Jam of the Week

Cloud Control + Gold Canary

Cloud Control has put me in a musical coma today. Love!

-- A

In the Mood for a Snood

Adoring this color combo!

Snoods have been warding off winter chills

since Medieval times. They're great for bad

hair days, keeping those ears warm,

and staying incognito.

You can find this chick's snood at J.Crew but

currently it's only available in black,

heather grey, and caramel.

You can also check out these bright alternatives: 

topshop

madewell

Or you can make your own!

-- A

Treats and Snoozin'

My favorite little guy is back!

If you didn't catch it the first time, here is Marcel's debut: 

Gotta love SNL Alum, Jenny Slate!


Smile a lot. It's worth it!

-- A

*Note: original post was the failure of my first time

using the Blogger app for iPhone. Obviously, I need to preview

before publishing!

Nurse Evil

I had to go into the doctor's office for a

few tests yesterday - not exactly how I wanted

to spend my Sunday morning - and

came face to face with Nurse Evil .

After a bit of dilly-dallying by the receptionist, I was

finally called back to have my blood drawn.

As the nurse was applying the little bandage to my arm I felt

a dark, looming shadow before me telling me it was

time for my millionth ultrasound.

Enter Nurse Evil.

She wasn't as pretty as Daryl Hannah, and I really

don't think she would kill anyone but I digress...

After an excruciating series of tests, I let a few tears

fall prompting NE to utter the unthinkable:

No

Need

To

Get

So

Emotional

Who tells a hormonal female pumped up full of

chemicals and writhing about in pain from feeling

like she's being cut in two by a dull, flaming

hot knife to "not get so emotional"?

Hmmm???

Before I knew it, I was letting. her. have. it.

I let her know real quick that she wasn't the only

one that didn't want to be there and if she thought

this was emotional, she hadn't seen anything yet.

Then I hopped off the table and told her exactly

where she could shove that ultrasound wand.

Okay...so I didn't exactly do all that.

At least not out loud.

-- A

11.11.11

 credit

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day

will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those

who died in the country's service and with gratitude for

the victory, both because of the thing from which it has

freed us and because of the opportunity it has given

America to show her sympathy with peace and justice

in the councils of the nations."

-- Woodrow Wilson

Be sure to hug a veteran today!

-- A

Grace

-- A

Neat-o!

A murmuration, or flock of starlings, here

includes thousands of these tiny birds collectively flying

and swirling about. The mesmerizing act is typically

seen at the beginning of winter, right before dusk, as

the birds look for a place to roost for the night.

During the action, birds reach speeds of up to 20 mph. 

In the video, Sophie Windsor Clive captured an

incredible example of the event on the River Shannon

in Ireland. Clive and her companion, Liberty Smith, just

seem to happen on the event as they were canoeing across.

It was an amazing treat neither of them ever expected to see. 

According to the Telegraph, what makes it

so beautiful is actually a survival function: 


"Numbers build up slowly near the roost over
the afternoon as small groups of birds return from
foraging in the area," explains Paul Stancliffe of the
British Trust for Orinthology. "By late afternoon there
is a huge swirling cloud. It's all about safety in 
numbers - non wants to be on the outside,
none wants to be first to land."


Essentially it's an epic battle to determine who

in the flock survives, and who's a target

for predators. According to the Telegraph, each

bird tries to copy the bird next to it exactly,

which results in a stunning rippling effect.

-- via Huffington Post

And that concludes our science lesson for the day.

- A

Jam of the Week

I've been jamming to this tune all day!

Why? Because the construction crew arrived this morning!!

Mi casa is finally getting a much needed face-lift after

being attacked by a 200 ton tree back in September. 

Progress is good. Rillll good.

-- A

Can I Get a Roll Tide

This post is brought you by the letter 

I am headed down to T-town soon to

get my pre-game on with B and a few friends.

Bama plays LSU tomorrow in what is being

headlined as THE GAME OF THE MILLENNIUM. 

And I am a nervous Nancy! The media hype

and lack of the perfect gameday outfit has brought

on a stomach ulcer. I mean, if it's the game of

the millennium, I better be lookin' good. 


So I'm off to peruse the racks for a little ditty
fit for watching the Tide roll. 

Have a great weekend and

Roll Tide, ya'll.


-- A

Jam of the Week

Oregon Bike Trails + Cayukas

 Oregon Bike Trails - Cayucas 

-- A

Wednesday Whine

It's been one of those weeks so far.

And Wednesday is only half-way over.

The change in weather has me stuffy and

I'm being forced to wear mittens in an effort

not to claw my eyes out from major dryness. 

So I didn't really come here to whine.

Despite my sniffles and red eyes,

I am elated at what just hit the shelf. 

Mindy Kaling's new book is out!!

An excerpt:

"...in the romantic-comedy world there are many

specimens of women who—like Vulcans or Mothra—do

not exist in real life. Here are some examples:

The Klutz

When a beautiful actress is cast in a movie, executives

rack their brains to find some kind of flaw in the character

she plays that will still allow her to be palatable. She can’t

be overweight or not perfect-looking, because who

would pay to see that? A female who is not one hundred

per cent perfect-looking in every way? You might as well

film a dead squid decaying on a beach

somewhere for two hours.

So they make her a Klutz.

The hundred-per-cent-perfect-looking female is

perfect in every way except that she constantly bonks

her head on things. She trips and falls and spills

soup on her affable date (Josh Lucas. Is that his name?

I know it’s two first names. Josh George? Brad Mike?

Fred Tom? Yes, it’s Fred Tom). The Klutz clangs into

stop signs while riding her bike and knocks over

giant displays of fine china in department stores.

Despite being five feet nine and weighing a hundred

and ten pounds, she is basically like a drunk buffalo

who has never been a part of human society.

But Fred Tom loves her anyway.

The Woman Who Works in an Art Gallery

How many freakin’ art galleries are out there? Are people

buying visual art on a daily basis? This posh/smart/classy

profession is a favorite in movies. It’s in the same

realm as kindergarten teacher or children’s-book

illustrator in terms of accessibility: guys don’t

really get it, but it is likable and nonthreatening.

Art Gallery Woman: “Dust off the Warhol.

You know, that Campbell’s Soup one in the crazy color!

We have an important buyer coming into town,

and this is a really big deal for my career.I have no time for this!”

The Gallery Worker character is the rare

female movie archetype that has a male counterpart.

Whenever you meet a handsome, charming, successful

man in a romantic comedy, the heroine’s friend

always says the same thing: “He’s really successful.

He’s”—say it with me—“an architect!”

There are, like, nine people in the entire world

who are architects, and one of them is my dad.

None of them look like Patrick Dempsey."

-- A