart will always go on for this movie (schmoopy corniness totally allowed when Titanic is involved).

Also in cute coupledom we have Chris Hemsworth (SWOOOOON) and his gorgeous and glowing wife Elsa Pataky at the BAFTAs. Seriously, their future kid has got some excellent genes working in its favor.
In today’s Twilightness…
Kristen Stewart recently shot a spread for Vogue and I gotta say I am loving the big poofy dress. And I’m even loving her drastic makeup. Now the hat thing, not so sure about it. Nonetheless I bet it’s going to be a great set of shots when it’s actually published.

In other movie news...
THE HUNGER GAMES. So many things happening here. So many. Also, MARCH 23rd is SO SOON! Okay back to business.

• The fake Lana Del Ray made an awesome Hunger Games song and you really must listen to it if you haven’t already.
• New ads for the best products from the Capitol (lurve these).
• I saw the new trailer in theaters and literally squealed in excitement (obsession overload).
• And the Capitol Couture site is updating and it’s just so freaking fabulous.

Lastly:
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Has a trailer. And I’m not sure how I feel about it. The book was SO GOOD, so this movie has a lot to live up to.

The Bourne Legacy. Thank goodness Jeremy Renner is not a young Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) because I was so against that when I thought that’s what the movie was about. Turns out he’s another badass super spy something something action blowing up things kind of guy. Swell. Enjoy the trailer.

If the 2012 Oscar nominated movie posters told the truth. Seriously LOVE IT. I’ve seen some form of this every year and every year it makes me giggle.

In music news…
The Grammy’s. I’m pretty sure this year was the first time I’d watched the Grammy’s in years. Don’t get me wrong, I love music I really do, but I love the movies more. Nonetheless the performances were pretty great and I’m now obsessed with Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby” because IT’S JUST SO CATCHY.

I want to be friends with Adele. Seriously she is so charming and lovely and my goodness, her performance was sensational (& her Vogue spread is phenomenal!)
Rihanna. Oh Rihanna. You are so pretty, why do you try and where as little clothes as possible at every chance? Then again, I guess if I had your body I might want to too. Also, $5,000 for your nails?! Holy hell. I mean. I just don’t get fashion sometimes.

Jennifer Hudson, my oh my. What an amazing tribute to Whitney, she definitely did true to “I Will Always Love You.” Also fun fact I discovered: Whitney Houston presented Jennifer Hudson with the Grammy for best R&B album in 2009, so special.

In TV news…
Gah. I am so behind on like EVERYTHING.

Grey’s Anatomy. I have to say, I sort of adored the “What If” episode. It was so creative and I love that everyone pretty much ended up the same way, crazypants. Also, seeing Eric Dane with his shirt off never hurts in an episode.

 The Big Bang Theory. “You would fetch a unicorn.” Yep that sums up my love for Amy Farrah Fowler even more.

Lastly in today’s WTFness we have a Russian American pop star that wore the most glamorous dress to the Grammy’s. And by glamorous I mean ridiculous. Or she was just auditioning for the next Terminator movie, I mean I would do that to meet Christian Bale, obviously.

happy wednesday!

And I keep hitting repeat-peat-peat-peat!

Today I’m sharing the love. And the uber corniness. And one of my guilty pleasures. This song. Ridiculous. And so perfect for Valentine’s Day right?

Hope you all have the loveliest of lovey days with anyone that makes you happy and feel loved.

Wee!

xo

(also. an actual for real Hollywood post is coming tomorrow, PROMISE!)

happy tuesday!

So you know those weekends that you just don’t want to end, yes those kind, well that’s the kind of weekend I just had and it was quite loverly all around. It was so lovely in fact that this recap is going up later than usual (for shame!) but nonetheless, here goes it.

Friday: Well the weekend started with a work event in Santa Monica instead of dinner with the family which was kind of a bummer. However once it ended I made my way home to enjoy my Friday nigh with a glass of wine, Matt and our good friend Patrick Jane (swoon).

Saturday: Since my body was fighting the need to sleep in I got up early and did a three mile walk/run (gotta practice right!?) before coming home and relaxing a bit before heading to the movies with my mom. We saw One for the Money (I mean, I ADORE the books so I had to see this despite the horrible reviews) and I gotta say, it was cute. Not nearly as funny as the books, but still cute. After the movie I scurried around the apartment helping Matt get ready and before I knew it we were out again, meeting my parents and aunt and uncle at the Ice House. I do love that place. Even if the night’s main comedians were called 3 Blonde Moms. Seriously, I have the humor of a 40 year old mom sometimes, haha. After the show we all grabbed a quick dinner before Matt and I called it an earlyish night to watch some of our shows and just relax at home. The good life really.

Sunday: Another early day but all for good reason. I caught a super early showing of The Iron Lady with some ladies of my family and man was it a lovely treat. The movie was okay but Merryl Streep was AMAZING. Seriously let’s just hand her another Oscar now, haha. After the movie I rushed home and Matt and I had a nice weekend adventure to the zoo with his brother and his friend. And somehow Matt and I decided to just become Zoo members (which is awesome!) so on top of the Universal Studios passes, add in another fun weekend treat for us, wee!

But the zoo was perfect. Awesome weather (overcastish), a bit crowded (eh, happens) and the animals were in full action. Also, BABY TIGERS. Seriously, not one, but TWO little precious babies that played with their mom and gah, SO MUCH CUTENESS.

After an exhaustingly lovely day at the zoo we went up to Michaela’s parent’s house for dinner and the Grammy’s. And I gotta say, I think it’s the first time I’ve watched the Grammy’s in a few years and it cracks me up that they only give out 10 awards on stage, let’s just call it the Grammy concert. Or the Adele show. I’m good with either one.

We finished out the night with a glass of wine and the end of P.S. I Love You which I’m pretty sure Matt put on just to see me sob. Seriously that movie makes me lose it Every. Single. Time. Why I keep watching? I don’t have a clue. And then The Holiday was on TV and there were more tears (but of sheer happiness) and my goodness I’m a freaking waterworks show these days every day.

And whew. That was the weekend. Busy. Fun. Exhausting. Awesome.

And how was yours? Any good movies? Good laughs?

happy monday!

So apparently being friends with Nicole has rubbed off on me….and in the best ways possible.

I mean I WRITE RIDICULOUS THINGS IN ALL CAPS, I sum a lot of things into ALL OF THE THINGS, I’ve developed a love for Modern Family, my love for good cheese and good food in general has increased due to Nicole’s delectable recipes and cooking, I know more things about Josh Lyman than I ever have before, fountain jumping has become a totally legit thing to do and all sorts of other amazing things.

And the latest Nicoleism that has rubbed off on me has surprisingly come in the form of running. Yes, you read that right: RUNNING. If you don’t know Nicole let me tell you that that girl is a running fiend lately. Like seriously, champ style super running (she’s trying to run 1,000 miles this year alone). And if you know me you know that I tried running before, I sort of liked it, didn’t hate it but my god so not my thing.Like not even a little bit. I have these things called Double Ds that have prevented me from enjoying any sort of swift running activity for most of my life.

However, I’ve been convinced. To try something crazy. On April 22nd I will be participating in THE COLOR RUN. Click on the link, look at it, then tell me does that not look like the funnest most amazing thing ever. I mean I’ve heard of Mud Runs before but the idea of being covered in mud was never appealing to me, however PAINT, on the other hand, totally awesome and similar to that club scene in Miss Congeniality that I LOVE.

So yes, I’m doing a 5K, three days before my 28th birthday. It may not actually involve running but rather light jogging or walking or a whole lot of “OHMYGOD SO MUCH COLOR!” but I can’t believe I’m doing it. I mean I don’t even recognize myself. Because let’s be honest, WALKING a half marathon is one thing but signing up for something with RUN in the title, that’s just a whole other ball game.

And it’s a ball game I’m going to somehow be ready for. It’s a leap. And thanks to Nicole’s idea/influence and Matt’s persistence/encouragement I’m doing it. And it will be magical.

So thank you Nicole, thank you for being an awesome friend and a ridiculous influence on my life. Now let’s go get painted and then jump in a nearby fountain to wash up. It’s only logical right?

happy thursday!

Oh hey there Wino Wednesday, nice to see you again. Seriously, I have the wine, I have the glasses and now I finally have the time to write a review. And thanks to our fabulous friends at Pasternak Wine Imports we have another fun and delicious bottle to try this time from the Morro Bay Split Oaks Estate collection:

And here’s a little snippet about Morro Bay Split Oaks Estate:
Morro Bay, developed and owned by Pasternak Wine Imports, is the culmination of over 30 year’s of expertise in the wine industry. Morro Bay is sourced from several vineyards within the Lange Family estate. The Lange family, 4th generation of grape farmers dating back to the late 1800s, currently controls 7,600 acres in California spanning three appellations and four counties. The location of the vineyard in the Delta region of Lodi provides for dramatic temperature shifts from day to night due to the influence of the delta breeze from San Francisco Bay.

Mmmmmwine. Seriously I love the city of Morro Bay so I had a feeling I’d be a big fan of this wine. And a fan I was. Heck a fan we were. Matt loves chardonnay more than I do and he definitely enjoyed his glass, I’m pretty sure he finished before me. I, on the other hand, savored my glass while we watched TV and I played Words With Friends (seriously, obsessed).

And I must say, it was a delicious treat after successfully making blueberry lemon bread last night:

If you’re not a sweet wine fan you’ll be a fan of this one. It’s not quite sweet but rather oaky with sharp hints of citrus. It’s a pretty unique chardonnay and definitely a tasty one. There was no weird after taste as some wines tend to leave but rather a smooth sip every time. And somehow we didn’t finish the bottle last night so I look forward to another glass tonight, it’s just that good!

And don’t forget to check out Pasternak Wine Imports on Facebook and Twitter for wine filled updates and goodies.

Cheers!

happy wednesday!

*Pasternak Wines provided me with Lady of Spain to review and all of the opinions of sparkly deliciouness wine are all my own*

So apparently last year was the “year of weddings” and this year is the “year of babies.” Seriously, everywhere. And seriously not helping my FEVER. AT. ALL. So basically what I’m saying is that it was a baby filled weekend and my goodness, my ovaries are barely in tact. Anyhoo, let’s discuss.

Friday: After an insanely hectic and exhausting week at work all I wanted to do was spend a night in relaxing and that is exactly what Matt and I did. We ordered pizza and watched more old episodes of The Mentalist (seriously, I can’t get enough) and it was perfection.

Saturday: Slept in a bit (which is always a glorious sign of a good weekend) before heading out to treat myself to a pedicure. Or really a Christmas gift certificate treated me but oh was it magical and now my toes are sparkly pink, superb. After my mini indulgence I went with my family to my cousin’s baby shower. So crazy, my younger cousin is having a baby and her and the dad-to-be are just too adorable.

The shower was pretty fun, lots of good food and family I hadn’t seen in a long time and a whole lotta babies. After the afternoon-o-babyness I came home and relaxed with Matt for a bit before heading up to my sister-in-law’s parents’ house for a spaghetti feast. It was so nice hanging out with family, talking about books and movies and drinking good wine and just a good time all together.

Sunday: Woke up to a lovely morning of my favorite kind of breakfast and a special copy of The Artist. Seriously after watching it a second time I love it just as much. So good, so happy and I just want to tap dance and wear frills. Is that too much to ask? Once I got my Artist fix we rushed out of the house and made our way to our friend’s daughter’s baptism. Seriously, SO MANY BABIES. And none of them really cried. It was the weirdest thing. Even the three babies that got baptized didn’t really cry, it was amazing. And seriously, they were all cute. So cute. Oh babies, you slay me with your cuteness.

We stopped by the proud parents house for a small reception afterwards and was fun to hang out with some friends and mingle with babies and make plans to see each other again soon. Just lovely times really.

Once the babyness was over it was Superbowl time (or as I like to call it, commercial time). We went to our good friends’, Dan and Amanda, house where there was plenty of dip and drinks and commentary and a good time for all. Also, can I just say that I really enjoyed Madonna’s halftime show. I mean it was fun to watch and the 3D mapping was great and she shuffled with LMFAO, that’s gotta go for something right? But I liked that it was a fun show, lots to watch and just an entertaining show.

And how was the weekend ended? With a nice glass of wine and the DVRed Puppy Bowl. If that isn’t a total win I just don’t know what else is.

And how was your weekend? Full of babies? Or football? Or both?

happy monday!

Lately I’ve come across one of the biggest online sins in my book. Congratulating someone for their engagement/baby/new job on Facebook or Twitter before that person has announced anything at all.

Seriously?

Come on.

When Matt and I got engaged it was the day before my birthday so some people found out. So come my birthday a few wrote “Happy Birthday & Congrats on the engagement!” And I immediately had to go in and delete those posts because we’d only been engaged 12 hours and I hadn’t told everyone I wanted to yet.

I nicely sent those people messages saying something along the lines of “thanks but I deleted your post because you know, I haven’t even told some family yet and I don’t want them reading about my engagement on Facebook!”

So.

Take note kids.

If someone tells you they’re pregnant, don’t go straight to their Facebook wall to congratulate them when another phone call or an email would suffice. WAIT. Wait, until the parents-to-be make the announcement. Wait until they have enough time to tell everyone they want to before announcing it to the interwebs.

If someone you know gets engaged, my goodness WAIT. Maybe they don’t that random guy they met in college to know they’re engaged before they get a chance to tell their cousins in person. Or maybe they want to savor in their engagedness for a bit before sharing with EVERYONE. Just Maybe.

If someone has a baby. WAIT. Maybe they want to make sure all is well with their baby before they share a picture with the world. Maybe they’ll designate someone to write the details since Facebook isn’t a top priority after you know, having a kid. But let them be the ones to share their happy new the way they want to. Don’t spoil it.

If someone gets a new job, don’t steal their thunder and say something about it before they can. It’s just plain rude. Clearly.

Basically, if it isn’t your news to share, then please don’t.

Thank you.

Signed,
Everyone else on the internet.

/end rant.

Any online behavior that bothers you?

happy wednesday!