Fashion Friday: Smokin' H.O.T.

If this seems a little mean, well, it is. My colleague really, truly snapped this photo on his iphone. Don't believe me? Yesterday morning on 59th Street between Lexington and 3rd Ave. We got busted by the woman walking next to us who said we "outta be ashamed of ourselves" when we got the giggles. We figured as long as we didn't get her face on camera we can't be sued... But seriously people. When you travel, especially to trend setting cities like New York, Los Angeles or Miami, you must think just a little bit harder about what you are going to wear. I always put forth a bit more effort when in the city. I step it up a notch to pull the best of the best out of my line up and think the "fit" through from head to toe. Cruising through the Upper East Side I pass women with the most fabulous couture get ups and wish they would just get a big pimple (spiteful I am). And just when you think you can't take anymore you pass this gal. The only thing smokin' hot here is the cherry on her cigarette! Figure aside, cuz it may be beyond her control, why color coordinate this hot pink mess AND leave thinking you look ready to face the city??? Honey, sweetie, pumpkin pie we gotta get you some fashion help pronto! First, make sure whatever you are pulling over your head and up over your hips is well tailored and flattering to whatever form you are. It's possible! You don't have to be Kate Moss to look great in clothes. But lets face it we can't all wear what the "Twiggy's" of the world can. Invest in pieces that FIT and FLATTER! The number on the tag in the back doesn't matter as long as you wear it and it doesn't wear you!

See your best dressed you on Monday!

Olympic Mourning

I'm still in remorse mode. I want to run in the door after work, tune in my tube style TV, to NBC and see who captured what medals. I wanna hear more about records shattered and dreams coming true. I want to see more of the all American sweet heart and see his Mom tearing up in the crowd. I want to see his coach doing the fly as he stands in the stand and screams. I wanna look like this when I am 41, hell, I would love to look like that at 31! I (like most men) want to see these two tackle each other in the sand. Eighteen days starting on 8.8.2008 wasn't enough for me! Those Chinese know how to throw one crazy shin-dig and I'm all over it! I find it amazing to see what these super humans are capable of doing. And then I wonder what I would gold medal in if I had the chance? Running an 8 1/2 minute mile, nope. Running a 4:8:33 marathon, doubtful. Landing a sweet belly flop off the "high" dive, yah right. Drinking my daily caloric intake of New Castle and talking smart... maybe.

I recall, City Hall?!?

The more I scour the big apple the more I love it, and the more I appreciate home. The fresh air, the green grass, the open space to breathe, you know it's the land of 10,000 lakes. So it's no surprise N' Yorkers flock to see a little green-to get a taste of what we probably take fore granted. Herds of folks flock to the big mack daddy of parks, Central Park, of course. But who can resist another little gem nestled right in the heart of downtown? It anchors the end of the Brooklyn bridge on one side and the famous Woolworth Building on the other. City hall park is the place to get your face on camera as the local TV stations seem to always be at bay outside the building. In the courtyard an incredible fountain thrusts water and creates THE background for all the "city hall" newly weds. Gas lanterns create a little romance in the sometimes impersonal city. Funny looking camouflage trees flank the perimeters of the green space, "holding" it within one square city block. People perch for a moment, have a Starbucks from any of the surrounding corners, or use one of the benches for a place to catch a nights sleep, after all it's still NYC.

God's Country...

What's not to love? Take your pick... Reeling in (or waterskiiing in as my hubby calls it) a nice bass or teaching a little one how to? Tossing a line in the water with good pals and day dreamin or feeding the duckies (with Grampa) so they poop all over the place? You can't ask for a better way to clean the city out of your lungs and clear your head from all the garbage you think is important, but doesn't really matter. It doesn't seem you can go wrong at Grandview for a place to call home away from home (+) Zorbaz for your weekly Mex fix (*) Matty's for the best (not breaded) sunfish sammy this side of the equator (= about 9K calories but a hellva good time). Thanks Hank and family for letting us tag along!

Heading up Nord, hey...

Well alrighty then and a golly gee whiz... Today we jam pack the "3" full of more summer rec gear than two people should ever own. Not to mention enough adult beverages to send anyone into an alcohol induced coma. Life "up North" is where it's at. Don't bother packing anything besides shorts and flip flops. If you feel like getting gussy'd up throw on a pair of blue jeans and a clean T-shirt. So anywho you won't hear from me tomorrow as I will be livin' the high life. Real good then, have a dang tootin' weekend.

Roll over and make room for Nick and Nora...

No, I'm not suggesting a foursome... But I do think it's about time to share yet another favorite thing. A love we ALL have in common. I don't think there is a blog reading soul out there that doesn't love a great night of sleep-e-poo. The kind of slumber so hard you can't remember the time between your head nestling into your pillow and the time your "sleep" crusted eyes decide to open by their own free will. A good rest surrounded by a perfectly chilly air temperature drawing you to nuzzle under your high thread count sheets. Mix in a gentle, yet steady, rain to keep the old man snoring. I know, I know, your yawning/stretching thinking, "what could be better?" The cherry on top of this perfect siesta would be Nick and Nora jammies. I love, love, love them. I'm gonna go as far to say as I WON'T sleep without them! Aren't you tired of those big college or sorority T's strangling you like a straight jacket? Give up the front already. If you've been married more than 5 minutes you aren't wearing any of this crap anymore either. Get comfy in something cute, girlie, and unbelievably soft and comfy against your summer-sun-kissed-tushey. All ya'll can rest well in your new "jammers" cuz they are now available at Target. Personally, three pair (flamingos, cocktails, of course, and little Sumo looking babies) have their own special spot in my closet. Put it on your list for your next "red bulls eye" run... you weren't gonna leave there without droppin' a hundo anyway. Or send a pair to someone you love via a Pajamagram. How perfect for a new mommy, an old mommy or a girlfriend in need of a little pick me up! Permisson to sleep in tomorrow morning granted... I'll write your employer a note.

Happy Birthday Ollie!

Happy Birthday to a very special little boy who today would have been 8 years old. I am amazed at the impact a little person can make on this world in such a short time. His au natural platinum blond hair and the fuzz that ran across the bridge of his nose always reminded me of a little lion cub. Speaking of a lion... wherever this kid came he entered like a lion, certainly not like a lamb. When Jerrid and I got married the 4 boys were ALL ring bearers. They all locked arms and came down the isle not two by two but four strong across. During the ceremony I saw him pull his brown leather flip flop from his foot and hit his little bro right square in the noggin' with it. Knowing now was not the time to cry or tattle the little one took it in stride. And Ollie got off scott-free. Lion indeed. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him. As a matter of fact the other day a yellow butterfly wouldn't leave our sides. A picture perfect summer day, and this colorful creature would not leave the boat no matter how many times Miss Kato's tail swirled by or how steady the summer wind circled. And I thought of Oliver. I sort of felt his vibe, his smile, his energy. The more I thought about it the more the knot in the back of my throat tightened. And then... he fluttered his wings and set sail across the water.

I miss him. We all miss him. And we are all better people for having known him.

Holy Melons!

You won't believe it (and neither could my HUBBY)! The garden has erupted with vegetables, and yes, melons galore (and obviously I had too much sun). I am dumbfounded by how expeditiously these fruits of the earth expand. One day a zucchini, or a melon, look too small to pick and then WHAM! A few days later you have a "state fair" blue ribbon winner. The harvest is officially on for zucchini, melons, cucumbers, green beans and peppers, upon peppers, plus peppers. Who needs em? Come and get em! Soon to be freshly picked will the bushels of tomatoes (once the hundreds on the vine start to turn red), sweet corn and pumpkins. Next year we will be sure to give the fall "jack-o-lanterns" a little more space, currently they are "bunking" with the "jack and the cornstalks."

In Marlon's Hands...

We've covered a lot of ground this week. Weekend updates? Check. Cultural diversity? Check. Amy B's 30th Birthday? Check. And now it just seems right to talk art. Speaking of art... Reminds me of an old jingle from the Howard Hedger days: "Gene, Gene made a machine. Joe, Joe made it go. Art, Art let a fart and blew the whole damn thing apart!" Ok, seriously, grow up already would ya? Truly, this is one of my most fav-o-rito possessions. Marlon, this great kid, creates these one of a kind works of art with his mom. Marlon, whom I had the pleasure of meeting, is a fantastic kid with cerebral palsy. He doesn't let any of his challenges get in the way of being a happy child. I am proud to have my piece hanging in my kitchen where I can look at it and think of him each day. My works is about 24" x 36" and cost about $200.00 if memory serves. On the back it is "signed" with his hand print and numbered by his mom. Each piece is thick with paint swirled and maneuvered creating these valleys and ridges of texture. Now tell me where else you get a great piece of art for 4 Ulysses S. Grants'? I know! Check out his site, call his mom and jazz up a bare naked wall with his art work.

Happy Birthday to the 1 & only Amy B!

Fate. That's exactly what it was. Only fate could put this little lady on the 8th floor of Gage B tower right next to me. I just knew she was gonna be my best friend when the first two things I learned about her were she is/was a 32A cup and had a green toothbrush! We both rushed good ole "Gamma Phi, Gamma Phi, Gamma Phi Beta-oh, oh, oh, oh not the Betas" together. We set sail on Lake Washington together and nearly flunked the 3 credit phy-ed course. We ate Paglia's pizza crusts w/0 the cheese to cut out the fat before people became carb crazy. We were roomies together all through college and where one went the other was NEVER far behind. We laughed at everything, we cried a little too, we "tooted" in front of each other, we dated boys with the same name, heck, once we even dated the same boy (to clarify SHE had the sloppy seconds)! We have history! Twelve years of it! Count em... 12! A little over a decade of dirt on each other! Amy B. the funniest, cutest, wildest, most creative and best friend EVER! I love you and I hope your 30th birthday was a blast, just like you!

"Sake" to me!

Certainly by reading this blog you have become a more well rounded individual. I know opening up "ramblings of a 34b cup" is like opening a cultural window, exposing you to life lessons from across the globe. This is why I feel it is my responsibility to teach you, my pupils, about the "sake bomb." Let us start with the basics. Sake is a Japanese rice wine, and in my opinion, likely tastes like 100% ethanol. While I am not sure of the exact alcohol content of this high octane booze, I am positive that by pounding your fists on the bar, to release a shot of sake into a cup of beer, is a lethal combination. Be sure to take note that I, the 34b cup, did not partake in this tom foolery. For a closer look into how the sake falls, lets dim the lights and review the film strip, I mean, blogger movie, shall we? Afterwards we will have a short pop quiz followed by another round.

Set em up and knock em down! Just be sure to take 3 Advil before bed...

Girls, Girls, Girls!

We were destine for a fantastic weekend when our household almost doubled. No more stinky boys just the addition of Sydney and Bella. Syd, my not so little anymore, cousin and her standard poodle, Bell-za-bub, came to chill with us for the weekend. I know you couldn't find a cuter, sweeter, funner (yup, funner), 13 year old to hang out with. We opted for a little pampering at "HOT NAIL" to get manicures and pedicures (loved the fun, canary yellow polish she picked out). We shopped at Hollister and yes, I bought two t-shirts. I believe wearing one of them out on Friday night for dinner was the sole reason I was asked for i.d. She rocked it on the soccer field for her tryouts and even made some hard cold cash while she babysat for Hank (his parents pay so well I may have to start staying home more often). Jerrid and I were "proud as peacocks" when she got up on the wake board on her first try. She looked comfortable as an old pro considering she hadn't been behind the boat since last summer. Take a peek for yourself...

Happy Halter Top Fashion Friday!

It's the ultimate in sexy shirtisms. It can scoop up higher around the neck or plunge a little lower into the, well, you know what I mean. Still the same bare, bronzed, open back. The halter top is the required and "proper attire" for the (go figure) Hat and Halter Tops party at the Grouchy Dog. It's an annual thang. Hosted by BIG snoot cousin and her side kick (the big guy in the red shirt). It's a good looking crowd that forms out there in the sticks. Speaking of sticks... if you "stick" around long enough you may see some partner, I mean, clothing swapping going on.

A (strip) Tease (kidding)!

The hats and halter tops party... Details to come (and you thought I was the wild one)!

Hello Windy City!

Yes, it's true. I'm off again, but at least this time I'm in the same time zone. It's just a couple of days. You'll be fine. I tell ya what... Tomorrow I'll post a pic for ya. A little teaser if you will of the next post to come. Just think, hats and halter tops...

J.E.L.L.O. (shots)

It's officially tradition! When Lola and Jack roll in from TX the Jello shots are flowin'. It's better than any fruit infused gelatin-don't worry I won't tell your grandma. Here's the perfect blend. Tried, tested and Texan approved.

1 small box J.E.L.L.O. brand jello (duh) in lime or cranberry.
1 C icy cold H2O
1/2 C boiling H2O
1/2 C Absolute Citron
Fill equal parts in Dixie bathroom size cups (classy, I know)
Chill. I know, patience people, have a cold beer in the meantime.

Enjoy!